Subjects:
American Literature changed in many ways. A lot of the changes were due to the impact of
World War I. To truly appreciate literature written during this era you must understand the
Before World War I began the mood of the American society was confident and
optimistic, but when hundreds of thousands of the Americans and Europeans lost their lives this
outlook on life was shattered. People began to see a need for change, but didn't know what kinds
of changes. There was a growing sense of uncertainty, disjointedness, and disillusionment among
certain members in American Society.
During the aftermath of World War I, a major literary movement known as modernism
began to develop. This movement caused a lot of writers to abandon the traditional forms and
techniques they used before. Instead, modernists sought to capture the essence of modern life in
both form and content of their work. They constructed works out of fragments, omitting the
expositions, resolutions, interpretations, transitions, and summaries often used in traditional
. . .
a very well-known author. The novel
became very popular and established Scott as a writer. This novel was called "one of the most
scrupulously observed and beautifully written of American novels" (New Yorker)92. He serves as an American "type" a man who struck it rich and was incapable of
using his newfound wealth for anything but self-destructive purposes. At Gatsby's first party there
is a smash-up between two drunk drivers. He calls to tell Daisy, but soon finds out that she and Tom had left
town. So Nick invites Daisy and Gatsby over to his house
for tea. Despite
the fact that he knew wasn't true, Tom tells Myrtle's husband George, that Gatsby was driving. However, they reflect only one side of a writer whose second and
final decade of work portrayed a life marred by alcoholism and financial difficulties, troubled by
lost love, and frustrated by lack of inspiration.
Fitzgerald's major problem is with the plot. Other symbols such as
Gatsby's car have a function in the eh plot ass well as a more abstract significance.
Essay's Topics
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