American literature - semináře - zápisy

American realism

• It wants to capture reality

• An artistic movement begun in 19th century in France

• Detailed realistic and factual description without idealization

• It is the opposite of Idealism

• Relationship between representation and the subject – also known as mimesis

• Pragmatism is also related to this movement

• The main aim is to interpret the actualities of any aspects of life, free from subjective prejudice, idealism, or romantic colour

• It stresses the real over the fantastic, characters from everyday life

• Emphasis on morality more than on emotions

• Humans are in control of their own destiny

Emergence of American realism

• The industrial revolution that took place at the end of the 19th century changed country in remarkable ways

• America was leaping into a new modern age and people were afraid that original traditions will be forgotten

• The growth of investigative journalism

• The rise of muckrakers (muck = manure) – people trying to find evidence of corruption

31. 10.

The Great Gatsby (1925) – F. S. Fitzgerald

• The book wasn’t successful in the beginning

• The book is slightly autobiographical – few details are from his own life

• Epigraph – at the beginning – they tell us what’s going to happen in the story, there are main themes

• 1920’s – the Roaring twenties

  • The government prohibited alcoholic beverages

  • It was after WWI – people were destroyed so they drank alcohol – that’s why they banned it → it was “Lost generation”

  • Modern times – new technologies – tanks, machine guns

  • They were less religious – they were questioning (Why would God let so many people died?)

• Considered to be Fitzgerald's magnum opus

• Creates a portrait of the Roaring Twenties

• Themes:

  • Decadence of the society

  • idealism

  • resistance to change

  • social upheaval

  • and excess - výstřednost

Society and class:

• Division of society – middle class, upper class

• In The Great Gatsby, does wealth alone decide which class a character belongs to?

• What are the various markings of the upper class in the novel? What distinguishes it from the other classes?

• Is Gatsby in the same class as Wilson? If not, is he closer to Wilson's class, or to Tom's? Where does Meyer Wolfsheim stand in all of this? – He is closer to Wilson – both of them are “self-made” men

• Does Gatsby love Daisy, or does he love the lifestyle she represents? Is she only his ticket to the upper classes? If so, does Gatsby realize this? – He is able to achieve something on his own.

Love:

• Is there a difference between love and romance in The Great Gatsby?

• Is love an expected part of marriage in The Great Gatsby? Why or why not?

• Are love and sex separated in The Great Gatsby?

• Is Gatsby's love for Daisy genuine? Does he love her, or his conception of her? What about Tom – does he really love Daisy? And whom does Daisy really love, after all? Is it possible, as she said, that she loved both Tom and Gatsby at once?

Visions of America:

• Does Gatsby achieve the American Dream? If yes, when exactly can he say that he reaches it? If no, what prevents him from truly achieving it?

• Do you agree with Fitzgerald's criticisms of American culture during the Jazz Age? Would you rather be living then, or are you happy in present-day America?

• Would you rather live in East Egg or West Egg? The Northeast or the Midwest? Why?

• Nick leaves the East Coast, jaded by his experiences with Gatsby, the Buchanans, Jordan Baker, etc. Do you think he'll remain cynical even in the Midwest, or will he leave his disgust in New York?