Modernism in The Great Gatsby

After reading the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the question arises about why Fitzgerald narrates the story from the point of view of Nick Carraway. Neither is he the one in the conflict of marriages like the Buchanans and Wilsons nor the mysterious, wealthy man Gatsby. So what is the point of Nick being the narrator? As we discussed during class last week, this time period, classified as modernism, involved increasingly conformist and materialistic values. I believe that Fitzgerald is narrating the book from Carraway's view to show how the previous era would view the now modern society. He resides in a simple house described as an eye-sore next to houses of the ultra-wealthy, and is friends with Tom, who is also ultra-wealthy. Nick isn't concerned with material values, rather he serves as a judge of the new era, proved by Tom's want of Carraway to like him and a similarly mentioned feeling that Gatsby feels towards him. Another new characteristic of this new era was the flapper, or strongly independent woman. This role is played by Jordan Baker. Carraway describes her as appealing because she is "self-sufficient", showing society's overall approval of the new-found independence of women. The Great Gatsby serves as a great representation of the new characteristics found in modernism, such as a judge of materialism and of the new identity for women.

#Punctuation

Thesis: In a rapidly changing world, the rules of grammar are constantly being morphed into ever-changing symbols carrying a meaning which is soon forgotten; however, some form of grammar is still needed in order to allow people's thoughts to be read in the form of words.

As source A describes punctuation, "as technology continues to evolve and innovate, the way in which we communicate needs to change as well"(Source A), citing examples of how a exclamation comma or a snark are no longer are recognized in society. Henry Hitchings believes that punctuation no longer holds as prominent of a niche in today's "literary world". However personally, I disagree. In "On Punctuation" by Elizabeth Austen she states how most of punctuation is a "tight-lipped fence" or a "prissy formality"(Source B), however she also mentions many punctuation marks that she would use if  "[She] must"(Source B). Austen brings to light in her poem that even though a lot of punctuation marks may just be fluff, it still is a vital part of writing. Taking it one step further, Lewis Thomas in "Notes on Punctuation" bluntly states "There are no precise rules about punctuation"(Source C), more like there shouldn't be... While I believe that he is incorrect in stating that there are no precise rules of punctuation, I believe this statement should be made true, leaving in the most important rules of punctuation – the period, the comma, the question mark, etc. – and allowing the fluff, described by Austen, to be open for any interpretation of use. While a lot of punctuation continues to evolve in a ever-changing world, these marks are mainly fluff, however the most important rules of it are already engrained into the writings of society.

Nature's Innocence

In all of the books that have involved children that we have read in 11 AP, they have always symbolized pure, truthful, and unbiased judgement. For example, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Huck and Tom are both untainted by the racism in society, and decide to help Jim become a free man. In The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, when Walls and her siblings are young, they believe in everything their father says. Walls believes that her father is good at heart, which he is, however as she grows older she decides to try and leave the family for a better life. Walls' change of judgement was due to her siblings influence on her however. In the book The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the child, Pearl, does not symbolize innocence. Actually she symbolizes the exact opposite. Pearl is a constant reminder of punishment and even compared to being a "demon child." I believe that Hawthorne's purpose in deviating from the norm of children in literature was to emphasize how Pearl is a result of sin. Although, the child doesn't serve as a symbol of innocence in the book, there is still a feeling of innocence radiating from nature. Hester and Dimmesdale find refuge in the woods together for a couple of hours, knowing that nature will not judge them. Pearl, though not a symbol of innocence by herself, is also seen as innocent while in nature. In The Scarlet Letter, nature takes the place of a child's mind in symbolizing purity to emphasize Hawthorne's dissent from Puritanical society and movement to Romanticism.

Physical vs. Psychological Punishment

In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne juxtaposes the characters Hester and Dimmesdale to display the effects that guilt can have on a person. On one side there is Hester. She has admitted her guilt and therefore is punished by society for her sin, yet at the same time, purges her mind. On the other hand, there is Dimmesdale who chooses not to expose his sin, and while he doesn't face the punitive measures of society, he does face the consequences in his own mind. In the book, Hawthorne constantly implies that the emotional punishments are much worse than those of society. Chapter 13 tells the reader that Hester has actually gradually become accepted back into society through her many good deeds, such as making clothes for the poor. In contrast, while Dimmesdale is still accepted by society, because in their minds he hasn't done anything wrong, he is suffering a much worse fate than Hester. His mind is slowly deteriorating to lunacy and is now also affecting his physical body also. Hawthorne also displays through these characters that how people judge themselves is always more important than how others view them. Towards the beginning of the book, Hester is in shame, however she knows that everyone knowing her sin is for the best. This is proven by her interesting way of stitching the scarlet letter onto her clothing. Dimmesdale doesn't release guilt, and is therefore tortured by his own mind judging himself. Clearly by Hawthorne's descriptions of the two characters, Hester is better off than Dimmesdale. Suffering the judgement of society is better than suffering the judgement of one's own mind.