1. Introduction
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I rather want to take it up here again, since it is the melting pot of all of Fitzgerald’s work as an author. After that I will proceed with his first successful novel ‘This Side Of Paradise’, a piece of work that made him an instant success in the U.S.A. in the 1920s and that got him a lot of critical acclaim all over the nation.
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What these three novels have in common is that on their outset, the protagonists seem to have a great future ahead of them or at least think they do. It is not before a certain point of the books that the readers realize that the characters’ version and vision of the American Dream or of their lives and what they think it should be like, has to fail in the end. How do they want to achieve wealth and a better status in society has to be explored and explained. Another point will be, how their strife is conducted and why it finally has to fail and why they cannot succeed in what they do and what kinds of obstacles society puts in their way.
I will take a close look at the protagonists’ zeals and at their struggle to achieve what they want and at their failure to do so. The examination will mostly take place from a literary standpoint. Since this is a thesis in American literature, I will focus on how the respective piece of literature is made and not so much on the historical context. The latter one will only be used to make certain passages of the respective novel clear and lucid. The main spot is focussed on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s construction of the American Dream and its final failure in his works. In order to make my points clear, I will mostly use the method of Deconstruction, i.e., I will stay very closely to the respective text and interpret it. This method is very suitable for me to state my case on certain parts of the text to make clear in what way the protagonists’ strife for their version of the American Dream fails. It furthermore allows me to show the connections between the meaning of the novels and the way they were constructed by the author. This link is very important for Fitzgerald’s works since he used a lot of symbols in his novels to make them more interesting and to breathe life into them, in order to attract the readers’ attention.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The American Dream and its origin
3. Short biography of Francis Key Scott Fitzgerald
4. Short definition of Modernism in American literature
5. The Great Gatsby
6. This Side Of Paradise
6.1. Introduction
6.2. The most important characters in ‘This Side Of Paradise’
6.3. Version of the American Dream in ‘This Side Of Paradise’
6.4. Rosalind and Eleonor - The collapse of the American Dream
7. Tender Is The Night
7.1. Introduction
7.2. Dick Diver’s way into alienation and decay
7.3. The love affair with Rosemary Hoyt
7.4. The way back home to the U.S.A. after the decay
8. Thesis Summary
Objectives & Themes
This thesis examines the failure of the American Dream in three major novels by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It explores how the author’s protagonists, initially driven by ambition and high hopes, ultimately succumb to disillusionment and failure due to their misunderstanding of society and wealth.
- The evolution and corruption of the "American Dream" from its historical origins to the 1920s.
- The intersection of personal identity and social status in the context of American Modernism.
- The destructive nature of materialistic pursuits and the separation of love and wealth.
- The role of biographical influences, specifically Fitzgerald’s own experiences, in shaping his literary characters.
Excerpt from the Book
Version of the American Dream in ‘This Side of Paradise’
I would like to continue now with a closer look at Amory Blaine’s life, his version of the American Dream and the reasons why it does not work out the way he wants it to. As I said before, Amory Blaine, the protagonist, is one of the specific types of characters that Fitzgerald created over and over again in his novels, no matter what time they are from. He is the innocent character with high hopes and a great deal of romanticism. He is a strong believer in the American Dream and tries to figure out how he can achieve his goals and become the kind of person he is trying to be with all the glamor and success and love he wants.
Amory as a very early figure the author created has got several goals. The first one is to become a good student, a loved member of his university in Princeton and a well-known, popular member of society. Secondly, he tries to win several girls and convince them that he is the right one for them to have a relationship with. The third goal is something that Monsignore Darcy tries to impose on him and finally manages it. Amory has to become a personage instead of a mere personality. The difference, as mentioned before in my thesis, is that a personality only looks at his image in society instead of the development of his character. The personage on the contrary is more interested in the deep emotions, the movements of the character and finally in its perfection.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the scope of the thesis, analyzing the transition of Fitzgerald's perspective on the American Dream through three of his major novels.
2. The American Dream and its origin: Traces the historical shift from Puritan moral ideals to the materialist pursuit of wealth in American society.
3. Short biography of Francis Key Scott Fitzgerald: Highlights the author's background and his own life experience as a primary source for the recurring themes in his fiction.
4. Short definition of Modernism in American literature: Explains how the literary period and the use of symbols allowed Fitzgerald to convey complex societal issues.
5. The Great Gatsby: Analyzes the protagonist’s misguided attempt to use wealth as a tool to recreate the past and reclaim his love for Daisy Buchanan.
6. This Side Of Paradise: Investigates Amory Blaine’s adolescent quest for identity and his eventual realization that social persona must give way to true character.
7. Tender Is The Night: Discusses the psychological and moral decay of Dick Diver, whose attempt to build a glamorous life in Europe results in tragic collapse.
8. Thesis Summary: Reaffirms the conclusion that Fitzgerald’s works serve as a critique of a materialistic society that forces the ruin of its most romantic and ambitious individuals.
Keywords
F. Scott Fitzgerald, American Dream, The Great Gatsby, This Side Of Paradise, Tender Is The Night, American Modernism, Disillusionment, Success, Materialism, Romance, Social Status, Deconstruction, Biography
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research explores the failure of the American Dream as depicted in three novels by F. Scott Fitzgerald, focusing on how the protagonists' initial hopes are thwarted by the demands and superficiality of their respective societies.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Central themes include the pursuit of success, the conflict between individual character and social expectations, the corrupting influence of wealth, and the role of romantic love in an increasingly materialistic world.
What is the overarching research goal?
The goal is to analyze the construction and ultimate failure of the "American Dream" in Fitzgerald’s works, specifically looking at how protagonists seek wealth and status only to find these pursuits hollow.
Which academic methodology is utilized?
The thesis primarily employs the method of Deconstruction, staying closely to the original texts to interpret how the author constructed meaning and symbolic connections between the novels' themes.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body examines three specific novels—The Great Gatsby, This Side Of Paradise, and Tender Is The Night—and details the journey of each protagonist as they encounter obstacles that lead to their eventual disillusionment.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include F. Scott Fitzgerald, American Dream, Modernism, disillusionment, success, materialism, and identity, among others.
How is the transition from "personality" to "personage" significant in the novel?
The distinction, taught to Amory Blaine by Monsignore Darcy, is critical to his growth: a "personality" focuses solely on outward image, while a "personage" seeks inner growth, deeper emotions, and genuine character, which Amory eventually realizes is necessary to find true fulfillment.
How does the "incest-motif" function in Tender Is The Night?
The motif serves two purposes: it explains the trauma and psychological dependency behind Nicole Warren's illness, and it mirrors the eventual decline of Dick Diver, whose own professional and moral boundaries begin to collapse as he becomes entangled in similar unhealthy dynamics.
- Quote paper
- Tobias Bumm (Author), 2005, The failure of the 'American Dream' in the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/34454
