Paris has traditionally called to the American heart, beginning with the arrival of Benjamin Franklin in 1776 in an effort to win the support of France for the colonies’ War of Independence. Franklin would remain in Paris for nine years, returning to Philadelphia in 1785. Then, in the first great period of American literature before 1860, literary pioneers such as Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Nathaniel Hawthorne were all to spend time in the French capital. Henry James, toward the close of the nineteenth century, was the first to create the image of a talented literary artist who was ready to foreswear his citizenship. From his adopted home in England he traveled widely through Italy and France, living in Paris for two years. There he became close friends with another literary expatriate, Edith Wharton, who made Paris her permanent home. Between them they gave the term “expatriate” a high literary polish at the turn of the century, and their prestige was undeniable. They were the ‘in’ cosmopolitans, sought out by traveling Americans, commented on in the press, the favored guests of scholars, as well as men and women of affairs.
This thesis investigates the mass expatriation of Americans to Paris during the 1920s, and then focuses on selected works by two of the expatriates: Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises (1926) and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925). The specific emphasis is on disillusionment with the American lifestyle as reflected in these novels. The two books have been chosen because both are prominent examples of the literary criticism that Americans were directing at their homeland from abroad throughout the twenties.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- INTRODUCTION
- THE EXPATRIATE ARTIST COMMUNITY IN FRANCE
- The "Lost Generation" of American Expatriates
- Paris as the Center of the Expatriate Community
- ERNEST HEMINGWAY AND F. SCOTT FITZGERALD IN FRANCE
- Ernest Hemingway
- The Road to France – Hemingway's Early Years
- Life in Paris
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Road to France – Fitzgerald's Early Years
- Life on the Riviera
- Ernest Hemingway
- DISILLUSIONMENT IN HEMINGWAY'S THE SUN ALSO RISES
- The Expatriates and Their Way of Life
- The "Lost Generation" of Americans
- The American Government
- Money and New Values
- American Values in Contrast
- DISILLUSIONMENT IN FITZGERALD's The GREAT GATSBY
- The Effects of Wealth
- Corruption in the 1920s
- Commerce as the New Religion
- The Corruption of the American Dream
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis examines the mass exodus of American artists to Paris in the 1920s, focusing on Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises (1926) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) to explore disillusionment with the American lifestyle as reflected in these novels. It investigates the socio-political factors contributing to this expatriation and analyzes how these factors are depicted in the chosen works.
- The American expatriate community in Paris during the 1920s.
- Disillusionment with the American lifestyle as portrayed by Hemingway and Fitzgerald.
- The socio-political climate of the United States in the 1920s.
- The role of money and shifting values in the disillusionment of the expatriates.
- Comparative analysis of Hemingway's and Fitzgerald's portrayals of American society.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
INTRODUCTION: This chapter sets the stage for the thesis, highlighting the long-standing connection between American artists and Paris, beginning with Benjamin Franklin. It introduces the focus on the mass expatriation of Americans to Paris during the 1920s, particularly writers and intellectuals, and emphasizes the use of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby to analyze the disillusionment with the American lifestyle prevalent at the time. The chapter outlines the structure of the thesis, promising to provide historical context and biographical information before diving into literary analysis.
THE EXPATRIATE ARTIST COMMUNITY IN FRANCE: This chapter explores the reasons behind the significant migration of American artists to Paris in the 1920s. It details the appeal of Paris as a center for artistic expression and the creation of a thriving American expatriate community. The chapter examines the characteristics of this community, highlighting the unique aspects that set it apart from other expatriate movements in American history, with a focus on its size and concentration of writers and intellectuals. The permissive atmosphere of Paris and the amenities it offered are explored, contrasting it with the perceived unsupportive environment for artists back in the United States. The chapter concludes by introducing key figures within this literary community.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY AND F. SCOTT FITZGERALD IN FRANCE: This chapter provides biographical information on Hemingway and Fitzgerald, focusing on the events and experiences that contributed to their disillusionment with American life and their subsequent departures for France. The chapter contrasts their experiences, with Hemingway directly immersing himself in the Parisian literary community, while Fitzgerald initially spending time on the French Riviera before moving to Paris. Despite their different paths, both authors' experiences in France informed their critical perspectives on American life, laying the groundwork for the comparative analysis of their works in the subsequent chapters. The chapter restricts its biographical details to the period before the publication of The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby.
DISILLUSIONMENT IN HEMINGWAY'S THE SUN ALSO RISES: This chapter analyzes Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, focusing on the depiction of disillusionment among the expatriate community in Paris and during their trip to Spain. It explores themes of isolation, loss of values within the post-war generation, and the pervasiveness of money as a principal measure of worth. The chapter delves into Hemingway's portrayal of the insular nature of the American community in Paris, contrasting their experiences with those back in the United States and highlighting the moral confusion of a society where ethical bearings have been lost. The chapter will analyze how Hemingway’s work encapsulates the key themes of disillusionment and the shift in values.
DISILLUSIONMENT IN FITZGERALD'S THE GREAT GATSBY: This chapter examines F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, focusing on the novel's exploration of disillusionment through the lens of wealth, corruption, and the distortion of the American Dream. It delves into the consequences of the pursuit of wealth, exploring how it corrupts individuals and society as a whole. The chapter will investigate how commerce replaces traditional values and the destructive impact this has on the ideal of the American Dream. The analysis will synthesize Fitzgerald's presentation of the 1920s as an era of moral decay and the shattering of societal ideals.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
American expatriates, Paris, 1920s, disillusionment, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Sun Also Rises, The Great Gatsby, American Dream, post-war generation, social criticism, literary analysis, wealth, values, moral decay.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Study of American Expatriates in 1920s France
What is the main topic of this thesis?
This thesis examines the mass exodus of American artists to Paris in the 1920s, focusing on Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises (1926) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925). It explores the disillusionment with the American lifestyle reflected in these novels, investigating the socio-political factors contributing to expatriation and analyzing their depiction in the chosen works.
Which authors and novels are central to this study?
The core texts are Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The thesis uses these novels to analyze the disillusionment felt by American expatriates in the 1920s.
What are the key themes explored in the thesis?
Key themes include the American expatriate community in Paris during the 1920s, disillusionment with the American lifestyle, the socio-political climate of the United States in the 1920s, the role of money and shifting values in the expatriates' disillusionment, and a comparative analysis of Hemingway's and Fitzgerald's portrayals of American society.
What is the scope of the historical context provided?
The thesis provides historical context for the mass expatriation of American artists to Paris in the 1920s, including information about the appeal of Paris as an artistic center and the characteristics of the American expatriate community. It also explores the socio-political climate of the United States during that period.
What biographical information is included?
The thesis includes biographical information on Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, focusing on the events and experiences that contributed to their disillusionment with American life and their departures for France. This information is limited to the period before the publication of their respective novels.
How does the thesis analyze The Sun Also Rises?
The analysis of The Sun Also Rises focuses on the depiction of disillusionment among the expatriate community, exploring themes of isolation, loss of values, and the importance of money. It examines the insular nature of the American community in Paris and the moral confusion of the post-war generation.
How does the thesis analyze The Great Gatsby?
The analysis of The Great Gatsby explores disillusionment through the lens of wealth, corruption, and the distortion of the American Dream. It examines the consequences of the pursuit of wealth and how it corrupts individuals and society, focusing on the replacement of traditional values with commerce and its impact on the American Dream.
What are the key takeaways of the thesis?
The thesis aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the reasons behind the mass expatriation of American artists to Paris in the 1920s and how this disillusionment with American life is reflected in the works of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. It offers a comparative analysis of their perspectives on the social and political climate of the time and its impact on the American Dream.
What are the keywords associated with this study?
Keywords include: American expatriates, Paris, 1920s, disillusionment, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Sun Also Rises, The Great Gatsby, American Dream, post-war generation, social criticism, literary analysis, wealth, values, moral decay.
- Citar trabajo
- Michael Grawe (Autor), 2001, Expatriate American Authors in Paris - Disillusionment with the American Lifestyle as Reflected in Selected Works of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/42048
