Comparing F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jane Austen
Undisputedly, F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the world's great writers, with a unique style of writing recognisable to any learned reader. His use of similes and metaphors is distinguished, and the issues he presents to the reader and the way in which he conveys them are both effective and thought provoking. Fitzgerald makes many profound statements in his work, and his comments on society and values are subtle, yet unmistakable. Jane Austen too makes comments on society, however they are of different time periods and therefore have ideas distinct from each other. Undoubtedly Austen is a source of high culture also; on account of her characterisation, strong sense of satire, and contrast of ideals, Austen has certainly contributed to the society's remembrance of past worlds and elapsed social values.
One of the contributing factors to Fitzgerald's writing was the era in which his plots, and indeed his own life, were set. His first novel, 'This Side Of Paradise', was published in 1920, a time when the younger generations, who had fought in the first world war, turned to wild and extravagant living to overcome the shock of death. After this novel, Fitzgerald became a celebrity, and fell into a wild, reckless lifestyle of parties and decadence. Many of the events from this early stage of his life appear in "The Great Gatsby', which was published in 1925. It is the issues presented in this novel that illustrate the main context of his work- adultery, depression, social facades, death, crime, self-deception, infatuation, and of course, the American Dream.
Austen's works were written in a completely different timeframe where social attitudes towards women, ma...
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...rtfordshire with the design of selecting a wife, as I certainly did.'
Austen illustrates the trivial yet proud nature of this man by his choice of language- his loquacious, garrulous style ultimately makes the reader lose any respect they may have had for him in previous chapters, and his words do not serve to make him a believable, genuine character- the repeated use of personal pronouns such as 'I' and 'my' also futher this conclusion.
Although these methods are contrasting, both are effectual, and indeed this can be said about both authors, whose different techniques and approaches to their work are each effective and certainly contributing influences on today's literature.
Works Cited:
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. This Side of Paradise. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Macmillan, 1992.
A narrative that describes a young girl's trails and tribulations while being an involuntary member of the institution of slavery, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl attempts to open many eyes to the world of slavery. The author, Harriet Jacobs, wishes those in north would do more to put a stop to the destructive practice entitled slavery. As Jacobs states, slavery contains a de-constructive force that effects to all who surround it. It tears apart families (both white and black). Jacobs confronts her reader one on one in order to reemphasize her point. In addition, she uses the family and sentiment to appeal to and challenge her 19th century white female readers in order to effectively gain their support in the movement for abolition.
In 1861, Harriet Jacobs published her book “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.” The story is based in Southern United States of America during the time before Jacob escaped from slavery in 1835 (Reilly 649). Jacobs uses the name Linda Brent as a pseudonym (Reilly 649) and describes her experience as a female slave through a first person narration. The purpose of the selections featured in Kevin Reilly's, “Worlds of History,” is to show the victimization and emotional suffering female slaves feel against their white masters vs. the physical pain a male slave endures.
Considered as the defining work of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925, when America was just coming out of one of the most violent wars in the nation’s history. World War 1 had taken the lives of many young people who fought and sacrificed for our country on another continent. The war left many families without fathers, sons, and husbands. The 1920s is an era filled with rich and dazzling history, where Americans experienced changes in lifestyle from music to rebellion against the United States government. Those that are born into that era grew up in a more carefree, extravagant environment that would affect their interactions with others as well as their attitudes about themselves and societal expectations. In this novel, symbols are used to represent the changing times and create a picture of this era for generations to come. The history, settings, characters, and symbols embedded in The Great Gatsby exemplify life in America during the 1920s.
Incidents in the life of a slave girl is a memoir written by Harriet Jacobs, there she explained the hardships African-Americans experienced during slavery. Slaves were subjected to be just property and this gave their owners the right under the law to abused them, deny them of basic human rights, and liberty to protect their families from slave-owners. Many slaves would scape to the free states but soon realized that there was segregation between African-Americans and white-Americans and extradition laws that would sent runaway slaves back to the south to their owners. Slaves were seemed as property, their lives were controlled by someone else, and they encounter segregation and extradition laws in the Free states,
Certain authors, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, wanted to reflect the horrors that the world had experienced not a decade ago. In 1914, one of the most destructive and pointless wars in history plagued the world: World War I. This war destroyed a whole generation of young men, something one would refer to as the “Lost Generation”. Modernism was a time that allowed the barbarity of the war to simmer down and eventually, disappear altogether. One such author that thrived in this period was F. Scott Fitzgerald, a young poet and author who considered himself the best of his time. One could say that this self-absorption was what fueled his drive to be the most famous modernist the world had seen. As The New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean mentions in her literary summary of Fitzgerald’s works, “I didn’t know till fifteen that there was anyone in the world except me, and it cost me plenty” (Orlean xi). One of the key factors that influenced and shaped Fitzgerald’s writing was World War I, with one of his most famous novels, This Side Of Paradise, being published directly after the war in 1920. Yet his most famous writing was the book, The Great Gatsby, a novel about striving to achieve the American dream, except finding out when succeeding that this dream was not a desire at all. Fitzgerald himself lived a life full of partying and traveling the world. According to the Norton Anthology of American Literature, “In the 1920’s and 1930’s F. Scott Fitzgerald was equally equally famous as a writer and as a celebrity author whose lifestyle seemed to symbolize the two decades; in the 1920’s he stood for all-night partying, drinking, and the pursuit of pleasure while in the 1930’s he stood for the gloomy aftermath of excess” (Baym 2124). A fur...
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby”, is one of the few novels he wrote in 1925. The novel takes place during the 1920’s following the 1st World War. It is written about a young man named Nick, from the east he moved to the west to learn about the bond business. He ends up moving next to a mysterious man named Gatsby who ends up giving him the lesion of his life.
In addition, possibly the greatest burden of Linda 's life is that her children will become slaves. Harriet Jacobs writes, "There is a great difference between Christianity and religion at the south. If a man goes to the communion table, and pays money into the treasury of the church, no matter if it be the price of blood, he is called religious. If a pastor has offspring by a woman not by his wife, the church dismisses him, if she is a white woman; but if she is a colored, it does not hinder hiss continuing to be their good shepherd(8)." Pious slave owners were often the ones who beat, raped, and killed their slaves, but you would find them in the pew of church every Sunday. Many slave owners of that time used the Bible to justify slavery. Jacobs, whose grandmother was a God-faithful woman, understood the hypocrisy of the "pious" slave owners of the south. The people in the north did not understand the true atrocities of slavery. The novel was written to open their eyes to a "Christian" nation that so desperately needed the true love of
A few years after the Civil War, the federal government opened the West for settlement. There was much at stake. For whites, there were acres of open land suitable for farming, trading, or transportation. For Native Americans, the plains was their home. Travelling from place to place, these tribes followed the herds of buffalo that provided food and clothing. Indian oppositions were met with many conflicts between the tribes and U.S. troops (“Wounded Knee Massacre”). Occasionally, some of the Native Americans’ attempts were successful in ceasing settlers from trespassing their land. With news of gold discoveries, many whites brought complications into the American Indians’ lives. Often, the settlers would take advantage of them. Signed by American agents and representatives of Indian tribes, early treaties primarily assured them of peace and integrity of their land (Martin). As more and more settlers arrived, these treaties were broken. The whites often sought protection from the government, and the government would obviously favor the whites. C...
The Great Gatsby is a short novel by F. Scott. Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is a fictional book that was first published April 10, 1925. Fitzgerald wanted to showcase the ways of society and class in America, in the Roaring Twenties or the 1920s. When the book was published, not many copies were sold, only 20,000 copies were sold within the first year. Fitzgerald was inspired by his relationship with his wife, Zelda. Fitzgerald and his were known for always drinking too much, they were prone to serious depression and self-destructive behaviour. No one ever accused the couple of frugality. In its time, The Great Gatsby is considered to be a literary classic, and has been a contender for the title “ Great American Novel.” Fitzgerald died at
The 1920’s were a time of social and technological change. After World War II, the Victorian values were disregarded, there was an increase in alcohol consumption, and the Modernist Era was brought about. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a perfect presentation of the decaying morals of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald uses the characters in the novel--specifically the Buchanans, Jordan Baker, and Gatsby’s partygoers--to represent the theme of the moral decay of society.
During the 1920's America was a country of great ambition, despair and disappointment. The novel The Great Gatsby is a reflection of this decade, it illustrates the burning passion one man has toward his "American Dream" and the different aspects of the dream. Fitzgerald's work is a reflection of America during his lifetime. The Great Gatsby shows the ambition of one man's reach for his "American Dream," the disappointment of losing this dream and the despair of his loss.
Japan is no longer safe! This was the sentiment of most Americans after The Doolittle Raids; America’s first bombing attack on mainland Japan. These raids had a profound effect on American morale during WWII. The supposedly impregnable island of Japan had been ruptured and The U.S. was now on the Offensive. Initial perceptions of American people’s the support of these raids would reflect an unwavering dedication to the complete annihilation of the Japanese foe. Though it is true that nearly all Americans supported the war, some did have reservations. The damage done to the Japanese people as well as the welfare of U.S. soldiers was and issue for many. Destination Tokyo, a wartime film, depicts the issue of the pure necessity to fight the Japanese as far outweighing any loss of life or property. Also the April 19, 1942 New York Times editorial “The Attack on Japan” casts the raids as the only effective, meaningful response to the coldhearted Japanese enemy. How are these claims related to one another? Is this a valid justification for war? More broadly, what do these claims speak about human nature in general?
Within this extended essay, the subject chosen to study and formulate a question from was English Literature, in particular the portrayal of women during the 19th and 20th centuries, where the following novels 'The Great Gatsby' written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' were set in and originated the basis from. The question is as follows 'How does Jane Austen and F Scott Fitzgerald portray gender inequalities in both lower and upper class relationships particularly through love and marriage within the novels 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'The Great Gatsby' from the different era's it was written in?' This particular topic was chosen reflecting the morality and social class during the two different era's and determining whether there was change in the characteristics of women as well as men and how their behaviour was depicted through the two completely different stories, as they both reflect the same ethical principles in terms of love and marriage. The two novels were chosen in particular to view their differences as well as their similarities in terms of gender inequality through love and marriage, as the different era's it was set in gives a broader view in context about how society behaved and what each author was trying to portray through their different circumstances, bringing forward a similar message in both novels.
In Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” through strong characters she demonstrates how prejudice between social classes blinds the heart from falling in love. Austen’s flawless utilization of characterization and her ideas of society and class develop a timeless love story that invites the heart to become consumed with love. Each device that Austen uses paints a vivid picture in the readers mind and helps the plot of the story unfold. The characters that Austen uses each play a huge role in how the story will end and add suspense and interest while reading the entire novel.
Jane Austen’s works are characterized by their classic portrayals of love among the gentry of England. Most of Austen’s novels use the lens of romance in order to provide social commentary through both realism and irony. Austen’s first published bookThe central conflicts in both of Jane Austen’s novels Emma and Persuasion are founded on the structure of class systems and the ensuing societal differences between the gentry and the proletariat. Although Emma and Persuasion were written only a year apart, Austen’s treatment of social class systems differs greatly between the two novels, thus allowing us to trace the development of her beliefs regarding the gentry and their role in society through the analysis of Austen’s differing treatment of class systems in the Emma and Persuasion. The society depicted in Emma is based on a far more rigid social structure than that of the naval society of Persuasion, which Austen embodies through her strikingly different female protagonists, Emma Woodhouse and Anne Eliot, and their respective conflicts. In her final novel, Persuasion, Austen explores the emerging idea of a meritocracy through her portrayal of the male protagonist, Captain Wentworth. The evolution from a traditional aristocracy-based society in Emma to that of a contemporary meritocracy-based society in Persuasion embodies Austen’s own development and illustrates her subversion of almost all the social attitudes and institutions that were central to her initial novels.