Naturalism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

The history of American literature has evolved in ways that can actually be explained. American literature can be expanded from one philosophy to another by rebelling or growing out of a belief, which create a new philosophy, lifestyle, and culture. The philosophies that shaped American history today are Puritanism, Deism, Romanticism, Transcendentalism, Realism, Naturalism, and Existentialism. Analyzing and contemplating these philosophies were what helped shaped American literature today. It also helped many people, for example the authors, find their role in society. Puritanism is the fundamental belief in the church, being pure of sins, and that god has your fate decided by the time you’re born. For puritans society and fitting in was everything, if you did something wrong the people would shun you. For example, in the crucible when everyone is talking about the witches and how “the town’s gone wild” (Miller 1123).They were going

Naturalism almost entirely dispensed with the nation of freewill or at least freewill capable of inactivity real change in life’s circumstances. As in “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald demonstrates how corrupt the society is. As brought up, “Life is much more successfully looked at from a single window” (Fitzgerald). Life looks much more successful to society by a window then from living it. Existentialism is all about existing in this world. According to this time period, every person is born without a purpose. They are the ones that decide and make the choice of their lives. Man defines himself and the world as his own subjectivity. For example, in “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden faces a couple and he says, “You cannot ever find a place that is nice and peaceful because their itchy” (Salinger). Everyman creates values throughout the choices, therefore individuals create meaning through