Modernism in Literature
The 1920s became a time of great revolution in the form of free expression, namely, art and literature. F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of many authors who challenged the ideals and social norms glorified during this era. He questioned the gender roles through his creation of The Great Gatsby and the characterization of Tom, Daisy, and Myrtle. The 20s were an era of parties and celebration, but also held problems in the disparity of wealth, the gender roles forced onto people, and the racism and prejudice of the time. Another such author that followed into the modernistic era is Hemingway in The Battler, in which he displayed the nativism and racism of the 1920s. Modernism came as an era in which to abandon the pomp and circumstance of victorian values and a time of exposure. Fitzgerald's exposure of the wrongs of the 1920’s has made him a well recognized author in the modernistic era.
The Great Gatsby has become the most recognizable novel that portrays the values and party lifestyle of the 1920's. It is also known for the way in which Fitzgerald dropped the values and displayed a bitterness towards the war that they had 'oh so gloriously' won. His portrayal of an over exuberant generation of people is one of the many that questioned their behavior.
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