Modernism and Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

The Modernist Element of The Unreliable Narrator

Mar 30, 2009

The development of the unreliable narrator in F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby locates this novel within the Modernist movement.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, addresses several issues of Modernist concern, including but not limited to the development of technology, feminism as represented through the character of Jordan Baker, the effect of World War I upon society, a questioning of God, and the possibility of man’s place in a possibly Godless Universe, as seen in George Wilson’s reaction to Myrtle’s infidelity.

In addition to these Modernistic themes cited by literary theorist Peter Childs, Fitzgerald utilizes the technique of the unreliable narrator to further locate The Great Gatsby within the Modernist sensibility.

The Narrator Nick Carraway

Fitzgerald introduces Nick Carraway to the reader through an internal monologue, in which Nick explains how he came to be involved with Jay Gatsby. During this rumination, Nick states that he is “inclined to reserve all judgments.” However, his statement is quickly proven false as he immediately begins to relate his strange fascination with Jay Gatsby, despite Gatsby representing everything for which Nick had “unaffected scorn.”

Through this comment, the reader discovers that not only does Nick incline himself towards critical comments, his assessments can be heated and harsh. As such, the reader comes to realize that Nick will continue to weave his judgments into the story and that Nick’s account of events may not be the manner in which said events occurred. In essence, Fitzgerald has given us our warning and we now must read with caution.

One Narrator, Multiple Narratives

Fitzgerald also employs the use of the unreliable narrator to explore the concept of the microcosm versus the macrocosm or the small plot versus the large plot. Through Nick’s narration, the reader is provided with a story within the story. While the primary focus of The Great Gatsby is on the entanglement between Daisy and Jay, there is an individual focus upon Nick, as the reader views the unfolding of events through Nick’s eyes.

When Nick is apprised of Jay’s feelings for Daisy, and the lengths to which Jay has gone to insinuate himself into Daisy’s life, Nick reflects upon his own situation and realizes that he “had no girl whose disembodied face floated along the dark cornices and blinding signs and so I drew up the girl beside me . . .” In essence, the reader becomes subjected to Nick’s romantic lamentation in the midst of Jay and Daisy’s burgeoning romance.

In this revelation the reader becomes more familiar with Nick’s character and his lack of connection to one significant individual (despite the relationship he does not want but continues to sustain with a woman back home). However, through the story development, the reader finds that Nick has decided to pursue and enjoy what is available to him: Jordan Baker.

Modernism and The Unreliable Narrator

Although there are several examples of Modernist thought and influence in The Great Gatsby, Nick’s inconsistent behavior and occasionally paradoxical judgments emphasize the contribution of the unreliable narrator to the Modernist narrative. And with this technique, Fitzgerald further emphasizes the way in which Modernism is fascinated “with the way the mind processes or projects a reality which surrounds the individual but which is often alienating and oppressing.”

Sources

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: First Collier Books Edition, 1992.

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