The Great Gatsby
This book has been adapted into a movie twice.
Say, Old Sport:
What does the green light at the end of Daisy and Tom's boat dock mean?
Why is Doctor T. J. Eckleburg compared to God seeing everything?
Why do people think there's no E, despite the word "great" being in the title?
Is Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch put together”?
If you've read the book or seen either movie, you probably know the answers to this.
Ever notice that there are a LOT of flappers at the parties in the movies? They dance the Charleston, a dance that came out a year after the book is set (spring of 1922). Here's a post about Flappers by Sarah Zama (whose blog, The Old Shelter, is also in the #AtoZChallenge).
Jordon certainly qualifies as a flapper. She is defying her social group as much as possible without being actually exiled. She is, in some ways, the opposite of Daisy.
Jordon certainly qualifies as a flapper. She is defying her social group as much as possible without being actually exiled. She is, in some ways, the opposite of Daisy.
I think if Daisy were a true flapper, she might have left Tom for Gatsby. Though the term hadn't been coined yet, WASPs appear to be the dominant social group in the book. While Gatsby found a financial way to infiltrate the group, he could never be one of them. "New Money" isn't "Old Money," no matter how much of it one has. Daisy lacks the courage to risk being ostracized from her group. She would sooner be in a bad marriage with an abusive, cheating spouse.
"I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."
Myrtle doesn't qualify as a true flapper because of her desire to become part of the social group. Gatsby uses money, and Myrtle uses seduction. But neither Tom nor Daisy would ever actually marry outside of their social group. Myrtle and Daisy are both dependent on men, something a true flapper hopes not to be.
Cultural appropriation might be applied if the defense is that "maybe they just liked the style." The point of the style was to make a strong statement. The original meaning of the style isn't respected if the dominant cultural group (women who weren't feminists, or who valued the opinions of men or their elders) doesn't appreciate or agree with the non-dominant group, but will copy their form of expression.
The Great Gatsby (1974)
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Do you feel the flapper movement was adequately represented in The Great Gatsby book or either movie adaptation?
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"I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."
Myrtle doesn't qualify as a true flapper because of her desire to become part of the social group. Gatsby uses money, and Myrtle uses seduction. But neither Tom nor Daisy would ever actually marry outside of their social group. Myrtle and Daisy are both dependent on men, something a true flapper hopes not to be.
Cultural appropriation might be applied if the defense is that "maybe they just liked the style." The point of the style was to make a strong statement. The original meaning of the style isn't respected if the dominant cultural group (women who weren't feminists, or who valued the opinions of men or their elders) doesn't appreciate or agree with the non-dominant group, but will copy their form of expression.
The Great Gatsby (1974)
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Do you feel the flapper movement was adequately represented in The Great Gatsby book or either movie adaptation?
Our usual posting schedule will resume in May. The next Pass or Pages is June/July. Thanks for visiting!
Please vote in our poll! https://forms.gle/8cvCehkUKHMxx5C86
Thanks for reminding me that I haven´t read the book, it´s been on my TBR list for ages. But I saw the movie last year (and finally understood the ton of DiCaprio memes about it) It was a quite entertaining movie, although the ending shocked me a bit, as I wasn´t expecting it. I´ll read the book to see how faithful is the movie to the novel.
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The older movie does a few scenes differently than the DiCaprio one. But book or movies, the title character never makes it.
DeleteIMO the new movie focusses on the excessive parties too much whereas the earlier film conveys the relationship issues. I think there is a lot to be made (Book or films) about issues of class in the US - Old Money, Nouveau Riche, Criminal Rich and also about the social mobility brought abut by the first World War. I don't think that the flappers were portrayed as anything more than a fashion style in the films but could have been used to illustrate the difference between Daisy and Jordan as you suggest. I would have to reread the book to see how those issues are treated but I suspect that because films must show people dressed in some style or other, then style can be something or nothing in terms of meaning.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the suggestion that the book is one of the greatest American novels of the 20th century - certainly the best short novel - I love it...
I liked both movies and saw them when they came out - I was a teenager when the Robert Redford version came out. I thought they were both good and captured the spirit of the book. I think the different women were well represented and their differences captured.
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