F. Scott Fitzgerald's stories “The Great Gatsby” and “Babylon Revisited” challenge standard notions of the term “love”. From failed marriages to secret mistresses, the concept and expression of love is consistently problematized. Love is consecrated in the act of marriage in these stories and yet it is hardly enough to maintain stable relationships. What does this mean for Fitzgerald's leading ladies? Are they able to manipulate the standard of love to gain autonomy and respect?
Fitzgerald’s short story Babylon Revisited was published six years after the release of his critically acclaimed novel The Great Gatsby. Known for his autobiographical sketches, Fitzgerald’s tales of post World War I fantasticism detail the journey of romantic ideals between man and woman. Both of these publications, alongside their motion picture counterparts, demonstrate that Fitzgerald’s presentation of love is not always through the romantic ideals that the emotion endorses. In an era where fantasy and extravagance were the norm, Fitzgerald’s demonstration of love transforms the emotion into a physical possession. Love becomes a purchasing power that Fitzgerald’s women use to gain autonomy and respect.
Table of Contents
1. A Lover’s Love
2. History Repeating
3. A Daughter’s Undertow
4. Furtive Fools
5. Subterfuge
6. Bang Bang
7. A Lapse In Time
8. Within and Without
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines how female characters in selected works by F. Scott Fitzgerald transform romantic love into a form of physical possession and bargaining power, thereby asserting their autonomy within male-dominated social spheres.
- The subversion of traditional romantic ideals by female protagonists.
- The connection between Fitzgerald’s biography, particularly Zelda Fitzgerald, and his female characters.
- Love as a tool for negotiation and power in "Babylon Revisited" and "The Great Gatsby".
- The cinematic representation of female agency and autonomy.
- The distinction between intimacy and genuine emotional love in 1920s social environments.
Excerpt from the Book
A Daughter’s Undertow
Charlie Wales, a “good to look at” (Fitzgerald 212) thirty-five year old recovering alcoholic is the father of the intelligent and beautiful Honoria in Babylon Revisited. After the death of his wife, Charlie seeks betterment in several business ventures, taking him from the United States to various locations in Europe. Alone and lacking love, he returns to Paris, where his daughter resides with her aunt Marion and uncle Lincoln in search of custody. “‘Oh, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, dads, dads, dads,’” (Fitzgerald 212) cries the nine-year old as she is reunited with her father. This father/daughter relationship demonstrates the beginning of the female characters’ necessity to mold love into a bargaining power rather than an emotional state. The first instance of the female’s grasp on the male figure occurs at lunch while Honoria calculates the apropos vegetable servings for the afternoon and deliberates dessert: “Honoria looks at her father expectantly” (Fitzgerald 215). This glance over to her father shows the responsibility that the male figure has to the female. In this case, it represents the power dynamic within a father/daughter relationship. Seemingly, Charlie maintains the power in this case, as he responds with a plan for the day, although, with closer examination, we learn that this is not the case. Soon after Charlie’s suggestion, Honoria rejects Charlie’s idea of visiting the toy store, transferring the power from the male figure to the female. Additionally, on a broader scale, Charlie’s existence in the story is only possible because of Marion, his sister in law, who has been caring for his daughter since Helen, Charlie’s late wife, passed away. Charlie’s custody, and thereby his entire relationship with his daughter, is entirely under the control of Marion, another female.
Summary of Chapters
A Lover’s Love: Introduces the premise that Fitzgerald’s female characters utilize love as a purchasing power to gain autonomy and respect.
History Repeating: Explores the biographical influence of Ginevra King and Zelda Fitzgerald on the author’s idealistic views and depictions of love.
A Daughter’s Undertow: Analyzes the power dynamics in "Babylon Revisited," specifically how the father-daughter relationship serves as a site of female bargaining.
Furtive Fools: Discusses Daisy Buchanan’s role as a creator of a "currency of love" and her resemblance to the persona of Zelda Fitzgerald.
Subterfuge: Examines the film adaptation of "Babylon Revisited" to illustrate how physical intimacy is used to manipulate male emotional states.
Bang Bang: Reviews the 2013 film adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" and the performative nature of Daisy’s affection.
A Lapse In Time: Compares cinematic portrayals of Fitzgerald’s women to highlight their persistent strength and control over male protagonists.
Within and Without: Concludes that while these female characters successfully assert dominance as a form of power, this does not guarantee their personal happiness or fulfillment.
Keywords
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Babylon Revisited, The Great Gatsby, Zelda Fitzgerald, power dynamics, romantic love, bargaining power, female autonomy, gender roles, 1920s literature, cinematic adaptation, intimacy, Honoria, Daisy Buchanan, manipulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research?
This paper explores how female characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald's works redefine romantic love, transforming it from a traditional emotional commitment into a tool for social and personal power.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The study covers gender dynamics, the influence of autobiographical elements in fiction, the socioeconomic utility of love in the 1920s, and the representation of women in literature and film.
What is the core thesis of the work?
The author argues that Fitzgerald’s female characters, such as Daisy Buchanan and Helen, use love as a form of "currency" to gain autonomy and control over the men in their lives.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The work utilizes literary analysis, biographical research, and comparative media studies, examining both original texts and their corresponding film adaptations.
What subjects are addressed in the main body?
The main body examines the specific power dynamics in "Babylon Revisited" and "The Great Gatsby," analyzing key scenes where women exert influence over male figures through affection or the withdrawal of it.
Which keywords best characterize this publication?
Key terms include F. Scott Fitzgerald, female autonomy, power dynamics, bargaining power, 1920s era, and literary gender studies.
How does Honoria’s behavior in "Babylon Revisited" reflect the author's argument?
Honoria demonstrates an early grasp of power, using her father's affection to negotiate her desires and showing independence from her extended family, mirroring the behavior of adult women in Fitzgerald's stories.
How does the author view the "foolishness" mentioned in "The Great Gatsby"?
The author suggests that Daisy’s hope for her daughter to be a "beautiful fool" is actually a pragmatic desire to protect her child from being devastated by the traditional, impractical romantic ideals of the time.
What role do film adaptations play in the author's analysis?
Films like "The Last Time I Saw Paris" and the 2013 "The Great Gatsby" are used to visually demonstrate how female characters maintain their composure and power, even when faced with male infidelity.
- Quote paper
- Charlotte Ljustina (Author), 2014, Love as Power in F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby” and “Babylon Revisited”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/307716
