Monday, September 13, 2010
Introduction: Words from F. Scott Fitzgerald
The first four paragraphs of the Great Gatsby are a message from the author to the reader, describing the lens through which he intends to portray his thoughts. In the first paragraph, Nick introduces a quote from his father, which tells him to consider a person's history before judging them. This is Fitzgerald's way of letting the reader know that he has done his research, and that all future criticism in the book is based off of reality and not skewed interpretations. Next, Nick states that he is 'inclined to reserve all judgements,' or in other words, will not be biased. This, again, is the author, proving to the reader that he will be fair with his assessments of other people and their actions, and will not show unnecessary rudeness, or state untruths. Finally, Nick mentions an 'intimate revelation' which he has had. In this introduction, Fitzgerald is promising to portray said 'intimate revelation' to the reader, and writes almost as though the entire purpose of the book is to do so: to share his newly crafted ideas with the world. However, is it possible to tell everything exactly as you see it? Is there a way to enlighten the world on something you have noticed but to do so in a way that is fair to everyone involved in said enlightenment? This question may not have a yes or no answer, so I pose you one more: What can an author do, in terms of writing techniques, literary devices, or simply word choices, to convey to the reader that they have an unbiased view on the matters that they are discussing?
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The way I see it, it is possible to to tell everything exactly as you see it. It could take time and effort to find the right words, but it's possible. Fitzgerald continues to stick to his notions that Nick will be a true narrator portrays the story in a matter-of-fact way. So far it seems true. However, you'll never know from a literary sense if you're getting the right vision from the narrator, unless the writer makes a second version of the same story from another prospective. While Fitzgerald implies that Nick will not be biased, how can we ever know? I for one believe that Nick is not biased, but there is always the possibility.
ReplyDeleteIf I were trying to write a story completely without bias, I would just tell it like it is. I probably wouldn't include the intense descriptions that Fitzgerald uses. Personally, using neutral words, i.e. trying to stay away from words that have overly negative or positive connotations would help convey that the story is unbiased.
One of the creative activities I am going to have you guys do oncer we're done with the book is to narrate a scene from another character's perspective. The purpose is to explore how people can view the same event in completely different ways... all leading into our larger discussion of the "lenses" of critical theory.
ReplyDeleteGreat questions! I agree with Justine – using neutral words is the best when avoiding sides. In my opinion, part of the fun in characters and plots is the inherent biasness. In fact, the flavor of books comes from the personalities of characters. If a story is narrated exactly how it occurred, what is the point of having a character there in the first place? What is to distinguish that person from any other?
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