Oxford Dictionaries

- Modernism is a rejection of realism
- science will save the world
- notion of science and social determinism is idealized
- science explains everything, which took away all the power of God making Him seem useless
- life had lost its mystery, man, not God, could rule the world

Fitzgerald brings out many different modernist trends in his novel, The Great Gatsby, to accurately describe the world he was living in.
- people were disgraceful and selfish
- spent money on useless items
- idea of honesty that lacks in his characters throughout the storyline
- setting of the novel is the Jazz Age, which brought forth many modern aspects in the youthful lifestyle
- Gatsby's large modern house is a prominent feature mentioned throughout the story. It was built as a way to catch the attention of Daisy, in hopes that she will fall in love with him

The article, "Evoked Elements of Modernism in Gatsby English Literature" defines and gives examples of how Fitzgerald took use of the different aspects of modernism in his writing of The Great Gatsby. He uses these techniques so that his literature would be more attractive to the modernist society that he was trying to appeal to at the time of his writing. Sadly, his efforts were not successful for many years after the book was published.

- The Great Gatsby is definitely connected to romantic commitment and a belief in the limits set by force
- in a materialistic sense shows there is a dualism between a mechanistic and organic view of the universe
- The organic universe is living and the mechanistic universe is fixed
- this shows that the novel is also concerned with naturalism as a modernistic technique of writing

- Fitzgerald's indicates that the people of the 1920's were disgraceful, undignified and selfish
- they spent large sums of money on themselves is shown through Gatsby's parties where people would attend when they didn't know the host

This type of behavior is why the 1920's were known as a decadent era
- the eyes not only symbolize a god-like being but also Fitzgerald himself and his negative views of 1920's society
- also portrayed through his depiction of guests at Gatsby's parties such as the two women identically dressed in yellow

The Jazz Age was a movement of youthful rebellion and futuristic expressive modernity when the rich went to parties at Gatsby's to indulge in the new hedonism of the time
- Nick introduces the novel describing things that are manufactured, advertised and consumed
- There are signs of the new economy (the modern capitalism) but these are in many cases also metaphors of the new materialistic mental landscapes of the 'Jazz Age', which the novel seeks to document
- This need for the new was strong in the character of Myrtle Wilson who had her modern apartment as an attempt to turn herself into a 'Daisy' like modern society lady by mimicking what she had read in trashy gossip novels
- This is reflected in her party mannerisms and behavior, her pet dog, her manufactured furniture and rugs with tapestry of Versailles

- theme of honesty in a new modern way which it is lacking in the characters of The Great Gatsby
- Jordan, who cheats at golf
- New York City is a symbol of what America has become in the 1920's, a place where anything goes, where money is made, bootleggers flourish, and where the Meyer Wolfshiem fixes the World Series
- Gatsby's 'old sport' seems to invoke foul play, but seems to be more of a false affection
- finally there is a sense that Gatsby hasn't achieved his wealth honestly.