Friday, July 10, 2009
Week Four: Modernism and Masculinity
The protagonists in Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” and in Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” are both male. How are these male characters represented by the authors, respectively? How is masculinity and/or American masculinity characterized? What, if anything, strikes you as modernist in these representations?
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The impression I got in regards to the males character in the Hemingway piece was that of a person who did not seem to place much value on personal relationships or being honest about his feelings. I also got the feeling that Hemingway's character Harry gradually over time became lulled by wealth, making it unnecessary for him to work, thus putting off much of the things he had planned to write but comes to find never will. His seemingly impending death has him reflecting on not only his writing but his relationship with his female companions he's had through out the years. Which he concludes he loved at first but in the end did not truly love any of them and found that they would eventually all digress to quarreling towards the end of the relationships.
ReplyDeleteI find the complete opposite in Dexter, F. Scott Fitzgerald's male character from the piece Winter Dreams. He the male character seems to be motivated by wealth to not only work but continually work and strive to reach greater success. I also noticed that Dexter's character also has the complete opposite values in regards to personal relationships. The bulk of the exert from a Winters Dream deals with his falling in love with a beautiful young rich women who does not seem to value love in that sense, and his continual disheartening interactions with this women. And ironically this women when she finally does marries does so to a man who treats her as she had treated all the men before.
There's an anecdote about Gustave Flaubert I think has some relevance to the topic of female characters in the works of male authors. Apparently, after publishing Madame Bovary, several of his female fans sent him letters asking of how he writes of women so well. Eventually, he wrote a fan back with the enigmatic message "Madame Bovary, c'est moi." Which I believe translates to "I am Madame Bovary."
ReplyDeleteIn some ways, I believe Flaubert was admitting to something many other more masculine authors do with their work, but won't admit to as he did. With modernists like Faulkner, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald, it's my theory that they inevitably are expressing their own selves, it's just that whatever insecurities, doubts, or weaknesses they have, they attribute in their stories to female characters, because at the time, it was the norm to read of such women in stories. I wouldn't be surprised if there were instances where Fitzgerald felt just as capricious as Judy, or if Hemingway secretly liked the pleasure-seeking bourgeois culture that the woman in The Snows of Kilamanjaro thrives on. Kurt Vonnegut, in one of his many books (I can't recall which one)goes as far as to call Hemingway "One of our most feminine authors."
On a side note, I feel it's somewhat necessary to point out that--from what I've read about him--Fitzgerald mostly wrote his short stories for money. Whenever he and Zelda were short on funds, he would go to his desk and dash off a short story to sell to a magazine. Occasionally though, he would write a good story, although I don't think Winter Dreams is one of them (I also think he dashed off the Curious Case of Benjamin Button to make money). Some of the prose of Winter Dreams is just fluff, and some parts of the story seem unnecessary (collections of his short stories will often leave out Winter Dreams). His novels though were more personal, and had less to do with making money (The Great Gatsby made very little). For better writing, refer to his novels.
Response to Fitzgerald and Hemingway:
ReplyDeleteIn “Winter Dreams” Dexter is depicted as a man from a moderate upbringing that comes into wealth and the lifestyle thereof. Within the reading it states that “he was bothered by his scanty funds” and that “he wanted the glittering things themselves.” Dexter was determined for success and higher status. This relates to the woman that he so desperately seeks to be with, Judy Jones. She represents all the 'glittering things' that he wishes to poses. Throughout the reading, there is a reoccurring mentioning of Judy's house and the power and mystery that it held. These feelings that came from the house were associated to Judy as well. In speaking of the house in relation to Judy, Fitzgerald writes “it were there only to bring out the contrast with the young beauty beside him. It was sturdy to accentuate her slightness...” We see a comparison of the house with Judy, but it's not to say that Judy doesn't fit with the richness of the house, that she is different, rather that they compliment one another. Dexter's masculinity is seemingly defined by his success and quest for rich things. He even compares himself to the other men chasing after Judy, referring to himself as “better than these men. He was newer and stronger.” All of this was based off his feeling of superiority in his education and wealth.
Fitting with modernist beliefs, “Winter Dreams” shows the difference between high and low culture, emphasizing the feelings of power and enchantment that the upper class seem to carry with them. Even with all that Dexter had obtained, Judy represented the best that there was. He is never able to let her, or perhaps the idea of her, go. Still, after years of not seeing Judy, the thought of her fading away into something plain and moderate strips him of a dream that he cherished for so long. It appears that Dexter comes to the realization that people don't last like the houses and things they poses.
The protagonists in "Winter Dreams" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" are both extremely successful male characters. In "Winter Dreams", the story of Dexter is another one of Fitzgerald's rags to riches stories in which the main character exhibits an entrepreneurial spirit and becomes very wealthy. In "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" the protagonists is a very talented writer whose gift is being held back by a life of ease.
ReplyDeleteIn both of the short stories the male characters come to wealth on their own accord. Dexter is an intelligent hard worker while Harry is a talented writer. However, the women they love are wealthy through lucky inheritance. Judy was born into money and Harry's wife, I think, married into it.
The sad end to both of these male characters could arguably be atributed to the women in their lives. Judy in "Winter Dreams" is a promiscuous troublemaker and heartbraker. She leads Dexter on and essentially ruins his life.
In "The Snows.." the woman, though faithful, is portrayed as the symbol of the lazy lifestyle leading to the demise of Harry's talent. In the story she is described as "this rich bitch, this kindly caretaker and destroyer of his talent." Though very harsh, Harry adds that it is not her fault but his own. Still, one gets the feeling that the women is indeed a source of his diminishing talent or work ethic.
"Winter Dreams" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" are perfect companion pieces because they both illuminate one of the greatest myths of America: the Self-Made Man.
ReplyDeleteIn Fitzgerald's piece, Dexter Green is many things the America male is traditionally supposed to be: youthful, sporty, independent, proud, "Willing! Intelligent! Quiet! Honest! Grateful! ---" (2126). Above all, he has a desire for wealth and is able to attain it through his laundry business. One might think this would be enough for Dexter, but it is not. As Dexter awaits his first date with Judy, he has the realization that he can never be the kind of man Judy typically dates, "the men who did nothing or anything with the same debonaire ease" (2132). He recognizes that he is "but the rough, strong stuff from which this graceful aristocracy eternally sprang" (2132). This indicates that, for Dexter, the American Dream extends beyond financial independence into something less tangible. Judy Jones has the j'ai ne sais quoi Dexter desires, and he intends to use her to achieve his dream. She is a commodity to him, like his fancy suits or his convertible. "It excited [Dexter] that many men had loved her. It increased her value in his eyes" (2131), just as he would have desired a particular brand of shoe had it been what all the aristocratic men were wearing. Ultimate success for Dexter means acquiring Judy as a status symbol; when he is unable to keep her, the reader is told, "The dream was gone. Something had been taken from him" (2149).
In the Hemingway piece, we are presented with another "manly" man, in the stereotypical sense. He likes to drink, play cards and hunt. And like Dexter, this man is willing to use a woman to get what he wants out of life. The contradiction here is confounding; to admit to using a woman's prestige or money to get ahead certainly would have been considered "un-manly" in 1922 or 1936. This "weakness" makes these characters wonderfully complex and interesting to me.
Response to lbond:
ReplyDeleteI agree that Harry, in Hemingway's piece, is initially not being honest about his feelings, but I think we can see evidence of this with Dexter as well. Fitzgerald writes, near the beginning of the story, that "Dexter was unconsciously dictated to by his Winter Dreams" (2127). Though I find the style of this line a bit cheesy, it indicates that Dexter is not in control of his life as much as he might like to think. Later in the story, as Dexter tries to rationalize his move towards Irene, we are told "He was completely indifferent to popular opinion" (2138). If this is coming from Dexter's consciousness, it seems completely delusional to me. If it is coming from Fitzgerald, it seems to confuse the character.
Response to Cory:
ReplyDeleteI think your ideas about character and gender are correct and interesting. I have done a fair bit of (amateur) writing, and I know that every character I have created has contained a part of me. I think my characters would be laughable if I tried to create them from thin air. Is it possible to determine which of the characters--Harry or his "she"--is more like Hemingway? Are they equal parts Hemingway? Is Harry a male caricature? Does Hemingway force Harry's masculinity? (I would argue that he does.)
The way the reader watches Harry fluctuate between bashing his partner and admitting her innocence seems pomo; he is multi-dimentional. Hemingway also seems on the cusp of postmodernism with the integration of Harry's interior monologue passages--the passages where he imagines the things he never got around to writing down. The quality of these passages is so much more lyrical and interesting than the more conventional dialogues between Harry and his proprietess. I love the joke embedded in these passages as well: Harry has procrastinated writing these things down for so long that it is only on his deathbed that he is finally able to conjure them properly.
Both peices were very masculine in their hard alcohol, doing no house work, living in the outdoors, controlling of women, and any form of manly image the author could throw out. In writing this, one might see the autor himself living his life in a suped up version of hiself. As for Dexter, the autor makes him like a train, with a dead end railroad. Continuously improving his "man image" yet being destroyed by the very women who were considered weak. Could it be that the moral of the stories were that without good balance, man is doomed? or that women are in fact the doom of men? either way, the stories plays out the man's role to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteResponse to hsteigmann:
ReplyDeleteI didn't really get that so much when i read the pieces, but after reading your response and thinking a little more about them i can see what your saying. To me though the two characters definately have a very different feel to them.
Response to chrisbconger:
ReplyDeleteI completely agree they are both definately filled with stereotypical masculine elements. Also they both seemed to take the stereotypical view of females as well.
This is in reply to Heidi's post...
ReplyDeleteI love the point that you brought up between the Fitzgerald piece and the Hemingway piece. You took the story deeper than I had understood. While it is true that the women in the story were portrayed or treated unfairly, you shed some more light on their purpose. You mentioned that the women were a status symbol for the men in the stories. We definately see how Dexter looked forward to being around Judy because he knew he was with a women that all of the men wanted. So as he was in her presence, despite his wealth situation, his value was increased because he had what other men wanted. Little did he know that he had what, every other man had too; just on a different day. It was this jealousy and envy that led to his complete misery. Judy could not provide what Dexter needed. She provided a good time when she was around but when she wasn't there, she was trying to please another man.
This is in response to drewgale's post...
ReplyDeleteYou also portrayed a great description of the issue we find in both techs. There are many similarities between the two women in the stories. However, despite the fact that these women are very similar, we must also remember that the men in both of these stories essentially allowed themselves to fall victim to the circumstances. Dexter quickly learned that he was not Judy’s only love. However, the feeling of being with her was somehow too great to leave. He hoped that she would settle down but she did not.
In Hemingway’s piece, the main character clearly treats his wife inappropriately because it seems that he is trying to force her to be exactly what he wants. He had been married many times and each wife was worth more; both financially and socially. But it still wasn’t enough. He lost his will to be himself with each financial increase. This compares to his illness in the end. The problem could have been solved very easily but he was too prideful. As a result, he became miserable and dead to himself.
I also agree that Heidi brought out a good point about Dexter in "Winter Dreams," one that I missed when first reading the story. Judy Jones obviously used Dexter and took advantage of her, but he might have been doing the same to her as well. While I'm not sure to what extent I think this was the case, it definitely adds another dimension to the story.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Heidi:
ReplyDeleteYou brought up how Dexter valued Judy more for the fact that she had been with many men. I found this to be interesting when I was reading it. It seemed to me that men would appreciate a girl who didn't sleep around when looking for a more serious relationship. I'm not sure what men in general thought of promiscuity during the time the story was set in. In the same respect, I can see how Dexter would want something that was desirable by many others. He took part in a competition with the others and was seeking his prize.
Response to Chris:
ReplyDeleteIt's ironic that the male characters could achieve so much, with many life experiences, and in the end be broken by a woman. When Dexter says that he has nothing left when hearing about Judy fading away, it really speaks to his priorities in life. Obviously he felt highly of the woman he could never get, no matter how manly or successful he seemed to others. The women in each story seem as if they are just someone that men can blame for their shortcomings. It's like if they can't get the girl they're left with nothing in their mind, but if they do get the girl, she gets in the way of what they could achieve in life.