New Historicism
New Historical and Cultural Criticism in The Great Gatsby
Main characteristics of New Historicism
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There are no facts – just interpretations (Tyson 286)
Power circulates from all social levels at all time (Tyson 287)
“history is neither linear (…) nor progressive (…)” (Tyson 287) no universal spirit of an age – always opposition (Tyson 287) analysis of history is always subjective (Tyson 287)
Individual and culture define each other (Tyson 287)
New historicism applied to literature
“(…) the literary text and the historical situation from which it emerged are equally important (…)” (Tyson 288) à “ (…) they create each other” (Tyson 289)
Therefore New Historicism does not regard a literary text as an isolated object but wants to know more about the background and the way of life of the people at that time when it was written.
Cultural Criticism wants “(…) to make connections between the literary text, the culture in which it emerged, and the cultures in which it is interpreted”. (Tyson 295)
New Historicism and Cultural Criticism are hard to distinguish – they differ just in few points
Differences of Cultural Criticism to New Historicism
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more political à often bases on Marxist, feminist or other political theories ( Tyson 294) especially interested in the popular culture ( Tyson 294) existence of a high- / low culture which the dominant class decides ( Tyson 294)
New Historical Reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
At the time, when The Great Gatsby was published (1925), the discourse of the self made man was very up to date and so called “Success Manuals” prospered. (Tyson 299-300)
Jay Gatsby fulfils many of the advices given in these books to make one become a self-made millionaire. For instance:
Success Manuals
Jay Gatsby
An adequate formality of speech (Tyson 301)
Is “picking his words with care” (Fitzgerald 50)
Avoid bad behaviours (Tyson 300)
“(…) formed the habit
Main characteristics of New Historicism
•
•
•
•
•
•
There are no facts – just interpretations (Tyson 286)
Power circulates from all social levels at all time (Tyson 287)
“history is neither linear (…) nor progressive (…)” (Tyson 287) no universal spirit of an age – always opposition (Tyson 287) analysis of history is always subjective (Tyson 287)
Individual and culture define each other (Tyson 287)
New historicism applied to literature
“(…) the literary text and the historical situation from which it emerged are equally important (…)” (Tyson 288) à “ (…) they create each other” (Tyson 289)
Therefore New Historicism does not regard a literary text as an isolated object but wants to know more about the background and the way of life of the people at that time when it was written.
Cultural Criticism wants “(…) to make connections between the literary text, the culture in which it emerged, and the cultures in which it is interpreted”. (Tyson 295)
New Historicism and Cultural Criticism are hard to distinguish – they differ just in few points
Differences of Cultural Criticism to New Historicism
•
•
•
more political à often bases on Marxist, feminist or other political theories ( Tyson 294) especially interested in the popular culture ( Tyson 294) existence of a high- / low culture which the dominant class decides ( Tyson 294)
New Historical Reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
At the time, when The Great Gatsby was published (1925), the discourse of the self made man was very up to date and so called “Success Manuals” prospered. (Tyson 299-300)
Jay Gatsby fulfils many of the advices given in these books to make one become a self-made millionaire. For instance:
Success Manuals
Jay Gatsby
An adequate formality of speech (Tyson 301)
Is “picking his words with care” (Fitzgerald 50)
Avoid bad behaviours (Tyson 300)
“(…) formed the habit
Bibliography: Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today. London and New York, NY: Garland Publishing Inc. 1999. Print. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Stuttgart: Ernst Klett Sprachen GmbH. 1995. Print