Stranger on Earth

Is there a need for another analytical essay on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s enduring The Great Gatsby (1925)? One would be inclined to say no. There is, however, a need for a reminder of the novel’s transcendental nature: its ability to cut through generations and zeitgeists to reach the 21 st -century reader. Ernest Hemingway had the privilege of reading The Great Gatsby first-hand in Paris, and was so awed by its artistry that he considered it Fitzgerald’s best work. Generations of readers after Hemingway would come to share his view. What makes the work so fascinating that it is still being read today by high-school students and literary enthusiasts around the globe, despite its opaque language and style? The attraction of The Great Gatsby lies largely in its unabashed presentation of romanticism – the blood that runs through the veins of our imagination. The towering titular character is a man of unconditional dedication. Having lost his love to a wealthy rival, Jay ...

The 84 th Academy Awards ceremony saw the triumph of two motion pictures, The Artist  and Midnight in Paris , which have the power to transport the viewer to a (seemingly) innocent, less distracting time. Both films celebrate the golden twenties, reminding us that there was in fact a time period when men and women of a certain class were meticulously dressed, and speech was a carefully cultivated art form. The modern audience connects with this, as is evident from the accolades both films have been receiving. It may very well be possible that inside every one of us (above the age of thirty or thirty-five), there beats a heart that secretly longs for the irretrievable past which turns a little rosier with every passing year. Nostalgia keeps our imagination alive and makes present-day reality bearable. The Artist is an unabashed homage to the short-lived silent movie era, whose luminaries included names such as Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Buster ...