A Modernist Examination of the Good Anna and the Great Gatsby

A Modernist Examination of The Good Anna and The Great Gatsby Modernism is a movement characterized by the re-examination of literary styles, structures, content, and even human existence thought to be standard prior to 1900. The movement was all about looking at things in a new light, and trying to break the mold so long held by society as the norm. This movement took place in art, music, architecture, and as I will further discuss in this paper, literature. In this paper, I will discuss the modernist movement, specifically in relation to The Good Anna by Gertrude Stein, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Though modernism affected all different areas, they share the same common theme, which is, ironically, almost no theme. The†¦show more content†¦We also learn about Anna through her relationship with Mrs. Lehntman. â€Å"Mrs. Lehntman was the only romance Anna ever knew,† (52) the narrator declares, and in this we come to learn that Anna’s feelings for Mrs. Lehntman go beyond that of friendship, and are actually romantic feelings, though nothing ever comes of this. This is important because we come to see how well Anna treats Mrs. Lehntman, and how she treasures the dog Mrs. Lehntman gave to her over all the others. She is always willing to help Mrs. Lehntman, even when it is against her better judgment. In this way, we come to see Anna’s generosity of spirit. We see how she funds Mrs. Lehntman’s project when she asks Anna for the money, though Anna knows it will fail. We also see this with other people Anna encounters; she is always willing to share the money she works so hard for, even if it is at no benefit to her. For example, Anna encounters a woman who got behind on her rent when she lost her husband and the narrator announces, â€Å"It was the good Anna’s savings that were handy.† (67) She donates money several other times in the book from the savings she keeps. We also see how when Anna open s a boarding house, she doesn’t charge the men nearly enough and makes just enough money to survive by. Next, we