Exploring Shifting Representations of Patriarchal Ideology in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s "The Great Gatsby" (1925) and Nghi Vo’s "The Chosen and the Beautiful" (2021)

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Contextualising F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) and Nghi Vo's The Chosen and the Beautiful (2021)
• Feminist Literary Theory and Queer Theory: Concepts, Ideas and Developments
• Patriarchal and Gender Representations in The Great Gatsby (1925) and The Chosen and the Beautiful (2021)
  • Masculinity
  • Femininity
  • Queer Characters and Places
• Conclusion

Objectives and Key Themes

This thesis aims to analyze the changing representations of patriarchal ideology in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) and Nghi Vo's The Chosen and The Beautiful (2021). It will explore how the two novels present different perspectives on gender roles, stereotypes, and power dynamics, highlighting how these issues are reflected in the historical and social contexts of each work.

• Patriarchal ideology and its impact on gender roles
• The portrayal of masculinity and femininity in both novels
• The representation of queer characters and their experiences
• The significance of the rewrite as a genre and its ability to challenge existing narratives
• The influence of historical and social contexts on the representations of gender and patriarchy

Chapter Summaries

The first chapter introduces the two primary texts, The Great Gatsby and The Chosen and The Beautiful, and their respective contexts. It discusses the historical backdrop of 1920s America, focusing on racial issues and the emergence of the "New Woman." The chapter also examines the social movements and cultural changes that have shaped contemporary understandings of gender.

Chapter two explores the theoretical frameworks of Feminist Literary Theory, Queer Theory, and Intersectionality Theory, providing essential concepts and ideas for analyzing the texts.

The third chapter dives into the representations of masculinity, femininity, and queer characters in both The Great Gatsby and The Chosen and The Beautiful. It analyzes how each text presents different perspectives on these topics and the influence of patriarchal ideology on their portrayal.

Keywords

Key terms and concepts discussed in this thesis include patriarchal ideology, gender roles, stereotypes, masculinity, femininity, queer characters, The Great Gatsby, The Chosen and The Beautiful, feminist literary theory, queer theory, intersectionality theory, historical context, social movements, and the rewrite as a genre.