In Fitzgerald's "The Rich Boy", Anson Hunter, a man of seemingly immeasurable wealth, leads a life in which he defers to "the world of high finance and extravagance, of divorce and dissipation" as his ultimate reality (Fitzgerald 164). Accepting no one as his equal and maintaining a strong will throughout his youth, there are a but a few moments where his faint disdain for the simple-mindedness and predictability of his peers takes center stage. But when he reaches age thirty, the lack of intimacy in his life causes him an immense depression as old friends settle down and the Hunter family name is reduced to a shell of its former self. When nearing the end of his tale, Fitzgerald recalls a revitalized form of Anson taking control as the two meet up for drinks. Without even the slightest hesitation, he begins to discuss "the girl in the red tam" and his plan to take her out to dinner (Fitzgerald 187). The story ends with the author's final analysis of his companion, proclaiming that he didn't feel as if "he was ever happy unless some one was in love with him."(Fitzgerald 187)
This moment, to me, crystallizes the entire aesthetic of the incredibly wealthy New England communities that were in full swing during the early twentieth century. Fate dealt to them a hand that provided limitless amounts of material pleasure and with it temporary remedies to their internal emptiness. Such quick fixes came in the form of exquisite liquor, cigarettes, and a few deck of cards. And unlike human beings, they were instantly replaceable. Once more, since the society which they belonged to and preserved was never short of pretty faces, there was always the option of forgetting emotional issues with a lover to give your heart away to someone else or play with their own if it were necessary. Even after Paula's passing and the abrupt end to his fling with dolly, Anson still had in his disposal enough human capital to begin another affair. All that was missing in his situation was the correct remedy. Once applied, he could continue on with his lavish yet meaningless existence, and it would appear in the end this is exactly what he did. Infatuation might be the bare minium for a relationship, but for Anson, coupled with a class of whiskey, it is all that he needs.
What other moments of character development or potential motifs cultivate Fitzgerald's twentieth century aesthetic?
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you on in this article and found it to be very well written. His confidence in the beginning quickly turns to arrogance due to his wealth and self image. "Accepting no one as his equal and maintaining a strong will throughout his youth, there are a but a few moments where his faint disdain for the simple-mindedness and predictability of his peers takes center stage." as you see one instance of drifting away from this ideology when he meets Paula and is taken back by her due to her social standing and wealth, she seems worthy of his time and interest.
ReplyDeleteLike you stated regarding "infatuation and a glass of whiskey" that is all he could have hoped to receive by way of his arrogance and fooled himself into thinking that infatuation was true love when in the end the only love he had earned was loving himself.
I know it's uncommon to feel sorry for someone who puts them self on a pedestal and sees rules as only applying to those who are without wealth and cunning, but I do pity Anson in that he lives in a world where he sees himself as a Julius Caesar or Muhammad Ali. To live your life thinking that you deserve to drink yourself to oblivion and that be acceptable because you are better than others is very sad.