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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—The Troubled Artist:
The motif of the troubled artist appears often in The Beautiful and Damned, forming a subtle critique of artists who aren't willing to work hard. In Chapter 2, a conversation between Richard and Anthony illuminates the subject:
“Then you don’t think the artist works from his intelligence?”
“No. He goes on improving, if he can, what he imitates in the way of style, and choosing from his own interpretation of the things around him what constitutes material. But after all every writer writes because it’s his mode of living. Don’t tell me you like this ‘Divine Function of the Artist’ business?”
“I’m not accustomed even to refer to myself as an artist.”
“Dick,” said Anthony, changing his tone, “I want to beg your pardon.”
“Why?”
“For that outburst. I’m honestly sorry. I was talking for effect.”
Just before this conversation, Anthony finds out that Richard has had some success in writing. Richard, who practices daily, persevered through frequent rejections and finally published a book and some short stories. Anthony—who has made no progress on his own work—refuses to let himself feel inferior. Instead of congratulating his friend, or admitting to his own lack of work ethic, he makes up a fancy speech about artists. He tries to show that artistry does not matter in order to downplay his friend's achievements. Notably, his imagined artist does not work from his own intelligence but rather "imitates" his predecessors. This idea discredits Richard's success. Despite Anthony's admission that he was "talking for effect"—i.e., that he was spouting nonsense—his veiled insults still make him look defensive and troubled.
Of course, Anthony is not actually an artist. He never achieves anything of note. He struggles with, but never completes, his "book." Despite Gloria's frustration at his lack of work ethic, he never attempts to create anything else of value. As Anthony's imagined artistry becomes a farce, the reader realizes that the motif of the troubled artist is really that of the lazy artist who fails to complete any projects. Fitzgerald, who resembled Richard in his hard-earned success, uses this motif to mock artists who refuse to work or expect automatic success. He also uses it to underscore the novel's theme of the contrast between dreams and reality.
Related Themes:
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Passion:
Fitzgerald uses passion, as differently expressed by Anthony and Gloria, as a motif to show that passion is often fluctuating and fickle. First, Anthony has two impulses toward Gloria: to love her and to hurt her. The motif of passion features both of these tendencies. In Chapter 3, the narrator describes Anthony's mixed feelings:
However much his wild thoughts varied between a passionate desire for her kisses and an equally passionate craving to hurt and mar her, the residue of his mind craved in finer fashion to possess the triumphant soul that had shone through those three minutes.
Here, Anthony seems torn between his passions for Gloria. Does he want to kiss her? Or "mar" her? At this moment, it seems that he cannot decide between these two desires. But what ultimately determines the expression of this passion is whatever allows him to "possess" Gloria. As he gets to know her, he finds that her childish nature demands care, attention, and love. So it would make the most sense to follow his first impulse— to love. However, he often grows frustrated with her caprices and continually belittles and patronizes her, showing how passion gets distorted by greed.
Gloria has a slightly different view of passion. In Chapter 8, Gloria thinks of passion as one of a woman's chief powers:
From the first little boy in an Eton collar whose “girl” she had been [...] there was needed only that matchless candor she could throw into a look or clothe with an inconsequent clause—for she had talked always in broken clauses—to weave about her immeasurable illusions, immeasurable distances, immeasurable light. To create souls in men, to create fine happiness and fine despair she must remain deeply proud—proud to be inviolate, proud also to be melting, to be passionate and possessed.
Here, passion becomes an accessory, a gesture, a superficial facade. Anthony seems to feel passion, whereas Gloria cultivates it. She knows that beauty has made her an object of other men's passion, and she develops a passion for preserving her own beauty because it permits her to live a life of ease and comfort. She fears the loss of her looks because she knows that men will lose their attraction to her. In Gloria's case, passion functions as a shallow construct that is based entirely on physical beauty. The two facets of the motif of passion—Anthony's oscillation between love and violence, and Gloria's conversion of passion into a superficial gesture—suggest that passion is readily distorted and seldom lasts. Fitzgerald manipulates the term in order to show how it gets marred by materialism and greed.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8
Explanation and Analysis—Alcoholism:
Throughout The Beautiful and Damned, alcoholism is a motif that emphasizes the moral and physical deterioration of Anthony Patch. As the novel progresses, he drinks with increasing frequency. Even toward the end of the novel, when he has very little money, he prioritizes the purchase of alcohol. Not only does this affect his speech, behavior, and relationship with Gloria, but it also makes him irresponsible and unhealthy. In Chapter 8, the narrator describes Anthony's declining health:
Except when Anthony was drinking, his range of sensation had become less than that of a healthy old man and when prohibition came in July he found that, among those who could afford it, there was more drinking than ever before. One’s host now brought out a bottle upon the slightest pretext. The tendency to display liquor was a manifestation of the same instinct that led a man to deck his wife with jewels. To have liquor was a boast, almost a badge of respectability.
Anthony's "range of sensation" has decreased considerably, which means that he cannot feel deeply unless he gets drunk. He remains numb to social, emotional, and intellectual experiences unless they are lubricated by alcohol. This need for continuous drunkenness evokes the novel's party scenes, in which people become more vibrant and emotive when champagne (or some other drink) appears.
It is also important to note that despite the laws against the sale of alcohol during Prohibition, people continue to drink. This passage makes evident the rise of alcohol as a status symbol. Not only does it lubricate social experiences, but it also represents the ability to move money and alcohol despite the new legal challenges to its distribution. The new laws only encourage Anthony to drink more, despite the fact that his health has declined so much that he is less hearty than an old man. Throughout the novel, the motif of alcoholism recurs to remind readers of Anthony's instability and irresponsibility.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Passion:
Fitzgerald uses passion, as differently expressed by Anthony and Gloria, as a motif to show that passion is often fluctuating and fickle. First, Anthony has two impulses toward Gloria: to love her and to hurt her. The motif of passion features both of these tendencies. In Chapter 3, the narrator describes Anthony's mixed feelings:
However much his wild thoughts varied between a passionate desire for her kisses and an equally passionate craving to hurt and mar her, the residue of his mind craved in finer fashion to possess the triumphant soul that had shone through those three minutes.
Here, Anthony seems torn between his passions for Gloria. Does he want to kiss her? Or "mar" her? At this moment, it seems that he cannot decide between these two desires. But what ultimately determines the expression of this passion is whatever allows him to "possess" Gloria. As he gets to know her, he finds that her childish nature demands care, attention, and love. So it would make the most sense to follow his first impulse— to love. However, he often grows frustrated with her caprices and continually belittles and patronizes her, showing how passion gets distorted by greed.
Gloria has a slightly different view of passion. In Chapter 8, Gloria thinks of passion as one of a woman's chief powers:
From the first little boy in an Eton collar whose “girl” she had been [...] there was needed only that matchless candor she could throw into a look or clothe with an inconsequent clause—for she had talked always in broken clauses—to weave about her immeasurable illusions, immeasurable distances, immeasurable light. To create souls in men, to create fine happiness and fine despair she must remain deeply proud—proud to be inviolate, proud also to be melting, to be passionate and possessed.
Here, passion becomes an accessory, a gesture, a superficial facade. Anthony seems to feel passion, whereas Gloria cultivates it. She knows that beauty has made her an object of other men's passion, and she develops a passion for preserving her own beauty because it permits her to live a life of ease and comfort. She fears the loss of her looks because she knows that men will lose their attraction to her. In Gloria's case, passion functions as a shallow construct that is based entirely on physical beauty. The two facets of the motif of passion—Anthony's oscillation between love and violence, and Gloria's conversion of passion into a superficial gesture—suggest that passion is readily distorted and seldom lasts. Fitzgerald manipulates the term in order to show how it gets marred by materialism and greed.
Related Themes:
Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Greed:
The recurring motif of greed develops the themes of wealth and waste in The Beautiful and Damned. In Chapter 9, the narrator describes the long-awaited end to the trial around Anthony's grandfather's will:
Three weeks later the trial came to an end. The seemingly endless spool of legal red tape having unrolled over a period of four and a half years, suddenly snapped off. Anthony and Gloria and, on the other side, Edward Shuttleworth and a platoon of beneficiaries testified and lied and ill-behaved generally in varying degrees of greed and desperation.
Rather than focusing on the tragedy of the old man's death, his potential beneficiaries fight over his fortune. Everyone involved in the trial is "ill-behaved" and motivated by greed and desperation. For instance, Anthony relies on his lawyer to make personal attacks on Shuttleworth rather than focusing on strictly legal proceedings. And in Chapter 6, both he and Gloria wish that Adam Patch had died before witnessing the party. They seem enervated by greed and incapable of basic human empathy.
Furthermore, the novel's entire plot arc depends on their greed. Both Anthony and Gloria are born into a high social class that permits them to pursue fruitless activities. However, when Anthony is disinherited, the couple loses their financial security. Their expectation of unlimited funds and entitlement to other people's money discourages them from developing their own careers. They fall further into destitution, become desperate, and engage in a lawsuit (which degrades their public reputation) in order to regain Anthony's inheritance. The motif of greed highlights the recurring themes of wealth and waste while supporting the plot arc of Gloria and Anthony's moral degeneration.
Related Themes:
