F scott fitzgerald gay

It was quite negative and derogatory during the time of the story, commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties.

Fitzgerald alludes to this by tantalizingly and purposely influencing readers to anticipate a sexual reference after “he seemed to fill those glistening…” but then dropping off and finishing with the word “boots.” By primarily setting a homoerotic tone for Nick’s description, it is natural to assume that this phrase should be an innuendo or euphemism. 888. Contact the administrator if you have additional questions.

Recommended Citation

Wallace, Olivia, "Queer Representation: Revitilizing F.

Scott Fitzgerald’s Place in the American Literary Canon" (2023). Another blatantly obvious scene where Nick’s affect contributes as an element of the novel’s homoerotica is when he describes the conductor on the train. To cover up Nick’s longing, Fitzgerald’s tone of “why should anyone care” impresses upon the reader that Nick is scoffing at the absolutely preposterous idea that this man is attractive, yet the reader knows this is not the case based on the slew of evidence from earlier in the novel, resulting in a sort of dramatic irony.

This passage has a sexual appeal to it, a climax, one might argue. The elevator scene in The Great Gatsby is the quintessential depiction of Nick’s homoerotic affect and his sometimes-closeted signs of homosexuality.

F. Nick’s immediate jump to the conductor’s mouth is a clear indicator as to what captures his attention, a hot and bothered working man whose lips cause Nick to feel a sense of arousal.

If you already have a general idea of your topic, use a wide keyword and then adjust based on what you find.

Pay attention to the keywords and subject terms in the articles you read. These can help you come up with better search terms. Specifically, Nick’s descriptive language carries a homoerotic affect, meaning his presence in the narrative invites, at least, a queer reading of The Great Gatsby. 

Fitzgerald premiers Nick’s homoerotic tone in his description of male characters, particularly in Tom Buchanan.

Nick appears to be huffy when he notices the conductor’s perspiration, but he only describes the man’s lips. Furthermore, the phrase “why should anyone care” resonates with lust hidden by a sheath of scorn. For example, searching for  will find that exact phrase, not just the individual words.

If you're reading a long article, e-book, or webpage and want to find something quickly, press CTRL + F (or Command + F on a Mac).

For that to happen, the reader must have previously picked up on Nick’s homoerotic affect. Mr. McKee and Nick enter an elevator which is operated by the elevator boy. The ellipsis in itself is an innuendo for having a sexual encounter. Like Nick’s description of Tom, there are two ways to read it: a simple yet intoxicated altercation between two grown men or a one-night0stand between two closeted homosexual men.

Honors Theses. Not only does the ellipsis itself imply Nick and Mr. McKee’s affair but the words directly after do as well: “… I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands” (Fitzgerald 38). Furthermore, the description of Jordan highlights her boyish features: “small breasts,” “an erect carriage,” and her resemblance to “a young cadet.” One could argue that this was simply the way she was, as a boyish figure on women was the fashionable norm for the 1920s.

The most common, however, is homosexuality and homoerotica. It was not the societal norm for two grown men, unrelated and just that day formally introduced, to spend time with each other with only underwear on. It is common to associate heat with sexual desires or actions, as the two often come hand in hand.