Unreliable Narration in The Great Gatsby. In Literature and on Screen

Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, http://www.uni-jena.de/ (Department of English and American Studies), course: Media, language: English, abstract: This research paper delves into the acclaimed work of literary realism, "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and its cinematic adaptation by Baz Luhrmann in 2013. Rather than debating fidelity or artistic superiority between literature and cinema, the focus is on exploring adaptations as autonomous artworks. The paper specifically concentrates on the narration in both modalities, recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the plot, events, and audience reception. The narrowed scope centers on the examination of elements of unreliable narration in "The Great Gatsby" and how they are transposed onto the screen in the 2013 adaptation. The methodology involves traversing cinematic and literary studies, beginning with a definition of narration, followed by an analysis of narration in the novel, an introduction to unreliable narration, and a subsequent exploration of unreliable elements in both, the book and the film. The study aims to conclude with a summary, evaluation of findings, and consideration of potential limitations encountered during the analysis.