The Lens Makes all the Difference

In National Treasure, Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) must steal the Declaration of Independence to keep it away from the wrong hands. As he looks at the age-old document with a pair of spectacles, new and unique images appear on the parchment. As he flips through the many lenses, the image continues to transform. Similarly, analyzing literature through different lenses equips us with knowledge that can be applied to our own lives and shape our thoughts.

Great Gatsby has long been held a perfect representation of the 1920s, yet it fails to give credit to African Americans who contributed greatly to the societal precedents set forth. As one interprets the book with the African American lens, it becomes apparent that Fitzgerald makes a deliberate effort to avoid confrontation with black characters and their significance. For example, Gatsby’s parties are accompanied by jazz music, a genre introduced by African Americans, but Nick says that the band played music by “Vladimir Tostoff”, clearly distinguished as a Russian composer. Fitzgerald refuses to give credit to African-Americans for the success found in jazz because as far as he is concerned, they are incapable and undeserving of achieving significance in culture. Later, in the only depiction of African Americans throughout the entire novel, Nicks derogatorily refers to them as “two bucks and a girl.”  Lois Tyson, a literary critic, claims that in this particular scene, “Nick’s racist attitude toward these characters facilitates their function as scapegoats.” By making their presence humorous, Nick casts African Americans aside as inferior and further solidifies his own rank. The people of the 1920s preached a care-free and decadent life, but their minds flooded with worry when people of different races took a chance at the American Dream and made something of it.