THE PRISON OF LUXURY AND FAME. FICTITIOUS IDENTITY FROM FITZGERALD TO DIGITAL CONTEMPORANEITY

Abstract

The paper aims to analyze the construction of identity through luxury and the dynamics of social recognition, comparing the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald with contemporary representations of fame and digital visibility. The intention is to investigate how, in different cultural and media contexts, the symbolic devices linked to material luxury and digital celebrity contribute to the definition and negotiation of personal and collective identity. The research is based on a qualitative and comparative methodology, through the thematic and symbolic analysis of works belonging to different narrative contexts: The Great Gatsby, Tender Is the Night and This Side of Paradise by F. S. Fitzgerald, in which the protagonists pursue material luxury; The Circle by Dave Eggers and Influence by Sara Shepard, in which the need for media approval emerges. The analysis highlights how luxury is not just an external mask, but a strategy to navigate and survive in a society that rewards appearance over substance. The search for social visibility thus becomes a form of self-separation, and fame and public identity become prismatic connotations that destroy human authenticity. The contribution is placed within the scope of Cultural Studies, in a theoretical framework that interprets identities as cultural and historically situated productions, determined by power relations and symbolic devices of inclusion, exclusion and distinction. Particular attention is paid to the mechanisms of visibility and practices of social recognition that regulate access to prestige and symbolic value in contemporary society.

Keywords: appearance; celebrity; identity; luxury; mask; visibility.