book

Comparative Essay - The Great Gatsby

21 Pages 1320 Words 1557 Views

The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, exemplifies and outlines the general life back in the 20s. We see this through the actions of certain characters within the book and certain incidents that happen as well. Fitzgerald wrote the novel, basing it on love and romance, but the symbolism used within the text shows the connections between the people back in the day. This novel not only tells a story about a complicated love triangle, but it outlines the life of different classed people living under different circumstances such as the prohibition. The connections made by the reader can be seen through the main characters, such as, Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, and Jay Gatsby. The narrator, Nick Carraway describes the events that happen, as he too plays a big role on the attempt to rekindle Daisy and Gatsby's old love. Tom, Daisy's husband, is the main obstacle for Gatsby's reunition with Daisy. The two characters, Gatsby and Tom, have completely dissimilar personalities, they both share the same love for Daisy, and are both wealthy and prosperous men. Although Tom and Gatsby share many similarities, Tom differs from Gatsby in many ways. Tom is an arrogant man who likes to show off his power and money. He believes that with money, comes great power and the privilege to look down upon others. He is crude and although he was brought up in a well sophisticated family, he is not refined nor is he gracious. This can be observed through his words to Nick, during lunch at his house, "Now don't think my opinion on these matters are final just because I'm stronger and more of a man that you are" (Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 11). His commentary towards Nick may be perceived as a joke to a reader who has just been introduced to Tom, but as the story progresses, we see that it is in Tom's nature to act like a self centered person because of the thought that he has the power to do so. Tom also makes many racist comments at the lunch, stating, "It is up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out, or these other races will have control of things" (18). He is immediately assuming that the whites are the more powerful race. This being the reader's first encoun

Read Full Essay