Comparing The Great Gatsby And Life In The Iron Mills

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Throughout the pantheon of American literature, few novels capture the Roaring Twenties as vividly as The Great Gatsby. Published in 1925 by Scott Fitzgerald, this work continues to be praised for its exploration of ambition, love, and the American dream. The books’ steadfast depiction of American society shows both the restraints and the opportunities granted to the upper class in the 1920’s. The novel also tackles the idea of change, showing the reader how change for the wrong reasons, lacks substance. In contrast, the 1861 novella “Life in the Iron Mills” by Rebecca Harding Davis is a stark depiction of the working class in the nineteenth century. Davis’s work was revolutionary at the time, shedding light upon the grim realities faced by …show more content…

Despite his labor intensive job, Hugh is an aspiring artist who hopes that his love for sculpting will one day relive him from his unfulfilling life. One day, while working in the mills, Hugh spots three men, Doctor, Mitchell, and Kirby, who seem to be unfit in the groggy mills, observing his sculpture. Doctor decides to give Hugh some needed guidance, saying, “Do you know, boy, you have it in you to be a great sculptor, a great man? —do you understand?” (Davis 213). While Doctor is giving confidence and guidance to the young artist, he is also talking down upon him. The novella states this, saying that he is belittling him through the quote, “talking down to the capacity of his hearer: it is a way people have with children, and men like Wolfe (Hugh)” (Davis 213). This disparaging statement by Doctor further exemplifies the difference in societal circumstances between the two characters. Later in this interaction, Hugh asks the Doctor for help escaping his loathsome life. Upon hearing this, Mitchell burst out laughing. This jarring reaction to a cry for help is a critical moment that encapsulates the central themes of class disparity and the indifference of the upper class to sympathize with the lower. Furthermore, it shows the blatant disregard that the privileged class has for the struggles of the laborers. Hugh realizes that …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Gatsby puts up a front of a lavish and rich life, attempting to accumulate a revered reputation. He believes that by accumulating wealth and status, he could win back the love of Daisy and relive his past. His understanding of love, nonetheless, is built on materialism and the appearance of success, rather than emotional substance. Gatsby’s obsession with these materialistic ideals caused him to change, not for personal growth, but for the illusion of status. Gatsby’s superficial change is encapsulated by the quote, “He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart” (Fitzgerald 74). This quote reflects on Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of an appealing identity that he believes is necessary to win the love of Daisy. Gatsby’s change is rooted in status and wealth, rather than genuine personal growth. Furthermore, “ghostly heart” refers to the lack of substance behind the transformation, and the emptiness at the core of his endeavors. Gatsby’s superficial transformation is a lesson that change without intentions of personal growth results in a lack of substance. Comparatively, “Life In the Iron Mills”

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