Comparing The Great Gatsby And Of Plymouth Plantation

Across the many years and generations, the earliest groups of Americans have not been willing to change their ways. Once a person had their mind set on one particular idea, it was almost impossible to convince them to see a different point of view. This became a larger issue while over time, more unique personalities, ideas, and different ways of thinking made their own way into American daily life. This refusal to change has adapted over the decades and the many people have come to realize that change can be a great thing. In the early American writing, Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, accounts the beginnings of an isolated colony in Massachusetts. In the documentation, a strong feeling of community is established among the settlers.

Scott Fitzgerald, is a story about a narrator who becomes involved in the mysterious and dramatic life of his millionaire neighbor in the 1920s. The millionaire, Gatsby, discovers that his long lost love happens to be the cousin of the narrator. The two pick up where they left off, with little regard to Daisy’s brutal husband. Change is rejected by the characters because Tom does not want to accept the change of losing his wife, Daisy, to her mysteriously wealthy lover. After the accidental death of a character, the town reacts, assuming and blaming Gatsby for being responsible, when he is not guilty. This runs parallel to the events in Of Plymouth Plantation, where persons blamed of witchcraft were not given a chance to explain their truth. The community around Gatsby is not willing to change their beliefs about the person they believe Gatsby to be, just as the settlers in Massachusetts did not want to change their opinion about the accused

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman tells a tale of a cranky old man who has nothing to live for. He gripes at the daily visits of the neighbor’s cat, and swears away any gestures of kindness or happiness. This story strays away from the other stories previously mentioned, because through the novel, Ove realizes that his life does not have to be so sad and lonely if only he allows for change in his life. This is unlike other stories due to the common nature of humans to resist major changes in life because they are so used to one set of ideas. Further into the novel, the reader will experience the change that Ove notices in his life after changing his views and the way he sees the world he lives in. This evidence is proof that change can in fact, be a very good thing not only for one person, but for communities, societies, and the