The works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, although the product of two different contexts and ways of thinking, address and commentate similar values, most significantly individual desire. Both Browning and Gatsby desire for their idealised version of love, but the contexts in which this love is experienced mean the difference between failure and success. Desire is explored in many other ways throughout the two works, including Gatsby’s desire for wealth and status contrasted with Browning’s desire for freedom from her illness and past, and Gatsby’s desire for a declaration of love from Daisy contrasted with Browning’s desire for confidence and security in the love she shares with Robert Browning. The way in which Fitzgerald …show more content…
and Browning treat the theme of individual desire reveals inherent similarities between their works, while also reinforcing their distinctive qualities in terms of form, features and ideas. The representation of individual desire in the works of Fitzgerald and Browning reveals similarities based on the unchanging qualities of humanity that are rendered distinctive due to alternate contexts. Browning’s suite of sonnets, “Sonnets from the Portuguese”, were written during the Victorian era, a period of rigid conformity underscored by a current of dissension. The newly-founded suffragette movement defied the traditional social structure of a patriarchal society, redefining the rules of social interaction that had been accepted and encouraged for decades. Browning’s manipulation of the Petrarchan sonnet, a literary device previously dominated by men, reflects these changing attitudes and gave women a voice they had formerly been denied. Sonnet 1, written from a place of uncertainty and fear, reveals a despondent woman caught between the desire to move forward in love and make a new life for herself, or let her past as an ill recluse define her. Time is an omnipresent force that exacerbates Browning’s fears, seen in the personification and powerful verb in “who by turns had flung a shadow across me”. The oxymoron in “the sweet, sad years” creates a sense of missed opportunities and the lonely life Browning has led due to her father’s domineering influence and her own illness. The continued use of enjambment throughout the poem allows the free flow and evolution of thoughts and feelings, expressing a strong and assertive female voice. The volta “straightway I was ‘ware” signals a shift to a new insight Browning has gained, while the high modality of “straightway” introduces the feeling of movement and action within the poem. The reference to “the silver answer” in the final line, rather than gold, infers hope, brightness and possibility underscored by a feeling of uncertainty — the result of the confidence Robert’s love has given Browning combined with her inability to be fully released from her past. Desire her uncertainty, Browning’s strong female voice is a subversion of the courtly love tradition, in which women were seen as unattainable love objects by men whose task it was to bestow on them objects of their affection. This sonnet reflects the human need and desire for love which has, in Browning’s case, inspired assertiveness and confidence in an otherwise powerless woman. Similarly, “The Great Gatsby” addresses the human desire for love and the enormous influence the past can have on the present. However, the novel’s context accounts for a different treatment of these ideas to those expressed in Browning’s poetry. Fitzgerald’s representation of America during the 1920s reflects the influence of hedonistic, material values resulting from the tragedy and horror experienced during World War I. The ethical shallowness and recklessness of Fitzgerald’s America during this period is evident through his characterisation of Daisy, Gatsby and Tom, all of whom are trapped by the societal expectations of their time. The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolises the envy and obsession with monetary wealth that undermines the purity of the love Gatsby has for Daisy. While Browning’s desire for love is based on love for its own sake, Gatsby’s love for Daisy is overshadowed by his attempts to accumulate wealth and status in order to buy a reciprocation of his feelings. The use of descriptive language and layering in “period bedrooms swathed in rose and lavender silk and vivid with new floors” and “a toilet set of pure dull gold” reveal the culture of conspicuous consumerism Gatsby believes will earn him Daisy’s love. The concept of time is also an inescapable force in the novel, as it is in Browning’s poetry. The novel takes place both in the period before World War I, as told by Nick using others’ eyewitness and second-hand accounts, and in the summer of 1922. The novel’s incessant movement from one time period to another creates a sense of ambiguity while also emphasising the way in which the past has the power to continuously impact the present. While Browning in Sonnet 1 is faced with the decision of whether to allow her past to define her, Gatsby has already made this decision. Consequently, the periodic revelations of Gatsby’s origins — an orphaned boy mentored by a wealthy copper mogul prone to heavy drinking — create a context and reasoning for his present actions. Gatsby’s desire for love, wealth and status contrasts with Browning’s desire for pure love because the texts’ differing contexts have altered the interpretation of similar themes. The treatment of desire reveals similarities between the texts in that both Gatsby and Browning desire a similar ideal, and will go to lengths considered drastic by their contexts in order to achieve this love. The differences between “The Great Gatsby” and Browning’s sonnets are revealed in the underlying themes discussed and represented in each text.
Sonnet 32 reveals Browning’s transition from despondency and insecurity to confidence and determination throughout the suite, contrasting explicitly with her indecisiveness in Sonnet 1. The octave in Sonnet 32 reflects upon the ideas expressed in Sonnet 1. The contrasting of the sun and moon through natural imagery conveys Browning’s previous desire for a cooling of emotions after Robert first declared his love for her. The use of repetition and antithesis in “quick-loving hearts, I thought, may quickly loathe” reveals Browning’s concern that Robert’s profession of love came too quickly to last. An extended musical metaphor likens Browning to “an out of tune worn viol”, while Robert is referred to as “a good singer”. The “first ill-sounding note” represents Browning’s fear of disappointment in love as she does not feel adequate as the object of Robert’s affections. Her manipulation of the sonnet form becomes evident as the volta is introduced at the beginning of line 11 rather than in line 8 or 9 as was convention. The power and decisiveness conveyed in “I placed a wrong on thee” signals an epiphany as Browning comes to realise that disappointment cannot ruin pure, sacred love. A sense of confidence and certainty is expressed in “perfect strains”, a continuation of the musical metaphor that now refers to the attainment of idealistic …show more content…
and perfect love. This sonnet chronicles Browning’s acceptance of herself and the flaws she perceives she has, and the faith she feels secure enough to place in the purity of Robert’s oath of love. Browning’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese” become didactic in their attempt to convey the power of love to overcome great odds. The reference to “great souls” lends a spiritual dimension to her poetry and her relationship with Robert, giving love immortal qualities that are able to transcend time, values and contextual obstacles. In contrast, “The Great Gatsby” explores the mortality of love and the consequences of its failure.
The destruction of Gatsby’s dream of a life in love with Daisy is foreshadowed in the physical destruction of Gatsby’s car and Myrtle Wilson’s life. The car is seen as a major instrument of destruction within the novel, and bad driving is often connected with a lack of moral direction — Daisy, self-centred and shallow, kills Myrtle while driving Gatsby’s car, and Gatsby, obsessed with money and status, is pulled over for speeding. It is ironic that Daisy kills Myrtle, as Tom’s mistress is possibly what Daisy would have been without the protection of money and class. Myrtle, like many of the characters, is overwhelmed by her desire for the American Dream, a state of monetary stability and security that was thought to ensure a life of prosperity and happiness. Myrtle’s death at the hands of Gatsby’s piece of the American Dream coincides with the death of Gatsby and Daisy’s love. The way in which Fitzgerald refers to Tom as “Daisy’s husband” when Tom confronts Daisy and Gatsby over their affair contrasts Tom with Gatsby, separating them in terms of the risk Daisy was not prepared to make for love and the security and status she instead chose. The mortality of both love and humanity is illustrated in this scene, contrasting with Browning’s adamant belief in the eternal nature of love. There is a strong sense of irony in the fact that Browning, a powerless woman in the restrictive
Victorian era, is more able to express her love than Daisy, a liberal woman living in the carefree Jazz Age. Set amongst a backdrop of licentious, materialistic values, Fitzgerald’s work suggests that love is unable to transcend time, and is not pure and sacred like Browning’s portrayal, but instead subject to corruption and abuse. Gatsby’s desire for love is ultimately overcome by Daisy’s selfishness and inability to risk the comfort she finds in money. The tragic outcome of the novel, culminating in Gatsby’s murder, is juxtaposed distinctly with the feelings of hope and possibility that Browning’s sonnets contain, thus reinforcing the differences established through the varied treatment of individual desire. The theme of desire is central to both “The Great Gatsby” and “Sonnets from the Portuguese”, but the differing contexts in which they were written has resulted in varied treatments and conclusions drawn about this idea. Browning’s manipulation of the sonnet form, combined with her idealistic perspective on the nature of love, serve to create a didactic text championing the power of love to overcome struggle. Fitzgerald’s prose novel reflects instead on how the selfishness and recklessness of society can undermine love’s purity and eventually result in its corruption and misuse. Gatsby’s desire for Daisy’s love eventually results in his demise, while Browning’s desire for a new life through love results in newfound confidence and assertiveness. The treatment of individual desire, through context, form and features, reveals the distinctive qualities of each text that make them fascinating to study and experience.
Her only profession is finding ways to keep her husband satisfied. So, that he should procure whatever she currently desires. The constant state of leisure that surrounds her everyday life gets too boring for Daisy. She seeks new, exciting, and passionate beginnings in her life. After all, Daisy Buchannan always gets what she wants. When Jay Gatsby finds himself reacquainted with his lost love, Daisy takes this opportunity to entertain her presently dull lifestyle. Their escapades all suited Daisy, until Gatsby presented Daisy with an ultimatum. She had to tell Tom she never loved him, and then she can run away to live happily with a man who adores her. The idea seemed romantic, until Tom caught on to Daisy’s deception. Of course he would still want her, and he made a few convincing arguments to keep Daisy from leaving him. Daisy left for the Buchannan’s house with Gatsby feeling conflicted and confused about Tom’s promise of a better marriage. In her disgruntled state, Daisy wound up killing Tom’s mistress in a hit-and-run car accident, a true show of irony. She didn’t even stop to see if the person she hit was alright, and she honestly didn’t care. Daisy continued her way home, because her relationship was more important than the death of a human
...s motivation to reach into Daisy’s heart is the downfall that lead to Gatsby’s persistent nature which concentrate solely the past, Also, emptiness of existence with realization to taint ideal, Gatsby’s heart fill with illusions. As a great man his death overflows with generosity and kindness that people did not notice. The good man Gatsby’s death is a tragic, but in the end it’s another meaningless loss that buried as a lonely hero.
Even though at first when they finally got together after all those years and everything seem great and romantic but good things always come to an end. The affair effected Gatsby in his life by having him back the old love he first had for Daisy even hoping for a lifetime future together. His dream is very much vivid about his romantic hopes about Daisy in his mind, “There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams, not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion” (95). He seems to be falling deeper in love with her even maybe more than the love she really had for him even though through the end of the chapters her love that she claims to have for him seemed not truly. In New York, the truth comes out more about she feels about Gatsby by being questioned and feeling guilty when Tom gets to the fact that she loves him and not Gatsby but Gatsby rejects his sayings and tells Daisy to say how she truly feel about him. Over all the excitement, Daisy tells how she truly feel about the whole love affair, “I did love him once but I loved you too” (132). It is possible that the leading of Gatsby’s death was caused from Tom’s jealousy of his wife’s confessed love for Gatsby. Tom would had told Wilson that Gatsby was the driver of the car that killed Myrtle and her secret
When he first meets Daisy, Gatsby becomes infatuated with his idea of her, or rather, the false persona that she creates of herself. In fact, Gatsby reveals that “she was the first ‘nice’ girl he had ever known” (155). Gatsby was so impressed with Daisy mainly because of her wealth and her status; it is what he wants. However, Daisy chooses Tom Buchanan over Gatsby, solely because of his social status. As a result, Gatsby revolves his whole life around her: he becomes wealthy, creates a new image of himself, and buys a house across the bay from Daisy. For instance, he fabricates lies about how “ [he is] the son of some wealthy people in the middle-west” (69) and how “ [he] was brought up in America but educated at Oxford” (69) in order to impress her. These lies end up altering others’ perspectives of him - not necessarily in a positive way - and impacting his life as a whole. Daisy unwittingly transforms Gatsby into a picture-perfect image of the 1920s: lavish parties, showy cars, and a false illusion of the attainment of the American Dream. Despite Gatsby’s newfound wealth and success, he never fully accomplishes his dream: to get Daisy. Gatsby’s final act for the sake of Daisy has no impact on her feelings towards him. When Gatsby claims that he crashed into Myrtle and killed her, Daisy carelessly lets him do so, which ultimately results in his death. To make
Lying has deadly effects on both the individual who lies and those around them. This concept is demonstrated in The Great Gatsby. Although Gatsby, Tom and Myrtle have different motives for being deceitful, they all lie in order to fulfill their desires and personal needs. Myrtle’s desire to be wealthy is illustrated when she first meets Tom, dressed in his expensive clothing, as her attitude changes when she puts on the luxurious dress and when she encourages Tom to buy her a dog. Tom’s deception is clear when he hides his affair with Myrtle by placing Myrtle in a different train, withholding the truth from Mr. Wilson of the affair and convincing Myrtle and Catherine that he will one day marry Myrtle. Gatsby tries to convince himself and others that he is the son of wealthy people, he creates an appearance that he is a successful, educated man through the books in his library and assures himself that Daisy loves him. Tom’s dishonesty reveals that he is selfish, while Gatsby’s distortions expose his insecurities, and Myrtle’s misrepresentations show that her sole focus in life is to achieve materialistic success. Gatsby and Myrtle both lie in order to obtain the “American dream.” However, Tom, who appears to already have achieved the “American dream”, deceives others out of boredom and because he takes his wealthy lifestyle for granted. F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates the human flaw of dishonesty for personal gain and how lies have inevitably tragic consequences in his characterization of Gatsby, Myrtle and Tom.
He never wanted to give up on her, so he tried to recreate their past in hopes of rekindling a love they once had. “Gatsby's gospel of hedonism is reflected in his house, wild parties, clothing, roadster, and particularly in his blatant wooing of another man's wife. Daisy, a rather soiled and cheapened figure, is Gatsby's ultimate goal in his concept of the American dream. However, he falls victim to his own preaching. He comes to believe himself omniscient-above the restrictions of society and morality. His presumption extends to a belief that he can even transcend the natural boundaries placed upon human beings. He will win back Daisy by recapturing the past” (Pearson). Gatsby lies about his lifestyle including the parties, clothing, and almost all of the other aspects he reveals about himself, to impress his teenage love, Daisy, who also happens to be Tom’s wife. He believes he can win Daisy back from her husband by throwing lavish parties, and putting on a deceitful lifestyle in an attempt to lead her in believing he qualified to be one of the elite. “The book's chief characters are blind, and they behave blindly. Gatsby does not see Daisy's vicious emptiness, and Daisy, deluded, thinks she will reward her gold-hatted lover until he tries to force from her an affirmation she is too weak to make. Tom is blind to his hypocrisy; with "a short deft movement" he breaks Myrtle's nose for daring to mention the
...s with all of the parties and the pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasure in an era of change. The novel shows the relationship of Gatsby and Daisy as a symbol of this pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasure. The reader sees the pursuit of wealth through Daisy wanting Gatsby and Tom, both of whom have money. The pursuit of power is shown through Daisy’s decision of Tom over Gatsby as Gatsby is seen as a lower social status with little power compared to Tom who has tremendous power. Pleasure is seen through the extramarital affairs of Tom and Myrtle as well as Daisy and Gatsby. The Great Gatsby, through Tom and Daisy, reveals the human condition of the pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasure through these examples and shows that the “American Dream” is not possible in a life where one’s surroundings are pushing him/her towards a life of wealth, power, and pleasure.
They are both born into impoverished families, but deny acceptance of their lower status. Myrtle and Gatsby also share similar aspirations, to gain money and higher status. They are attempting to rise above their social class. Fitzgerald’s interpretation of Gatsby however, is much different from his portrayal of Gatsby. Gatsby is a tragic hero. He has nothing but good intentions and aspires for love, while Myrtle is simply shown as a foolish woman who is so absorbed in greed that she sacrifices her morals and sanity, in exchange for money and higher status. Gatsby, unlike Myrtle, maintains redeemable qualities until his murder. Everything he does is for his love, Daisy, because he wants only the best for her even if his life turns to ruins as a result. In contrast, Myrtle who has the same aspirations as Gatsby, exhibits impure intentions. She wants to achieve her goals of becoming a wealthy, elite member of society, purely to feed her selfish, eager desires, at the cost of her husbands’ sanity. This is what removes any sympathy a person may have had for Myrtle. She is depicted as a silly imbecile who cheats her way out her marriage and into her
...ites about not only the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy but also about the affair between Tom and Myrtle. Tom and Myrtle's affair shows how the amount of money one has does not change the way they may act or feel for another person. Throughout the novel, the author also explains how the wealthy or rich people are able to get away with bad behavior or unethical practices because they have the power to do so. During the time after World War I, the people who had money were the people who had power. Fitzgerald offers his audience the proof through his story that there is only a slight possibility that a person can be both wealthy and ethical. He shows his audience how sometimes being poor is not always the worse thing and that it is easier to be poor and ethical rather than being rich and ethical.
Daisy Buchanan, in reality, is unable to live up the illusory Daisy that Gatsby has invented in his fantasy. After Daisy and Tom Buchanan leave another one of Gatsby’s splendid parties, Fitzgerald gives the reader a glimpse into what Gatsby’s expectations are. Fitzgerald claims that “he wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you.’” (109). Here it is revealed that Gatsby’s one main desire is for Daisy to go willingly...
In order to fulfill her needs, Gatsby allows Daisy “rushed into the dusk, waving her hands and shouting..." (Fitzgerald 134) back home from New York City; however, he fails to see her recklessness and condones her carelessness. In a blind of an eye, before Gatsby can realize the tragedy, Daisy accidentally kills Myrtle with his car, as “her life [Myrtle Wilson] violently extinguished” (Fitzgerald 137). Here, Gatsby presents his “Grandeur of Delusion”. According to Jeff Wise, from Simply Psychology, “Grandeur of Delusion” occurs when we experience helplessness in danger, asserting that “we have power over our destiny helps relieve that negative experience, even when that belief is unfounded.” (Wise). Stunned, grasping her mouth, Daisy cannot accept the fact that her heinous crime; she escapes and leaves the burden for Gatsby. However, Gatsby believes that he has the power to disenthrall Daisy and ignores the possible consequences in order to have Daisy by his side, ‘“Was Daisy driving?....Yes, but of course I’ll say I was.”’ (Fitzgerald 138). This absurdity further debunks Gatsby’s ethos. Even after Myrtle’s death, Gatsby continues to chase his superficial dream, casting a negative representation of what the “American Dream” really is. Furthermore, this tragedy can be alluded to a common
At the hotel gathering, Gatsby struggles to persuade Daisy to confront her husband and she responds with “Oh, you want too much! . . . I did love him once--but I loved you too” (Fitzgerald 132). Daisy desperately tries to satisfy Gatsby but his imagination blocks his mind to such a degree that it eliminates his chances of learning how to comprehend reality. After Myrtle’s murder, Nick advises Gatsby to leave town but instead he realizes that “[Gatsby] wouldn’t consider it. He couldn’t possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do. He was clutching at some last hope and I couldn’t bear to shake him free” (Fitzgerald 148). No matter how hard Nick attempts to help him make the better choice, Gatsby continues to skew his priorities like a juvenile. Unfortunately for Gatsby, Daisy stays with Tom, a more secure and experienced adult, leaving Gatsby alone. As Gatsby’s life loses his vitality, he obviously needs learn how to act like an adult and survive in the world; but unable to accomplish this, Wilson kills him soon
Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the rich couple, seem to have everything they could possibly want. Though their lives are full of anything you could imagine, they are unhappy and seek to change, Tom drifts on "forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game"(pg. 10) and reads "deep books with long words in them"(pg. 17) just so he has something to talk about. Even though Tom is married to Daisy he has an affair with Myrtle Wilson and has apartment with her in New York.. Daisy is an empty character, someone with hardly any convictions or desires. Even before her relationships with Tom or, Gatsby are seen, Daisy does nothing but sit around all day and wonder what to do with herself and her friend Jordan. She knows that Tom is having an affair, yet she doesn't leave him even when she hears about Gatsby loving her. Daisy lets Gatsby know that she too is in love with him but cant bring herself to tell Tom goodbye except when Gatsby forces her too. Even then, once Tom begs her to stay, even then Daisy forever leaves Gatsby for her old life of comfort. Daisy and Tom are perfect examples of wealth and prosperity, and the American Dream. Yet their lives are empty, and without purpose.
As an American citizen we seem to make presumption that all cultures are different from ours, and some might even call those cultures weird. Americans fail to realize just how similar we are to these “weird” cultures. By reading Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe and The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald , it makes the reader realize how similar the African culture is from the American culture. There 's those obvious differences we already knew about with the two cultures, but readers can learn that not just American culture value men and give them advantages, but many cultures including 1900 's African culture. In both books we come across two main characters that is portrayed as being more superior compared to others. Okonkwo, main
In “Sonnet 43,” Browning wrote a deeply committed poem describing her love for her husband, fellow poet Robert Browning. Here, she writes in a Petrarchan sonnet, traditionally about an unattainable love following the styles of Francesco Petrarca. This may be partly true in Browning’s case; at the time she wrote Sonnets from the Portuguese, Browning was in courtship with Robert and the love had not yet been consummated into marriage. But nevertheless, the sonnet serves as an excellent ...