Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And Elizabeth Barrett Browning

In spite of the distinctions in setting, both texts share a challenging vision of humankind.
Both Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and F. Scott Fitzgerald explore the transformative nature of love or connection and the idealistic transcendental love, through their works illustrating different perspectives on humanity. The novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ (TGG), 1925, by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sequence of poems ‘Sonnets from the Portuguese’ (SFTP), 1845, explore alike themes and ongoing human nature such as love, mortality, and hope. Yet only to a certain extent, due to both contexts are written in different periods and texts. The Great Gatsby scrutinizes the decadent mentalities of the Jazz Age through the struggles, the protagonist,

Gatsby is introduced into his life. In contrast, Sonnets from the Portuguese is written in Petrarchan form and heighten gender problems in her time, examining the significance of love, and the idea of spiritual love. Thus, the temporary nature of worldly objects and body is depicted in each of the texts. This allows Fitzgerald to criticize the material overabundance that portrayed connections amid in the 1920s in America and Barrett-Browning to show many-sided emotions and spiritual connections and hence challenging perspectives on human values. In order to comprehend how both texts share a challenging vision of humanity, the time when written, including Jazz age and Victoria, themes and motifs such as hope, the transformation of love, idealistic love, corruption and spiritual love, materialism and additionally perspectives of this shared vision must be carefully looked at. Only then “The Great Gatsby” and “Sonnets from the Portuguese” share a challenging vision for humanity.

“The Great Gatsby” and “Sonnets from the Portuguese” discuss themes and concepts of ideal and pure love, but having been written in different context gives different opinions and contrast of contexts.

Barrett-Browning's poems face Petrarchan form to encounter the courteous love and the idea of pure love, while Gatsby's limitless hunger for spiritual love which is impossible in a materialistic world; a world that requires strong ethical grounding stains for the purity of love. Barrett-Browning's first response to love, "Lest one touch of his heart convey its grief" is truthful, unsure and being cautious in her approach. Throughout this sonnet, "But love me for love’s sake, that evermore Thou may’st love on through love’s eternity.” (Excerpt 2-Sonnet XIV) It is evident that she prefers pure love more than any other. However, Fitzgerald's context of prohibition and post-war disenchantment heavily differs from Barrett-Browning's context. In 1920's, gender relations changes and the noticeable pursuit of pleasure, make idealistic love difficult; its modification restricted love to an object, resulting in unnatural transitory attraction rather than eternal devotion found in Barrett-Browning's sonnets. The corruption of Gatsby with greedy materialism trigger the failure to bring his idea of spiritual love to a reality. With the quote, "You want too much", it shows that the text emphasizes the hopelessness of achieving ideal love in a demoralized world and the corruption of love in

the 1920's. It is clear that Barrett-Browning’s transformation of love and Fitzgerald criticising the idea of pure love challenges a vision of humanity.

Perspectives of this challenging vision are shown through Barrett-Browning’s poetry and the transformative of love is conveyed through the contrast of her series of sonnets from Sonnets from the Portuguese. The use of contrast is highlighted between Sonnet I and the penultimate sonnet (Sonnet XLIII) as a clear transformation of the persona is seen as a result of her experience of love. Within sonnet I, the unforeseen nature of love is shown through Barrett-Browning’s use of abstracts- a personification of supernatural imagery, as she depicts a “mystic shape” “from behind… backward by the hair.” This unexpected force of love shows the dominance and power that love had over her. The abruptness is then highlighted again towards the end of the sonnet within abstract as the personified force replies in saying “not death, but love.” The suddenness of this force was due to her demanding circumstances she was worthless in her thirties, an age seen as too old to find love or to get married during the Victorian era. The contrast is then drawn in the penultimate sonnet as the persona is completely resolute in her love. In “my lost saints” demonstrates that love restored a spirit inside her which is a stark contrast to the situation she was in Sonnet I. The use of bodily expression is used to further explain how love has transformed the character as she states, “I love thee with the breath, smiles, and tears of all my life!”, interpreting that she endearments everything that she is. Barrett-Browning’s search of a mutual experience of love expresses how her vision of love contradicts the Victorian era. Furthermore, Sonnets from the Portuguese demonstrates how the nature of her passion has potential be everlasting. Through the use of juxtaposition among her sonnets XIV and XLIII, which later features hope. The opening sonnet XLII “how do I love…count the ways!” works to build the first tone of affection within the covers of passion. In “depth, breath…height”, this assonance is used to convey the author’s vital idea that her obsession is eternal. It is clear that Barrett-Browning’s transformation from love and Fitzgerald criticising the idea of pure love challenges a vision of humanity.

On the other hand, Sonnets from Portuguese allude to hope, the showiness of The Great Gatsby foreshadows a menacing fate for Gatsby’s love.

Portraying the “Roaring Twenties”, social values reflect a shocked period after war carnages, showing a challenging vision of humanity, highlighting the decline in religious faith when contrasting to highly religious Victorian Age. Fitzgerald analyses this humanity within the unreliable narration of Nick where he utilizes a vehicle so that Fitzgerald can explore the wrongdoings of the infamous “Jazz Age”. The repetitive motif of photography in the novel provides a constant reminder that Gatsby life was dedicated in pursuit of a moment in the past. His love for Daisy is based on a five years ago relationship, partially wished-for on his own fantasizes and her commitment to him is not the same as his love for her. His ambitions for pure love are markedly contrasted with Barrett-Browning’s, as in this boisterous society disquiet is exposed throughout if this love can exist. Regardless, living a repressed life as encouraged of females, love brings hope and forces the rebirth of new women. Her voice is empowered and assertive as she subverts literacy expectations by feminizing the Petrarchan form, contrasting her meek tone in Sonnet I with declarations of love in Sonnet XXI “Beloved, say over… and yet again”, exclaiming “beloved!” symbolizes new beginnings of passionate love and hope. In Sonnet XXXII, the poet uses an extended metaphor

comparing musical instrument to herself. “… tune worn viol…strains may float ‘neath master hands.” The transformation in tone is evident within the Volta, where she has progressed from “sweet sad years” into a better love that completes her. Ultimately, differing from Fitzgerald’s perspective. Thus, giving a challenging perspective for humankind.

Conversely, in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s hopes and desires are considered pointless, from the crimes and the corruption of the Jazz era and the women that define that humanity. Daisy is recreated as an expendable object of consumption, lacking moral integrity and depth. She rejects her maternal role, detailing humanity’s view on women through an account of her child “I hope she’ll be a fool…in this world”. Moreover, Daisy’s supercilious nature can be demonstrated through her reaction of Gatsby shirts and her materialistic perspective towards them. This is exemplified in “They’re such beautiful shirts”, she sobbed, her voice muffled in thick folds. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such –such beautiful shirts before.” (chapter 5 Excerpt 1) Similarly, Jordan is also associated with an object of consumerism, having two vehicle’s name after him illustrating materialistic value. Her lack of sincerity is hidden beneath a cover-up that is very deceptive and attractive. The motif of the green light personifies Gatsby’s never-ending love, representing physically, the “colossal vitality” of his ideas but also spiritually, the American Dream. Jordan’s and Daisy’s portrayal as loveless and uncaring reflects on Fitzgerald contempt of the ‘New World women” and their role allowing the uselessness of Gatsby dream. Clearly giving a challenging vision for humanity.

Despite the fact that there are differences in context, it is unquestionably clear that both “The Great Gatsby” and “Sonnets from the Portuguese”. Share a challenging vision for humanity. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s and F Scott Fitzgerald’s display visions of love as a vital factor of humanity through transformative nature of love, and hope. Showing a challenging perspective for humanity “as such” individuals can be addicted to the desire for mystical love. Although both texts were composed in very different contexts, they share similar perspectives on themes.