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A Separate Peace And The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Decent Essays

Claire Whittaker
Mrs. Bonjour
AP English 12
22 February 2016
Resembling Relationships
Novels can develop ties despite being written in different times, with very different plots. Such novels deserve the exploration of comparison between them. Both John Knowles and F. Scott Fitzgerald, in the novels A Separate Peace and The Great Gatsby respectively, show relationships between two male characters and detail how a dream can become out of hand. While both authors use extended flashback to start their narration about the past events, Knowles chooses to tell the story from the perspective of Gene who is extremely involved in Finny’s dream, while Fitzgerald uses Nick as a narrator less connected to Gatsby’s dream and fixation.
In the first place, Gene Forrester and Finny in A Separate Peace and Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby both share similarly close relationships with one another. Gene and Nick are both quiet, sensible men who share a friendship with a more flamboyant character who is a dreamer constantly filled with high energy. Knowles and Fitzgerald have a similar character friendships going on in the two novels according to various critics. Nick is the level headed one in The Great Gatsby just like Nick is in A Separate Peace. When Gatsby wants to do something Nick is the one who registers the greatness of his ideas. This points out the contrast of who comes up with grand ideas. It is pointed out that “Nick is the one who is the supporter of Gatsby in

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