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
Fitzgerald uses Gatsby's parties and the way in which Nick views them to reveal that whilst Gatsby is surrounded by shallow and vulgar people, he is above this. Fitzgerald also uses these parties to expose Gatsby's isolation which leads us to feel sympathy toward Gatsby. Despite the amount of people at the party, Nick observes Gatsby's seclusion and loneliness, "my eyes fell to Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps". This evokes a great deal of sympathy from us as although Nick describes Gatsby in a warm and friendly way, "It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life", we now can see that Gatsby is a lonely figure. This sympathy is accentuated when Nick is the only person to turn up to Gatsby's funeral, as we know that Gatsby is a decent and honourable character and thus our sympathies are emphasised by Gatsby's isolation. When Nick first meets Gatsby, he reveals Gatsby to be a fascinating character that we would like to know more about. The warm and assuring smile that Nick describes is in antithesis to the
Parents always warn their children to steer clear from shady and unreliable characters. Real life situations are the target of this notion, but such a claim also stands true for literature. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Nick, the narrator, is a shady character who disclosed no personal information about himself and expected the viewer’s trust in return. As a result, Scott Donaldson, in his article “The Trouble with Nick” deliberates his opinion over what a terrible person Nick is, however later determines that regardless of how shady Nick may be, he is still the only one fit to narrate The Great Gatsby. Some of Scott Donaldson’s views of Nick as an unreliable narrator may stand true; however, it is definitely agreeable that Nick Carraway is the only acceptable narrator for The Great Gatsby.
Everyone has heard of the phrase “stalker,” and everyone has heard of the concept of “love.” While these two are separate terms, what happens when the two become mistaken for one another? When does admiration become obsession? When is the line crossed from lover to stalker? In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character, Jay Gatsby, is a very wealthy man who has once had a fling with Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby and Daisy were once in love but time came and went. Gatsby went to war, and Daisy married another man. When Gatsby gets back from war, he makes himself into a new persona to capture Daisy’s attention in hopes of rekindling their love. However, Gatsby takes his love to the point of obsession. He makes unrealistic rumors about himself, wastes money on luxuries to capture her attention, and expects too much from the woman he claims to love. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is not real love. He has many stalker-like qualities, rather than the romantic love so many are accustomed to.
The Great Gatsby entails of a story of a bright young man, Nick Carraway, who moved to New York City in search of a successful life in the bonds business, but becomes suffocated by the lifestyles of those in wealth and power at the time. As Nick settles himself in a new job and new city, in the only cottage among mansions on West and East Egg, he finds himself neighbor to a mysterious, wealthy man known for his extravagant parties and elusive persona. This neighbor, Jay Gatsby, emerges to be one of the main characters of the novel and the only person in all of New York that Nick can call a friend. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, encompasses the hollowness of the upper class as well as the deterioration of the “American Dream” within the plotline of the lives of Nick, Gatsby, and the Buchanan’s. Because of the themes Fitzgerald created, it prompts people, such as Bruccoli, to make the claim “The Great Gatsby does not proclaim the nobility of the human spirit; it is not politically correct; it does not reveal how to solve the problems of life; it delivers no fashionable or comforting messages. It is just a masterpiece.” While the Great Gatsby is a masterpiece, Bruccoli correctly examines the text in revealing no nobility of the human spirit, no solutions to the problems of life, and it is politically incorrect. However, despite the dismal themes, Fitzgerald does deliver fashionable/comforting messages to the audience. Bruccoli’s claim brings to light the
On the surface, The Great Gatsby is a story of failed love between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. The main theme of the novel, however, is comprised of a much larger, less romantic scope. Fitzgerald portrays the roaring twenties as a time of corroded social and moral values. This is shown by the empty pursuit of pleasure, gluttony, and pure shallowness of the rich. Some of these materialistic views of the societal decay of today can be seen by the rich and famous in everyday life.
Gene Forrester, the main character of A Separate Peace, tells a story of when he was in school. This story takes place during the time pf World War II. Gene is a well-minded boy who, at times, lets jealousy take over. If this book was narrated by Phineas, or Finny, it would have a happier nature to it. Gene is a smart, kind boy who thinks deeply into the problems of the world at the time. Finny, who is almost the complete opposite, sees conflict as he wants to view it. They are very similar in some ways as they share the same interests as the other.
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, demonstrates how wealth and power were important elements of social structure during the Roaring Twenties. Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan are characters who have been tarnished by their prosperity and power. This status as wealth and powerful individuals affects how they perceive the world around them, and has contributed to the change in the characters portrayed in the novel. Jay Gatsby is a man who obtained his fortune through illicit means and is drive to acquire the love of Daisy. Jay Gatsby believed that wealth would bring him happiness as he would be able to capture the heart of Daisy by maintaining her lavish lifestyle. Tom
In John Knowles’s novel A Separate Peace, a bond between the two characters, Finny and Gene, is created. The novel describes Finny as popular when around his classmates at Devon. As Finny goes to a private school with Gene, this causes them to become close friends. On the other hand, As Finny’s opinions and personality differ numerously from the narrator’s, this causes their relationship to become complicated.
"Never has symbolism played such a crucial part in the very foundation of a novel as it does in Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby." Harold Bloom has written about this book. The author used several types of symbolism in The Great Gatsby. The colours are probably the easiest to be recognized and guessed what they symbolized. According to the definition “symbolism” is "the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships."
Someone once said “Humans, how tragically destructive we are.” As humans we all have our instincts, and these will subconsciously affect our daily decisions. Very seldom do we realize the decisions we make could change our lives forever in an instant, and it may come back and affect us later. A Separate Peace written by John Kolwes is thought to be about friendship but when looking at the two main character's true personality and motivation it can also show the true human nature of people. The story gives the ensite of Gene Forrester and showed how his natural thought process is what will bring his whole world tumbling down around him. These characters Gene and Phineas may be seen as complete opposites but truly they are extremely similar.
When scrolling through Twitter, Instagram and other social websites people see models and actors with a skinny waist, flawless skin, big butt, and large breasts. People are tricked by these photoshopped, unrealistic, and inhuman models. This is true for businessmen, politicians, and even people in our own communities. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, all the characters in the book portray themselves differently from their true selves because they are corrupted by greed, money, or love. Gatsby, in the beginning, had a sense of mystery and intrigue, about him but when we actually meet him and get to know him we discover that he is a lying, despicable man. Many people want to look better in other’s eyes and will distort their
The narrator and main character of A Separate Peace, Gene, idolizes his friend Phineas. He snuffs out any thoughts that contradict his ideal, but his true feelings make it difficult for him to reciprocate Finny’s affection. In one instance, Finny talks Gene into breaking the rules by going to the beach with him. As the day ends, they rest on a sand dune and Finny expresses that Gene is his “best pal”. This prompts Gene to ruminate on how
The 1920s was a notorious decade in which patriarchal ideas drove the society while impacting the values of individuals across America. With limited rights for women, feminist ideas were rare, an idea that spread across-country. However, there was a new image of females emerging in the ‘20s, being the image of the flapper, someone who was free to go out and enjoy nightlife as they wished. The division in social structure was that of men being at the pinnacle of society, while women were expected to be the “perfect” wife. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of a Long Island man, Nick Carraway, who is also the narrator, and his interactions with an extremely wealthy man, Jay Gatsby, who has aspirations to
The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, portrays a world filled with rich societal activities, love affairs, and dishonesty. Nick Carraway is the busy narrator of the book, a curious choice considering that he is in a different class and almost in a different world than Gatsby and the other characters. Nick relates the plot of the story to the reader as a part of Gatsby’s circle. He has hesitant feelings towards Gatsby, despising his personality and corrupted dream but feeling drawn to Gatsby’s wonderful ability to hope. Using Nick as an honorable guide, Fitzgerald attempts to guide readers on a journey through the novel to show the corruption and failure of the American Dream. To achieve
In the first book, a Separate Peace, by John Knowles, Gene, the narrator, meets Phineas and they become very close friends. Their life is based in the Devon high school during the WWII period. Gene goes through a lot of confusion after others blame him of pushing Phineas off a tree and breaking his leg, even if he feels very connected to Phineas as a friend. The other book, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is narrated through Nick’s eyes who observes the story of his neighbor Gatsby’s difficult life as he is trying to get the person who he loves: Daisy. This book does well in representing the wealthy life and struggles during the 1920s with Gatsby’s big parties and the Buchanans capability of escaping punishment from crimes thanks to