Analysis Of The Great Gatsby And A Streetcar Named Desire

This lovely rich girl is known Daisy Buchanan, a women married to Tom Buchanan and also the love of Jay Gatsby’s life. The two met five years prior to her marriage, but were separated when Jay was forced to go off to war. The root of his desire for wealth occurs back to when Daisy’s parents did not approve of Gatsby for their daughter due to the fact that he came from a poor family. Jay is once again blinded, this time by the beauty and grace of Daisy and fails to see that Daisy is not who she appears to once be. He craves her for the realization of his golden family in his perfect dream, but really Daisy is far from that.

“‘I think he [Gatsby] half expected her [Daisy] to wander into one of his parties, some night,…” (Chapter 4). Yet, no matter what Gatsby does, his American Dream is unattainable, because Daisy chooses her husband, Tom Buchanan, over Gatsby. “Her [Daisy] frightened eyes told that whatever intentions, whatever courage, she had had, were definitely gone” (Chapter 7). The protagonist from The Great Gatsby desires something he cannot obtain, similar to the protagonist from The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield.

The Great Gatsby is considered to be a great American novel full of hope, deceit, wealth, and love. Daisy Buchanan is a beautiful and charming young woman who can steal a man’s attention through a mere glance. Throughout the novel, she is placed on a pedestal, as if her every wish were Gatsby’s command. Her inner beauty and grace are short-lived, however, as Scott Fitzgerald reveals her materialistic character. Her reprehensible activities lead to devastating consequences that affect the lives of every character. I intend to show that Daisy, careless and self-absorbed, was never worthy of Jay Gatsby’s love, for she was the very cause of his death.

Both Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby illustrate that when one centers their life upon the propriety and luxury that a traditionalistic lifestyle supports, they will repress into the comfort of their money and fail to progress towards the American Dream. Fitzgerald argues that the modernist’s ambition towards a singular focused dream will lead to feelings of unfulfillment, though Capote counters that the modernists inability to find satisfaction within their life will allow opportunities to pass them by.

The rekindling of this epic “love” tale begins when Gatsby buys a house directly across the bay from Daisy, her husband, and child. They do not know it yet, but Jay certainly does. Every night he walks outside and stares through the fog at the green light on Daisy’s dock. Some would consider these gestures endearing and romantic, but with all of that left aside it still seems as if he is stalking her. He is always searching for her everywhere he goes and is intrigued by the mentioning of her name. She is married to Tom Buchanan, a descent from old money, and is living quite lavishly. She hardly remembers Gatsby even exists until Jordan Baker mentions him at dinner. When Daisy hears Jay’s name a sudden bolt goes through her and she flooded with memories of the past. Everyone at dinner can see how this has affected her, including her husband. Nick, who is unaware of the situation, is surprised at what he has seen.

Daisy leaving Gatsby is one of the greatest examples of the moral decay of people in this time period with the growth in wealth. Her and Gatsby had something special together when they were younger and all of that was taken away when she had realized that social status meant more to her than her true feelings. “At his lips’ touch, she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete.”(Fitzgerald, 117). This is how she had really felt, she had wanted to kiss him and had loved Gatsby. He had waited for this moment with this “golden girl” forever and finally there was kissing her. They were young and in love. "She's not leaving me!" Tom's words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby. "Certainly

Batman and Robin, Kirk and Spock, Andy and Barney, Meredith and Christina Spongebob and Patrick; what’s so special about all of these characters? The answer itself is quite simple: they all have someone looking out for them. The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men are two stories set in the early 1900’s. However, they portray 2 diverse perspectives of the lives of those in that era. Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, tells about the lavish, extravagant lives of the upper class and how their possessions overtook them. Steinbeck, the author of Of Mice and Men, chronicles the story of 2 impoverished young men and their longing for true friendship. Fitzgerald and Steinbeck portray characters who show that the need for companionship is a

Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby’s relationship was damaged by their contrasting social classes, but also because he had a lack of status and wealth. In relation to this Daisy married Tom for his wealth and status not for his love, which suggests Daisy is a materialistic character is more concerned about her money and possessions than she is about intellectual and spiritual objects. “Gatsby is an idealist, he seeks for

“In his blue gardens men and women came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars” (Fitzgerald 39). In his character, his relationships, and his gatherings, Jay Gatsby epitomized the illusion of a perfect romance. When Gatsby and Daisy met in 1917, he was searching for money, but ended up profoundly falling in love with her. “[H]e set out for gold and stumbled upon a dream” (Ornstein 37). Only a few weeks after meeting one another, Gatsby had to leave for war, which led to a separation between the two for nearly five years. As “war-torn lovers” Gatsby and Daisy reach the quintessential ideal of archetypical romance. When Gatsby returned from the war, his goal was to rekindle the relationship he once had with Daisy. In order to do this, he believed he would have to work hard to gain new wealth and a new persona. “Jay Gatsby loses his life even though he makes his millions because they are not the kind of safe, respectable money that echoes in Daisy’s lovely voice” (Ornstein 36). Gatsby then meets Daisy’s cousin, Nick Carraway, who helps to reunite the pair. Finally being brought together after years of separation, Gatsby stops throwing the extravagant parties at his home, and “to preserve [Daisy’s] reputation, [he] empties his mansion of lights and servants” (Ornstein 37). Subsequent to their reconciliation, Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband, begins to reveal sordid information about Gatsby’s career which causes Daisy to

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, similarities and differences arise between two fascinating characters, Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. These main characters seem like two completely different characters but similarities are present. Daisy, “the golden girl” (Fitzgerald 120), is a key factor into what makes these men so similar. While discussing these similar traits, the reader may question why Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby. In the novel, the men’s love and wealth help the audience understand Daisy’s decision.

Daisy, like her husband, is a girl of material and class at heart, and Gatsby being her escape from a hierarchist world. Daisy has just grown up knowing wealth, so in her greedy pursuit of happiness and the “American Dream” Myrtle Wilson died, Gatsby's heart and life were compromised, without claiming responsibility on her part. Daisy was “by far the most popular of all the young girls in Louisville...” (116) Jordan says, describing early affections between Daisy and Gatsby. She goes on to say, “...all day long the telephone rang in her house and excited young officers from Camp Taylor demanded the privilege of monopolizing her that night.” (116) . Daisy was a fancied girl who has Gatsby tied around her finger, Jordan explains that he was looking at Daisy “...in a way that every young girl wants to be looked at some time...” (117). Daisy, abusing Gatsby’s love for her uses it to create security and protection, greedily and selfishly allowing him to take the fault. While Daisy’s beautiful, alluring traits turn her into an innocent, naive flower, she plays the ultimate villain.

Both Gatsby and Blanche are vulnerable because of the illusions they create that form part of their identities. In the beginning of their respective novels, The Great Gatsby and A Streetcar Named Desire, they are cunning, calculating, and self-aware of their illusions. They try to escape from their barren pasts and create entirely new, magical lives for themselves, ones that they are able to control. Gatsby exudes power, status, and confidence, “picking his words with great care” at his party so that he can attain Daisy. Blanche is equally careful, telling herself to “ keep hold of [my]self” and restraining the amount of alcohol she drinks. But as the novel progresses and they unravel their true selves, they forget where they stem from and begin to believe in the magical world they are creating. Gatsby becomes so infatuated with Daisy that he completely forgets about the impracticality of their relationship as Daisy is already married to Tom; he thinks that he can “fix everything just the way it was before” with the power of his persona. Similarly, Blanche begins to believe that she can marry Mitch and achieve her dreams of being wealthy, being respected, and having an ideal relationship but without telling anybody about her past. But once they are close to achieving their dreams, their illusions are shattered by more powerful characters in the novel. Daisy openly admits her love for Gatsby, and they begin to regain the love they once shared, but Tom shatters both Gatsby’s

Tom Buchananwasyoung,charming,charismatic,andwealthy.Daisy“hadadebutafter the Armistice, and in February she was presumable engaged to a man from New Orleans” (80). This seemingly impossible barrier does not stop Jay Gatsby from continuinghisquest forDaisy.Inaddition tobeinginlovewithamarriedwoman, Gatsby faces the obstacle that Tom Buchanan will not give Daisy up. Gatsby and Daisy have come forth with their feelings for one another and their growing relationship.TomandGatsbyargueoverDaisy’sloyaltytotheother.Tomdisagrees withGatsbywhenhesays,“’Daisylovedmewhenshemarriedmeandshelovesme now.Andwhat’smore,IloveDaisytoo.OnceinawhileIgooffonaspreeandmake a fool ofmyself, but I always come back, andinmy heart Ilove her all the time’” (138). Gatsby states otherwise thatDaisy’s heart was neverloyal to Tom and she neverlovedhim.Tomsays, “’Even that’salie.... Iwant tospeak toDaisyalone”” (140).Daisyadmitsinapitifulvoice,“’Evenalone Ican’tsay IneverlovedTom. It wouldn’tbetrue’”(140).TragicallyforGatsby,barriersofloveandmoneykeephim fromattaininghisdreamtobewithDaisy. Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:38 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:38 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:51 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:39 PM Comment: Singlequoteinsideadouble quotetoindicateaquoteinthepassagewas

While most people chase love, few know that it is foolish. One should not chase after love, but allow it to find them naturally. Obviously, Gatsby was none the wiser about that bit of advice. In the story, we see Gatsby chase after his supposedly long lost love, but is she truly his love? With how little time they spent together, how much they’ve grown throughout the years, and all that has happened in both of their lives, does Gatsby truly love Daisy, a married mother of one? Their star-crossed story is the perfect example of a hold on the past destroying a future. This essay will explore their strange and twisted romance while supporting one simple fact. Jay Gatsby was not in love with Daisy.

From youth, individuals have been told what has happened in the past is behind them and they can move on with their lives. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the past is a key element. First of all, in both text forms Gatsby and Blanche go against their values to get back a part of their life that has been lost. Furthermore, both characters create an image of wealth to mask the tragedies of their past. Lastly, characters past has a major effect on their current lives, however, both characters have different intentions depicted by their past. Similarly in The Great Gatsby and A Streetcar Named Desire the author and playwright uses