Compare And Contrast Essay On The Great Gatsby

The Salem Witch Trials caused imperative rulings on the lives of multiple people back in the late 1600s. In The Crucible we learn of several characters causing these crucial events to unfold. Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale may share similar titles, but do not let the titles deceive about this character duo. Despite the great likeness between the two in the opening act as the story progresses things differentiate from the beginning any multiple ways. Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale undoubtedly have similar and different things between them throughout the story in the aspects of their traits, motives and goals within the context of the play.

The two protagonists in the story share many similar traits, but also are very different.

While both Tom Buchanan and George Wilson were married, the relationships were handled very differently. When finding out about Daisy’s love for Gatsby, Tom tried to win her back. Then still continued to be unfaithful and unappreciative of his relationship. George on the other hand loved and appreciated his relationship. After learning of the affair, which lead to over

Tom and George’s attitude towards women are similar and different. They each treat women on how they see fit. Neither Tom nor George has much respect or understanding for women. Both have no understanding of what a woman's place in life should be. The difference is how they maintain control when the women in their lives challenge their roles as men. Tom is an unfaithful man when it comes to marriage. He had an affair with George’s wife Myrtle Wilson. It is seen as morally wrong to be unfaithful to one’s significant other. Tom does nothing to hide the affair and goes as to accept a phone call from his mistress during dinner. Tom treats his wife and mistress like trash whereas George put’s his wife on a pedestal. George Wilson is seen as being submissive around women, we see that when he’s with his wife Myrtle.

He learns there of Gatsby, his mysterious and wealthy neighbor, and his vast parties, which he eventually participates in himself. One day, he becomes privy to Gatsby's love for Daisy and brings them together. Conflict occurs when Tom

characters are in many ways divergent, and it is in fact these traits that reveal the most about

Tom is often inarticulate in expressing is emotions, which works to his advantage as sensitivity was, and is, often considered an effeminate quality. On one occasion, Tom seems as though he has a moment of sentiment, he is taken “from the edge of the theoretical abyss” (121) and doesn’t continue the point he had been trying to make, as he can’t seem to find the right words. During the fight with Gatsby, however, Tom relies on insult and humiliation as his main argumentative technique. He uses insulting Gatsby in order to draw attention away from himself. For example, he claims that Gatsby turns his “house into a pigsty in order to have any friends” (130), which doesn’t have anything to do with Daisy or the affair, but is just a stab at Gatsby. He also refers to Gatsby as a “common swindler who’d have to steal the ring he put on her finger” (133). Tom exposes the fact that Gatsby would not be able to provide for Daisy, disproving Gatsby’s masculinity while assuring his own, and the fact that he is able to provide for Daisy. Not only is language, but also the way that Tom speaks is a way in which he upholds his masculinity. Rather than asking questions, he always “demanded” (121) them, so rather than asking, he is declaring that he requires an answer. Asking implies that he needs assistance, and to him, self-sufficiency is a masculine quality because it means being able to support yourself. Almost every description of the way Tom speaks is that he speaks forcefully or unpleasantly. He often “snapped” and “exploded” (131) in conversation, which suggests an interruption of conversation, which is in an effort to assert

The paradox here is that Tom is, in a sense, George himself as Tom's wife, Daisy, is in the process of being taken away from him.

Tom was entirely different from the rest of the characters in a way of acting like he was this wealthy, laid back guy when in reality he was a sexist, unfaithful, hypocritical

Gatsby’s obsession with his relationship with Daisy makes him blind to the fact that she doesn’t love him alone, and that she cares too much about her social standing to really run away with him. Gatsby believes that he can repeat the past, but he ignores the fact that Daisy chose Tom over him even after she read Gatsby’s

Tom instills doubt in those surrounding him, affecting the way they act or feel toward certain topics. By diminishing others' self-esteem, he raises his own and covers up the fact that he is insecure about his intellect and relationship with Daisy. It appears that Tom's insecurities and pride cause his constant need to maintain his masculine outer appearance to others. While some find worth in being viewed as powerful or wealthy, Gatsby is not one of them and blinded by love, he finds more value in Daisy’s appreciation and love towards him. He recognizes that a fabrication of his past would appeal to Daisy more, therefore he reinvents himself as “the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West dead now”.

Moreover, Daisy recognised that Myrthle called Tom. “That is Tom’s girl on the telephone”(p.73). Furthermore Tom saw that there is a strange connection between Gatsby and his wife and it. “She had told him that she loved him, and Yom Buchanan saw. He was astounded.

They were both very unforgiving in showing their anger. They both held major grudges against Gatsby. The only difference is how they handle their anger. Although, Tom was a lot more composed than Wilson was. Tom would always get very angry and self centered. In chapter seven it says, “Tom turned to Daisy sharply. “You’ve been seeing this fellow for five years?” When he did get angry he would yell at Daisy or whoever it was and then he would slowly calm down and get over it, but there was always still a grudge. Wilson was the total opposite. He would hold all of his anger in. In the chapter eight, the story says, “About three o’clock the quality of Wilson’s incoherent muttering changed-he grew quieter and began to talk about the yellow car.” He never said much, but he always had a breaking point. Just like in the book when he decided to take action. He had that grudge and he let that anger build up inside of him until he finally broke. He let all that anger build up to the point that it led him to Gatsby’s backyard and to him killing Gatsby and ultimately killing himself. At the end of chapter eight the book says, “It was after we started with Gatsby toward the house that the gardener saw Wilson’s body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete.” He just let it boil up inside of him to the point that he burst. As one could see, Tom and Wilson had some different ways of showing violence, but all in all it was basically the same. Wilson and Tom both had the same motives in their

These two men are alike more than they’re different. In the 1920’s men think they should be in charge and to everyone else they had to look like they’re the “boss”. It is obvious that George and Tom both feel this way, with their temper and pride basically controlling their life. Only in comparison, Tom is able to get away from acting like this because of his financial status and his power, George although has to pay fully for his

Finally, Jay Gatsby’s delusions draws more pity for him. Daisy comes from a rich family and chances of her ending up with Gatsby, a poor soldier, is totally unrealistic. Furthermore Gatsby wants Daisy to “ go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you’” (105) but Daisy asserts that “ [she] can’t say [she] never loved Tom…It wouldn’t be true.”(126) Jay cannot grasp the present reality that Daisy could not leave Tom permanently, especially when the fruit of their love is already three years of age.