Essay Comparing The Great Gatsby And A Doll's House

In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer is a traditional “angel in the house” she is a human being, but first and foremost a wife and a mother who is devoted to the care of her children, and the happiness of her husband. The play is influenced by the Victorian time period when the division of men and women was evident, and each gender had their own role to conform to. Ibsen’s views on these entrenched values is what lead to the A Doll’s House becoming so controversial as the main overarching theme of A Doll’s House is the fight for independence in an otherwise patriarchal society. This theme draws attention to how women are capable in their own rights, yet do not govern their own lives due to the lack of legal entitlement and

1. The green light, situated at the end of the Buchanan’s dock, represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby associates the light with Daisy and in Chapter one, he reaches toward it

If you ask most people what a green light means they will most likely say it means “go”. In this case a green light means a lot more than just go. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, it is set in the year 1922 in New York and tells the tale of a man named Nick and his friend named Gatsby who would throw extravagant parties to draw attention from the woman he's been searching for who is named Daisy. Not only does this novel tell this story, it is also laced with symbols that represent different aspects of the novel. One of the many notable symbols in the novel is a green light at the end of a dock, more specifically at the end of a dock that belongs to the woman that Gatsby has been looking for. This green light can mean many different things but it most likely represents Gatsby and his goal of trying to claim Daisy as his own and to repeat the past with her by his side.

The green light is the most significant use of symbolism in The Great Gatsby. The green light represents various aspects of life which include: Hope, unattainable dreams, freedom and the American Dream. In chapter one Nick states “Involuntarily I glanced seaward — and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock" (Fitzgerald 152). The explanation of this quote is Nick seeing Gatsby reaching his arms out towards the green light at the end of the deck which represents that Gatsby is trying to grasp and gets a hold of his hopes and dreams, which is Daisy, but at that moment Gatsby is unsuccessful in doing so. The green light’s meaning is also that a person cannot live their lives in the past, but instead should look ahead towards the future. In chapter 9 Nick also states "I thought of Gatsby‘s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy‘s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could barely fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night" (Fitzgerald 149). For Gatsby, the green light represents his American dream and Daisy. He wanted to continue his life with Daisy by his side, but sadly his dreams were short-lived.

The green light is a significant symbol closely associated with Gatsby’s dream. Readers are first introduced to the green light near the very beginning of the novel; it is located at the end of Daisy’s dock. Nick, the narrator of the novel, sees Gatsby peculiarly reaching out towards the water, so curiously, Nick goes to further observe what Gatsby is looking at and he sees "...nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock" (25). The green light is a representation of Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for his future. Gatsby’s reaching for the light represents his struggle to reach his goal, regaining Daisy as his companion. Gatsby’s mission to win Daisy becomes broadly associated with the American Dream. As long as long as Gatsby continues admiring the green light his hopes and dreams will continue to exist. As the novel progresses Nick discovers more about his neighbor Gatsby. Nick learns that Gatsby bought his particular house because it was the closest he could get to Daisy across the bay. Gatsby’s believes his luxurious mansion and his life style is an essential component to help him fulfill his dream. The symbol of the green light becomes even more distinct when Gatsby decides to show Daisy it. He says, "If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay... You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock”

We started the year with The Great Gatsby, probably my favorite book of the year and in contention of my favorite of all time. Gatsby has a burning passion to achieve the stereotypical American dream and does so through “shady” work. He accomplishes his financial goals and has accumulated status, but fails to reach his primary goal of courting Daisy. The green light is a constant symbol of the American Dream and what Gatsby is reaching for. Once Gatsby is close to obtaining his final dream of having Daisy the feeling diminishes: “‘You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.’ Daisy put her arm through his abruptly, but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the

A prominent part of the theme throughout the book is the symbol of the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. It is used to depict Gatsby’s hopes and dreams to obtain Daisy and an elite life status. The green light is first mentioned in chapter one when Nick witnessed that Gatsby, “...stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way… [I] distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (Fitzgerald 25-26). After everything had unraveled, the true meaning of the green light is explained on the very last page of the book. Nick explained that, “[Gatsby] had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him…” (Fitzgerald 189). Gatsby was reaching for his hopes and dreams of being wealthy and getting Daisy, which were both in the past. He spent five years of his life trying to obtain things that were long gone. The reader learns that everything he did was in an attempt to get Daisy back: the money, popularity, parties, and even the location of house he bought: right across the bay from hers. The green light is key to realizing that he was reaching for things that were in the past, and he didn’t receive them. He was so close to obtaining all of it, but still so far away.

The Green light that is seen in the Great Gatsby symbolizes Gatsby's hope for the future. The light shows that Gatsby will forever be a dreamer. The fact that throughout the entire novel the green light remains constant reinforces Gatsby’s dreamer ways. “ ...Involuntarily I glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.…” (Fitzgerald 21). The green light is introduced at the beginning of the novel. The light itself is seen by both Gatsby and Nick, when Nick sees Gatsby looking out at the ocean. The light is something that Gatsby focuses on throughout the novel as an anchor. It brings Gatsby hope for what the future will bring to him. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eludes us then, but that’s no matter- to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… And one fine morning---- So we beat on, boats against the current….” (Fitzgerald 180). The green light reminds Gatsby of Daisy, his one “true” love. Daisy is the unchanging obsession in his life. Gatsby always holds out hope that he will one day win her over. The light allows Gatsby, even as a grown man, to reminisce on his younger days and allows him to be a dreamer. Fitzgerald uses the green light as a way for Gatsby to consistently connect to that longing. The need to be the charming rich socialite that throws spectacular parties. The man who fits the bill of the American dream to a T. While Gatsby was always hoping for Daisy, and using the green light as a vessel to not forget his goal, Fitzgerald was reminding us, the readers, that Gatsby is in

The green light refers to the light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Gatsby had moved into his mansion just so that he could live closer to Daisy. When he sees the green light, it becomes a symbol of love and hope for Gatsby. We can see Gatsby reaching for it longingly early on in the book. Unfortunately, "He did not know that it [the dream] was already behind him..." (Fitzgerald 180). It is quite clear that "He must inevitably fail, because of his inability to separate the ideal from the real" (Concise Dictionary of American Literary Biography: The Twenties 56). Against all logic and reasoning, Gatsby continued to pursue his impossible dream on the belief that it was still possible to obtain.

Ibsen’s character Nora in A Doll’s House, shows gradual development throughout the play to support his theme that above all else, you are human; even in marriage both parties should be given the equal opportunities, rights and respect. While Nora may at first seem happy with her life inside her “doll house”, she begins to recognize that she must find herself, and stop being a toy in the lives of men.

A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, creates a peephole into the lives of a family in the Victorian Era. The play portrays a female viewpoint in a male-dominated society. The values of the society are described using the actions of a woman, Nora, who rebels against the injustices inflicted upon her gender. Women’s equality with men was not recognized by society in the late 1800’s. Rather, a woman was considered a doll, a child, and a servant. Nora’s alienation reveals society’s assumptions and values about gender.

   In his play, A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen depicts a female protagonist, Nora Helmer, who dares to defy her husband and forsake her "duty" as a wife and mother to seek out her individuality. A Doll's House challenges the patriarchal view held by most people at the time that a woman's place was in the home. Many women could relate to Nora's situation. Like Nora, they felt trapped by their husbands and their fathers; however, they believed that the rules of society prevented them from stepping out of the shadows of men. Through this play, Ibsen stresses the importance of women's individuality. A Doll's House combines realistic characters, fascinating imagery, explicit stage directions, and

In A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen focuses on the importance of women's roles and freedom in society. Widely regarded as a feminist paean, the play features two major female characters; the most prominent of whom, Nora Helmer, shatters her position as a subservient, doll-like female when she walks out on her husband and children with a flagrant "door slam heard round the world." Nora’s evolution, though inspiring, should not overshadow another crucial woman in the play: Mrs. Kristine Linde. Both women attain freedom in a society dominated by the adherence to conservative marital roles, but do it in different ways. While Nora reaches her consciousness and slams the door on her shackling domicile, Mrs.

In the play “A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen the story focuses on the gender differences between a man and woman. One way Ibsen display feminism in A Doll House is through the relationship of the two main characters Torvald and his wife Nora. Nora and Torvald to have the perfect life, however behind closed doors it isn’t as it seems. The play begins with a happily married couple and ends with a woman wanting to be her own human being. Nora has been treated like child throughout the play by Torvald, she finally decides she has other duties such as herself that are just as important as everyone else. Through the play Ibsen provides the readers with insight how society views women. During this particular generation men were much higher ranking in society than women, women were not viewed as individuals but as shadows of their men. Ibsen provides many examples throughout the play how women were treated less than men.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is by far one of the most interesting yet congested books I have ever read. I feel as if the story is shifting as soon as I was able to tell what was happening. One idea that was constant was the themes, symbols and motifs used throughout. Love and the seduction of money, to me, were the most influential themes that I noticed in the book.