Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and John Steinbecks...

Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath In the novels The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the authors present similar ideas, but use different methods to portray them. Similarities in themes can be made between the two texts; these include the pursuit of the American Dream and the use and misuse of wealth. Other themes are also central to each novel, the strength in unity and the influence of female characters. The presentation of these similar themes is different, by the use of characters, setting, society, plot, and style and techniques employed by the author. The pairing of these two texts gave me a clear†¦show more content†¦The different interpretations of the American dream allowed me to achieve an understanding of how Fitzgerald and Steinbeck use different methods to present the same theme. Tom and Daisys interpretation of the American Dream is shown by Fitzgerald in Nicks evaluation of Toms house. He describes the house as being even more elaborate than [he] expectedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the lawn ran for a quarter of a mileà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the front reflected with gold (pg 12-13) this emphasises their focus on materialistic worth and possessions. Steinbeck describes the simplicity of the dreams of the Joads in Mas description of the boxcar. Its nice, she said. Its almost nicer than anything we had (pg 182). The setting of each novel also conveys the theme of the American Dream. The authors convey the same theme using different surroundings, but with similar meanings, reinforcing my understanding of how authors present similar ideas in different ways. The Great Gatsby is set in the Jazz Age of the 1920s in New York, however The Grapes of Wrath is set a decade later during the depression of the 1930s. Each author emphasises the importance of the setting in relation to the American Dream, rather symbolically. In The Great Gatsby there are references made by Fitzgerald to the East and West Eggs and the Valley of Ashes. In the East Egg the American Dream has beenShow MoreRelatedThe Role of Food in The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath Essay837 Words   |  4 Pagesthe role of food in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work The Great Gatsby and John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath vary immensely. The complexity and need for sustenance differ between the books, but both reflect the events, viewpoints, and attitudes of the time periods they are set in. The complexity of food and drink changes from book to book. Extravagant and sophisticated food and drink litter the background in The Great Gatsby. For instance, chapter three of The Great Gatsby describes â€Å"buffet tablesRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath825 Words   |  4 Pagesthe weakest link plummet. The true American Dream can be chased, but exists if and only if the one trying for it can accept failure and move on. This continually presents itself in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Taking place in the height of the Great Depression, Grapes depicts the Joads, a family with no wealth that loses everything due to foreclosure and repossession. This family continually looks for both jobs and stability, which are reflectedRead MoreTheme Of Pride In The Great Gatsby1177 Words   |  5 Pagesdisplay characters who embody excess pride, that the pride either sets them apart in society or pushes them to start separating society by themself. With evidence from The Great Gatsby, The Crucible, and The Grapes of Wrath it can be proven that pride can lead to separation within a society. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby outlines this theme through the hollowness of the upper class. In the book there are two divisions of the upper class, the old money and the new money, those who inheritedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Watchmen By Dc Comics 2090 Words   |  9 PagesColin Ellis Dr. Angel ENGL 2322.P01 21 March 2016 Watchmen Watchmen, by DC Comics, should be considered a literary work for its great use of realism and deconstruction, storytelling and subplots, and the focus on personal character development and their moral codes. Watchmen utilizes these aspects in a way that makes the reader change the way they think about their popular culture and what is valuable to them. These aspects help solidify the idea that Watchmen is the first in a new breed of comics