Similarities Between Holden Caulfield And The Great Gatsby
Throughout the history of literature, many authors have tried to reveal a clear understanding of the American Dream. And whether it is possible to achieve lies all in the character the author portrays. The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye are prime examples of this. F. Scott Fitzgerald and J.D. Salinger, the authors of these titles, respectively, fashion flawed Jay Gatsby and Holden Caulfield, with one important desire: the longing to gain what they can’t have; acceptance and the feeling of belonging. Each being different in their own ways as well.
Although the both desire the same thing they attempt this Gatsby is a man that hides himself behind the riches he attains. Gatsby delusions himself into thinking that he is able to acquire
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This obsession causes him to alienate himself from the world around him for fear of any alteration to his daily life and strays from ideas of love, terrified of losing those close to him. This belief likely originates from the passing of his brother, Allie. As a matter of fact, to take out frustrations caused by Allie’s death, he decides to shatter all the windows in the garage to the point of losing the capacity to fully create a fist. As a result, it the event gives a sensitivity to reality; creating a belief that the world was the cause of his downfall. In Salinger Seems to Agree With Holden by Lawrence Jay Dessner, he states, “Holden wants a guarantee of the purity of human motive.” This of course is tremendously difficult and virtually impossible to find, which sets Holden up for even more disaster and a greater fall. It even shows that he is aware of the demise he sets himself up for. As echoed by Mr. Antolini “‘I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of a terrible, terrible
The Great Gatsby American Dream
660 Words | 3 PagesThe novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitz Gerald embodies many themes. A major in the story is the pursuit of can be labelled the American Dream. The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and fame. By having money, a car, a big house, nice clothes and a happy family symbolizes the American dream. The Great Gatsby shows what happened to the American Dream in the 1920’s, which is a time period when the dreams became corrupted for many reasons.
How Does Holden Change Throughout The Catcher In The Rye
536 Words | 3 PagesFrom the very beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is disgusted with the world and his attitude towards it wasn’t good. He always says how it was full of phonies and how evil and corrupt it was. He often thinks about shutting himself out of society. However, by the end he realizes he must accept he can’t change the way the world works, and that he must find his place in it.
Similarities Between Holden And The Great Gatsby
696 Words | 3 PagesHe believes that when one knows everything about everything to know about reality, they won’t be able to have such a life than they could’ve, which causes him held back by little details. In doing this, Holden doesn't enjoy his life. Holden knows that he is going through his own fail, as his older teacher shows, “‘I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of a terrible, terrible fall’” (186). Mr. Antolini here is telling Holden o he is going through this fail, and that if he doesn’t start paying attention something terrible will happen.
Teen Depression In Catcher In The Rye By Holden Caulfield
926 Words | 4 PagesHis first traumatizing encounter was when his young brother, Allie, died of leukemia. Holden talks about the first reaction he had, saying “ I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and everything by that time, and I couldn't do it,” (Salinger 21). Holden’s second traumatizing encounter was when he witnessed six malicious boys bully another boy to a point where he jumped out of the window and committed suicide. Holden describes the gruesome scene, saying, “...and there was old James Castle laying right on the stone steps and all.
Holden's Depression In The Catcher In The Rye
1762 Words | 8 PagesThroughout the novel Holden expresses his feeling of deep sadness to the reader. Holden’s sadness is being triggered by small incidents that occur in his daily life. Holden’s inability to function within his society without feeling a rush of deep sadness shows that he is emotionally damaged. For example, when Holden went to the bar for a drink he was disgusted by the audience clapping for the excellent piano player that he believed was phony, he states, “I partly blame all these dopes that clap their heads off--they’d foul up anybody, if you gave them a chance. Anyway, it made me feel depressed and lousy again, and I damn near got my coat back and went back to the hotel, but it was too early and I didn’t feel much like being alone,” (Salinger 95).
Similarities Between Catcher In The Rye And Mermaids
1113 Words | 5 PagesHolden’s anger springing from Allie’s death is illustrated by his actions in his garage shortly after. “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it” (39). Holden always has death and loss on his mind as a result of incidents like these. Because of this, Holden forms relationships with the wrong people to assure himself he is not growing closer to death. His relationship with Faith, a stripper, metaphorically gives him faith that her can reach out to others and form positive relationships.
How Does Holden Present Death In Catcher In The Rye
1067 Words | 5 PagesA plethora of details help the author portray the non acceptance of the concept of death. Holden shows his denial of Allie’s death through his brash reactions. Upon hearing his decease, Holden “... broke all the windows in the garage ... [and] slept in the garage” (Salinger 44).
Catcher In The Rye Grief Analysis
656 Words | 3 PagesIn The Catcher in the Rye, it is observed that the novel is about grief. There are 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and finally acceptance. The Catcher in the Rye shows how Holden goes through the grieving process. By the end of the novel it shows how Holden has reached closure or a way to let go.
Effects Of Materialism In The Great Gatsby
1042 Words | 5 PagesThrough the early to mid 1900s, the concept of striving to attain more than one is originally born with became predominant in most American societies. During this era, many authors, through literature, began expressing their concern with the rise in materialistic ideals and its effect on society and the individuals living within it, one being F. Scott Fitzgerald. Two of Fitzgerald’s widely-known works of literature, The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams”, both heavily elaborate on the effects of the increase in materialism and the ultimate effects of attempting to achieve the American Dream; this is conveyed through the unhappiness of the Dexter and Gatsby despite their perseverance to acquire women of higher social statuses. These texts both reach the conclusion that the American Dream is not within reach of anyone. Fitzgerald’s representation of the unattainable American Dream is demonstrated in The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams” through his portrayal of the materialistic nature of society as well as the characters’ failure to possess the women they love.
Symbolism In The Great Gatsby
1352 Words | 6 PagesFrom sex, liquor, and drugs, to power, wealth, and fame, the American Dream has been obsessed over since 1776. For years, the idea of success and the American Dream itself has been altered and accustomed to everybody’s own ideas and desires. The most common interpretation of the American Dream is that anybody from any social class, religion, race, ethnicity, culture, creed, or any other background can obtain large quantities of wealth if they work harder than somebody else. Although in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is expressed differently. The characters in the story all have very different personalities which helps to show all of the different dreams that people fantasize about.
How Is The American Dream Unobtainable
353 Words | 2 PagesAmerica has always lured people with an unfulfilling promise of more; people come to America with nothing to try and gain something that’s unobtainable; Unfortunately, what they find is far from what they wanted to gain. F. Scott Fitzgerald expressed just how much of a lie the American dream was in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald lived as a captive of the dream 's unlawful grip that promised so much but gave so little. He was born middle class and tried his hardest to become more than what his father was, but as ambitious as he was he never gained the wealth and elite status that he desired. The Great Gatsby was his way of stating the way that things were at the time, and he writes about how the American dream is unobtainable through symbolism.
What Does The Color Yellow Symbolize In The Great Gatsby
778 Words | 4 PagesThe American Dream is a lifestyle: the thought that if you put in hard work, you will gain wealth. Through this wealth, you will have happiness. In the novel The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is quintessential of The American Dream: he started off dirt poor and with dedication, he made himself into something; a rags to riches story. As The Declaration Of Independence states: 'All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.' In other words, every person in America has the right to really make themselves into someone, even if you start with nothing.
The Facade Of The American Dream In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
1034 Words | 5 PagesThe Facade of the American Dream The American Dream is the opportunity for all Americans to live a life of personal happiness and material comfort, but is it actually achievable? F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is a story of characters working hard to achieve the American Dream, but ultimately they are unable to ever realize their perfect life. The novel makes a strong naturalism argument about the rigid class system in society and the disillusionment of the American Dream.
The American Dream In The Great Gatsby And I Hear America Singing
785 Words | 4 PagesHow has the American Dream changed from the 1920’s to now and how has the theme of the American Dream been supported by works of American Literature. We will see how the American Dream though time did not follow what the founding fathers set out for us in the declaration of independence and when they said, “The authors of the United States’ Declaration of Independence held certain truths to be self-evident: that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". We will see how the American Dream suffers, what an American Dream is centered on, and how, for some, the American Dream is unattainable. In "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman and in "Harlem" by Langston Hughes we see the American dream depicted, as the loss and utter death of a distracted corrupt American Dream, as the love of the American dream, and as the American Dream for Blacks in a time of segregation and discrimination.
Similarities Between Gatsby And Forest Gump
1940 Words | 8 PagesGatsby doesn’t really show what he really is to the public, and that makes him a different person from what the others think of
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