Catcher In The Rye And The Great Gatsby Comparison

Old literature is something that continues to influence and shape modern-day stories. Shakespeare, Hemingway, Twain and many more have written works that are considered classics and are not only read and enjoyed today but also taught in schools and English classes worldwide. Two perfect examples of literature that continuously influences today are The Great Gatsby (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Catcher in the Rye (1951) by J.D Salinger. Both novels skillfully depict the time period in which they were written and give readers a spitting image of how life was depending on the year. The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby share many similarities and differences in relation to the time periods in which they were written but over the

Starting off, The Great Gatsby portrays women as naive, weak, and feeble minded. This can be seen in the book through Daisy Buchanan. Daisy Buchanan is the Wife of Tom Buchanan who is a traditional misogynistic and racist man. Tom is the breadwinner of the house and Daisy is never described as having any sort of job. She is portrayed as stupid, meek, and impressionable by the people around her. Daisy’s philosophies are emphasized as she is in a room with Nick and Tom where Tom is talking about his books and idealisms when Daisy chimes in and says “I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,” (Fitzgerald 21).. This demonstrates the stereotypes associated with women in the 1920’s. The 20’s was a period where women were still seen as

Gatsby's mental state went virtually unnoticed throughout the novel. While his constant parties, quick changing behavior, reckless actions, and tendency to romanticize the past indicate countless different mental illnesses, Gatsby was never acknowledged as having any. Gatsby had a strict schedule and had to do the same thing everyday, including consistently hosting extravagant parties, which would hint to a diagnosis of OCD. His constant urge to romanticize the past and his state of mind when he could not achieve his desires, as well as his constant self isolation, would be consistent with a diagnosis of depression. The lack of acknowledgement of Gatsby's various mental illnesses is a very prominent characteristic of mental health care in the 1920’s. In the 20’s, mental health was not seen as an actual issue so most people who presented them were simply frowned upon and ignored. There were also no forms of treatment or therapy for anyone who needed it. In contrast, in The Catcher in the Rye, Holden presents many mental illnesses such as Bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, and anxiety. While readers never discover what his actual diagnosis is, it is revealed near the end of the book that he was sent away to get psychoanalyzed in a psych ward: “A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalysis they have here, keep asking me if I am going to apply