In 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald released his magnum opus, The Great Gatsby. The novel defined the roaring twenties and showcased the greed and despair of the American wealthy class. Later in 2013, Baz Luhrmann gave a new voice to The Great Gatsby when he released his film depicting Fitzgerald’s classic novel. The movie presents the iconic book to a whole new generation of Americans, but is the movie entirely the same as the novel? Specifically, is Jay Gatsby the same? While F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby in The Great Gatsby as a chivalrous figure, that sentiment is lost in Baz Luhrmann’s film of the same name, however, both works depict him as a loyal man.
Gatsby is chivalrous and for the most part a gentleman in the novel, yet Luhrmann’s version of Gatsby differs from this persona. In chapter seven when Gatsby finally confronts Tom about Daisy (105-109), Gatsby does not become aggressive in his confrontation, but instead he remains composed. However, towards the end of the film, Luhrmann’s Gatsby becomes aggressive and violent towards Tom during the encounter. While the language used in
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Unlike the novel, Luhrmann’s Gatsby directly insults Tom in the confrontation when he says, “The only respectable thing about you, old sport, is your money.” Also, in the film Gatsby drinks alcohol when he confronts Tom. In the book, Gatsby does