Similarities Between Gatsby And Daniel

Who doesn’t want a life filled with luxury? Gatsby, in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, is a mogul bootlegger who constantly flaunts his wealth, and in Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, Daniel is a rich businessman who runs his own oil company. A life full of luxury seems like the dream, but it can also condemn us. Although Gatsby and Daniel strive for greatness, they differ in their motives because Daniel never achieves contentment despite hard work, while Gatsby is always striving for a relationship with Daisy, though the reader realizes her love is unattainable. Both Gatsby and Daniel are willing to do anything for the trappings of success. Gatsby mentions that he “lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe- Paris, Venice, Rome-

To begin, there is a “single green light, minute and far away, that might have been at the end of a dock.” (Fitzgerald 22). Whenever Gatsby “stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way.” (Fitzgerald 21), he is hoping to reach his dream. The symbolic meaning of the green light changes from being a dream, to a dream forever out of reach. Evidently, his passion for Daisy bursts when he says to Tom, “your wife doesn’t love you, she never loved you. She loves me.” (Fitzgerald 131). This plot development from chapter one to chapter seven clearly depicts his love for Daisy, yet it is impossible for him to attain the relationship. On the contrary, Daniel never achieves satisfaction whenever he accomplishes his goals. As Daniel says, “I’m gonna bury you underground, Eli.” (Anderson). It is depicted that Daniel never accepts being beaten or deceived. At this point, Daniel has no one to care for, or be afraid of, and he’s never paid the price for his crimes, so presumably Daniel thinks himself above any law or moral code of conduct; Daniel, after all, calls himself, “The Third Revelation!” (Anderson). Killing Eli after a drunken spree comes easily. At the end of the movie, he is very angry, but as a normal audience, committing homicide does not sound quite like an accomplishment, and even though he achieves victory, it is unclear if he’s satisfied.