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Similarities Between Gatsby And Zelda

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In both ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Z: a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald’, relationships are portrayed to be conflicting and unstable; with infidelity, oppression, and although we see male control become more lenient, a strong patriarchal social order. This is emphasised more in ‘Z’, and is portrayed through the use of language; with Gatsby being full of poetic descriptions, and ‘Z’ being much more down to earth, suggesting the relationships are more grounded in the real world. Although there appear to be many parallels between the relationship of Gatsby and Daisy, and Fowler’s portrayal of Scott and Zelda’s relationship, they were in fact very different. Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship seems to be much more of a fantasy that existed in Jay’s head, rather than a physical relationship. Contrasting to this, Zelda and Scott’s relationship is very much in the real world. Unlike Gatsby, Scott controls Zelda, such as forcing her to have an abortion; “I’ve paid in blood to get where I am, Zelda. You’ve got to take care of this. This isn’t what we want right now”. However, the couple try to make their relationship like the perfect fictitious life, and are constantly behaving like others and having to ‘act the part’. This element of their relationship is like a fantasy. Gatsby’s whole life is like a fantasy; with his imaginary infatuation of Daisy, his house “achieving the transformation of materiality into a magical world” (Parkinson), and his pretend past full of lies. The green light at the
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