What consequence will a man have if he wants to challenge the whole society? Normally it will be like a moth flying to the flame. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s the Great Gatsby and J.D. Salinger’s the Catcher In the Rye, both protagonists Jay Gatsby and Holden Caulfield try to accomplish this challenge for different reasons. Unfortunately, neither the wealthy man nor the junior kid in high school wins. Even though Holden and Gatsby have totally different personalities, troubles, and endings, they both share the same trait that shows their strong spirits when they face the challenge of the society. Gatsby and Holden have different personalities, but they both decide to challenge the society because of their same spirit. Gatsby has a unique smile …show more content…
Gatsby’s success belongs to his obsession to Daisy. So do his troubles. After Daisy accidently kills Tom’s affair, Gatsby realizes it seems impossible for him and Daisy get back to the past together. However, he is still obsessed by her. Nick and Gatsby’s conversation is a symbol of his obsession: “How long are you going to wait?” “All night, if necessary. Anyhow, till they all go to bed” (Fitzgerald 144). Even though the society will reject Gatsby’s dream, he does not want to give up. His resistance blinds him. Compare to Holden, he is blinded by his sensitiveness and extreme. He wants to keep his past. Once he wonders by the Museum of Natural History and wants to stick certain things “in one those big glass cases and just leave them alone” (Salinger 122). Growing up kills his innocence. He wants to keep them well in the glass boxes so that they will be good forever. But the society does not allow this. Holden knows he will be in adulthood anyway, but he tries his best to stop it. He chooses to blind himself, which eventually becomes troubles. So despite their different circumstances, Gatsby and Holden both have many