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Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And Harlem

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American society once praised as a symbol of opportunity has suffered from widespread Decay and moral corruption. F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and Langston Hughes poem,”Harlem” both reveal the breakdown of societal values and the Loss of moral direction. Through their vivid depictions and Powerful language, these works shed light on the dark side of American society showing the consequences of excessive materialism, and the elusive pursuit of the American dream. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby served as a warning, illustrating the decay and moral corruption that seeps into American society. One example of this is the character Jay Gatsby who embodies the Reckless Chase for wealth and status. As Nick Carraway notes Gatsby's Mansion is “ a copy of some fancy building in Normandy, with a tower on one side, brand new under a thin layer of green ivy” (Fitzgerald,5). Gatsby’s extravagant display of wealth is nothing but an illusion hiding his moral emptiness and the shallowness of his existence. This corruption extends beyond Gatsby himself to the privileged class that attends his parties, engaging in superficial interactions and pursuing selfish desires, unconcerned with the suffering around them. …show more content…

The poem vividly presents the delayed dreams of African Americans, who are left to endure poverty and despair. The lines “What happens to a dream deferred?/ does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?” (Hughes) evoke feelings of Hopelessness and frustration. The dreams of marginalized individuals are crushed by a society that shows indifference to their struggles, resulting in moral corruption as the oppressed turn to desperate measures. The poem suggests that a society that neglects And fails to fulfill the dreams of its citizens will ultimately succumb to moral decay and social

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Gatsby hosts these gatherings to grab attention. When looking at the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes, imagery is used to give the poetry movement, to arouse the readers' imagination, and to develop their inner feelings, as well as to give them a sense of the flavor and scent of the made-up world. Hughes uses words like "stink," "rotten," "explode," "fester," "dry," "crust," "heavy," and "sag” (Hughes.) He uses these words to drive the reader's senses to feel, smell, see, hear, and taste this important dream. Also, Hughes vividly compares the feelings of people to visuals of a sore.

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