The Great Gatsby Archetypes Analysis

In most modern literature and film there are extremely noticeable archetypes among the characters. In superhero movies characters such as Batman and Captain America are quickly placed into the “hero” archetype and their almost equal arch nemesis’ are easily identified as the villains of their stories. However, what is not commonly done is further exploring these archetypes and simple behavioral details in order to further diversify these characters. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s different writing style along with decisions the characters make allows for a much more difficult time pinpointing each character’s explicit archetype; Fitzgerald’s writing style along with the narratorial design of the story permits these archetypes to change

Even though when the word archetype is usually used, a reader’s mind immediately jumps to hero or villain, there are many different archetypes exemplified within The Great Gatsby. Carl Golden explains the ideas around another archetype; “The Innocent”. The innocent is simply known for their goal to be happy however they also have a great weakness. This weakness is their naivety. Daisy Buchannan perfectly represents this archetype mainly as her character develops throughout the story. When Nick first sees Daisy in the story, he sees, “two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon. They were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house.” (8). This depiction of such a beautiful scene brings hints of royalty and beauty. However, this scene also brings about an unintelligent air; as if these two women are simply there as decorations like the before-mentioned curtains or even the simple windows. In this scene, the intellect of these two women, Jordan and Daisy, is not mentioned at all; simply their beauty. “Then there was a boom as Tom Buchannan shut the rear windows and the caught wind died out about the room, and the curtains and the rugs and the two young women ballooned slowly to the floor. (8). This also shows how these women are completely controlled by Tom. It is as if they are not permitted to move until Tom moves and changes the entire dynamic of the household; as “the caught wind died out about the