The 1920’s brought great social change. Traditions were broken, the economy boomed, and a free-spirited attitude settled across the world. Divorces and affairs became more common as the youth became more independent and rejected societal norms. This caused a changed perspective on intimacy. The idea of love grew more complex, and was no longer linked to marriage. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms display two differing perspectives on the attainability of true love during the 1920’s. Fitzgerald believed true love was ultimately unobtainable. It was nothing more than an illusion instilling false hope and vulnerability. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby falls for his old mistress, Daisy Buchanan, when she enters his life once more. When their romance is rekindled, it becomes clear that Daisy does not retaliate the same feelings towards Gatsby, because she is unwilling to leave her husband for him. Despite this, Gatsby continues to remain optimistic for a future with her; something that cannot happen. Gatsby’s friend, Nick Carraway, describes him as, “The single most hopeful person I have ever met and I am ever likely to meet again.” (Gatsby 165). This attitude puts him
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Nick Carraway tells the story through a reflection of his memories, giving the reader a removed perspective of Gatsby. Nick’s point of view causes Gatsby’s haunted reality to become more visible. If the story were told through Gatsby’s eyes, it would seem as if Daisy loved him, because that was his truth. Nick is able to show us that that was not the case when he reveals, “...Daisy hadn’t sent a message or a flower [after Gatsby’s death]” (Gatsby 174). While Nick carries some bias, he is able to provide a more accurate story than Gatsby could have because of his lack of emotion and forgiveness towards Daisy. This allows Fitzgerald’s belief in love being unobtainable to be even more