How Does Fahrenheit 451 Relate To The Great Gatsby

Books are one of humanity’s greatest creations. They are treasures of precious thought. Whenever I hold such beauty in my hands I am amazed by a human being’s ability to write and transform simple letters into words, into stories, into ideas. Throughout my young life so far I have had the pleasure and honour of reading a myriad of novels from many different genres. In the future I hope to further expand my library of knowledge. Of course, as one reads – much like I have - they will stumble across books, good books, and, most importantly, great books. The words of poet Pablo Neruda resonates deeply with my belief that “…books that help you the most are those which make you think the most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading,

Although my adventure into F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literature has just begun, I have, without a doubt, already been beguiled by his exceptionally well-written prose. The Great Gatsby, much like Fahrenheit 451, is filled with ideologies, literary devices and themes that reveal the deepest, darkness secrets of human emotion and expose – in this case - the fabricated fantasy known as the American Dream. If there is one thing this book is, it is eye-opening. This novel, which is set in New York City during the 1920s, depicts a scandalous society where sex, money, class, love, and morals (or lack thereof) govern the lives of people and the decisions made. As such, The Great Gatsby is a social commentary on American society following the large economic boom after the First World War []. Throughout this novel Fitzgerald illustrates how such economic prosperity affected the upper and middle classes who are, of course, represented expertly through one-dimensional characters like Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. In The Great Gatsby readers are made to realise that money is not everything, that paper cannot buy happiness. How meaningful and true. It becomes clear that despite America gaining a plethora of newfound wealth, people should not disregard their humanity in pursuit of fortune because, consequently, they become corrupt, blinded and obsessed like the characters. To further stress these messages, powerful metaphors such as the green light (an elusive goal), the Valley of Ashes (the plight of the poor/moral and social decay) and the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg (Eyes of God judging America) have been used. Honestly, The Great Gatsby reminds me of John Steinbeck’s historical fiction The Grapes of Wrath (c. 1939) (which I am currently loving) for both novels, like two sides of a coin, reflect the aftermath of America’s post World