What Are The Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And Death Of A Salesman

1155 Words5 Pages

Life revolves around the quest for comfort. Wealth makes us comfortable without the stress of making money or worrying about affording life's necessities, which keep us safe. Comfort in a partner to marry, start a family, and share one's life with, to have companionship on a primitive level, is also a significant factor in our pursuit of comfort. In "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller, the protagonists pursue comfort through wealth and family yet are too focused on perfection, and refuse to settle, leading them to self-destruct.
In "Death of a Salesman," Willy Loman is consumed with pursuing the American Dream and attaining wealth and success, believing it will bring him happiness. His obsession, …show more content…

Jay Gatsby's home describes how grand his house is with its fantastical appearance as "a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden." (5) The imitation of a European structure of wealth shows Gatsby's flashiness and his attempt to recreate a castle of which a king would live in, presenting a powerful appearance. This, of course, is in pursuit of Daisy and a comfortable life alongside her in the fortune he has amassed. Jay Gatsby's obsession with wealth and social status is evident not only in his lavish mansion but also in his extravagant parties. Gatsby hosts extravagant parties with an endless supply of food and alcohol, which attract the wealthiest people in town. Gatsby throws these parties in the hope that Daisy will attend, but it also reflects his desire to be accepted by society's elite. Additionally, Gatsby's car, described as a "circus wagon," is another symbol of his wealth and his need to impress others. The car is a symbol of his power and his desire to stand out from the crowd. Overall, Gatsby's pursuit of wealth and status reflects his desire to win back Daisy, believing money will buy her happiness and showing his insecurities about his …show more content…

Gatsby's obsession with Daisy Buchanan and his love for her drives him, despite presenting the illusion of being wealthy for his own doing. Throughout the novel's beginning, Daisy seems to have reactions every time Gatsby's name is mentioned, and it is revealed that they had a relationship in the past. Gatsby's house sits across from the lake where Daisy and Tom live, and he throws the parties with the hope that Daisy will attend and he will be able to win her over with the spectacle of a party; he also displays his interest and how he was driven by daisy with the dock that stretched out to her like a hand reaching out to her: "Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy, it had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock" (93) The green light to get Daisy's attention is a great reference to the Shakespearean idea that the color green was associated with jealousy. The light shining was not only to Daisy but also inadvertently directed to Tom, who was with the woman he loved and didn't demand

Open Document