George Orwell has reputed to have once said “Happiness can exist only in acceptance.”; thus all humans want to be welcomed in some way or another. The idea of acceptance also applies to A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although these two literary pieces are very different in many ways, the protagonists’ trajectories, as they try to gain acceptance, share very important points in their structure. Both protagonists create illusions to hide their past, they break social restrictions by challenging the status quo, and they are both delusional, refusing to accept reality which later leads them to their demise. Firstly, protagonists from both novels have to create illusions to hide something …show more content…
She created illusions to make herself seem more appealing and less vulnerable. As an example, Blanche used darkness as a way to shield her old appearance. During scene five, Blanche explains to Stella why she hid her appearance, “ When people are soft … they’ve got to put on soft colors … put a paper lantern over the light … you’ve got to be soft and attractive … I don’t know how much longer I can turn the trick”(Williams 79). Blanche uses a paper lantern as a representation of her image. She runs away from light by hiding in the dark to cover up her aged appearance, just like how a paper lantern softens the light and removes any imperfections when it is placed over a bulb. Therefore, it represents the illusions she created to make her seem younger than she appears. In addition, Blanche has also lied to Stanley to make it appear like she has protection. In scene ten, when Stanley and Blanche are home alone, Blanche lies to Stanley about Shep Huntleigh, “Then - just now - this wire - inviting me on a cruise of the caribbean … this man is from Dallas where gold spouts out of the ground”(Williams 124). Blanche makes up this fib about someone rich and successful coming to save her. She creates this illusion for protection so she can prevent Stanley from destroying and ruining her. Overall, both characters have covered up their sins and failures by creating a fake image that is accepted by
Comparing A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof In the game of life, a man is given the option to bluff, raise, or fold. He is dealt a hand created by the consequences of his choices or by outside forces beyond his control. It is a never ending cycle: choices made create more choices. Using diverse, complex characters simmering with passion and often a contradiction within themselves, Tennessee Williams examines the link between past and present created by man's choices in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. "
Antagonists often offer a powerful contribution to various pieces of literature. Stanley Kowalski, in “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, and Tom Buchanan, in “The Great Gatsby”, both act as valid and powerful antagonists in their respective texts. These two characters share the need to find out the truth about the protagonists of the novels. They both are considered dominant, violent and strong men. They share the trait of honesty, but lack a sense of morality. Although there are evident differences regarding the social class of these two characters, they rightfully serve as similar characters. Both authors used very similar character traits to prove that despite the domineering and abusive mannerisms-characteristics of these
In the novel The Great Gatsby and the play A Streetcar Named Desire the main characters James Gatsby and Blanche Dubois have a lengthy search for love. Both characters go about their search in similar and different ways. The characters choose illusion over reality, but the way in which they go about it differs. Also in an attempt to impress, both characters try and “buy” love by using material possessions to attract people to them. Although Gatsby and Blanche devote a lot of their lives to finding true love, their searching leaves them unsuccessful.
Although F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel Great Gatsby, was written in 1925, its use of symbolism can be compared to Ernest Hemingway's Old Man at the Sea, which was written 27 years later. On the surface of both of these books appear different in a variety of ways but below the surface these too have several similarities. The authors use of descriptive language shows the similarities of self-conflict and how the characters are alike and how different the cultural connection is between the two characters.
Hawthorne and Fitzgerald, two great American romantics, display new attitudes towards nature, humanity, and society within their novels. The novels The Scarlet Letter and The Great Gatsby are very similar with their adjacent themes, motifs, and symbols. The comparison between these two literary pieces show the transition from adultery to ability, societal standards during the chosen time periods, and good vs. evil.
In this play the character blanche exhibits the theme of illusion. Blanche came from a rocky past. Her young husband killed himself and left her with a big space in her heart to fill. Blanche tried to fill this space with the comfort of strangers and at one time a young boy. She was forced to leave her hometown. When she arrives in New Orleans, she immediately begins to lie and give false stories. She takes many hot bathes, in an effort to cleanse herself of her past. Blanche tries also to stay out of bright lights. She covers the light bulb (light=reality) in the apartment with a paper lantern. This shows her unwillingness to face reality but instead live in an illusion. She also describes how she tells what should be the truth. This is a sad excuse for covering/lying about the sinful things she has done. Furthermore, throughout the story she repeatedly drinks when she begins to be faced with facts. All these examples, covering light, lying, and alcoholism show how she is not in touch with reality but instead living in a fantasy world of illusion.
The Great Gatsby and Chicago were movies based upon the uprising of 1920’s. Although with two different plot lines, these two movies share the same outcome. Gatsby, a very wealthy men trying to bring back his soulmate which is a woman who is well off, married and with child and they try to rekindle their love with an affair. Chicago, two women accused of a murder and is sent to jail but both women wanted to become the greatest singers of all time. The two stories explain in their end that it was the lie that killed them. And the development of characters in both stories have shared the same paths and outcomes that made them hate the overall reality of life.
Comparing the two novels ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’ reveal the similarities between their two main protagonists, Jay Gatsby and Willy Loman. They both dedicate their entire life to chasing the ‘American Dream’, they both live in the world they wish they were in as opposed to the world they are actually living in and are dishonest to those around them. Because of these flaws they both share, they inevitably self-destruct.
In the book The Great Gatsby, there are multiple examples of symbols, such as the green light, the valley of ashes and Doctor T.J. Eckleburg's eyes and so on. One particular place is the valley of ashes.The valley of ashes represents hopelessness,death and destruction, and
She works so hard to hide at this, that she begins to believe in some of the lies that she tells to other people. Her charade drives her to madness. Williams emphasizes Blanche’s attempts to hide her true nature by showing her trying to change her surroundings, when she is lying or omitting the truth. This can be seen in the paper lantern that she uses to cover up the lamp, which prevents others from seeing her properly. Williams also uses Blanche’s perfume to indicate to his audience when Blanche tries to hide her past. Williams demonstrates this when Stanley threatens to expose Blanche. When Stanley mentions the flamingo, a darker part of Blanche’s past, she begins to spray herself with perfume. She even mentions that it cost “Twenty-five dollars an ounce...” and that she is “...nearly out” (77). This quote shows that Blanche has covered up her past often. Blanche’s constant concern about her past drives her to madness, which Williams represents with the Varsouviana music that Blanche associates with her dead husband. This Polka music, that runs through Blanche's head, prevents her from hearing correctly. In addition, the music is accompanied by human like shapes that cannot be seen properly, which shows another form of both Blanche’s blindness, as well as her
Later on there was shown that there was symbolism because covering the light was a way of her covering the rays of the ‘bad’ world from penetrating into her skin. She believed that by covering the lantern she was more secure and less receptive to being hurt. Blanche was at a point in her life where the delusions created a person in her life that she constantly spoke about that apparently had gold spouting out of his pockets and was willing to take her in when in reality the guy was a made up character in her mind. Blanche was also a dependent drinker. She constantly drank from morning to night because the buzz that she received from the alcohol was her way of coping with her preexisting stress and tension between her and Stanley in her sister’s house. The constant fear of them finding out the truth about her past also created a constant fear and a serious case of
The illusions of Blanche 's life are treated in a similar way to the fantasies of Stella. Illusions such as Blanche 's relationship with a Texas oil millionaire Shep Huntling, and those of Blanche 's past and present lovers, all lead to fantasies being made, and then lies being exposed. Blanche and her illusions act as the antagonizing force against all the characters of the book, one example of this being Blanche and Shep 's current relationship. Blanche is under the illusion that Shep is still secretly in love with her and that he will take her and Stella away and give them a shop, or simply live with Blanche. When Stella was recently hit by Stanley, Blanche tries to convince Stella that Shep will give them a shop, but Stella 's fantasies are too strong to break. This is the first true contrasting point where Stella 's fantasies and Blanche 's illusions fight each
In the novel, the Great Gatsby and the short story, America and I, the American Dream is portrayed as constructive. In the Great Gatsby, the American Dream is symbolized as being a successful businessman and having lots of money. On a similar note, the story America and I shows the American Dream as a chance to come to the land of the free and the brave to work for your money while also have rights as a citizen. Both of these literature pieces offer the same view of the American Dream while following two different stories as they discover America. The American Dream is portrayed as constructive in three key ways which are working hard for money, being happy, and being able to build a life from nothing.
When people are soft-soft people have got to shimmer and glow - they’ve got to put on soft colors, the colors of butterfly sings, and put a - paper lantern over the light…. It isn’t enough to be soft and attractive. And I - I’m fading now! I don’t know how much longer I can turn the trick” (1810-1811). This passage from Blanche during her and Stella’s conversation is followed by Stella going into the room to turn on the light under the paper lantern. Blanche’s statement shows that she is afraid aging and fading beauty. Covering up the light with the paper lantern can be compared to her hiding from that reality. By saying “I’m fading now”, Blanche is being compared to a light, and the fact that her physical appearance, social status, and her influence or ability to “turn the trick” over others is
Classism has a heavy influence on characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire. Both Tom Buchanan and Blanche Dubois show disrespect towards others due to their dominating classist views. Tom primarily displays his dislike of Jay Gatsby, due to Gatsby’s standing as a member of the “Nouveau Riche,” or newly rich, in great contrast to Tom’s “Old Money”. Blanche directs her distaste at Stanley Kowalski, because Blanche believes that she and her sister are of high standing in society, and Blanche does not approve of Stella marrying into a lower class. Tom and Blanche both strongly believe in the existence of a social hierarchy, and disapprove of any deviations in this system.