Outsiders In The Great Gatsby And Slaughterhouse-Five

An outsider can see the values of society because their withdrawn nature gives them the time to observe those around them and make thoughtful analyzations of society. Despite the ability for outsiders to see the gross reality of society, the reality of being withdrawn is also isolating. The romanticised idea of an outsider, present in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Scarlet Letter, show the protagonists as free thinkers who want to escape from the confines of society. The reality is shown by Nick in The Great Gatsby and Billy in Slaughterhouse-Five where the main characters suffer from loneliness and disconnection from other people. Both characters are effectively stuck in time; trying to make sense of their lives they forget to

Weary, a young fighter Billy traveled with across Nazi lines, was clueless about how he was being perceived. Weary spent so much time living in the real world that he did not know anything about himself, “he was so hot and bundled up, in fact, that he had no sense of danger. His vision of the outside world was limited to what he could see through a narrow slit between the rim of his helmet and his scarf from home…” (p.52) Weary’s view of the world was just a “narrow slit” through which he could not see the reality of his situation, he saw only what he wanted to. Billy is more aware than Weary because his observations are about the way people

He follows other people’s lead, but not what they think. The invitation to his first Gatsby party was a large and impressive part of his day and his need for invitations continues for the rest of the book. His lack of self-assuredness kept him from being as spontaneous and involved as the other characters. But more than his need to be invited Nick also has a need to get away. When partying with Tom and his mistress he wanted to leave, “I wanted to get out and walk eastward toward the Park through the soft twilight, but each time I tried to go I became entangled in some wild, strident argument which pulled me back..” (p35) As with most outsiders Nick was surprised about the way he felt being included. “[He] was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” (p.35) Despite the necessity of being invited and continuously brought back in Nick is capable of having fun while still sporting his outsider