Gatsby

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Often, authors put their characters in extenuating circumstances to demonstrate the capabilities of society. Two works that emphasize this are 1984 and The Great Gatsby, they both show the pressures of society and how even the slightest of it oppresses the human mind and body. When comparing the two works, the reader can see that in 1984, the people and main character Winston are literally oppressed from free thought and expression and in The Great Gatsby the oppressing force is invisible and psychological on its main characters. The way these two criticize society is that they convey the unrealistic standards society has set for people and what society could become if it were to turn for the worst. 1984 demonstrates what would happen if society let the pressures become real and personified. On the other hand, both works show how society is already rotting and the way it ruins people.
In the novel 1984, the reader can easily see that the society that exists within is undesirable and one that people cannot imagine happening. Winston’s character emphasizes how the oppression destroys imagination and expression. “For the moment it was too difficult to go on…” (63) Describes how Winston feels as he begins to write, which is a form of creativity. The thoughts that have been integrated into his mind put a leash on his actions, not allowing him to complete his task. Although this is a small example, it shows the extent to which society has oppressed him. His thoughts are not his own. This criticizes society because it highlights how the media puts ideas into peoples head and oppresses originality. The people mindlessly follow anything and Orwell made sure to let everyone know what was wrong. Also, Orwell demonstrates how people are mad...

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...d up destroying a person. This clearly conveys the cynicism that lies within society. Alas Gatsby like society failed to see what they had “His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that is was already behind him.” (180)
Together, the two works show how society has become corrupt and has the potential to become worse. The authors of both novels present ideas that tie together. For example, the characters are imprisoned by the pressures that society exerts. Gatsby has the pressure of living up to what people think he is and what he fails to see, while Winston has to live with the pressure that media and society put on free thought. Both novels demonstrate that
Authors often use their novels to criticize society, in 1984 and The Great Gatsby the evils of society are emphasized through the oppression of the characters.

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