It is through ¬¬¬¬¬the comparison of Elizabeth Barrett-Browning’s (EBB) poems, Sonnets from the Portuguese, written in the conservative Victorian era, and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s (F) modernist novel, The Great Gatsby, of the ‘Jazz Age’, that we witness the impact of context and see how perspectives vary as a consequence; this leads us to a heightened appreciation of each text in their respective time, but also in correlation with each other. Both Sonnets of the Portuguese and The Great Gatsby explore concerns of idealism and love, which highlights the ongoing discourse of human experience. It is through the juxtaposition of the treatment in different contexts, which reflect these significant changes in values and see how texts function as a cultural …show more content…
EBB is influenced by a highly religious background, which is emphasised by the many celestial allusions that are interlaced within each sonnet. Sonnet 1 shows an acceptance of dying, as made apparent by the ‘shadow’, its domineering presence is indicated by the visual imagery of it moving “behind her and [drawing] her backward by the hair”, yet her recognition is made evident by the monotonous, monosyllabic statement, “Death,’ I said”. But as the sonnets progress, and she falls in love, and embraces the prospect of death as she believes that her love for Robert can transcend life, as shown by the enjambment of the concluding line of sonnet 43, “If god chose, / I shall but love thee better after death” and the ethereal symbolism that ensues the caesura of the last line of Sonnet 14, “thou mayest love on, through love’s eternity”. EBB’s desire of idealistic love is accentuated by her defiant and somewhat imperative tone adopted again in Sonnet 14 that challenges the traditional passivity of the female voice; exemplars include ‘If thou must love me, let it be... for love’s sake only’; the use of the word ‘only’ conjures up the idea that there is no other alternative; idealistic love encapsulates that love must be perfect and pure. Again, through the imperative tone and repetition of the phrase, ‘Love me for love’s sake’, we see that love must be genuine, not based on superficial notions, such as class, aesthetics or her ‘way of speaking’. The concept of idealism, and the emphasis on love being the only thing one desires, seems to have become stagnant as the time progressed; as notions such as love were not as explicitly considered when we explore the
Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work The Great Gatsby, Nick Caraway undergoes a large transformation. His character arc demonstrates the negative effects of being part of a rich and privileged society, and that even though the 1920’s era looks beautiful and fun, a great many of its inhabitants were empty. Nick Caraway starts the novel hopeful, but as he is exposed to the amoral culture of the rich socialites and businessmen, he becomes cynical, bitter, and he abandons his habits of honesty, and reserving judgment.
In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick’s unreliability as a narrator is blatantly evident, as his view of Gatsby’s actions seems to arbitrarily shift between disapproval and approval. Nick is an unreliable and hypocritical narrator who disputes his own background information and subjectively depicts Gatsby as a benevolent and charismatic host while ignoring his flaws and immorality from illegal activities. He refuses to seriously contemplate Gatsby’s negative attributes because of their strong mutual friendship and he is blinded by an unrealized faith in Gatsby. Furthermore, his multitude of discrepancies damage his ethos appeal and contribute to his lack of dependability.
“Gatsby turned out alright in the end.” Yes, because someone who ends up murdered in their own swimming pool, shot by a lackluster man, taking the blame for a crime he never committed for someone who quickly turned her back on him, is defined as “alright.” I never understood why Gatsby was the one to die. I thought he was the hero of the novel. Fitzgerald was a romantic; he was the American Dreamer. The novel was the epitome of the American Dream. The hero never fails; the underdog always wins. Isn’t that what we have always been taught? How could such a great man die? And why was Gatsby the only one pointed out as “alright?” I mean after all, most of the characters’ lives remained unchanged. Daisy and Tom resumed their marriage. Nick returned to the Midwest. Jordan continued her career. Gatsby was one of the only people who portrayed the repercussions of the events. How could someone that readers are supposed to root for die tragically, and on a false claim, nonetheless? Why did Fitzgerald murder Gatsby? But, after some research I realized Fitzgerald NEEDED Gatsby to die.
The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922. The story primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his quixotic passion for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. Considered to be Fitzgerald's magnum opus, The Great Gatsby explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream.
In regards to Nick’s reliability and effectiveness in his role as the narrator, I believe that he is entirely qualified and that it was the most effective way to narrate the novel. First of all, he lives right next door to Gatsby which allows him to assist Gatsby due to his close proximity. In addition, Nick is Daisy’s second cousin once removed so he can closely observe the relationship between her and Gatsby. Since he is a secondary character and not Gatsby himself, his emotions are not as affected by Daisy’s or Tom’s actions. His nonpartisan perspective and understanding personality is stated in the beginning of the book. “…I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me…” (1) However, he is close to these characters so he can also give insight to the audience and has many intrusions throughout the story. Even though Nick is supposed to simply be a character in the book, it hints that he is also the author of the book and has an omniscient point of view. He also makes the audience feel as if he is speaking directly to them and simply retelling a story from the summer he spent with Gatsby.
Love is the ubiquitous force that drives all people in life. If people did not want, give, or receive love, they would never experience life because it is the force that completes a person. Although it often seems absent, people constantly strive for this ever-present force as a means of acceptance. Elizabeth Barrett Browning is an influential poet who describes the necessity of love in her book of poems Sonnets from the Portuguese. In her poems, she writes about love based on her relationship with her husband – a relationship shared by a pure, passionate love. Browning centers her life and happiness around her husband and her love for him. This life and pure happiness is dependent on their love, and she expresses this outpouring and reliance of her love through her poetry. She uses imaginative literary devices to strengthen her argument for the necessity of love in one’s life. The necessity of love is a major theme in Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnet 43” and “Sonnet 29.”
Jay Gatsby’s funeral is a small service, not because that 's what was intended, but because no one bothered to show up. Nick wanted to give Gatsby the popularity he desired, even in death, but only three people were present in the end. Gatsby’s father, Henry C. Gatz, shows up unexpectedly from Minnesota because he heard about the news in the papers. He believes that the man who shot his son must 've been mad, that no one in their right mind could commit such a horrible act. Daisy and Wolfsheim, the people closest to Gatsby in the book, do not attend. This exemplifies that it was always about wealth and social status for them, including Tom, and they never genuinely cared for Gatsby. Nick held up hope,
Think about being separated from the one you love. You thought this person would be in your life forever and always. You may have spent days and weeks thinking and planning your future together, but then one day they disappear from your life. That person has moved on, and chose to live a life that no longer including you. It would be assumed in most cases that the love of your life is no longer the person they were before, so should you stick around and try to win them back? In the case of Gatsby and Daisy, Gatsby did not realize Daisy would be different, and although he still thinks he is in love with Daisy, is he in love with her for who she is now, or the idea of everything she used to be the answer may shock you, and this is all due to the unreal expectations he has for her to fill. Because Gatsby is not in love with who she is at the time they are reunited. Instead, he is caught up in the idea of who she used to be. The actions of Gatsby, how he talks about her, and the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy once they are back together again show who Gatsby is really in love with, and that is the old Daisy.
...e speaker admits she is worried and confused when she says, “The sonnet is the story of a woman’s struggle to make choices regarding love.” (14) Her mind is disturbed from the trials of love.
“I was looking at an elegant young roughneck, a year or two over thirty, whose elaborate formality or speech just missed being absurd.” (48)
The composer incorporates several biblical allusions throughout the poems in conjunction with the synecdoches for hope and sex to further the relationship between Catholicism and love. In Sonnet XXII, for instance, the object correlative“to drop some golden orb” carries sexual connotations as a spiritual experience. The composer depicts sex as akin to purification or transcending heaven in the allusive metaphor “isolate pure spirits” to further accentuate the Victorian ideal of romantic love as a religious experience. These references coincide with hope as the primary theme and developing force in the sonnets through “silver” as an extended metaphor, manifesting as a “silver answer” in Sonnet I to illustrate the potential of Browning’s love and addressed as a “silver iterance” of the Beloved’s confession to the persona. Love, depicted as a sustaining and transformative force, impacts the composer’s growth shown in her direct, passionate tone in Sonnet XLIII.
In Elizabeth Browning’s poem ‘Sonnet 43’, Browning explores the concept of love through her sonnet in a first person narrative, revealing the intense love she feels for her beloved, a love which she does not posses in a materialistic manner, rather she takes it as a eternal feeling, which she values dearly, through listing the different ways she loves her beloved.
In “Sonnet XVII,” the text begins by expressing the ways in which the narrator does not love, superficially. The narrator is captivated by his object of affection, and her inner beauty is of the upmost significance. The poem shows the narrator’s utter helplessness and vulnerability because it is characterized by raw emotions rather than logic. It then sculpts the image that the love created is so personal that the narrator is alone in his enchantment. Therefore, he is ultimately isolated because no one can fathom the love he is encountering. The narrator unveils his private thoughts, leaving him exposed and susceptible to ridicule and speculation. However, as the sonnet advances toward an end, it displays the true heartfelt description of love and finally shows how two people unite as one in an overwhelming intimacy.
Browning’s “Sonnet 14” exemplifies the theme of the dependency of love, through point of view. Browning uses first-person singular point of view to create an emotional connection between the speaker and the reader. However, “Sonnet 14” opens with “thou” which helps the reader connect to the speaker of the poem by directly addressing the reader (Biespiel 3521). The requirement that love must come from within made by the speaker, who is assumed to be a woman, are directed strictly towards the reader, an implied male. Browning harvests pity by addressing the reader directly as “thou.” The reader acknowledges that the speaker may not be receiving the love she needs to live. A critic affirms the necessity of love by his statement: “[Browning] wants the love to be lifted out of the realm of human passion into the realm of eternal heavenly passion” (Biespiel 3522). People live hoping to reach going to heaven by doing good deeds and living prosperously. Browning would like people to realize that by...
During the course of Edmund Spencer’s Amoretti, the “Petrarchan beloved certainly underwent a transformation” (Lever 98); the speaker depicts the beloved as merciless and is not content with being an “unrequited lover” (Roche 1) as present in a Petrarchan sonnet. Throughout Sonnet 37 and Sonnet 54, the speaker provides insight into the beloved not seen within the Petrarchan sonnets; though the speaker does present his uncontrollable love for the beloved, he does so through his dissatisfaction with his position and lack of control. In Sonnet 37, the speaker describes the beloved as an enchantress who artfully captures the lover in her “golden snare” (Spencer, 6) and attempts to warn men of the beloved’s nature. Sonnet 54, the speaker is anguished by the beloved’s ignorance towards his pain and finally denies her humanity. Spencer allows the speaker to display the adversarial nature of his relationship with the beloved through the speaker’s negative description of the beloved, the presentation of hope of escaping from this love, and his discontent with his powerlessness. Spencer presents a power struggle and inverted gender roles between the lover and the beloved causing ultimate frustration for the speaker during his fight for control.