Great Gatsby and Sun Also Rises Both

Great Gatsby And Sun Also Rises

Both F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises depict the American psyche in the aftermath of the First World War. Although The Sun Also Rises is set in Europe, many of its main characters are American expatriates who seek fulfillment unsuccessfully through partying and sexual affairs. Similarly, the characters in The Great Gatsby seek stimulation through romantic relationships but also through the accumulation and display of great amounts of wealth. In both novels, the pursuit of pleasure is mitigated by a haunting emptiness. The marriages and romantic relationships in both The Great Gatsby and the Sun Also Rises fail to offer true intimacy, while infidelity underscores the illusions of love. Although most of the characters in these 20th century novels sincerely seek for wholeness and fulfillment through romance, excitement, or wealth, none emerges satisfied. Therefore, The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises shed light on the failures of the American Dream. The two novels differ on several structural accounts: Hemingway's is set in France and Spain, while Fitzgerald's is set in New York. Fitzgerald focuses far more on money as an overarching theme of American culture than Hemingway does, and Hemingway does not depict the nouveau riche in the same way Fitzgerald does. In spite of significant distinctions in characterizations, style, concepts, and theme, both The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises portray the post-World War One American psyche in a realistic and cynical light.

One of the key similarities in the two authors' approach toward shifting social and cultural values regards gender and sexuality. Hemingway and Fitzgerald both delve into the thorny issues of marital infidelity, unrequited love, and unfulfilled sexual and romantic longings. For example, Gatsby's pompous display of wealth resembles a peacock displaying his tail feathers; the "great" Gatsby seeks only to win the admiration of affection of Daisy. Daisy and Tom's marriage is sullied by mutual infidelity, even while social status compels the two to stay together. In The Sun Also Rises, Lady Brett Ashley chases and ensnares many men, ultimately failing to find happiness. In spite of these similar depictions of modern romance, however, Hemingway hones in on masculinity, femininity, and gender roles. Jake Barnes' war injury has left him impotent; the juxtaposition of his physical malady and the Spanish bullfights presents a poignant picture of masculinity that is not present in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald's novel does not include a female character similar to Lady Brett Ashley. Nevertheless, both books include as central themes the changing roles and norms attributed to men and women in early 20th century American culture.