Winter Dreams And The Great Gatsby example essay topic

The Great Gatsby and Winter Dreams Meet Head On "Winter Dreams" and The Great Gatsby have similar male and female character, and setting to illustrate the emphasis of the American Dream. Dexter Green and Jay Gatsby are very comparable in many levels. Not only do these men resemble each other, but Daisy Buchanan and Judy Jones share many personality traits. Besides the characters being similar, the setting and most importantly the weather have much symbolic meaning throughout both stories. Even though these two stories have exceedingly different plots, the comparisons are numerous. Dexter Green (from "Winter Dreams") is a man who has a obsession with being rich and nothing seems to stand in his way.

This statement very much compares with Gatsby's entire outlook on life. As though Gatsby thought being wealthy would make his 'dream come true', it was the antithesis. The obsession of money and being rich was actually the demise of their dreams and in Gatsby case, of himself. The obsession with money on both of these men was a direct result of the women. In Dexter's case, it is Judy Jones, and in Gatsby's case it is Daisy. These two men went after the women that they realistically couldn't conquer.

Their lives revolved around money, and they would stop at nothing to get it. In Gatsby's case, he was a bootlegger. Dexter came across the money all at once and fairly from his successful dry cleaning business. The word superficial is the best and most efficient way to describe Judy Jones and Daisy Buchanan. These women are only concerned with riches and beauty.

These traits show the shallow persona both possess. Daisy leads Gatsby on throughout the whole novel. The second Gatsby died, she disappeared. Not only did she leave when he died, but before Gatsby was killed, he needed her the most. At this point, she was too concern with her unhappy marriage.

Daisy and her husband Tom are meant for each other, both possessing the same trivial qualities. Judy Jones untimely lost in the end, marrying a man who treated her awful. Judy had a change with Dexter, a man who loved her for who she was. Judy, being indecisive and not concerned with the well being of others, cared less of Dexter's feelings and constantly just satisfied her own. For these two women, one thing that comes to mind is convenient in the end, their sins and bad deeds come back to haunt them. Also this shows that the lifestyles of the rich and famous are not always as glamorous and as elegant as they appear.

These characters in these two stories share common backgrounds. They all have seemed to come from the Midwest and went to New York where "Winter Dreams" partly takes place and basically all of The Great Gatsby takes place. Winter also has much symbolism in these stories. In "Winter Dreams", winter symbolized death. "Winter shut down like the white lid of a box... haunted by ragged sparrows for the long season". Winter is the final step before spring comes, new things arise, and new problems are to be solved.

Summer symbolizes the coming out of things that are hidden. "It was dreary, too, that on the tees where the gay colors fluttered in summer, there were now only the desolate sand-boxes knee-deep in crusted ice". The fall in The Great Gatsby much symbolized dying and demises of others. In the end, many people are dead including Jay Gatsby, Myrtle, and Mr. Wilson. The winter symbolizes the finalization of these circumstances, like the lid of a box. Seasons have symbolic meaning and shows hidden meanings in both stories.

It is amazing to see that two stories that are no where near alike in plot have so many similarities. Characters have almost the exact same outlook on life. Settings are practically the same. Weather has the same meaning in both stories. This proves that Fitzgerald writings are well thought out and planned. They have meanings and even hidden meanings.

It is just hard to believe how these details of the story compare so agreeably to each other.