Summary Anthology and Gatsby A* essays for AQA A level English Literature
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Course
Love through the ages (4.1)
Institution
AQA
Five detailed A* essays for Paper 1 comparative component: Anthology and the Great Gatsby. Includes the themes of = incompatibility of lovers, romantic commitment, desire, sexual objectification, and social class.
Compare how the authors of two texts present ideas about the incompatibility of
lovers? (23/25 - 2023 A-level exam)
Examiners comment: Again another intellectually sharp, perceptive and assured response across all
assessment objectives. The candidate's writing style is pacy and enjoyable to read. Another
exceptional essay. Band 5+.
In Fitzgerald's jazz age novel, 'The Great Gatsby', the incompatibility of lovers is rife as seen
by the amount of infidelity and how arguably not one couple is in a happy, compatble
relationship. This is personified by Daisy and Tom's marriage where they both cheat with
others of a lower class. Yet, inevitably they come back together which shows that lovers can
be incompatible due to class. Similalry, this can be seen in Wyatt's 'Who so list to hunt I
know where is an hind' and Lovelace's ‘The Scrutiny' where the male speaker versus the
woman it is adressed to are incompatible due to superficial reasons.
Despite Daisy and Gatsby's love for each other, Fitzgerald presents their love as
incompatible due to their difference in class and too much time having passed! This mirrors
Fitzgerald's own relationship with his wife Zelda as she would not marry him when they first
met until he proved himself a success/Gatsby reinvents himself from Jay Gatz who was 'Mr
Nobody from Nowhere' into the succesful Gatsby. Yet, this succesfulness was obtained by
unsavoury means - such as criminal activities like bootlegging or selling false bonds (which
was the main job in the 1920s/ his wealth is tainted Despite becoming new money, he could
never be compatible with Daisy and her old money world. Fitzgerald illustrates this through
his use of symbolism, like his parties which Daisy finds distasteful, his carictural phrase of
'old sport' which he believes is sterotypically old money but instead causes people to laugh
at him, or similarly his yellow 'cricus wagon' car that stands out too much unlike Tom's blue
'coupe. Thus, due to their difference in class Gatsby could never be truly compatible with
Daisy. Additionally, his wealth is much more unstable than Tom's due to his occupation.
Consequently, Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby at the end as she sees women's role in
1920s society as a 'beautiful little fool" emphasised by her downcast tone. Rather than
challenging the views of patriarchal society, instead she complies to the life she is expected
to live - which Tom better provides. Likewise, although she doesn't appear to have much
attachment to her daughter Pammy, she still best understands that she would have a more
stable life with Tom as her father. This is why Daisy 'sobbed' when Gatsby throws his shirts
down to her when showing off as emphasised by Fitzgerlad's polyndetic listing of shirts with
stripes and scrolls and plaids and coral and apple-green lavender which emphasises his new
wealth. Hence, her saying 'it makes me sad because I've never seen such - such beautiful
shirts before' and stuttering is clearly not about the shirts and instead about Gtabsy's new
found wealth - as she mourning over their incompatobility, as although he has gained wealth
it is too late as she is already married to Tom and it can never be enough.
Similarly, in Wyatt's 'Who so list to hunt I know where is an hyde', he presents the speaker's
and his desire to be with the hind (who can be seen as an extended metaphor of a woman)
as incompatible due to the barrier of class as personified by Cesar who owns the hind.
Wyatt's use of a 13 lines structure is purposeful and effective, as it is one line short of being
a sonnet, reflecting how the narrator's desire for the hind is incompatible from the outset.
Wyatt's volta does not add any new information as a volta typically does, which suggests the
narrator is holding back something as he is insecure. Arguably this is due to his position in
the chase as 'farthest cometh behind', which on a larger level represents his lower status in
comparison to the man who owns the hind. 'Cesar' refers to the title of a Roman emperor -
an immensley powerful man of a much higher status than the narrator. It could also be an
allusion to King Henry 8th whom Wyatt had an affair with his wife Anne Boleyn and he was
imprisoned, which serves as a warning that no one else can get the hind. Therefore, like
Tom who physically blocks Gatsby from Daisy due to his 'cruel' body, they both also block
the men through their power in society. On the hind's neck, as an almost collar - which
, reflects how she is trapped - 'graven with Diamondes... [it spells] Noli me tangere'. Like Tom
who effectively bought Daisy's love with his money and the 'string of pearls', here it is implied
that Cesar has brought the hind an expensive necklace to show of her high status and
possession - as a warning to all those chasing her; the verb 'graven' implies it is part of her
very being now, that her wealth is now a part of her bloodline. It translates to 'touch me not',
which reinforces the hind's high class - incompatible with the low class of the speaker. Wyatt
further amplifies this further through the phrase's biblical allusion to Jesus saying to Mary
'touch me not after he resurrected - presenting the hind as almost divine, and further
seperate and incompatible from him Morevover, even the hind herself arguably desires for
freedom from Cesar who posseses and arguably speaks with the other men chasing her as
she 'fleeth afore'. This is unlike Daisy who chooses the stability of remaining with Tom rather
than escaping to freedom with Gatsby. Therefore, despite the men desiring her and the hind
herself wanting to escape from Cesar, she inevitably is incompatible with them and cannot
be with them.
Whereas, with Tom, despite Myrtle being a lower class, Fitzgerald presents them more
compatible to a degree. When they first meet, Myrtle 'shook hands with Tom, looking him
flush in the eye'. Fitzgerald's imagery suggests that she respects him, and presents Myrtle
as more masculine and phsical - which is compatible with Tom who is a physical athlete with
a 'cruel' body. She respects him due to his wealth as he can buy her the life she desires - as
seen by the 'puppy', the 'flat', or her 'costume' - which insiunates she enjoys performing this
wealthy lifestyle. In return, he enjoys that he can publicly show off his 'mistress' - and in turn
his power - in front of his friends. Additionally, both Tom and Myrtle are compatible due to
their physicality and promiscuity which they lack in their other relationships fitzgerald reflects
how Myrtle desires this from George through her sharp consonant, final line: 'beat me you
dirty little coward’. Similarly, Tom enjoys how she 'carried her flesh sensuously' and
metaphorically 'the nerves of her body were continually smouldering, as seen through Nick
through the framed narrative. Although it can be argued, that Tom is less compatible with
Myrtle is inevitably he ends up with Daisy as she is his class, the fact that he calls Myrtle
affectionate phrases such as "my girl" or "cried like a baby" when she died - emasculating
him and sowing his vulnerablity, which suverts patrairchal expectations - it suggests that he
really did love her and was compatible with her. However, the latter argument that ultimately
Tom and Myrtle are incompatible is stronger. Myrtle wants to leave her relationship with
George to be with Tom. Whereas, Tom does not want to be monogomous to her or anyone -
which is typical of the time period and the 1920s sexual revolution. This is exemplified by
him lying to Myrtle that he cannot divorce Daisy as she is a 'Catholic' (showing at heart he is
more compatible with her as he does not want to leave her), and lower class versus the
power that Cesar who owns her posseses.
Though it can also be argued that class is not always a barrier for a relationship to be
compatible - in fact, arguably Fitzgerald presents Myrtle's relationship with George (who is
also low class like her) as much less compatible than her affair with the old money Tom. This
is clear in chapter 2 which is set in The Valley of the Ashes where Nick first sees Tom and
Myrtle together - alluding to the Queens Ash Dump in New York due to the industrialisation in
the 1920s, Elliot's poem 'The Wasteland', or a biblical allusion to the 'Valley of Shadows'.
Thus, it is fitting that Fitzgerald sets Myrtle and Tom's relationship here as the 'dust' of the
valley of the ashes represents the moral decay of the era, and the couple's immorality
themselves - hinting at their compatibility from the outset. Fitzgerald clearly reflects George
and Myrtle's incompatability from the start, even visually down to George's repeatedly 'pale'
looks in juxtaposition to Myrtle's colourful 'vitality Her incompatiblity with George is first seen
through Fitzgerald's imagery of 'walking through her husband as if he were a ghost' when in
the presence of Tom. This simile suggests that Myrtle does not respect her husband, or even
acknowledge his presence. Fitzgerald continues this through the verb 'coarse' describing the
harshness of her voice towards her husband, when saying teh imperative command 'without
turning... [away from Tom,] Get some chairs'. It is ironic as she is presented as having this
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