I’m pretty proud of this essay, i got 21/25 marks however i would just be clear about this, don’t talk about the characters as people that’s one thing i so so remember to say ‘the author presents’.
The question is ‘lovers come into conflict with the conventions of society’ I decided...
‘Lovers come into conflict with the conventions of society.’
In ‘The Great Gatsby’ lovers are restrained due to the conventions of society. Similarly in William
Blake’s ‘Garden of love’ and Sir Thomas Wyatt’s ‘Who so list to hunt’ both lovers are held apart by
the strains of society.
In Blake’s ‘Garden of love’ the persona enters a garden. This garden is compared to the Garden of
Eden in the Bible, which carries connotations of an impending doom following the ‘fall of man.’
Fitzgerald applies this idea to Gatsby and Daisy; their relationship is often portrayed as Adam and
Eve. This motif displays their inevitable ending as the social class difference leads to the destruction
of Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. The separation between classes in the 1920s was also a
prominent component of Blake’s time. The Romantics were intimately connected with the social
hierarchy and the persona in Blake’s poem reflects the battle with class and suffocating institutions.
In Blake’s poem, the persona reminiscences playing in the garden as they ‘used to play on the green.’
The adjective ‘used to’ displays past joys the persona experienced on ‘green;’ the use of colour
imagery is used similarly in ‘The Great Gatsby’ in the quotation ‘Gatsby believed in the green light’.
Nick admires Gatsby’s consistent optimism for love and wealth using the colour green to represent
hope, life, and growth. Blake also uses the colour green to present the oblivious nature of youth
which dissolves as the conventions of society begin to dictate the persona’s life. As we learn more
about Gatsby’s background in Chapter Six, Nick reveals Gatsby’s impoverished childhood and his
quest to becoming a wealthy, renowned figure in society, however due to his lack of social advances
he loses Daisy and his life. Regardless of Gatsby’s efforts to move up the social ladder, he is
continually seen as lower class. In Chapter Seven, while Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom discuss the affairs and
their marriage, Gatsby states ‘she only married you because I was poor, and she was tired of waiting
for me.’. This quotation describes Gatsby’s inadequate wealth compared to Daisy’s previous suitors;
his social class prevents him from wedding Daisy which leads to her to marry Tom instead.
Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda Fitzgerald, was also hesitant to marry due to his lack of money and accepted
his marriage proposal only after his book was published. This experience is also evident in Sir Thomas
Wyatt’s poem ‘Who So List to Hunt.’ As the persona hunts for the deer, he reveals he is the ‘farthest
cometh behind.’ The superlative adjective ‘farthest’ can present the hunter’s social class since he
cannot capture the deer due to his position. All of these characters present the conflict lovers
experience as they attempt to achieve love in a prejudice society. Karl Marx, well known for his
theory of Marxism, believed that societal separation was at fault of the bourgeoisie, the rich, as they
exploited the poor which he called the proletariat. Gatsby’s attempt at catching Daisy’s eye with his
newfound money and inevitably losing his love, according to Marxism, is at the hand of the rich such
as Tom.
Lovers also come into conflict with the role of women in society, especially the female characters, in
The Great Gatsby Daisy is gifted a pearl necklace from her husband Tom. The string of pearls brings
luxury and comfort to Daisy’s life however they hold no sentimental value and foreshadow the
absence of connection and temporary love in their marriage. Fitzgerald uses pearls as a
representation of the status and power Tom can provide Daisy. The necklace becomes an empty
exchange for Daisy’s freedom this treatment of women leads to many women feeling unfulfilled. For
example, Myrtle and her husband plan to ‘Go West.’ In the 1920s, going west allowed opportunities
to become rich no matter who you were. The lower class were able to create a fresh start which is
what George wanted however Myrtle was killed before she could escape poverty and catch Tom.
Daisy is left in a loveless marriage and Jordan becomes engaged to another man within a couple
weeks. Daisy reveals to Nick in Chapter One that she hopes her daughter will be a ‘fool’ as she
believes ‘that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’ This quotation
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