Links to Gatsby
Whoso List To Hount
Wyatt is trying to pursue Anne Boleyn who is a woman of higher status than himself (‘graven
with Diamonds’) and Gatsby is also attempting to pursue a woman of higher status than
himself: Daisy, who is linked to silver colour symbolism.
Both texts include aspects of idealised love: Courtly love tradition vs. ‘when Daisy tumbled
short of his dreams…because of the colossal vitality of his illusion’.
Chase elements: conceit of hunt and Gatsby using parties in the hope Daisy will ‘wander in
one night’. The ‘green light’ is symbolic of how Gatsby will never be able to reach her.
Both Gatsby and Wyatt are persistent in their chase: Gatsby works hard all of his life to
achieve Daisy’s love, Wyatt uses repetition of ‘Who list her hount’ to show his
determination.
Unrequited love: Gatsby and the speaker in the poem never gain the full love of their
women – ‘Noli me tangere’, ‘fleeth afore’, and ‘Jay Gatsby broke up like glass under Tom’s
hard malice’. ‘Ceasar’ and ‘Tom’ both own the love interests, which make any true happiness
impossible.
Both have turning points where the speaker and Gatsby respectively realise the love can
never be realised fully.
Love is what causes the greatest degree of suffering and love for the wrong woman results in
serious consequences: Gatsby is shot in the end, while Wyatt himself was locked up in the
Tower of London for some time.
Sonnet 116
Shakespeare’s personification of love presents love as an eternal force able to withstand the
test of time, similar to Gatsby’s vision of being able to relive the past - ‘Can’t repeat the
past?...of course you can!’ (ch6)
However, demonstrated by the inevitable failure of Gatsby’s quest, Fitzgerald disagrees with
Shakespeare - ‘the holocaust was complete’ (ch8)
‘Bears it out even to the edge of doom’ after the car crash Daisy left Gatsby.
Shakespeare’s demonstration of love being all encompassing and empowering, emphasises
the materialistic and unnatural love between Tom and Daisy, who are driven by money and
not passion - ‘Her voice is full of money’ (ch7)
Whilst Fitzgerald presents time running out for Gatsby, Shakespeare argues that love is
timeless. Structure of rhyming couplet at the end of the sonnet - finality of thought and
timelessness of theme, “beat” is verb same in past and present and the disrupted
chronology of the novel painting picture of past from present shown finality of their story
and the inevitability of tragedy – ‘So we beat on, boats against the current’
Despite Shakespeare inferring that no time apart can distort love, Gatsby + Daisy’s physical +
emotional distance separation leads Gatsby to idealise Daisy, thus hindering their present
relationship – ‘There must have been moments... when Daisy tumbled short of his
dreams...because of the colossal vitality of his illusion’ (ch5) Daisy obviously changed with
time but Gatsby is in denial and this proves his love is not true, rather he is fixed on the idea
of love itself as time has changed things
Green light representing Gatsby’s hope for the future and his love for daisy- link to ‘ever
fixed mark’ and the imagery of the pole star as a constant un changing symbol of love
The Flea
, Lust and desire: The speaker uses the persona of the flea as a ploy to get his mistress to
sleep with him - could compare to Gatsby’s elaborate persona and plan to get Daisy back.
The speaker’s lustful nature could also be compared Tom and Myrtle’s relationship, which is
based purely on sexual desire.
Unrequited love: The mistress in the poem is reluctant, and even rejects the speaker by
killing the flea – links to Gatsby’s unmatched love with Daisy, who ultimately rejects him to
stay with Tom and his “old money.” The death of the flea could be linked to Gatsby’s own
death as both were presented as personas.
“And cloistered in these living walls of jet.” (‘The Flea’) could link to Gatsby's perception of
Daisy's marriage with Tom, as he believes that she is trapped in an unhappy marriage.
Gatsby is adamant Daisy harbours no love for Tom, but is proven wrong on page 84, “I did
love him once – but I loved you too.”
Both the speaker in ‘The Flea’ and Gatsby are extremely persistent. Gatsby, even until the
end when all the odds are against him, still clings on to his dream. The speaker constructs an
entire persuasive argument in an attempt to convince the lady, refusing to take no for an
answer even after she kills the flea.
To His Coy Mistress
Both have a goal to somehow overcome time as an obstacle to love: “Thus, though we
cannot make our Sun Stand still, yet we will make him run” “Can’t repeat the past?... Why of
course you can!”
Pretending to wish for a proper courtship rather than just a sexual relationship to appease
the lady – Tom and Myrtle “It’s really his wife that’s keeping them apart. She’s a Catholic,
and they don’t believe in divorce.” The speaker: “Had we but world enough and time, This
coyness, lady, were no crime.”
The Scrutiny
The age of King Charles was similar to the Jazz Age, both expressed sexual freedom and a
fun- loving, seize the day attitude as a way of letting go of Civil War (the scrutiny) and WW1
(The Great Gatsby).
The affair of Tom and Myrtle- they are only together for physical love, Tom is arrogant like
the speaker “two shining, arrogant eyes”, and makes no effort to hide his sexual voyages.
The speaker believes he can get whatever lady he wishes due to his high social status in the
court of Charles I. Similar to Tom who knows he can always get a mistress due to his high
status in society through old money in East Egg. Both Lovelace and Tom Buchanan were born
into wealthy families.
“I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always
come back, and in my heart I love her all the time.” (page 84)- A quote from Tom Buchanan
highlighting the similar message from the Speaker in ‘The Scrutiny’ “I laden will return to
thee”. They to excuse their cheating by claiming they will always return to their partner.
A Song (Absent From Thee)
Both male characters in the texts view women in similar ways and the objectification
of them. They believe that their wives should accept their infidelity and allow them
to be free in order to meet their fantasies. Tom admits his unfaithful behaviour but
tries to compensate by saying he’ll return to her (automatically assuming she’ll let
him) and the male lover in Absent From Thee takes a similar approach. “Once in a
