The lifestyle depicted in The Great Gatsby reminds me of the aristocracy of the French Revolution. The wealthy desired a life of excess and leisure while their surroundings were facing poverty. Gatsby’s house can be compared to the palace of Versailles; in which parties and festivities were the norm. Although Marie Antoinette never actually said, “Let them eat cake!” the sheer blind-sightedness to the poor is mirrored by Nick when he states that he is glad that the mourners at least had a glimpse of Gatsby’s car to brighten up their “somber party.” Gatsby reminds me of Boo Radley, featured in To Kill a Mocking Bird, in that they both have a mysterious quality surrounding them and the neighbors would much rather make up rumors than actually get to know them.
The billboard advertising Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s optometry in the valley of ashes reminds me of the eyes of the Cheshire Cat in The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. While the Cheshire Cat provides direction and mischief for Alice, the glasses on the billboard look over town and its poverty. On the other hand, they both symbolize omnipresence over the plot and the main characters in the novel.
Wow! Theses are really great text connections! In regards to the French Revolution and Mary Antoinette connection, the same "sheer blind-sightedness to the poor" mourners and "somber party" remind me of the scene in A Tale of Two Cities when Monsieur's carriage kills Gaspard's child and Monsieur tries to compensate Gaspard by throwing him money, which Gaspard promptly throws back. Great pull with the Cheshire Cat and Alice in Wonderland reference!
ReplyDelete