Characterization in The Great Gastby and Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation
Consider Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of the novel (2013). Is Luhrmann’s adaptation faithful to Fitzgerald’s work? Discuss by analyzing characterization in both works.
Written in 1925, The Great Gatsby is one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel in which he “invites the reader to taste, see, and smell the “Roaring Twenties” (Gibb 96) with the life of Jay Gatz, who aims to recreate the past. Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of the novel rendered such a glamorous and extravagant reproduction of Fitzgerald’s work through the accurate characterization of all characters and events in the novel.
To begin, the narration of both works rely entirely on Nick …show more content…
Gatsby’s first apparition delivers the same impression that Gatsby himself is a mere illusion “as a “mythic” character—“less” an individual than a projection, or mirror, of our ideal selves” (Marsh 6): “a figure emerged from the shadow of my neighbor’s mansion… When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished” (20-1). Thence, very few knew who was Gatsby yet, there were all sorts of assumptions about him: was he a “German spy during the war” (44), had “he killed a man once”(44) ? However, Baz cleverly demonstrated that Gatsby is not an authentic person when Owl Eyes notices that he had never read all his books. Thus, they are just there for appearance and to cover his true past as “a onetime hustler and poor farm boy whose love for a rich girl was forbidden” (Marsh 4). Throughout the movie, Gatsby embodies the “American Dream” with his “…non-olfactory money, his gleaming automobiles, and his endless parties” (Marsh 6). However, he has unreal demands to repeat the past and “to fix everything just the way it was before”(110), which he corrupted himself to achieve. In the movie, Gatsby expects that his financial success is the key to conquer Daisy’s heart thus, he was so caught up in his unrealistic obsession with her, that “he wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you.’” (109). Finally, this character is …show more content…
Wolfsheim, Owl Eyes, Dan Cody, Doctor T.J. Eckleburg and Henri Gatz was truthful to Fitzgerald’s work. In the novel, Nick describes Jordan as a “slender, small-breasted girl…like a young cadet… gray sun-strained eyes” (11) which is well adapted in the movie. Moreover, not only is she “incurably dishonest”(58), independent and loves gossips, thus, she embodies the advertising industry by cheating and lying to achieve her aims. As for Myrtle Wilson, Nick recounts that she had a “perceptive vitality about her” (25). In the movie, she expresses her desire to live life to the fullest by partying and also personifies her dream by Tom who makes her feel rich and has what she ultimately wants: what Daisy has, which is money. On the other hand, George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, cares about her so much that he gave up his dream for love. Wilson’s characterization in the movie makes him the most honest and hard worker character of all who also ends up corrupted and thus, kills Gatsby. Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s presence in the novel was well adapted in the movie because the advertising sign is frequently in the background as it always seems to be watching and thus, knows everything. Finally, Henry Gatz, Gatsby’s father looks astounded of his son’s possessions even though he just buried him. Thus, “his great grief began to be mixed with an awed pride” (179). Thence the characterization of Henri Gatz amplifies
Consider Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of the novel (2013). Is Luhrmann’s adaptation faithful to Fitzgerald’s work? Discuss by analyzing characterization in both works.
Written in 1925, The Great Gatsby is one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel in which he “invites the reader to taste, see, and smell the “Roaring Twenties” (Gibb 96) with the life of Jay Gatz, who aims to recreate the past. Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of the novel rendered such a glamorous and extravagant reproduction of Fitzgerald’s work through the accurate characterization of all characters and events in the novel.
To begin, the narration of both works rely entirely on Nick …show more content…
Gatsby’s first apparition delivers the same impression that Gatsby himself is a mere illusion “as a “mythic” character—“less” an individual than a projection, or mirror, of our ideal selves” (Marsh 6): “a figure emerged from the shadow of my neighbor’s mansion… When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished” (20-1). Thence, very few knew who was Gatsby yet, there were all sorts of assumptions about him: was he a “German spy during the war” (44), had “he killed a man once”(44) ? However, Baz cleverly demonstrated that Gatsby is not an authentic person when Owl Eyes notices that he had never read all his books. Thus, they are just there for appearance and to cover his true past as “a onetime hustler and poor farm boy whose love for a rich girl was forbidden” (Marsh 4). Throughout the movie, Gatsby embodies the “American Dream” with his “…non-olfactory money, his gleaming automobiles, and his endless parties” (Marsh 6). However, he has unreal demands to repeat the past and “to fix everything just the way it was before”(110), which he corrupted himself to achieve. In the movie, Gatsby expects that his financial success is the key to conquer Daisy’s heart thus, he was so caught up in his unrealistic obsession with her, that “he wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you.’” (109). Finally, this character is …show more content…
Wolfsheim, Owl Eyes, Dan Cody, Doctor T.J. Eckleburg and Henri Gatz was truthful to Fitzgerald’s work. In the novel, Nick describes Jordan as a “slender, small-breasted girl…like a young cadet… gray sun-strained eyes” (11) which is well adapted in the movie. Moreover, not only is she “incurably dishonest”(58), independent and loves gossips, thus, she embodies the advertising industry by cheating and lying to achieve her aims. As for Myrtle Wilson, Nick recounts that she had a “perceptive vitality about her” (25). In the movie, she expresses her desire to live life to the fullest by partying and also personifies her dream by Tom who makes her feel rich and has what she ultimately wants: what Daisy has, which is money. On the other hand, George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, cares about her so much that he gave up his dream for love. Wilson’s characterization in the movie makes him the most honest and hard worker character of all who also ends up corrupted and thus, kills Gatsby. Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s presence in the novel was well adapted in the movie because the advertising sign is frequently in the background as it always seems to be watching and thus, knows everything. Finally, Henry Gatz, Gatsby’s father looks astounded of his son’s possessions even though he just buried him. Thus, “his great grief began to be mixed with an awed pride” (179). Thence the characterization of Henri Gatz amplifies