At any given moment, millions of people find themselves striving for the ever elusive American dream- the perfect life. However, many find themselves struck with disillusionment including characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the beings in W.D. Auden’s “19”. Both The Great Gatsby and “19” convey disillusionment through a variety of symbols and examples, three of which are life, religion, and the colour green.
Firstly, in “19” Auden frequently uses two different locations- the valleys, where all regular beings reside; and the islands, where few have ever been; and Gods inhabit. By construing the perfect location as the islands, Auden allows disillusionment to be conveyed by the citizen’s jealousy and failed pursuits of the …show more content…
Auden links the higher being of gods to the real world through legends spread by the beings; ‘“The gods” they promised, “visit us from islands…”’ (Auden, 25). This shows how they believe that the islands, perfection, is a place where gods reside, making perfection even more elusive and desirable. Of course, this leads to more disillusionment as more beings will try, and inevitably fail at reaching perfection. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald also uses religion to convey disillusionment through the tale of George Wilson, a religious and faithful auto mechanic. His wife, Myrtle, was killed in a hit and run, causing Wilson’s faith to take …show more content…
Auden begins by comparing island residents to “visions of green to them that craved for water” (Auden, 12), and later states how the beings believe that they must “sail… across the lime-green water…” if they want to live on the islands. By visualizing the landscape of this world, you can begin to understand what the repeated use of green is meant to represent- life, future, and vitality. By placing the green water between the ideal life and their current lives, the green can quickly be recognised as a symbol of the struggle that comes with a pursuit of the dream and how many “[drown] in [the] water…” (35) and are left with a sense of disillusionment. Fitzgerald similarly uses green as a symbol that represents Daisy, a character that Gatsby considers the final piece to complete his life and ultimately reach the American dream. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” (Fitzgerald, 189), referring to the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, a light that Gatsby was frequently seen reaching towards. Nick says this to discuss how, despite always retaining a positive outlook on things, even Gatsby was left feeling a sense of disillusionment in the end. These two texts can be connected by their uses of the colour green and how the characters
Firstly, in “19” Auden frequently uses two different locations- the valleys, where all regular beings reside; and the islands, where few have ever been; and Gods inhabit. By construing the perfect location as the islands, Auden allows disillusionment to be conveyed by the citizen’s jealousy and failed pursuits of the …show more content…
Auden links the higher being of gods to the real world through legends spread by the beings; ‘“The gods” they promised, “visit us from islands…”’ (Auden, 25). This shows how they believe that the islands, perfection, is a place where gods reside, making perfection even more elusive and desirable. Of course, this leads to more disillusionment as more beings will try, and inevitably fail at reaching perfection. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald also uses religion to convey disillusionment through the tale of George Wilson, a religious and faithful auto mechanic. His wife, Myrtle, was killed in a hit and run, causing Wilson’s faith to take …show more content…
Auden begins by comparing island residents to “visions of green to them that craved for water” (Auden, 12), and later states how the beings believe that they must “sail… across the lime-green water…” if they want to live on the islands. By visualizing the landscape of this world, you can begin to understand what the repeated use of green is meant to represent- life, future, and vitality. By placing the green water between the ideal life and their current lives, the green can quickly be recognised as a symbol of the struggle that comes with a pursuit of the dream and how many “[drown] in [the] water…” (35) and are left with a sense of disillusionment. Fitzgerald similarly uses green as a symbol that represents Daisy, a character that Gatsby considers the final piece to complete his life and ultimately reach the American dream. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” (Fitzgerald, 189), referring to the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, a light that Gatsby was frequently seen reaching towards. Nick says this to discuss how, despite always retaining a positive outlook on things, even Gatsby was left feeling a sense of disillusionment in the end. These two texts can be connected by their uses of the colour green and how the characters