“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time” (Hurston 1). Dreams, represented as ships, are incorporated in both Hurston and Fitzgerald’s novels. For one character, their dream was always on the horizon, just out of reach. For the other, their dream shifted due to circumstances that arose. Each protagonist is defined by their dreams and how their dream molded their lives and choices. Gatsby and Janie differed in what they wanted from life; Gatsby’s dream focused on Daisy, and Janie’s dream centered around personal freedom. The main
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They were both motivated solely by one dream, but both individuals transformed. Gatsby was motivated by this love for Daisy that he was willing to change his lifestyle for a chance of being with her. He moved across from the Buchanan’s and threw elaborate parties all in the hopes of attracting one person; “I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night” (Fitzgerald 80). Upon realizing that these consistent parties were not bringing Daisy, he fortunately met Nick Callaway, the cousin of Daisy, and realized that he might be central to helping him fulfill his dream. “He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths-so that he could “come over” some afternoon to a stranger’s garden” (Fitzgerald 78), Nick Callaway realized about how willing Gatsby was to center his life around her. While Gatsby was motivated by love for Daisy, Janie was motivated by love of herself. After several loveless marriages to Killicks and Starks, Janie became wary that she might never truly love someone until she met Tea Cake. “She knew now that marriage did not make love” (Hurston 25). Janie also had a realization about men and her dreams and how one could never completely fulfill what she was after; “But looking at it she saw that is never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed up to drape her dreams over” (Hurston 72). The circumstances both dreams develop contrast, but both were after love, leading to transformations of both Gatsby and
They were both motivated solely by one dream, but both individuals transformed. Gatsby was motivated by this love for Daisy that he was willing to change his lifestyle for a chance of being with her. He moved across from the Buchanan’s and threw elaborate parties all in the hopes of attracting one person; “I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night” (Fitzgerald 80). Upon realizing that these consistent parties were not bringing Daisy, he fortunately met Nick Callaway, the cousin of Daisy, and realized that he might be central to helping him fulfill his dream. “He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths-so that he could “come over” some afternoon to a stranger’s garden” (Fitzgerald 78), Nick Callaway realized about how willing Gatsby was to center his life around her. While Gatsby was motivated by love for Daisy, Janie was motivated by love of herself. After several loveless marriages to Killicks and Starks, Janie became wary that she might never truly love someone until she met Tea Cake. “She knew now that marriage did not make love” (Hurston 25). Janie also had a realization about men and her dreams and how one could never completely fulfill what she was after; “But looking at it she saw that is never was the flesh and blood figure of her dreams. Just something she had grabbed up to drape her dreams over” (Hurston 72). The circumstances both dreams develop contrast, but both were after love, leading to transformations of both Gatsby and