Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And Wall Street

I believe Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby and Bud Fox in the movie Wall Street both lose their innocence when gaining wealth. In the beginning of The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is innocent and idealistic. Even in his physical manner, he is described as having tan skin, short hair, a nice smile, and an effective way of talking. Gatsby returns home from WWI where he saw everything from freedom to death. Thus, his mind is enlarged with different viewpoints when he returns home. Furthermore, when Gatsby met Daisy, he wants to do anything to become closer to her. Gatsby is in love with her, but the fact that she is in a higher social class does not allow his dream to come true. This introduces tension with Tom because he feels upset that Daisy would cheat …show more content…
Similarly, Bud Fox starts as a small-time broker looking to take in larger clients who have a lot of money to invest in stocks. Bud Fox tries to catch the attention of Gordon Gecko because he wants to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming a wealthy person. Bud convinces Gecko to invest money into companies that he thinks can make a profit. Gordon Gecko pushes Bud to gain information about companies so Gordon can make a huge profit. This is considered an insider trading technique that is illegal, but Bud does it anyway. As a result, Bud is arrested. Ultimately, both stories demonstrate a single-minded pursuit of gaining wealth is a negative force that leads to tragedy and misfortune.
Both characters falsely believe that money could fix their personal issue. For example, Gatsby wants to use his money to recapture the good times he felt with Daisy. By doing this he throws a lot of parties, buys a mansion, and expensive clothes to get Daisy's attention, that works. A quote from the novel states, "I wouldn't ask too much of her, I ventured. You can't repeat the past." Can't repeat the past" he cried incredulously." Why …show more content…
He says, “My dream is to be on the other end.” Bud has an urge to be in the wealthy life and thinks it could help him with his current financial situation. Furthermore, we see how desperate Bud becomes when he tries to call up the big shot in the stock business. Bud tries to talk with Gordon Gekko. Gordon is introduced as a wealthy guy since Bud needs to talk to through the secretary just to reach him. Bud talks with Gordon Gekko and tries to impress him with his idea of investing in certain stocks. Gecko is not interested until Bud gives insider information about the airline company that his father works. This method is illegal and it could land bud fox in trouble. At this moment, Bud loses his innocence and has a single-minded pursuit of gaining wealth even though it leads to misfortune for