Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the narrator in The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, written by James Weldon Johnson, represent the lower class or minority group in the society. Gatsby was born poor, while the narrator has the background of a black man. Both Gatsby and the narrator have the desire to be distinguished that can lead them back to the society of the United States, but the narrator has more of a desire to help his own people as long as he has the ability, however, Gatsby does not want to go back to poverty. Although they both choose to live without their previous identities, their original identities never leave either of them because of their unchangeable background that is totally separated
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Gatsby and the narrator have completely different dreams. The narrator 's dream about helping his own people pushes him away from the society because of his self-identification as a black man. On the contrary, Gatsby 's dream leads him back to the society because of his goal of becoming part of the upper class. The narrator 's dream is struck when a black man is burnt alive: "Shame that I belonged to a race that could be so dealt with; and shame for my country, that it, the great example of democracy to the world." (Johnson 137) This event destructs the narrator 's dream by letting him personally see how people of color are treated and how impossible it will be for him to fight on his own, which forces him to pass over as a white man due to his inability. Gatsby also fails to achieve his dream as Nick reveals: "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (Fitzgerald 180) He believes in an unrealistic dream without realizing the reality. Even though Gatsby has a strong desire to distinguish himself, he does not reach his dream successfully because he wants to repeat the past. All in all, the narrator and Gatsby have different desires, but none of them is able to achieve their
Gatsby and the narrator have completely different dreams. The narrator 's dream about helping his own people pushes him away from the society because of his self-identification as a black man. On the contrary, Gatsby 's dream leads him back to the society because of his goal of becoming part of the upper class. The narrator 's dream is struck when a black man is burnt alive: "Shame that I belonged to a race that could be so dealt with; and shame for my country, that it, the great example of democracy to the world." (Johnson 137) This event destructs the narrator 's dream by letting him personally see how people of color are treated and how impossible it will be for him to fight on his own, which forces him to pass over as a white man due to his inability. Gatsby also fails to achieve his dream as Nick reveals: "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (Fitzgerald 180) He believes in an unrealistic dream without realizing the reality. Even though Gatsby has a strong desire to distinguish himself, he does not reach his dream successfully because he wants to repeat the past. All in all, the narrator and Gatsby have different desires, but none of them is able to achieve their