The Great Gatsby and The Hollow Men
The Great Gatsby has been one of the classic novels of the twentieth century. It creates a unique society that makes the story such a masterpiece. Another magnificent work that relates to The Great Gatsby is T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Man." The lines in the poem portray the story so vividly that it should have been an epigraph for the novel. The poem's references to hollow and stuffed men, can describe different characters in The Great Gatsby. The hollowness of men represents ruthless barbarians with no respect for humans and no understanding of love. However, the stuffed men seem to be educated, wealthy, and respectful. The differences in these types of men can be seen through the events of the novel. Another aspect of the poem that represents the novel is the idea of the paralyzed force. This force symbolizes freedom and uniqueness. It also is captivating and serves as authority. So, the similarities between The Great Gatsby and "The Hollow Men" remarkably show the hollow and stuffed characteristic of the people in Gatsby's secret society. The first similarity between the two pieces of work is the hollowness in mankind referred to by the poem. In the novel there are two main characters that depict such hollown
So, "The Hollow Man" has many parallels that make it a perfect epigraph for The Great Gatsby. The three key aspects of the poem that relate it to The Great Gatsby were the hollow men, the stuffed men, and the paralyzed force. All three depict the society Gatsby lived in and the life he had to go through. The hollow and stuffed men showed the two types of people in Gatsby's society. The hollow men contain no inner spirit or love toward one another. However, the stuffed men consisted of bravery, self-control, and love. They were Tom, Daisy, Jay, and George, respectively. The poem categorizes where people fit in society. The final parallel is the paralyzed force including Owl Eyes and the billboard. Both had a frozen outlook on life and someone to look up to. In conclusion, Fitzgerald and Eliot created classics that will be analyzed for many years to come. However, no one will be able to make an epigraph for The Great Gatsby better than Eliot's "The Hollow Man." The last similarity between the works is the paralyzed force revealed in the poem. Throughout the novel there were two main symbols that stood out. First there was the Dr. T.J. Ekleburg billboard. This billboard had a man described to have enormous yellow spectacles and unique eyes. This symbolizes the wealth and coolness of his authority. This billboard represents the paralyzed force where he is watching every move someone makes but he can do nothing to stop the immorality within his domain. Thus, attracted by this object, George Wilson determines the gentleman to be a god that he can idolize. Another symbol of the paralyzed force is a man by the name of Owl Eyes. He was described as "a stout, middle-aged man with enormous owl-eyed spectacles.(49)" Again, this mans' traits also show the saintly view he has toward the aspects of l
Some common words found in the essay are:
Owl Eyes, George Wilson, Eliot's Hollow, Daisy Tom, Jay Oh, TJ Ekleburg, Daisy Nick, Daisy Daisy, Gatsby Hollow, Tom Buchanan, paralyzed force, owl eyes, hollow stuffed, george wilson, hollow character, love tom, novel main, represents ruthless, love stuffed, emptiness heart,
Approximate Word count = 1227
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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