The Great Gatsby & 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 hollowness. The antagonist
Another similarity between the works is the idea of the stuffed men mentioned in the poem. There are two characters in the novel that carry this trait. Jay Gatsby's classy demeanor and restrained behavior show what good quality he is made of. Another trait he carries is his love for others such as Daisy and Nick. Even though he loves them as stepping-stones to reach his goals, he has the decency to respect their goals in life. His persona and character is best summed up by Nick in the beginning of the novel. He stated: " There was something gorgeous about him that heightened the sensitivities to the promises of life. (6)" Another stuffed character is George Wilson. Even though he committed suicide and had a depressed life, he still had a rich character that made him a godly figure. He also tried to make his relationship with Myrtle survive, however the love between them had vanished over a period of time. So, he used his authority over her and made her stay in her room. He said, "She's going to stay there till the day after tomorrow and then we're going to move away. (143)" Nevertheless, his saintly portrayal created a stuffed persona that eventually lead to his death. He decided that he was too good for this world after uncovering its ugliness. 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.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1147
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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