Similarities and Differences by Gexon

lachiesuckling — 2016-07-19 23:34:30 UTC

Capitalism is inherently corrupt

lachiesuckling — 2016-07-19 23:36:12 UTC

Both Sal and Nick are bystanders to the events of the book - this is about narrative perspective

Narrating characters

2016-07-19 23:37:49 UTC

Nick develops a dependancy on Gatsby, he begins to exist alongside him and focus most of his time and effort in Gatsby’s life and affairs. When Gatsby dies, Nick is left feeling as though he has lost almost everything and he feels disconnected from many of the things that used to matter to him. Oppositely, Sal enjoys Dean’s company and often finds himself retreating back to him, however Sal does not depend on Dean and eventually chooses to go his own way, leaving Dean behind.

2016-07-19 23:40:31 UTC

Narrators romanticising characters.

2016-07-19 23:40:51 UTC

Both narrators, Sal and Nick can be seen as onlookers into the lives of the main characters.

Both Nick and Sal can be seen as romanticists.

Both sal and nick get caught up in the fantasy that the alternate lifestyle is better.

In both novels, Great Gatsby and On the road towards the end of the novel Sal and Nick develop dissection for their alternate choice of life style and revert back to the other life style.

Both Sal and Nick are not lower class and come from relatively well off families.

In both sal and nick, the reader is not able to see into their personal lives until the end.

Both novels seem to end abruptly.

In both novels towards the end Nick and Sal realise the true character of the individuals they have been 'idolising' and understand that they are better off without them. Sal relising that Dean is a brutal force that has swept him across the country with little or no care for him or his wellbeing and safety. Nick releasing that Gatsby may not be all he thought he was, over obsessive individual.

Both nick and sal's personal lives stop in order for them to follower Gatsby and Dean

Both Nick and Sal spend time in the same cities such as New york.

Both novels can be fast moving, Gatsby in the middle of the novel where Nick becomes fixated with gatsby and most of the time on the road.

Both novels demonstrate the human condition and how careless individuals can be, gatsby : Tom and daisy ignoring the fact that a woman has been killed and running away on holiday to protect their wealth and reputation and n On The Road, Dean leaving sal for dead after he got very ill.

In Both On the road and the Great gatsby there is little mention of the main characters families in the great gatsby, Jay mentions he does not recognise his parents as his parents and Dean mentions his family not at all

Both novels have a heavy focus on alcohol and drugs but not on the consequences they have or the fact that alcohol was banned in the 1920's, no focus on the illegality of it all.

Crime is a theme that is seen in both gatsby and On the road, to an extent the characters often get away with their crimes.

In both novels woman are treated badly and with a lower quality than men. For example On The Road, Dean has a multitude of wives and treats them with abuse, Gatsby woman such as myrtle and daisy are heavily dependent of the shelter of their husbands.In both novels there are different standards for men and woman.

2016-07-19 23:41:03 UTC

On the road displays the narrator telling events with no emotional contact with the reader, whereas Nick in the Great Gatsby displays his emotions whilst retelling the events of the novel.

2016-07-19 23:41:22 UTC

On the Road is all about movement and motion whereas The Great Gatsby is more stable and still

The American Dream

2016-07-19 23:43:44 UTC

While The Great Gatsby is about discovering the depressing truth about the ‘American Dream,’ by watching those who have already achieved wealth and prosperity, On The Road depicts characters who are chasing different aspects of the same dream, such as freedom and experience, as they are unlikely to achieve wealth and stability

2016-07-19 23:43:56 UTC

On the road is a constantly moving novel exists over a multitude of places and cities where as Gatsby is mostly stationary and set in one place.

Nick becomes upset and out of love with the mainstream life where as Sal becomes upset by the alternate life style

In On the road there is less racist comments and racism in general where as in Gatsby Tom and most of the other individuals belonging to the upper class are incredibly racist saying comments such as "We need to beat them down"

lachiesuckling — 2016-07-19 23:44:22 UTC

Gatsby is black in the novel and Sal is white

2016-07-19 23:44:40 UTC

Nick and Sal both follow Gatsby and Dean instead of living their own lives.

Setting

exon_g — 2016-07-19 23:44:45 UTC

Both centre on NYC

2016-07-19 23:45:07 UTC

By the end of both novels, both Nick and Sal come to a point where they say goodbye to their 'idols'

Themes

2016-07-19 23:46:01 UTC

Similar Themes
- American Dream
- Friendship
- Love

Different Themes
-

lachiesuckling — 2016-07-19 23:46:48 UTC

Both Gatsby and Dean are the 'stars' of the novels, however neither of them are entirely good people with Gatsby doing illegal things to gain his fortune and Dean being a mean person in general, dropping Sal because Karlos comes along, leaving Sal in the shadows.

Counter vs Culture

exon_g — 2016-07-19 23:47:06 UTC

In Gatsby, Nick observes the fabulously wealthy in the carefree callous relationship to each other and everyone else. In On the Road, Sal and co. behave in ways which are counter to the dominant culture, but the carelessness and hurt is still a prominent part of their experience.

2016-07-19 23:48:09 UTC

Great Gatsby; When Daisy and Jay love affair occurs Nick gets drawn away and the narrator almost wasn't existent as you were focused on the affair, whereas Sal is always a main focus throughout On The Road

<-- Similarities

exon_g — 2016-07-19 23:49:19 UTC

Differences -->

2016-07-19 23:49:36 UTC

The Great Gatsby, although still seperate shows more of the internal world of the characters whereas On the Road focuses on the eternal world.

Themes

2016-07-19 23:49:50 UTC

Both novels portray characters who are ultimately incredibly careless in their actions. Characters in On The Road are careless with people and escape by constantly disappearing, similarly characters in The Great Gatsby escape their actions by retreating into life as the upper class. Eventually both novels demonstrate that careless people end up miserable and those who develop some level of care end up living a ‘better’ life.

2016-07-19 23:50:29 UTC

Gatsby has one section with multiple chapters and On The Road has 3 sections with multiple chapters

Take home...

exon_g — 2016-07-19 23:52:04 UTC

Each text takes a different view of American society, but they are unified in the criticism of a live lived free of responsibility and consequences.

Dad issues, anyone?

exon_g — 2016-07-19 23:53:22 UTC

Gatsby leaves his family, rejecting them completely, Dean cannot find his Dad but is constantly on the lookout for Old Dean.

Women.

exon_g — 2016-07-19 23:54:19 UTC

In each text women are treated with little respect - their value to the characters is aesthetic, and for the pleasure men derive from them, but their views, emotions and aspirations are at all time subject to the male characters that surround them.

Drugs, Alcohol, Loose morals...

exon_g — 2016-07-19 23:55:08 UTC

In TGG alcohol - although a social vice - is prevalent and often accompanies instances of physical or emotional violence. In OTR alcohol and drugs are ubiquitous, and are the primary focus of the kicks the characters derive - they are also, a primary means by which the character participate in their search for meaning, they are not so much social lubricant as necessity - the little money the characters have is spent on them.

Philosophy, ideas and creative expression...

exon_g — 2016-07-19 23:55:57 UTC

On The Road concerns itself with philosophical ideas much more than doea Gatsby - Tom muses on the place of race, but Sal, Dean, Carlo and Old Bull are searching for meaning rather than searching only for satisfaction.

Corruption of the American Dream

ryan_t_moffitt310 — 2016-07-19 23:57:36 UTC

In on the road, the search for the American dream was corrupted after the end of World War 2 and the Cold War. And in The Gatsby it was corrupted by the American’s ambition of getting married or having a relationship so he can achieve social success.

Class System

2016-07-20 00:00:24 UTC

In the Great Gatsby Tom is heavily racist whereas in On the Road Sal and Dean party with the 'working class' and african americans.