Although his actions are very insane, they can be seen as rational to reader considering hedonism. Devotion to pleasure, hedonism, makes Dorian be deceitful about his true self by deflecting the attention of the public from the mad man to the beautiful and intelligent gentlemen. Dorian is, young, sensitive, and emotional, meaning that he is susceptible to manipulation. Lord Henry takes advantage of that opportunity and gives Dorian the yellow book; this book opens up the world of hedonism and aestheticism which eventually turns his young life into an eternal oblivion of misery. Dorian develops a fear of aging so he tries to live his life as if it was his last day on earth.
Jay Gatsby is also motivated by love, however it is by the love he has for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. As he tries to win Daisy over, Gatsby fears that she will always judge him for the class he is a part of in society. Hamlet and Gatsby are both similar in the sense that they are both tragic heroes, however their tragic flaws greatly differ. Gatsby’s flaw is that he is a dreamer and lives in a world where he is not able to face reality, while Hamlet’s issue is that he is a procrastinator and is unable to make decisions at the right time. Additionally, Gatsby and Amir are both forced to face the problems of class distinction in order to conquer their ultimate goals.
The most notable moment of Lear’s madness being reasonable is when Lear finds Gloucester and Edgar in Act 4, Scene 6. Lear, in a mad rant, profoundly states that “Through tattered clothes small vices do appear. Robes and furrowed gowns hide all.” Since Lear has been reduced to a poor madman, he is saying that the merits of a person in their bare state are revealed, but the merits of a rich person are cloaked behind wealth. Recognizing the validity of Lear’s rant, Edgar interjects by proclaiming that, paradoxically, there is “Reason in madness!” Thus, by removing the protective barrier of his wealth and power, Lear is humbled and realizes that the true value of people is shown when they are in their natural state. After
Key Quotes: Gatsby Quote | Analysis | ‘Foul dust that floated in the wake of his dreams’ Ch1 (pg4) | Gatsby has been destroyed/ruined because of the foul dust that followed his American dream. Possibly referring to people who took advantage of his money or used their power to try and destroy him. Achieving the American Dream doesn’t always result in happiness. | ‘He stretched out his arms towards the dark water’ Ch1 (pg16) | Gatsby truly loved Daisy. This happens when Gatsby thinks no one is watching him therefore we are able to assume it is not part of his image.
The lavish parties he had to hide the emptiness in his life. He idolize Daisy liked he did the wealth. Gatsby never realize daisy was not impressed by his materialism Daisy was dealing with reality and Gatsby was dealing with turning his life into something he wanted it to be. And in the end Gatsby lost everything he was trying to gain at no matter what. The book is a revelation on how thing was in the roaring twenties and the attitude of rich people.
He brings Daisy and Gatsby into disrepute when he confronts them regarding their affair in front of everyone else. His double standard here is very evident because he is happy to unfairly accuse them when he is currently in the midst of having his own affair with his mistress, Myrtle Wilson. He is a very hypocritical man and is not afraid to do anything necessary to remain in control of the situation. Mr Buchanan is also used by Fitzgerald to play the “Brute” character that is present in just about all classic novels (e.g. Roo in “The Summer of The Seventeenth Doll.”) Fitzgerald makes it very clear to us that Tom is “A hulking man” by how the other characters in the book refer to him.
In the play ‘Educating Rita’ cruelty and cynicism feature a great deal. One of the main characters, Frank, is cynical. Frank’s personality portrays him as a miserable old man who cannot see the good in anybody, including Rita. For example, Frank thinks that Rita is only trying to change herself because it will look good to others when they meet her rather than seeing that she is really trying to change her life for the better, not for selfish reasons. When Frank is on the phone to Julia he refers to Rita as “some silly woman” and this portrays him to be cynical because even though he has never met Rita he is already making assumptions about her in a negative manner.
Unfortunately, his preoccupation with the superficial qualities of attractiveness and popularity is at odds with a more realistic and rewarding perception of the “American Dream,” and this identifies that hard work without complaints is the key to success. Willy’s superficial and shallow judgment of likability is one the main causes for his blind faith in the “American Dream.” As we read the novel, we notice that Willy has a childish dislike for a young man named Bernard because he appears as nerdy and personally unattractive. However, Bernard ends up being a very successful lawyer, proving that it is neither looks nor popularity that will get you farther in life. Willy’s blind faith in the “American Dream” leads to his downfall as he realizes more and more that his own life and the dream are very distinct from one another. It’s definitely, and unfortunately, very common for people today to have the same perception of the “American Dream” that Willy Loman does.
In the Great Gatsby, when Nick goes with Tom to New York and the book that Tom is reading are both perfect example of why this decade will forever be known as the Lost Generation. Tom, a character from the famous Great Gatsby, is a person who falls into the category of being “lost”. Many of his actions depicted prove why that statement would be considered true. For example, the way he spends most of him time getting wasted and cheating on his wife openly. He shows no remorse for his actions and is inconsiderate of how Daisy might feel.
Discuss the importance of the character BEN, in ‘death of a salesman.’ Death of a salesman is a play that talks about the American dream. Willy Loman is the main character, and he is chasing his dream throughout the play. Willy strives to be a successful salesman and have countless money, just like his older brother Ben whom he looks up to, even after he passed away he would visualize him. Ben has a specific line that he repeats throughout the play ‘’when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by god I was rich.’ Whenever Ben says that Willy gets motivated to work harder and he interprets Ben's good fortune as undeniable proof that his dreams of making it big are realistic.