The Great Gatsby And The Color Purple - 1609 Words

Explore the presentation of femininity and identity in The Great Gatsby and The Color Purple, considering the contexts of their production, reception and the different ways in which these texts have been read. In both texts, we see characters that struggle with personal identity as a result of rigid social boundaries. For Gatsby this means creating an entirely new persona based on his brief love encounter with Daisy. The illusion that he can ‘repeat the past’ , shapes and moulds him into becoming an individual that he, himself no longer completely recognises. It is almost as though Gatsby is so consumed by the character he has created he almost believes his fabricated truths. This is particularly noticeable when Gatsby explains he â€Å"lived†¦show more content†¦However, Gatsby’s life is ultimately taken away due to his burning desire for hope. His naivety in re-creating the ‘love’ he had with Daisy causes him to become a victim of his own wrong doing, the lies and the wealth all catch up to him in the end. Similarly in The Color Purple, Celie struggles to fit into the society she was born into, suffering from low self-esteem and very little self-worth throughout the entirety of the book. This is evidenced in letter seventeen when Celie explains she â€Å"don’t feel nothing for them† and how they â€Å"don’t love† her â€Å"neither†, after suffering many brutalities it is as though she is dead inside, unable to love or be loved. Having noticed she does not sign her name at the end of her letters, is quite unusual. Most people would find pride in signing their name, especially when addressing God, reinforcing the idea that she has no confidence in the person she is or wishes to be. Being a victim of the ‘double oppression’, her ‘Pa’s’ anger and hostility towards the treatment of black people at the time, meant that Celie faced countless acts of extreme violence throughout her life. In letter five Celie explains her fat hers ‘reasoning’ in giving her one of many ‘beatings’ after reportedly winking at a boy in church. Celie explains sheShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby By Scott Fitzgerald Is A 1920’S Drama1101 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald is a 1920’s drama created in the 1950’s. Jay Gatsby mostly represents the color purple while as nick mostly represents the color green. The color purple is mainly associated with royalty and luxury which is definitely a part of gatsby’s life and personality and the color green is calmness, hopeful and healthy. That is in Nick’s personality but toward the end it becomes less and less. Nick is a very kind and outgoing person. He never makes anybody feel awkwardRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald644 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Daisy, Daisy, Daisy!† It is all Gatsby thinks about, doesn’t it get annoying? No, suck it up because the next 787 words are all about Daisy and her association with symbols, her use of symbols, and herself as a symbol. How’s that possible, she’s 100% human in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald? Don’t worry, the vacuous space upstairs will soon be filled. So, let’s dive in, like a dead â€Å"Gatsby† in a pool. Daisy and her association with symbols is... pointless to the structure of this essayRead MoreColor Imagery in F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby658 Words   |  3 Pagespaints a picture, they use vibrant greens and reds and contrast with dull blues and purples. In literature, the same technique can be used. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work, The Great Gatsby, he gives greater meaning to his characters and their experiences by using color imagery. 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