Gatsby & Crucible: Themes, Narrators, Plot Analysis
Comparative Literary Analysis
Setting, Social Class, and Religious Beliefs
This section explores how the settings of The Great Gatsby and The Crucible reflect social structures, the American Dream, and the impact of religious beliefs.
The Great Gatsby: Setting and the American Dream
The setting is mainly in West Egg and East Egg, representing distinct social classes: West Egg for the “new rich” and East Egg for the “old money” elite. This setting reflects the American Dream’s focus on wealth and status, but also highlights its inherent emptiness and corruption.
The Crucible: Setting and Religious Beliefs
Set in Salem during the Puritan era, the strict religious beliefs of the time profoundly shape the community. These beliefs contribute to an atmosphere of fear, suspicion, and extreme actions. The rigid theocratic society directly fuels the infamous witch trials and subsequent hysteria.
Unreliable Narrators and Their Influence
An unreliable narrator is one whose credibility is compromised. They might lie, misinterpret events, or be biased. Narrators significantly influence readers by shaping how events and characters are presented.
The Great Gatsby: Nick Carraway as an Unreliable Narrator
In The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway serves as a somewhat unreliable narrator. His personal opinions and evolving perspective affect how readers perceive Gatsby and the other characters, influencing the overall interpretation of the novel’s events.
Plot Diagram Analysis
Understanding the plot diagram helps in analyzing the narrative structure of both works.
The Great Gatsby: Plot Diagram
- Exposition: Nick Carraway moves to West Egg, meets Tom, Daisy, and Jordan, and observes Gatsby’s lavish mansion.
- Inciting Incident: Nick attends Gatsby’s first party and finally meets the mysterious host.
- Rising Action: Gatsby’s mysterious past is hinted at, and he arranges to reunite with Daisy.
- Climax: The confrontation at the Plaza Hotel, where Tom exposes Gatsby’s background and Daisy reveals her indecision.
- Falling Action: Myrtle Wilson is killed in a car accident involving Gatsby’s car, driven by Daisy.
- Resolution: George Wilson kills Gatsby and then himself; Nick, disillusioned, returns home to the Midwest.
The Crucible: Plot Diagram
- Exposition: Girls in Reverend Parris’s house display strange behavior, leading to rumors of witchcraft in Salem.
- Inciting Incident: Abigail Williams and the other girls accuse Tituba and others of consorting with the devil.
- Rising Action: Mass hysteria grips Salem; courtroom testimonies spiral out of control as John Proctor seeks to expose the falsehoods.
- Climax: John Proctor confesses his affair with Abigail to discredit her, but she denies it, and Elizabeth Proctor’s lie seals his fate.
- Falling Action: More convictions occur; Proctor is condemned despite pleas from Reverend Hale and Elizabeth.
- Resolution: Proctor chooses death over a false confession, preserving his integrity; Hale denounces the trials, and the community begins to question the court’s authority.
Challenging Ideals: Themes and Critiques
Both works offer profound critiques of societal ideals and institutions.
The Great Gatsby: Challenging 1920s Ideals
The Great Gatsby challenges the prevailing ideals of the 1920s by exposing the flawed and corrupt nature of the American Dream. It highlights pervasive materialism, stark social inequality, and moral decay within the era’s affluent society.
The Crucible: Critique of Religion and Legal System
The Crucible critiques the misuse of religion and the legal system to control people, which led to widespread injustice and paranoia during the Salem witch trials. The play powerfully demonstrates the inherent dangers of blind faith in authority and the devastating consequences of mass hysteria.
Character Perspectives and Moral Authority
The Great Gatsby: Nick’s Evolving Perspective and Gatsby’s Idealized Vision
- Nick Carraway’s Perspective: By the end of the novel, Nick’s perspective changes significantly. He evolves from initially admiring Gatsby to seeing him as a tragic figure, ultimately doomed by his unrealistic dreams and the corrupt society around him.
- Gatsby’s Idealized Vision of Daisy: Gatsby’s entire life and actions are shaped by his idealized vision of Daisy. He builds his wealth and identity around winning her love, even though this dream is ultimately unrealistic and directly leads to his downfall.
The Crucible: Authority and Morality in Characters
- Elizabeth Proctor: She represents unwavering personal integrity, moral strength, and quiet resilience in the face of injustice.
- Judge Danforth: He symbolizes rigid, unyielding authority and the tragic failure of justice when dogma overrides truth and reason.
The Great Gatsby: Key Information
Author, Genre, and Point of View
- Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Genre: Literary Realism, Modernist Novel
- Point of View: First-person narrator (Nick Carraway)
Setting
- Time: Summer of 1922
- Location: Long Island (West Egg & East Egg) and New York City
Main Characters
- Jay Gatsby: A mysterious millionaire, hopelessly in love with Daisy Buchanan.
- Nick Carraway: The novel’s narrator, Daisy’s cousin, and Gatsby’s neighbor.
- Daisy Buchanan: Nick’s cousin; a beautiful but shallow symbol of old-money society.
- Tom Buchanan: Daisy’s wealthy, arrogant, and unfaithful husband.
- Jordan Baker: A professional golfer, friend of Daisy, and Nick’s brief love interest.
- Myrtle Wilson: Tom’s mistress, trapped in a bleak marriage in the Valley of Ashes.
Major Themes
- Old Money vs. New Money / Class Distinctions
- The Corrupt Nature of the American Dream
- Illusion vs. Reality
- Social Decay and Moral Emptiness
Key Symbols
- The Green Light at the end of Daisy’s dock: Represents Gatsby’s unreachable hopes and dreams for the future with Daisy.
- The Valley of Ashes: Symbolizes the moral and social decay resulting from the unrestrained pursuit of wealth.
- Dr. T. J. Eckleburg’s Eyes: A billboard advertisement that represents looming moral judgment and the absence of God in a materialistic society.
The Crucible: Key Information
Author, Genre, and Point of View
- Author: Arthur Miller
- Genre: Drama, Tragedy, Historical Allegory
- Point of View: Third-person dramatic (primarily through dialogue and stage directions)
Setting
- Time: Spring of 1692
- Location: Salem, Massachusetts (during the infamous Witch Trials)
Main Characters
- John Proctor: An honest farmer and tragic hero who values personal integrity above all else.
- Abigail Williams: The manipulative niece of Reverend Parris and the chief accuser in the witch trials.
- Elizabeth Proctor: John’s virtuous and morally upright wife.
- Reverend John Hale: An expert in witchcraft who initially supports the court but later comes to doubt its proceedings.
- Judge Danforth: The deputy governor and presiding judge, representing unyielding and dogmatic authority.
- Tituba: Reverend Parris’s slave, who is among the first to be accused of witchcraft.
Major Themes
- Integrity vs. Self-Preservation
- The Corruption of Authority and Miscarriage of Justice
- Hysteria and its Destructive Power
- Individual Conscience vs. Community Conformity
Key Symbols
- The Court: Represents institutional injustice, the abuse of power, and the failure of the legal system.
- The Poppet (Doll) found in the Proctors’ home: Symbolizes fabricated evidence and the manipulation used to condemn innocent people.
- The Forest: Represents danger, the unknown, and a place outside the strict, rigid order of Puritan society.
- Confession: Symbolizes the moral cost of saving one’s life by compromising one’s truth and integrity.
- The Gallows: Represents extremist justice, tragic consequences, and the ultimate sacrifice for one’s principles.