Similarities Between Death Of A Salesman And The Great Gatsby

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Death of a Salesman and The Great Gatsby are both very similar works of literature. They have similars characters, such as Gatsby and Willy, similar endings, motifs, and themes. Both Death of a Salesman and The Great Gatsby have similar themes about the American dream, secrets, affairs and lies, and the past. A theme presented in The Great Gatsby was that people should make the American dream their own and to not follow someone else's or society’s. This theme was developed because some of the characters, such as Tom and Daisy, were concerned with their social status and wealth throughout the story. In the end though, wealth and a high social class will not make someone happy. These character’s needed to do what made them happy. In Tom's case, …show more content…
The theme is to not live in the past. This theme was shown throughout Willy’s whole life. He tried to be a salesman because Ben was, which was his fatherly figure. If we wouldn’t have followed his past, he would of been much more successful and happy. Also he would have ultimately prevented his death since he would've not been so stressed about money and relationships. This theme was shown and support a lot throughout the story, which shows Miller really wanted the reader to notice this theme while reading this play. The themes similar in both The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman were about the American dream and about lies. These themes were major parts of each of the connection with the characters and played a large part in each of the author’s purpose. The theme about past was slightly different for each. In Gatsby, the theme was that we cannot live or hide the past, while the theme for Death of a Salesman was to not live in the past. This is because Gatsby tried to hid his past throughout the story while Willy did not do so. But both of them did try to live in the past and could not move on from …show more content…
The characters Willy and Gatsby tried to follow someone else’s dream instead of following their own. This affects both of their lives, relationships and ultimately caused their death. They also had a similar theme about lies. The reader learners throughout these works of literature that secrets are always revealed and they have unfavorable consequences. The reader learn this by learning and looking in depth with the character relationships and the tension and consequences created in each of those. On the other hand though, The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman had slightly different themes about the past. Willy and Gatsby ultimately held onto the past, but Gatsby tried to hide the past. In conclusion, Both Death of a Salesman and The Great Gatsby have similar themes about the American dream, secrets, affairs and lies, and the past, which ultimately held accomplished each of the author’s purposes. Miller and Fitzgerald wrote this works for the reader to learn a lesson from each and they both showed this by using and showing these themes throughout their
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