Theme Of Hope In The Great Gatsby

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A quote from Desmond Tutu says, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” What is your light? Where can you find hope in the midst of hopelessness? Is it a hobby? A song? Maybe a book? Sometimes, your light can be found within somebody. Cormac McCarthy tells the story of a man and his son struggling to survive in a post apocalyptic United States,where everything is burned and destroyed and only a few remain, in the book The Road. However, the movie The Great Gatsby by director Baz Luhrmann tells a story taking place in the roaring 20’s, filled with parties, riches, and a timeless love. While these stories seem entirely unrelated, they are united by the common theme of hope. According to the book The Road …show more content…
Just like the man watches out for the boy, the boy watches out for the man. “I have to watch you all the time, the boy said” (McCarthy 34). In his attempts to help the boy, the man often found himself giving up his meals and food for his son. Every day, the man will do anything he can to help his son. Like his father does for him, the boy gives the man hope by watching out for him and reminding him that he is important. Similar to the sacrifices the man makes for the boy, Gatsby made a fortune and moved into an extravagant mansion right across the river from the Buchanans, and threw giant parties every weekend during the five years that Gatsby and Daisy were apart. In the movie, Gatsby explains to Nick that everything he did was so that Daisy would come back to him. He had hope that one day, Daisy would come to one of his parties and he would be able to see her. Gatsby’s timeless love for Daisy made him go to extreme lengths to be with her again. Just like the man did for the boy in The Road, Gatsby hoped and did all that he could for …show more content…
Both stories include details of how the loved ones in their live were a source of hope for the main character in difficult times. Gatsby and the man felt responsible to hope, they both did everything they could in hope things would work out for the people they loved, and both stories contain symbols of light and hope. While these stories are wildly different in their plot, similar messages are received by the audience about hope and love, no matter which one they watch or read. Like Desmond Tutu said, light can be found in the midst of darkness, but sometimes that light can be closer than you might