Adultery in Great Gatsby Scarlet Letter Essay - 688 Words

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald are two novels, which address similar themes with completely opposite resolves. The authors use their main characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, Gatsby, and Daisy, in their respective works to present these themes. The action in both novels revolves around unfaithfulness, its effects on the characters, and the results of committing adultery, which prove to be antipode from one novel to the other. These antitheses can be found by a look at the different roles of adultery in the novels. One major theme found in both novels and addressed in different ways is adultery. Unfaithfulness is ever present in The Great Gatsby, while it is a one-time†¦show more content†¦No attention is paid to the feelings of others. Tom and Daisy have a daughter together, but she is hardly mentioned amongst their promiscuity. Hester and Dimmesdale are able to bring joy out of their pains, while Daisy and Gatsby suffer pain from their pursuit of joy. Further paradox can be found in an analysis of purity and sin in the novels. Another contradicting theme is how in The Scarlet Letter purity comes from sin, while in The Great Gatsby sin follows purity. Hester and Dimmesdale sinned by having sex, Hester was married and Dimmesdale was a reverend. This act of impurity was turned to a positive with the birth of Pearl, their personal spiritual growth, and their maturity. On the contrary, the love that Daisy and Gatsby had before their separation was pure. They were in love for all the right reasons, and stayed in touch while Jay entered the army. However, Daisy then fell in love with money and the man who brought it, Tom. When Gatsby returned, he tried to make their love work again, but his efforts were made through deceit, and illegal activities. These attempts to win Daisy through a false persona and money made Daisy’s love a possession, which could be won or even bought, and subsequently it became impure. These contradictions and paradox continue through the novel into the endings. The differing attitudes towards unfaithfulness in the novels result in differingShow MoreRelatedGreat Gatsby Scarlet Letter Essay690 Words   |  3 PagesBello AP English March 22, 2000 The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald are two novels, which address similar themes with completely opposite resolves. The authors use their main characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, Gatsby, and Daisy, in their respective works to present these themes. The action in both novels revolves around unfaithfulness, its effects on the characters, and the results of committing adultery, which prove to be antipode from one novelRead MoreFrederick Douglass- An American Slave547 Words   |  2 Pageseveryday life. 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