Most of us read The Great Gatsby in our sophomore Humanities class. Both Gatsby and Citizen Kane,produced about twenty years apart, focus on a man who some might say is the epitome of success. What similarities and differences do you see? Are these works celebrations or critiques of these men, or somewhere in between? Or something else? Do they tell us anything about the American Dream?
ReplyDeleteBoth The Great Gatsby and Citizen Kane use money as a symbol to critique the effects of capitalism on the human mind and spirit. Similar to Jay Gatsby, Charles Foster Kane takes advantage of a rapidly changing and expanding capitalist system by becoming one of the richest and most well respected men in the United States of America. Although there are certainly differences in how each of the men gains their fortune (Kane either earns his money honestly through his newspaper busniess or from his inheritance, whereas Gatsby earns his money through bootlegging and scamming), they nonetheless both find a way to take extreme advantage of their economic systems. Additionally, both men are seen as well respected by the "everyday American" (usually those who are not directly associated with his personal life), as many Americans strive to accumulate wealth to the extent both Kane and Gatsby do. However, Gatsby and Kane's wealthy status fails to be the defining staple of their lives, as they both die feeling empty and unfulfilled. Jay Gatsby fails to earn Daisy's love, subsequently making him feel alone, empty, and unfulfilled. Similarly, Charles Kane also fails to find meaningful love in his life, or return to the simplistic lifestyle that made him feel happy throughout his childhood. Ultimately, the message in both works regarding money is extremely clear- money cannot buy happiness, or make one feel fulfilled.
At its core, both The Great Gatsby and Citizen Kane are powerful reminders that once obtained, "The American Dream" is not something that automatically elicits happiness. Both Charles Foster Kane and Jay Gatsby live lavish lives that many bystanders in their stories would cherish if in a similar position. However, their fortune routinely magnifies their own personal problems, and in some cases, even acts as a roadblock toward achieving their true goals. Jay Gatsby's wealth magnifies his desperation to be with Daisy, as it is eventually reveled that despite his fortune, money cannot buy Daisy's love (or even his own happiness, or willingness to move on and accept his current situation). On the other hand, Charles Kane's greatest roadblock toward achieving success is his egotistical personality, resulting others around him (particularly his love interests) resent him. In both cases, money only magnifies their issues, as they seem themselves as some of the most respected men in the United States, and as a result, subconsciously use their wealth as an excuse to not address their greatest flaws. Both stories serve to highlight the negative effects that capitalism can have on people striving to achieve the American Dream, and even suggest that striving to be like Gatsby or Kane will likely result in your own unhappiness.
The Great Gatsby and Citizen Kane. Two of the most famous stories in American history. Both are memorable in the sense that they are good at establishing what the American Dream is. However, despite their seemingly similar nature, the two stories are pretty different from one another for multiple reasons. To start off, why don't we compare the two main characters; Jay Gatsby and Charles Kane. While it's true that both men have excess riches and an equally excessive ego, Kane is observed to be more secluded in his personality, whereas Gatsby was known to throw the biggest of parties every weekend. Simply put, Kane is more introverted whereas Gatsby is an extrovert. Though the difference in personalities is just the beginning. Another difference is how they accumulated their wealth. Kane had gotten his riches out of luck when he was handed off to Mr. Thatcher, whereas Gatsby had gone down the road of bootleg alcohol and fake stocks. Next let's look at the main characters' objective throughout the story. Citizen Kane told the story of how money can't buy happiness, and that a man is made up of the many different perspectives that others have of him. And that one sole perspective simply can't do the man justice, just as his last words were only a piece of the bigger picture. The Great Gatsby told the story of the old money vs the new money, and how love is not something that can be forced. How a man had sacrificed everything for the sake of love, and how despite every effort, nothing can ever go perfectly as planned. So to wrap things up, Citizen Kane and The Great Gatsby may seem similar at first glance, however when comparing the ideas of the stories, we find that they do in fact portray different plots, characters, and messages.
ReplyDeleteAlthough these two films are 20 years apart, both Gatsby and Citizen Kane demonstrate the misconception that money equals happiness. Within both capitalist societies, riches are respected and glorified; money is the standard of success. Jay Gatsby and Charles Foster Kane believed that with money one could have everything, making money and happiness synonymous. Although both came into money differently (Gatsby received his fortune through illegal bootlegging/scams and Kane through his newspaper company and inhertance) both characters are chasing for a lives that money cannot buy. On the outside Charles Kane and Jay Gatsby are living the “American Dream”, idolized by those around them. It seems as though they have everything, and if they do not have it they can get it. However, through the sorrowful ends of both films we learn this to be untrue. Charles Foster Kane has all the riches one could ever want, but his conceited personality deters him from finding love. From the perspective of an outsider his marriage to his second wife seemed perfect, when in reality he treated her terribly and they were both unhappy. Just like how the “American Dream” seems amazing, but the reality is far from that. Kane’s wealth served as a mask, hiding his true egotistical personality. Jay Gatsby spent his life changing himself to be the man he thought Daisy would want. Working his way up only to learn money cannot buy Daisy’s affection. Both men dedicated themselves to a life they thought would fix all of their problems, but in the end failing to achieve what they truly sought after, love. Jay Gatsby and Charles Foster Kane end up alone, forlorn, surrounded only by their riches. These last scenes of both films serve as a reminder that money can only by material objects, and not true happiness. There wealth blinded them from seeing their faults within themselves, only to realize when it is too late.
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