The Great Gatsby IRP
Ryan Walllace Period 3
Simmilarities and differences between the novel and film
Similarities: The actor Jason Clarke who played George Wilson was excellent at being miserable and void of any full emotion, he is able to give off the same style that is portrayed in the novel. The interactions not only between Tom and Daisy and Gatsby are believable in the film but as well as in the novel. They were able to make it as dramatic as it was written.
Why might the director have approached the film the way he did? Is it for the betterment of the work?
Consider critical acclaim for both the novel and the film. How do outside sources feel about each individually? Both?
Themes
The major theme of The Great Gatsby is the decline of the American Dream. Before the 1920's the American Dream was based on exploration, and self the idea of not being repressed (individuality). But as the 1920s wore on it became more about the materialistic and the desire of money lead them now to pursue less goals than before. From the perspective of a immigrant the American Dream was to escape and lead a better life, the last thing they thought about was massive wealth. They were more than happy to be in a country that accepted them and were not repressed. Also, another theme that is present is the act of violence. Tom Buchanan with his ultimate brute strength over the women in the novels. Myrtle at one point taunts, in the secret love-affair apartment, mentions Daisy's name repeatedly he clocks her in the face. With the recent introduction of the automobile, it symbolized the dangers of not only the new technology but as well as what wealth can do to an individual. During the 1920s the automobile was mainly reserved for the wealthy due to the cost. This of course was able to foreshadow the accidental death of Myrtle, Tom's lover.
Works Cited
The Great Gatsby. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Isla Fisher, Tobey McGuire, Carey Mulligan, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2013. Film.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 1996. Print.