Crazy Rich Asians & The Great Gatsby Comparative Essay

by no000794noosaccqldeduau (student)

Oxford Dictionary defines ‘manipulate’ as: to control or influence somebody, often in a dishonest way. (Oxford University, 1884). This happens to be term used to describe a number of characters in fiction – Iago, Captain Ahab, Lady Macbeth. The Griffith Review’s theme is “Through the Looking Glass”, drawing a distinction between how old and new money are represented. The American classic novel, The Great Gatsby, authored by F. Scott Fitzgerald, set in the ‘roaring twenties’, follows an enigmatic millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and his latent desire to revive his relationship with his former lover, Daisy. Kevin Kwan’s writing in the, box office hit, Crazy Rich Asians, exhibits Rachel Chu, an American economics professor meeting her boyfriend, Nick’s Young family; however, she’s unknown to the fact Nick’s family are the richest in Singapore. While the audience are positioned to view Jay Gatsby and Rachel Chu with sympathy, they should instead be understood as the manipulative and self-absorbed people they are.

The audience is encouraged to feel sympathetic towards Jay Gatsby and Rachel Chu. Fitzgerald and Kwan convey this through the contents of the character’s background and the inopportune situations the characters face. Origins from low social classes is shared between Gatsby and Rachel; Rachel being raised by a poor single mother working as a waitress, who migrated to the US from China; and Gatsby, who was born into an impoverished family of farmers. Likewise, Rachel and Gatsby are both self-made individuals, rising from rags to riches. Representations of individuals who have achieved the sought-after American dream. Gatsby’s new money stature places him, in flamboyant, West Egg facing the corrupt, old-money East Egg. Each side holding its prejudice to the other, this is effectively demonstrated through Gatsby and Tom’s Buchannan relationship. Tom’s prejudice towards Gatsby originates from his social unacceptance of Gatsby, which then extends into his disdain for his extravagant parties, this is expressed upon Tom’s arrival at one of Gatsby’s parties. Nick describes this moment, stating “Perhaps his [Tom’s] presence gave the evening its peculiar quality of oppressiveness.”(p. 100) (Fitzgerald, 1925). Fitzgerald writes these parties as an exterior of Gatsby’s isolation, which leads the audience to feel sympathy. In spite of the amount of people he surrounds himself with at his parties, Nick observes Gatsby “my eyes fell to Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps” (p. 40) (Fitzgerald, 1925). This exhibits Gatsby’s isolation amongst all his wealth and acquaintances. This isolation is accentuated at Gatsby’s funeral, Nick being the only one to attend – not even Gatsby’s closet contacts, nor Daisy. Crazy Rich Asians consists of various themes, a major theme being prejudice. Prejudice is also reflected from Eleanor’s attitude onto Rachel. The scene showing Rachel’s introduction to Eleanor is an epitome of the prejudice. Eleanor’s impertinence towards Rachel is demonstrated her body language towards Rachel – constantly looking away, moving around the kitchen during conversation and turning her back towards her. It is the injustice of Eleanor’s prejudice against Rachel that generates sympathy from the audience. Not only is prejudice shown by Eleanor, its apparent once again by the old money social class. A case of this is in the bachelorette party scene. From Nick’s ex-girlfriend, subtly insulting Rachel, to the gutted fish they placed on her bed demonstrates the social unacceptance of Rachel into their life. The other woman constant infliction of harassment and prejudice towards Rachel displays the unforgiving nature of old money, thus creating sympathy for Rachel from the audience. Rachel and Gatsby are covered in a veil of charm, optimism, and diligence, yet when we lift the veil, their true façades are divulged.

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The manipulative and self-absorbed nature of Gatsby and Rachel are incisive in the finer details of the plot. Gatsby’s manipulative and self-absorbed traits derive from his intoxicating desire to attain his dream. This desire clouds his judgement, forfeiting any ethical and moral considerations, hence placing him in a self-absorbed mentality. The profligate and materialistic ideology portrayed through Gatsby grants him the incentive to go to extreme measures to achieve his goals. This ideology is exemplified in Gatsby’s criminal interactions with Meyer Wolfsheim and his weekly, effusive parties in his mansion, selling illicit alcohol. The way in which Gatsby manipulates people is through his brazen charm and wealth, which proves successful when he persuades Nick that he is a good guy. Fitzgerald’s description of Gatsby, as ”The Great Gatsby” – much like the way Houdini is represented, as “The Great Houdini” – possibly suggests, an ironic correlation between the two, in that they are both illusionists. The illusions that Gatsby is capable of can be shown through how other characters perceive Gatsby, most evidently Nick. The moment they first met, Gatsby had an impression on Nick, describing “It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance…” (p. 49) Nick later mentions that “…I’d got a strong impression he was picking his words with care.” (p. 49) (Fitzgerald, 1925), this could indicate two things; one, Gatsby did so to avoid any possibility of incriminating himself, and two, it’s a manipulative tool he utilises in order to maintain his ‘illusion’. Turning now to Rachel Chu, her first scene, showing her teaching a class at the university demonstrates her level of intellect. The fact Rachel is teaching a lecture on Game Theory, which studies the theoretical framework of strategic interactions with others to produce the most optimal outcome indicates her manipulative capabilities. A thorough understanding of this – which an economics professor would most certainly possess – is a precise indicator of someone who can navigate a person’s mind. In the same scene Rachel says, “Our brains so hate the idea of losing something that’s valuable to us, that we abandon all rational thought.” (Chu, 2018), what she points out here, summarises the key concepts of Game theory, which in turn is observed to be woven into the plot itself. This is embodied into the both Eleanor and Rachel’s feelings regarding ‘losing’ Nick, to the other. Gatsby and Rachel both possessed a good hand, however only one played their cards right the other was forced to fold.

“…you’re not our own kind” (Chu, 2018), Eleanor’s description of Rachel, old money opinion on new money. A theme which reiterates itself in both plots. When his immense and ignominious past is revealed, Gatsby’s intoxicating desire to attain the ‘American dream’ becomes suddenly defunct. Tom Buchannan, eradicates Gatsby’s attempt of re-kindling Daisy’s love for him, ultimately leaving old money successful in the story, yet it wasn’t at no cost. The trade-off of Tom’s achievement was the death of his mistress and lover, Myrtle. Furthermore, Daisy also lost the person whom she was having an affair with, Gatsby, however she remained in a relationship with Tom. Which thereby placing themselves in a seeming successful position, however, yet feeling so defeated at the same time. (hence displaying that nobody wins in a war) By the end of the novel, they both fall back into their “careless” and “conspiring” (p. 111, 137) (Fitzgerald, 1925) relationship and unsentimental wealth. In partial contrast is the Crazy Rich Asians story in which Rachel’s outcome differs from Gatsby’s, as Rachel is successful in her desire for love; yet in turn she becomes old money, marrying Nick Young. Possibly interpreted as a “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” situation. Nevertheless, no matter how close Rachel may be the Young family, to Eleanor she will continue to be an ‘imposter’. Eleanor expresses this during one of the final scenes. The scene of Rachel leaving Singapore, and Eleanor’s reconsideration of her decision shows how nobody will win in that situation. Eleanor’s reasoning for giving Rachel her engagement ring, is not in concern of Rachel’s happiness, but for her son’s. As, in present in both plots, old money see themselves as above new money in terms of social class, so, Eleanor ‘accepting’ Rachel in the family suggests how she feels defeated. The conflict between the old and new money social classes, brings out the worse in both, and to an extent both classes are self-absorbed.

Although the audience is positioned to feel sympathetic towards Gatsby and Rachel, the fact remains that both Gatsby and Rachel are, in reality, manipulative and self-absorbed people. As evident in multiple parts of the plots, the audience is given several reasons to feel sympathetic for Gatsby and Rachel. However, the audience are deceived, and said character’s manipulative and self-absorbed identities are explicit when more closely observed. Subsequently, we learn that these certain character’s destructive qualities and their role in the plot are only a small part in a much larger representation of old and new money in the fictional works, thus its presence in today’s aristocracy. As once stated by Nick Carraway, “Human sympathy has its limits.” (p. 129) (Fitzgerald, 1925)