In comparison, both authors choose, as part of their presentation of Gatsby and Heathcliff, to have the narrators tell their tales retrospectively. In the case of ‘Wuthering Heights’ however, the inclusion of two narrators means that there are shifts from past to present, although the bulk of the story is told with Nelly recounting it to Lockwood. We are informed by Fitzgerald at the start of the novel that Nick ‘came back from the east last autumn’. Fitzgerald also tells us, through Nick, that ‘Gatsby turned out alright at the end’ which could be though of as ironic considering that ‘at the end’ he is shot by a grief-stricken Wilson. The presenting of the stories in this way further adds to the impression of realism in the novels, as if what we are being told actually happened and the narrators are reliving and judging what occurred in their retelling.
In ‘Wuthering Heights’ Bronte uses setting in her character presentation. Heathcliff’s nature and personality is symbolised in the landscape in which he resides. Wuthering Heights is a lonely, haunted place, isolated from society. Heathcliff, especially when we first encounter him, is regarded by Lockwood as his ‘solitary neighbour’ and Wuthering Heights itself described as a ‘misanthropist’s heaven’. Wuthering Heights is also used by Bronte to symbolise a change in mood at the close of the novel. It is filled with love and the weather ‘sweet and warm’. This representing the new love between Hareton and Catherine and also the peace and tranquillity experienced by Heathcliff in the final days leading up to his death. As the novel progresses we also learn that Heathcliff is haunted by the memory of his one true love, his ‘heart’s darling’, Cathy, who ultimately proves to be the death of him. With the inclusion of Cathy’s haunting of Heathcliff, Bronte drew upon the eighteenth century idea of Gothicism, that of ghosts and the paranormal and their influence on the living; a similarity between the two authors being that they both drew upon ideas of their time. Fitzgerald including jazz age influences in his novel. He also drew upon the experiences of his life, in particular the continuous and ostentatious parties that he attended– Gatsby could in fact be thought of as being autobiographically representative of parts of Fitzgerald’s life. Bronte uses the dramatic device of pathetic fallacy to reflect both Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff’s nature. Upon Lockwood’s second visit he was met with a ‘bitter whirl of wind and suffocating snow’ which prevents his return to Thrushcross Grange, isolating him at the Heights and from the rest of society which adds to the impression of loneliness and self-imposed isolation associated with Heathcliff. The cold, harsh weather also reflects those similar wild and brutal traits in Heathcliff’s temperament.
Both Fitzgerald and Bronte create settings that are defined by its absence of women. Wuthering Heights is full of the intense longing and yearning of Heathcliff for Cathy; this reinforced by the supernatural visitation of Cathy’s ghost to Lockwood resulting in a ‘gush of grief’ from Heathcliff. This ‘gush’ is seen to be poignant in Heathcliff’s presentation as he is usually perceived to be an emotionally distant character and represents the degree of loss experienced by him. In ‘The Great Gatsby’, Gatsby’s house is defined in its lack of Daisy and the very fact that it is completely engineered to bring her closer to him – the lights, the parties, even the ‘beautiful shirts’. The extent of Gatsby’s feelings towards Daisy is shown when Nick says: ‘I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes.’ This demonstrating the point that everything Gatsby possesses is for Daisy and that he values her judgement far above his own. Daisy recognises this and is driven to ‘cry stormily’ by the very fact.
Fitzgerald also uses setting in his presentation of Gatsby. He uses the dividing river between Gatsby’s mansion and Daisy’s residence to be symbolic of a barrier between them, foreboding of the fact that they will never truly be together or return to what they had five years previously. Alternatively, it could be seen as the extent and closeness to which Gatsby has come in his pursuit of Daisy – the divide of water narrowed from the entire Atlantic Ocean when he was fighting in the war to a narrow strip of river now. Fitzgerald uses light as a symbol throughout his novel. The ‘single green light’ at Daisy’s being a beacon towards which Gatsby ‘stretched out his arms.’ An image of mystery to us when we first perceive it, but is later recognised to possess a great significance in the expression of intense longing and devotion by Gatsby. Later on in the novel Gatsby creates a signal of his own when he sets the ‘whole corner of the peninsula…blazing with light.’ His intention being most probably to subconsciously attract Daisy to him like a ‘moth’. Gatsby’s house is also used by Fitzgerald in a similar fashion to Bronte – to demonstrate a complete change in mood at the close of the novel. The house is seen to be empty, both of purpose and of Daisy. Without Daisy, and with Gatsby’s death, the house loses all significance. This emptiness is retrospectively emphasised with the reader’s memory of Gatsby’s vast parties. It is also partially due to the emptiness that we fully realise the ‘colossal nature of his dreams’. The size of the house is symbolic of the size of his dream and also of just how far he came in his pursuit of Daisy. Its emptiness is also representative of the fact that Daisy moved on, whilst Gatsby didn’t. It could therefore be argued that he was destined to face tragedy as Daisy could never live up to the faultless, perfect model Gatsby constructed in his mind. Fitzgerald, in a similar fashion to Bronte, uses Pathetic fallacy; although his use is more to create atmosphere rather than posit character traits. At the reunion of Gatsby and Daisy in Nick’s ramshackle house, the rain prior to the meeting and the subsequent change of weather to sunshine highlights the trepidation experienced beforehand and the jubilation afterwards where Gatsby ‘literally glowed’. The central romantic image of the novel, where Gatsby kisses Daisy on a night ‘white with moonlight,’ is another example of pathetic fallacy. The white here symbolising the purity of Gatsby’s love for Daisy. The ‘broiling’ day of the confrontation between Gatsby and Tom is a further use of pathetic fallacy, where the stifling heat creates a tense atmosphere for the suppressed emotions held to break free.
Both Fitzgerald and Bronte use contrast with other characters in their presentation of Gatsby and Heathcliff. In Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ the evident contrast is between Gatsby and Tom Buchanan; two very different men whose only thing in common is their love for Daisy, although this is doubtful in the case of Tom because of his promiscuity. He has a ‘woman’, Myrtle in New York, and self-confesses that ‘once in a while I go off on a spree’. This exemplified by the ‘chambermaid’ on their honeymoon and Tom being ‘God knows where’ when Daisy was giving birth – suggesting to the reader that it was with another woman. In complete and stark contrast to Tom’s numerous affairs, Gatsby is totally devoted to Daisy to whom he feels ‘wed’. Tom is a largely built, self-centred man with inherited money and position, described by Fitzgerald of having a ‘cruel body’ that seems to reflect his personality and temperament in a similar way in which Bronte’s landscape reflects Heathcliff’s. Fitzgerald directs us to have a negative and low view of Tom. This shown by him being labelled a ‘prig’ and expressing racist sentiments: ‘next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white’. Gatsby, in total contrast, is reserved, gentle, from poor beginnings; who built himself up to his current high station. We are directed by Fitzgerald to side with Gatsby, who is described as having ‘something gorgeous about him’ and it is by comparison with Tom that Gatsby’s truly endearing qualities are emphasised. There is also an irony between Tom and Gatsby in the fact that although Tom is ‘well bred’ and Gatsby is from the lower classes of America, it is Gatsby whom we view as the better man, too good for the society he has risen into and which ultimately becomes the death of him.
Heathcliff is contrasted strongly with Edgar Linton. They, just like Gatsby and Tom, share only their love for the same person, in this case Cathy. Edgar is representative of the upper class society in the nineteenth century. He is educated, slight of bearing and with a wealthy, privileged heritage. Heathcliff is an enigma, found on the streets of Liverpool; he is subjected to violence and hardship throughout his upbringing by Hindley and this (psychologically predictably) results in a troubled adulthood. Heathcliff, as his name suggests, is closely tied to the wilderness and is indicative of the Romantic movement which emphasised the natural, and rejected society as a restricting entity. Heathcliff, unlike Fitzgerald’s Gatsby, is viewed in a mostly negative light by the reader; although it could be argued that we feel pity towards him because of what he has suffered – an abusive childhood and the loss of the only person he truly loves. The intense agony and grief of separation is apparent throughout the novel, resulting, at the end, with Heathcliff almost willing himself to die. On the other hand, his acts of violence and vindictiveness are almost unforgivable. Heathcliff manipulates Isabella Linton’s affections for him, eventually eloping with her, to hurt Edgar for taking his Cathy. Another example of the streak of malice in his character is where he instinctively catches Hareton when he is dropped by Hindley and expresses the ‘intensest anguish at having made himself the instrument of thwarting his own revenge.’ This act could show however, that Heathcliff possesses an innate degree of humanity hidden from the world because he instinctively reached out to catch Hareton.
This is an area of contrast between the two author’s presentation of Gatsby and Heathcliff. Fitzgerald chooses to make his protagonist favourably viewed by the reader, both through his actions and by being directed to support him by Fitzgerald through Nick. Bronte chooses to present Heathcliff as a brutal, tyrannical ‘Imp of Satan’ whom we are directed to not endear to.
Fitzgerald incorporates the use of rumour in his presentation of Gatsby. This is in contrast to presentational techniques used by Bronte. Gatsby, throughout the novel is described as ‘a nephew or cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’s’, ‘a German spy during the war’ and is ‘thought that he killed a man once’. The plethora of rumours about Gatsby’s life and past adds to the enigmatic impression we receive of him. While Heathcliff is also an enigma Bronte chooses not to reveal or even speculate (via characters in the novel) about the source of his wealth or his biological heritage, however Nelly does suggest, in an attempt to cheer Heathcliff that ‘Who knows but your father was Emperor of China and your mother an Indian queen’.
Although Gatsby and Heathcliff are undeniably different characters they both presented by Fitzgerald and Bronte to possess a number of similar character traits and have comparable instances befall them. They are both driven with an almost insatiable desire to materially and, in the case of Gatsby socially, better themselves in pursuit of a woman possessed of greater social standing. They are also both rejected in favour of men who of greater wealth and higher station. This pursuit for their love seems to be the driving factor in both of their lives, to raise themselves up to an equal level in society to be accepted and loved. They are both from poor backgrounds and brought up to a higher social stratum by a kind-hearted individual, Dan Cody in the case of Gatsby and Mr Earnshaw in the case of Heathcliff. Gatsby and Heathcliff are both enigmatic in regard to how they gained their money in the space of time where they were apart from their love. Gatsby is slightly less so as it is revealed to us that he set up a chain of ‘drugstores’ and that he also has dubious business ‘gonnegtions’ with Meyer Wolfsheim. In regard to Heathcliff we know nothing; either Bronte viewed the detail to be unimportant or purposely didn’t include it to add more mystery to Heathcliff’s character. By not revealing all they create an unknown detail that is intriguing to the reader - this being another example of similar presentation by Fitzgerald and Bronte. Another similarity between the two characters is that they both seem to have a disregard for money. Heathcliff lives in squalor while Gatsby only holds his parties to entice Daisy where he can meet her again. Finally, both characters are tragically parted by death from their love. The death of Cathy in Heathcliff’s case and Gatsby’s touching murder separating him from Daisy.
In both authors’ novels, Gatsby and Heathcliff are seen to die. Eventhough they both perish as a result of indirect, or in the case of Heathcliff direct, ties with their love, the reader’s response to both of their deaths is very different. With Heathcliff we learn of his death after it has actually occurred – with Nelly recounting the details to Lockwood. It is an incongruous description, Heathcliff is seen to almost will himself to die by refusing the bodily requirement of food. Bronte presents him as having adopted a euphoric, almost unearthly state – as if he partially enters the afterlife where Cathy resides before leaving this life. We sense feelings of peace and relief which contrasts heavily with the ‘misanthropist’ image formed at the start of the novel. In Gatsby’s case we are left with a strong sense of injustice at his death; shot by a mistaken Wilson because Tom Buchanan ruthlessly manipulates his grief. There is also an element of tragic nobility arising from the fact that Gatsby takes the blame for Daisy: ‘but of course I’ll say I was…driving’. This nonchalant courage endears us towards Gatsby and also fuels our indignity felt at his death. There is no peace or tranquillity as experienced in ‘Wuthering Heights’, only emptiness and disgust felt by Nick, and us, towards Daisy and the rest of her affluent society which rejects Gatsby, not even attending his funeral. Here Fitzgerald is contrasting the characters, ethics and morals of the West and East of America. New York representing the east and the land ‘full of money’ that Nick consciously abandons.
Both Fitzgerald and Bronte use confrontation in their presentation of Gatsby and Heathcliff. The main clash in ‘The Great Gatsby’ is set on a stiflingly hot day in a suite of the Plaza hotel where Tom’s anger at Gatsby’s relations with his wife comes to a head. It is instigated by Tom’s words of ‘what kind of row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow?’ Gatsby’s intense love for Daisy is shown by Fitzgerald when he springs ‘to his feet, vivid with excitement’ this being a direct contrast to his former, ‘cool’ composure. In the course of this altercation there is an example of how we are directed as a reader by Fitzgerald to side with Gatsby. Tom is described to be ‘Flushed with his impassioned gibberish’, almost provoking Nick to be ‘tempted to laugh’. Fitzgerald also labels Tom a ‘prig’ while in Gatsby Nick experiences ‘one of those renewals of complete faith’ because of Gatsby’s confession that he didn’t attend Oxford. Compared the Bronte’s Heathcliff we experience no such thing.
In ‘Wuthering Heights’ the novels major confrontation is where Edgar Linton accosts Heathcliff at Thrushcross Grange. Edgar describes Heathcliff’s presence as ‘a moral poison that would contaminate the most virtuous’, Bronte here presenting Heathcliff’s character through dialogue and relationship with other characters. This quote gives us an insight into Heathcliff’s nature as a ‘poison’ that could corrupt any person, even if they are ‘virtuous’. Bronte further explores Heathcliff’s personality in this confrontation when Heathcliff retorts that Cathy’s ‘lamb’ (Edgar) is ‘in danger of splitting its skull against my knuckles’ – demonstrating Heathcliff’s violent and passionate nature. This confrontation also serves to demonstrate Bronte’s use of narrative device in having the narrator, Nelly, present in major events of the novel as when she is asked to fetch assistance for Edgar, she is thwarted in leaving by Cathy. It is in this episode that Bronte presents the characteristic among Heathcliff’s traits of him being a corrupting influence. It is Heathcliff who is usually associated with violence but during this incidence it is Edgar who strikes Heathcliff ‘full on the throat a blow that would have levelled a slighter man.’ Both Fitzgerald and Bronte use confrontation as a means to develop Gatsby and Heathcliff’s character.
In conclusion both Bronte and Fitzgerald use a variety of techniques in their presentations of Gatsby and Heathcliff. Despite the fact that both novels were written centuries apart there are many similarities in the author’s presentation. On the other hand the periods in which the novels were written come across evidently such as the Romanticism influences in ‘Wuthering Heights’ and the insights into the jazz era in ‘The Great Gatsby’. Gatsby is presented to be a character of noble heart, almost too good for the society into which he raises himself up to and who is ultimately, and tragically, destroyed by it. Heathcliff is presented as a ‘tyrant’, capable of cruelty and malice that is balanced out by the overwhelming grief experienced by him. Central to both novels is the theme of love and the immense acts of human ability and suffering that can stem from it. They also explore love as an all-consuming force that can act as, in Gatsby’s case a reason for living and bettering himself, or in Heathcliff’s case a reason for dying.
