The Great Gatsby and Breakfast at Tiffany’s: a study of literary confluence

Abstract

The Great Gatsby is an icon of the American Dream related to the disillusionment that remained after World War I, this novel being set in New York in 1922 . Breakfast at Tiffany's represents once again the failure of those American ideals during the Second World War, that is to say, two decades later, and in that same city which stands for the whole country. Both literary works can be considered a faithful reflection of their times within their cultural and sociological contexts. Furthermore, they play with the tensions between idealism and i opportunity, which are inherent in the American literary thought. The aim of this project is to analyze the optional intertextuality that Breakfast at Tiffany's shows with respect to The Great Gatsby, after placing each of these works in its respective context. There is not only a repetition of such themes as disappointment and incertitude, but also of materialism and corruption. In addition, a reiteration of characters' roles can be acknowledged; the narrators of the two novels function as observers and the protagonists develop throughout the stories in a very similar way, from humble origins to a new identity that allows them to pursue their own aspirations.