The Things They Carried And The Great Gatsby By F. Scott...

Throughout literary history, one main theme most writers favor to focus on is the human condition. The Things They Carried and The Great Gatsby are just two examples of many written in which this theme is present. The Things They Carried, written by Tim O Brien, is about O Brien telling his personal experiences and stories of the Vietnam War, and how the soldiers are fighting two wars, a war with the Viet Cong and a war with themselves. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is set in the Roaring Twenties as it follows the story of a young man named Gatsby as he tries to achieve his version of the American Dream. Throughout the two novels, one can find that the loss of one s humanity emerges as one of the main topics they both share. The Things They Carried and The Great Gatsby explore the loss of humanity in the 20th century through facing death, experiencing hardships with the intention of forgetting or bringing back that moment, and upholding one s reputation. Death lurks around every corner, and many people have their own methods of confronting death. In The Things They Carried, O’Brien has to confront death head on. In war, death is all around and is constantly presenting itself with no intention of leaving. O’Brien’s first encounter of death, in itself, almost makes him lose his humanity: I was brand new to the war. I was my fourth day; I hadn’t developed a sense of humor. Right away, as if I’d swallowed something, I felt a moist sickness rise up inShow MoreRelatedThe Colors of Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgeralds Famous Novel1640 Words   |  7 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald is famous for the detail with which he crafted the quintessential American novel, The Great Gatsby. With his well-chosen words, Fitzgerald painted a fantastic portrait of life during the Roaring Twenties in the minds of his readers, a picture rich with color and excitement. 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