Great Gatsby And Yonnondio

The Great Gatsby is a novel that illustrates society in the 1920's and the associated beliefs, values and dreams of the American population at that time. These beliefs, values and dreams can be summed up be what is termed the "American Dream"; a dream of money, wealth, prosperity and the happiness. However, Yonnondio by Tillie Olsen was more similar to The Great Gatsby then meets the eye. The circumstances are very different in The Great Gatsby and Yonnondio, both had different finical situations. But the internal aspects seemed to be more the same.

In chapter three of Yonnondio the Holbrook's start to move through Wyoming and Nebraska to get to their new houses the farm. All is going well, except when their mule stops moving. Jim gets very frustrated and tries to push to make his mule move. A farmer close by suggests he use the old grass-at-the-end-of -the-stick-gag. So Jim does, he gets some grass puts it in front of the mule so the mule will keep moving but never actually get to the grass. This symbolizing working but never actually getting to the grass or in Jims case happiness or success.

The Great Gatsby has a similar scene in the book that also demonstrates this symbolizes of "the grass at the end of the stick." In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, Nick first discovers Gatsby looking at the sea and the green light across from his house, he seems to look at it often in this novel. The green light represents Daisy his long lost "love." Gatsby is almost like the mule looking at the light, but he isn't actually able to receive it. But like the mule he is doing everything in his power to reach it, in his case Daisy.

Another similarity between the Yonnondio and the Great Gatsby is in Yonnondio a very hot summer day Anna Holbrook is at home. Jim comes home drunk and starts to hit Anna and try to have sex with her. Anna tries to refuse but her words mean very little. Jim shows his dominance as a man and Anna who had to just go along with it. This is how many women played their role in society. The men worked and the women