This paper will attempt to present a description of the differences between Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene and The Great Gatsby by American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald). Both publications relate a series of events in varying circles of society and present intricate and interesting plots. The paper will aim to identify specific attributes of each of the two novel publications and will attempt to reflect on how both are not only different from each other but highlight the very same areas of life from different perspectives.
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene is the story of a vacuum cleaner salesman who concocts a plot-driven by his imagination and desire to bring a difference in his life. On the other hand, The Great Gatsby is mainly a story of Nick Carraway who witnesses the central character of Jay Gatsby in a third-person perspective. Both James Wormold and Nick Carraway are surprised at what they witness when they come into contact with the world around them and both characters struggle to make sense out of their respective scenarios as the plots twist and turn through insecurities and fears (Fitzgerald).
It is imperative to realize that the purpose of the paper is not to carry out a critical analysis of the plays but to carry out a comparison of the attributes in which they relate to each other. The Great Gatsby presents an insight into American life and into social events in which almost everybody appears to be content in their lives and in their composures (Fitzgerald). The purpose because of which The Great Gatsby and Doctor Fischer of Geneva were chosen for the purpose of comparison for this paper is because of the fact that both books present cases in which seemingly perfect lives are thrown in complete disarray in the pursuit of happiness.
Both authors have chosen to shed light on how people struggle to acquire happiness but remain unsatisfied and discontent with their lives’ acquisitions; the discontent leading them to push their luck farther (Fitzgerald). However, in doing so, both authors present a picture that is highly contrasting in nature.
In the Great Gatsby, we see that the characters are struggling to acquire high social standing amongst their peers (Fitzgerald). Every character desires admiration and appreciation. In contrast to this scenario, Doctor Fischer of Geneva presents a case in which the lifestyle of the rich and famous is only a dream. Our man in Havana presents the story of a man who is driven by desperation and wants nothing more but to be able to provide his daughter with all she wants. He is a man who is in the search of the American dream (Greene). Stuck in the turbulence of Cuba, he is willing to resort to lying and cheating if that is what he must to acquire his dream. In Our Man in Havana, there is very little regard for wealth and most of the plot is more aligned with a quest for survival. However, it is clear that the central value in this regard is that of happiness. The protagonist, James Wormold, is driven by a desire to keep his family safe and to survive (Greene).
In the Great Gatsby, the parties and dinners are for the purpose of pomp and show. Members of the higher social circles come to show off their wealth and riches and rarely give any regard to anything else. In sharp contrast, Our man in Havana presents a case where a party is a luxury that is well out of reach.
In The Great Gatsby, the central character, Nick Carraway, does not give much attention to the relationship that he engages in during the course of the plot (Fitzgerald). He realizes it to be one that does merit his sincere commitment and it is perhaps because of the same reason that he shows little or no sorrow when he realizes that he has lost Jordan. In contrast to this, the protagonist of Our man in Havana is only concerned about his daughter. Having lost his wife, his singular concern is his daughter and her safety. It can be observed that while Nick chose to refrain from falling in love, James chose to commit himself to the development of a new life through any means he had to resort to (Greene).
However, the fundamental contrast between the two plots lies in the conclusion. in the Great Gatsby, the individual chooses to live a life of recluse on account of the newly developed distaste he acquires after witnessing society unjustly take an honest man’s life (Fitzgerald). In doing so, he chooses to push aside the prospect of having a relationship on account of the corruption that he finds infesting the higher circles of society. On the other hand, in Our man in Havana chooses to push his luck to the maximum limit and then presents himself for processing in London (Greene).
We can observe that while the protagonist of the great Gatsby shows little faith in love and chooses reclusion because he has chosen to give up on all forms of affection, the protagonist in Our man in Havana does not even consider any affection other than fatherly love that which he holds for his daughter. He chooses to step into a life of circular deception and lies to pull himself and his daughter out of their limited life. In this regard, it can be observed that Our Man in Havana addresses a far more basic desire for survival than that found in The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald; Greene). Our Man in Havana does not address the luxuries of life like the Great Gatsby but chooses to show a picture in which the central purpose is to make the best of a situation that is doubtlessly spiraling towards an increasing level of complexity from which no good can be expected to come. However, it is evident that the motives for both protagonists to do so were very different. Nick’s motives are to pull things together in order to restore whatever peace he can in the lives of the people he cares about while James’s motive is to develop a prosperous life for himself and his daughter.
The Great Gatsby showed far less concern for the accumulation of wealth but did not let the subject go by without highlighting the need for the acquisition of wealth (Greene). The main characters in the Great Gatsby are driven by their desire to acquire their emotional objectives, but their decisions are influenced by the acquisition of wealth. In sharp contrast, Doctor Fischer of Geneva represents a scenario in which decisions regarding the acquisition of wealth are influenced by success in relationships and on emotional levels.
It can be surmised from the discussion that even though both novels appear to be addressing the pursuit of happiness. While Nick’s happiness is in his friend’s success, James’s happiness lies in the development of a renewed life. In this regard, it can be justly stated that each novel has its own frame of reference from which it highlights the frail nature of the apparent stability of society.
References
Fitzgerald, Francis Scott Key. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1925.
Greene, Graham. Our Man in Havana. London: Heinemann, 1958.