A comparative study between A Tale of Two Cities and The Great Gatsby - The self-sacrifice spirits in romanticism

Abstract

A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens reflects the sharp class contradiction and class struggle. Through the analysis of the characters, this novel shows the rationality of revolution and the injustice of oppression. He feels that the old ways of oppression must be changed, and that much oppression and much misery inevitably lead to revolution, but when the revolution actually comes, he thinks that it is too violent and that the less bloodshed the better. And he considers that people should show tolerance and kindheartedness instead of fierce hatred. The Great Gatsby takes the First World War as its background, when people were suspicious about the traditional notions and intended to break out them. Firstly, because of different social backgrounds, the authors have different understandings of the reality. But both them admire the spirits of self-sacrifice. Secondly, the characters have symbolisms in the novels. Even different people have similar meaning in the society. Finally, through compare the reasons of their self-sacrifice, we can see different endings of them. © 2013 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.