American literature is a rich and diverse field of study, encompassing works spanning over two centuries that explore a variety of themes. However, there are some common themes that emerge in American literature time and again, such as the search for identity, the struggle for independence, and the sense of belonging. These themes resonate with readers regardless of their culture or background because they capture universal human experiences.
Two passages from classic American literature that exemplify these recurrent motifs are “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain and “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although these novels were written more than half a century apart, they both share a common theme – the search for freedom.
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is about a young boy named Huck who embarks on an adventure down the Mississippi River with his friend Jim, an escaping slave. The novel portrays Huck’s quest to break free from societal norms and constraints while forging new relationships along the way.
Huck’s journey towards freedom begins when he decides to help Jim escape slavery despite knowing that it goes against everything he has been taught growing up in racist Missouri. He realizes that society’s expectations may be at odds with his own moral compass; thus he breaks away from cultural norms to do what feels right to him. Along their travels on rafts down Mississippi river Huck learns how genuine friendship breeds resilience amidst adversity and directly aids huck forsake discrimination instilled by society
Similarly , In “The Great Gatsby,” Nick Carraway describes Jay Gatsby’s life story -a young man who comes into great wealth through illegal schemes so as win back Daisy Buchanan- as reflective of America’s obsession only material gains thats not sustainable socially or economically . Like Huck Finn however ,the character questiontably aligns himself morally adopts questionable shortcuts which leads ultimately lead tragic consequences .
Gatsby’s pursuit toward financial success was driven out deep desire to belong in the elite groups of New York city society . In his relentless pursuit, he forms an unrequited relationship with Daisy Buchanan, represented as a status symbol for Gatsby. He chooses to adopt fickle means and estrange himself from part real identities when mingling around this high class society hub .
Huck’s and Gatsby’s journeys may have different paths but they share a common desire – freedom. Huck broke free from societal norms that were limiting him morally while Gatsby sought after social acceptance through monetary gain by ignoring ethics and disoocing himself into myriad endeavors towards satifying personal desires.
In conclusion both novels have many shared themes with “Freedom” being one among them. Whether it is Huck Finn or Jay Gatsby,the characters’ quests for true independence from social constructs epitomizes American dreams despite pursuing questionable tactics , ultimately signifying the human struggle toward self-discovery on our paths to liberation .
American literature is a vast and diverse field of study encompassing works spanning over two centuries that explore a variety of themes. However, through these years, there are some common threads that emerge time and again in American literature such as the search for identity, the struggle for independence and sense of belonging. These recurrent motifs experience responses from readers regardless of their culture or background because they capture universal human experiences.
Two classic novels: “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain and “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald exemplify these recurring themes eloquently
“The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn” has been regarded as an exceptional masterpiece within American literature owing to its unique storytelling style on top of excellence in expression. Huck’s character moves out both structural racism at the societal level along with moral dilemmas at an individual level.
Huck’s journey towards freedom starts when he decides to help Jim escape slavery despite knowing it goes against everything he has taught growing up in racist Missouri; hence breaking away from cultural norms and doing what feels right to him — This act became controversial upon publication due to its commendable approach to tackling issues like racial inequality using literary-artistic excellence
Similarly , In “The Great Gatsby,” Jay Gatsby’s life story depicts America’s obsession with material possessions ultimately leading senseless destruction socially, politically, and morally as Nick Carraway discovers .
Gatsby’s initial quest was driven out his deeply ingrained desire to belong in the elite groups making up high society sought after financial success through illegal schemes hence compromising ethics . His relentless pursuit saw him form relationships including coercive ones while immersing himself so deep into this new social circle that parted ways with his real identity
Both Huck Finns’ & Jay Gatsbys’ journeys share a common desire – freedom- albeit via different paths. While Huck breaks free from societal constraints limiting him morally,Gatsby seeks acceptance via monetary gain, adopting questionable tactics that eventually led to his downfall.
In conclusion, these novels shared common instances of the human struggle towards self-discovery on our paths to liberation despite pursuit for freedom through subjective means ultimately signs of American dreams.