Journal 21

The stories of Some Like It Hot and The Great Gatsby are similar and different in many different aspects, especially the utilization of characterization, theme, and conflict.  Moreover, there are characters in both works that relate to each other through characterization such as Gatsby and Joe because they belief that they need money to establish a relationship with the girl that everyone wants who is Daisy and Sugar.  Another example of characterization is with Jerry and Nick Carraway chiefly because they are the characters that often get in the middle of other's personal life by helping them through situations like Nick helping Gatsby meet Daisy or Jerry allowing Joe to take Sugar on the yacht.  Though characterization offers a lot of similarities in the two works, theme also is a key in comparison.  For example, wealth is a theme throughout both stories especially in the fact that both Daisy and Sugar are interested in marrying men with a lot of money.  Also, love is a strong theme in that it is the reason why Gatsby becomes a rich man and moves to West Egg, and it is the reason why Joe disguised as a man born into the oil business.  Though the theme of love is shared, the difference is that love fails in The Great Gatsby and Joe is able to win over Sugar in Some Like It Hot.

Journal 20

All throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses imagery and symbolism as a device to help the reader understand ideas such as superficiality or life spent living in the past.  For example, Nick Carraway reflects on the Dutch sailors that had formerly discovered the island and draws a  connection between the history of the island and Gatsby's lack of understanding about the past.  The green light most likely symbolized a dream of which Gatsby could not achieve, that dream being reliving the past with Daisy. The light is a valid symbol because it is distant and unattainable like his relationship with Daisy.

Journal 19

Nick Carraway is simple because he is a middle class man from the West who contrasts with many of his wealthy friends.
Tom Buchanan is aggressive in his personality and his physical appearance.  Daisy claimed that since she married a "brute" of a man, he was responsible for bruising her finger.  He is also very hot tempered and physical when it comes to dealing with others, for example, when he strikes Myrtle.
Daisy Buchanan is superficial, because first, she marries Tom instead of Jay for financial reasons; second, she is interested in Jay once he acquires money; and third, she retreats back to Tom after the murder of Myrtle seeming to forget that she claimed to have loved Jay.
Jordan Baker is independent because she is an athletic woman.  Nick describes her as appearing more masculine that most girls.  Also, it is absurd for a woman at her age to be touring the country when she is expected to remain at home with her family.
Jay Gatsby is eccentric in his appearance because he is often noted as wearing outrageous clothes such as a pink suit.  His personality is eccentric because he goes to the extent of buying a gigantic home in West Egg simply to reunite with his former love, Daisy.