Compare And Contrast Strawberry Wine And The Great Gatsby

Prompt: Compare and contrast these two works—The Great Gatsby and “Strawberry Wine”. Do you notice similar imagery (colors, objects, words, etc.) between the two pieces? Are there similar themes? Do you think the woman has an unhealthy attitude toward her first experience at love? What about Gatsby? Support your position, providing reasons and examples from the two works. Your paper must have a clear thesis statement. The body paragraphs must be at least seven sentences, and remember to use transitions to help organize your ideas.
Through the use of literary devices and character analysis, “Strawberry Wine” and The Great Gatsby portray an image of pointless reminiscing of the past. Gatsby and the woman in the song both did not reach
their goal of true love. Literary devices in “Strawberry Wine” and The Great Gatsby, such similes and imagery, present the idea that reminiscing in the past is futile to the present.
For example, in “Strawberry Wine” the author states, “like strawberry wine”, and in The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald states, “like a flower and an incarnation was complete”, (111). Through these two quotes, both the author of “Strawberry Wine” and Fitzgerald show the beauty of reminiscing in past failed loves. Another literary device used in both “Strawberry Wine” and The Great Gatsby is syntax to convey the image of unsuccessful attempts at love. For instance, when Fitzgerald brings up the green light at the end of the dock in The Great Gatsby, and the author in “Strawberry Wine” states, “my first taste of love oh bittersweet”, these two lines use syntax to show the profound effect of a love and the failure to either hold onto it or to attain it. The idea of the green light in The Great Gatsby represents Gatsby’s unrequited love for daisy, and the author in “Strawberry Wine” presents her first love as a bittersweet experience. Literary devices such as syntax, imagery, and similes in The Great Gatsby and “Strawberry Wine” show immense passion but allude to the idea that reminiscing in the past will not have an impact on the
present. By using character analysis, it can be seen that reminiscing in the past is pointless. Gatsby and the author of the song both suffered the loss of a love. While Gatsby tries to do everything possible to make Daisy love him, the author in “Strawberry Wine” does not and only reminisces of the past. The end result is the same; neither Gatsby nor the author of the song is able to obtain their love. Gatsby reminisces in the past and throws lavish parties in an attempt to lure Daisy to his home, but never ends up achieving his goal to capture her heart. The author of the song “Strawberry Wine” only reminisces of her first love and chooses to go back to the place where it all started to remember the good times. Character analysis demonstrates that no matter how much one reminisces in the past; reminiscing in past events will not change the present or the future. These two love stories portray the idea that the present is not affected by the reminiscing of the past. Both authors use literary devices such as similes, imagery, and character analysis to prove that the reminiscing of a past love does not lead to the obtainment of such love in the present.