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Compare how the authors of two texts you have studied present ideas about…
Compare how the authors of two texts you have studied present ideas about romantic commitment.
The Great Gatsby and The Scrutiny
Gatsby:
Tom Buchanan's mistress,' as Nick and Tom pass through the 'valley of ashes,' a location that is home to 'ash grey' men who move 'dimly' in the 'powdery air.'
The adjectives 'ash-grey' and 'powdery,' coupled with the adverb 'dimly' suggest the decay and depression of people who work there.
Myrtle seems to be inextricably linked to the landscape; she lives her life characterised by poverty, her existence with her husband is dull and she desires more.
She isn't romantically committed to her husband and we soon learn that she is having an affair.
She is dissatisfied with her life and we see this when she speaks to her husband in a 'coarse' voice, the adjective suggesting her disrespect for him
Certainly, 'the valley of ashes' seems to symbolise the moral decay of the roaring twenties, often shown in the microcosmic relationships of modernist writing.
The adjective 'ashes' also suggests that the valley is literally a wasteland, probably inspired by T S Elliot's poem, 'the wasteland' which explored the loss of spiritual values such as love, honesty and commitment in post-war society in replace for conspicuous consumption, greed and desire.
Tom and Myrtle's relationship is microcosmic of this spiritual decay, as both character's romantic commitment to their respective spouses is secondary to their desire and greed.
Myrtle sees Tom as a provider, and it is what he can give her financially and physically, that she is attracted and committed to. For example, Myrtle is bought many items by Tom such as the 'Town Tattle' and an 'airedale puppy.'
The endearing noun 'puppy' could perhaps be symbolic of how she is a kind of puppy to be bought and owned by him.
Thus, Tom is not romantically committed to Myrtle, but rather sees her in material terms, as something that he can consume and discard. The affair is ultimately based on his desire for her sensuality and physicality as she is described in erotic terms; the 'wet her lips' and her dress 'stretched wide over her hips' all suggestive of Tom's objectification of her.
The Scrutiny
Like how Tom will not commit to Myrtle, the persona in Lovelace's 'the scrutiny' is similarly casual, rejecting his lover's request for romantic commitment and fidelity.
He openly admits to desiring 'others,' which is similar to Tom through his illicit love relationship with Myrtle, highlighting a lack of romantic commitment. The lothario attitudes of the persona are clear from the outset of the poem; he suggests that he must not 'other beauties wrong' and would not 'rob' his partner of a 'new embrace.'
The use of the adjective 'new' suggests that the persona encourages open desire in love, making an argument for sexual freedom and exploration, rather than romantic commitment.
The speaker likens himself to a 'skilful mineralist' who searches for semi-precious stones or 'treasure in the un-ploughed up ground' to justify his lack of romantic commitment. He uses phallic allusions to elevate himself and reduces the woman to a mere object, unploughed a reference to virginity. Being a mineralist requires a certain level of skill- he is the active explorer, chasing his desire, and the woman is reduced to being his prize. By ignoring the desires of his wife for him to remain monogamous, he creates an air of inequality within the relationship. Not only is he not romantically committed to her, but he doesn't respect her.
However, the ABABB rhyming pattern draws our attention to the final word which suggests that the promise of forever, is a 'fond impossibility.' He seems to simultaneously desire his lover and desire other people, perhaps an embodiment of the Cavelier 'carpe diem' attitude which encourages indulging one's desire over romantic commitment.
Gatsby and Sonnet 116
Tom's lack of romantic commitment for Myrtle is emphasised when Tom 'breaks her nose with an open fist.' The adjective 'open' coupled with the noun 'fist' emphasises the violent and 'brutish' nature of Tom and how this is dangerous for Myrtle, a lower-class woman.
Their relationship is empty and shallow, as it is based on consumerism rather than romantic commitment, Tom will not treat Myrtle with the same sort of 'care' that one would expect from committed marriage. Indeed, consequences of desire and lack of romantic commitment emphasised with how Myrtle ends up dead 'her left breast swinging loose like a flap' whilst Tom is able to retreat into his 'vast carelessness.'
Breast = sensual noun, indicative of how she was only commited to Tom for his wealth and desire and how tried to break through the class barrier- punishment? Meanwhile, Tom is not punished for his lack of romantic commitment towards his wife.
In contrast to Lovelace and Fitzgerald, Shakespeare explores the beauty and endurance of platonic and romantic commitment.
He suggests that 'true mindes' those on an intellectual, spiritual level, like the minds of those who love, cannot be swayed by their promise to be 'true.' Indeed, although sonnet probably written for a man, endured as a popular reading for heterosexual marraiges- symbol of commitment.
Volta illustrates the confidence in Shakespeare's voice. Shakespeare is adamant that love should transcend time, romantically committed to one another for all eternity. Although lovers may lose their 'rosie lips and cheeks' love should remain until the 'edge of doom'. The juxtaposition between the negative noun 'doome' and positive adjective 'rosie' suggests that although looks may physically start to deteriorate, love should flourish past our physical lifetime.
The contrast of youth and old age suggests that love should be selfless and devoid of vanity if it is to survive and endure; lovers must be spiritually and romantically committed to one another, not just physically. Serves as a contrast to Tom and Myrtle's relationship which is based on conspicuous consumption and lust, thus, destined for tragedy and pain.
Whilst Lovelace uses alternating lines of iambic trimeter 'since thine I vowed to be' with iambic tetrameter 'and twas last night I swore to thee.' to convey the disjointed nature of the relationship because of lack of romantic commitment, Shakespeare ends on a heroic couplet: 'if this be error and upon me prov'd/I never writ nor man ever loved.'
This couplet literally parallels the lingusic language, tying the lines through iambic pentameter and rhyme to mirror how the couple is romantically committed to one another. Indeed, the assonance of 'proved' and 'loved' further highlights the persona's desire to reassure his lover of his commitement.