Journal 21: Some Like It Hot and The Great Gatsby

Some Like It Hot and The Great Gatsby are two works that portray the American Dream in the 1920’s.  Whether it was a movie or a book, each literary work described a time when there was an abundance of money, swinging music, romance, and gangsters.  With similar conflicts and themes during each work, it was obvious that the wealthier one was, the more hardships they faced.

            While The Great Gatsby and Some Like It Hot have different characters and plots, it was obvious that there was similar conflicts in romance.  In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby used bootlegging to gain his financial wealth to impress his long lost love Daisy.  He began by throwing big parties that were the main attraction of the week to interest her into coming to his house.  Then, he would capture her love by showing her his kindhearted self and buying her anything her heart pleased.  Gatsby would do whatever it took to make Daisy fall in love with him, but Gatsby’s shady pass presented a conflict on Daisy leaving Tom.  Just as Joe attempts to win over Sugar in Some Like it Hott, he is faced with the problem that he does not have the type of wealth Sugar is looking for. Therefore, he tries to play the role of a millionaire instead of himself.  In the end, it is shown that materials and wealth does not always make a relationship possible.  Even after gaining the wealth Daisy desired, Gatsby is still left heartbroken and Joe convinces Sugar to fall in love with him after he confesses to being poor.

            The Great Gatsby and Some Like It Hot show the importance of high society versus being yourself.  Both Joe and Gatsby pretend to be something they are not and ultimately end up embarrassing themselves.  While Gatsby was truly rich, he tried to hang onto the pass and depict a person who has not changed except for the income he now receives.  He is not Daisy’s husband and acted as though he owns her.  Joe tries to act part of the upper class by taking Sugar on a yacht that is not his.  He wears fancy clothes and longs to impress her with his fake accent.  The difference is that Daisy is unable to look beyond Gatsby’s past and goes back to her husband Tom, while Sugar forgives Joe for his foolish act and falls in love with him.   

            While The Great Gatsby and Some Like It Hot have similar conflicts and themes, they also have different situations and solutions.  Each literary work portrays the responsibility one had being part of a high society versus being poor.  It was shown that while most girls wanted to marry a wealthy man during the 1920’s, she also wanted a real man that act themself.  Between the bootlegging and mixed romances, it was difficult to fall in love and trust someone else.  America was a time of property but also a time full of caution and hardships.