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In F. Scott Fitzgerak=ld's novel, 'The Great Gatsby' and William Shakespeare's play 'Othello', the authors present the idea that all types of desire are destructive; this idea of the detructive nature of desire is also presented in Tennessee William's play, 'Cat on a Hot Tin Rppf'. The ideas presented in these three texts suggest that characters that have a strong desire will be punished, causing pain for themselves and their loved ones. In all three of the texts, readers see how characters with homosexual desires are punished for these desires, as in 'The Great Gatsby' and 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', Nick and Brick experience pain from the death of their loved ones. Furthermore, Fitzgerald and William's display how desire to repeat the past is punishable, as Gatsby and Brick are pained with death and physical injury, a punishment for their attempts to repeat the past. 



The novel, ‘The Great Gatsby’ written by F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses on the sensitive theme of homosexuality throughout the novel. This is presented through the character Nick; with suggestions throughout the novel that Nick may be homosexual, and in love with Gatsby;

“I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.” The ambiguity of this quotation leaves readers feeling confused about Nick’s sexuality, although it is never directly mentioned that Nick is in fact homosexual, this quotation from the beginning of the novel implies that Nick experienced a sexual encounter with a man. Furthermore, the fact that Nick previously stated, ‘I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon’ suggests that Nick may be homosexual however he is ashamed of this, therefore the encounter was induced by alcohol which may have made him feel more confident. On the otherhand, the fact Nick’s homosexuality is never directly addressed may be due to the fact that homosexuality wasn’t accepted during the 1920’s, especially within the upper class society in which Nick was involved with, therefore Nick may have been afraid to open up about this as he may have been embarrassed or ashamed of himself. Additionally, Fitzgerald may have decided not to focus the novel on Nick’s homosexuality as the novel would have unlikely been unsuccessful if homosexuality was directly addressed. Moreover, reference to this idea in chapter 2 allows readers to understand Nick’s fascination with Gatsby at a later stage in the novel, which reinforces the idea that Nick is homosexual. The first person narration from Nick in the novel implies his love for Gatsby is so powerful that it motivated him to write a whole novel about him, reinforcing the notion that Nick is fascinated with Gatsby. A similar idea is presented in William Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’; it can be suggested that the antagonist Iago is homosexual and in love with the protagonist, Othello. Although Iago is plotting to ruin Othello’s life as he continuously states he hates Othello, there are subtle suggestions that Iago in fact loves Othello.

“I hope you will consider what is spoke comes from my love. But I do see you’re moved.” It is suggested that Iago feels as though he must kill Othello because he is ashamed of himself for loving him; similarly to ‘The Great Gatsby’, homosexuality was seen as a sin during the Elizabethan era; therefore, Iago believes the only way to stop his love is to murder Othello. This is reinforced when Iago states, ‘I hope you will consider what is spoke comes from my love’ which implies Iago’s actions are coming from his love for Othello, not for maliscious purposes. On the other hand, in the very beginning of the play, Iago states; “I am not what I am”, suggesting his love and admiration is an act he’s putting on to achieve what he wants, which is to become more powerful as a soldier and to replace Othello. This contrasts with Nick’s love for Gatsby in ‘The Great Gatsby’ as Nick is presented to be exteremly loyal and loving towards Gatsby, whereas Iago appears to be two faced towards Othello. Furthermore, the fact that Iago’s homosexuality is never addressed is similar to ‘The Great Gatsby’ as the play ‘Othello’ would have been seen to be a sin in itself and wouldn’t have had permission to be performed as even a slight direct reference to the subject would have offended audiences. Othello and Iago’s close relationship is further addressed when Iago tells Othello; ‘my Lord, you know I love you’. The fact Iago believes Othello knows that he loves him could suggest that their relationship is closer than audiences originally thought and that something may have happened that audiences aren’t aware of. On the other hand, it could be argued that Iago is purely evil and doesn't care about anyone but himself, therefore not caring about hurting anybody who gets in his way. Furthermore, Tennessee William’s tackles the issue of homosexuality more directly in the play, ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’. The issue of homosexuality is one of the central themes in this play, whereas in ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Othello’ the subject is discreet and not refereced very often. It is suggested that Brick is homosexual and was in love with his best friend, Skipper, which has led to his drinking problem, however Brick denies this.

“You think Skipper and me were a pair of dirty old men?... A couple of… Queers?” Brick’s use of derogatory language such as ‘queers’ suggests that he is homophobic and ashamed of himself, which is why he won’t admit to his family and himself that he’s homosexual. It can also be inferred that Brick’s past career as a sport star has caused homophobia as discrimination was very common for sports stars which may have meant that Brick thought he wont have been accepted if he was openly homosexual. This quotation contrasts with ‘Othello ’ as Iago directly tells Othello that he loves him, whereas Brick is strongly denying the fact that he’s homosexual and audiences are able to see his anger. The fact that Brick gets so angry about the suggestion that he was in love with Skipper suggests that this is a defense he’s putting up as audiences know that he isn’t in love with his wife Maggie and doesn’t care about anyone but Skipper. The similarities between the three texts illustrate how the topic of homosexuality wasn’t discussed in society for many years thrhiouhout different time periods; the sensitive subject implies that homosexuality would cause problems for all characters involved.

Furthermore, Fitzgerald presents Gatsby’s desire to be with Daisy again, suggesting he has an obsession and desire to live in the past.

“Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.” Gatsby’s obsession and desire for Daisy is so powerful that his whole life revoles around attempting to get her attention; the word ‘house’ implies Gatsby only sees it as a building rather than his home, in which he will use to get Daisy to notice him.

The fact he ‘bought a house' 'just across the bay’ from Daisy implies his only true desire is to live in the past and recreate the love that he and Daisy experienced years before. . However, ‘just across the bay’ seems to close yet it implies Gatsby will never be able to reach Daisy and although they are physically so close, they are actually so far apart, which links to the ending of the novel. ”Can’t repeat the past?’ He cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’ This quotation creates an ominous tone as Gatsby has had warning that he will not be able to repeat the past, but is so blinded by his desire for Daisy that he believes anything is achieveable. Similarly, the character Brick in ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ desires to live in the past and his attempt to recreate a part of his past leaves him with disappointment, likewise with Gatsby.

 “Dixie: What were you jumping hurdles for Uncle Brick?

Brick: Because I used to jump them, and people like to do what they used to do, even after they’ve stopped being able to do it.” Brick’s situation is very similar to Gatsby’s; in theirt attempts to recreate the past, they both suffer; Gatsby’s death and Brick’s broken leg; this reinforces the idea suggested in ‘The Great Gatsby’ that it’s impossible to repeat the past. The fact that Brick was jumping hurdles links back to a time when Skipper was still alive and he and Skipper were in High School which implies the reason Brick was jumping hurdles may have been so that he could feel close to Skipper. Furthermore, Brick realises that he is unable to relive his life but attempts to try anyway; “people like to do what they used to do, even after they’ve stopped being able to do it…” The ellipsis connotes Brick had more to say but chose not to finish as it might have reminded him about Skipper therefore upsetting him. On the other hand, the ellipsis implies Brick paused to think about what he had done, realising that he made a mistake attempting to relive the past. Brick’s attempt to relive the past results in him neglecting his wife and even using the crutch from his injury attempting to hit her, therefore his desire causes pain for other people as well as himself.”I tried to kill your Aunt Maggie but I failed” Brick’s bluntness causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as not only is he speaking as though what he’s doing is normal but he is speaking to a child; this reinforces the fact that Brick’s desires are selfish and painful for others.  This is similar to Gatsby as he intentionally starts an affair with Daisy knowing that she is married with a young daughter.

It is evident in each of the texts that desire becomes destructive; in ‘The Great Gatsby’, Nick’s homosexual desire for Gatsby eventually ruins Nick’s life and his life becomes dominated by Gatsby. 

“As I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock.”  The solemn tone allows readers to feel sympathy for Nick as he has lost everything he once loved; the fact that Nick visits Gatsby’s house after he has died suggests he is unable to let go of Gatsby and he wants to feel close to him. This denotes the impact Gatsby has had on Nick, Nick’s love and desire for Gatsby has left him feeling lost and lonely. ‘Brooding on the old, unknown world’ suggests that Nick is unable to forget the past and isn’t able to move on with his life now that his best friend has died. The fact that the destruction of Nick’s homosexual desire happens at the very end of the novel that Nick has written suggests Gatby’s death caused so much pain for Nick that he felt the only way to handle his feelings was to write about Gatsby, with his death as the ending, symbolising the end of the happiness in Nick’s life. Similarly, Iago’s homosexual desire for Othello in the play ‘Othello’ causes destruction for all of the characters in the play, with the death of the majority of the characters. “[Iago wounds Cassio in the leg and exit]…[He stabs Roderigo].” The fact that Iago injures an innocent man and murders his friend displays how powerful his desire is, his suggested love for Othello has become so strong that he believes he has to get rid of him and doesn’t care who else is killed in the process. This displays the destructive nature of Iago’s desire as it has blinded him, leaving him believing his only option is to destroy anybody who gets in his way. Unlike Nick, who’s homosexual desire for Gatsby only causes destruction for himself, Iago’s desire ruins the lives of all of the character’s in the play, therefore displaying the exteremety of his destruction. Arguably the character who's homosexual desire causes the most destruction is Brick, as his desire for Skipper and feelings of huilt over his death have caused Brick to become an alcoholic, which not only affects himself but his family. 
"How about these birthday congratulations, these many, many happy returns of the day, when ev'rybody but you knows there won't be any!" Brick's addiction to alcohol induces his feelings of pain and anger which he reflects in to his own family; it is suggested that Brick tells Bid Daddy, 'there won't be any" happy returns because he's angry at him for suggesting he and Skipper had a homosexual relationship. Brick's pain can be compared to the pain that Nick faces after Gatsby dies, both men are unable to move on with their lives after the death of their loved ones. The repetition of 'many' displays Brick's attempt towards being spiteful to his father, suggesting he resents him for questioning his relationship with Skipper. This denotes Brick's selfish desires as he made the decision to tell Big Daddy about is cancer, a decision that should have been made by the whole family. Therefore, implying Brick no longer cares about his family, the pain he has experienced and the guilt he feels for Skipper's death has taken over his life and he no longer cares about his family or his wife. 

In the novel, 'The Great Gatsby', readers see the destructive impact of Gatsby's desires as his attempt to start a relationship with Daisy caused destruction fror the majority of the character's in the novel, especially Gatsby himself. "But when they tore open her waistshirt, still damo with persperation, they saw that her left breast was swinging loose like a flap, and there was no need to listen for the heart beneath." This presents the large scale destruction Gatsby's desire for Daisy has caused, the the death of Myrtle displays how his desire has caused the death of a woman he had never met. The detailed description of Myrtle's dead body could be seen as a metaphor to illustrate how destructive Gatsby's desire to repeat the past with Daisy was. The physical damage to Daisy's body is metaphorical for the large impact Gatsby has had on all of the character's, displaying how nothing will ever be the same again for any character. 'There was no need to listen for the heart beneath' suggests that Myrtle's death has inevitable and all characters are punished for their desires; Myrtle's death signifies the beginning of Gatsby's downfall as, although it was not Gatsby driving the car that killed Myrtle, if it wasn't for his desire to repeat the past Myrtle wouldn't have died, therefore Gatsby is punished for his desires. Gatsby is punished for his desire for Daisy as in the end of the novel Daisy chooses to stay with Tom and Gatsby is murdered, therefore suggesting Fitzgerald punishes characters for having illicit desires. Furthermore, Fitzgerald may have chosen to punish Gatsby and Myrtle for their desires as they were immoral, which suggests that illicit desires will always be punished. Additionally, Gatsby may have been punished for his attempt to repeat the past, which he was warned was not possible, reinforcing the message previously in the novel that the past can not be repeated. This is a similar message oresented in the play, 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', as Brick's attempts to repeat the past cause destruction; although his desire doesn't have such a large destructive impact as Gatsby's do, it still causes tension within the family and a physical injurt for Brick, reinforcing the message that desire and attempts to repeat the past will cause destruction as Gatsby's death and Brick's broken leg and alcohol addiction suggest. Therefore, both Fitzgerald abd William's present the message that the past cannot be repeated and desire to repeat the past will result in large destruction.

In conclusion, each of the authors present the message that desires are destructive, for both the charater with the desire and for other characters surrounding them. In 'The Great Gatsby', Nick's homosexual desire and love for Gatsby leads to his suggested depression and obsession with Gatsby after his death. Gatsby's desire to repeat the past causes the death of Myrtle, George and himself, firmly suggesting it's impossible to repeat the past and any attemots to do so will cause large scale destruction. In 'Othello', Iago's homosexual desire causes destruction for all of the characters in the play and death for most of them. As Othello was set during the Elizabethan era, illicit desires such as homosexual desires wouldn't have been accepted, therefore the death of many of the characters suggested to audiences at the time that homosexuality was exteremely destrucrive, also sending the message that it's unacceptable in any case. Furthermore, in the play 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', Brick's homosexual desire and love for his best friend Skipper destructs him and his family as his addiction to alcohol leads to Brick becoming violent and uncaring towards his family. Overall, all of the writers attempt to present the message that desires are destructive, and any character with illicit desires will be punished. 

Personally Statement xx philosophy x

Over the past few years I have become an open minded person and have always been very curious, often questioning... ..........................Throughout my school life I have always been very interested in morality and the diverse range of religions and beliefs; which is why I chose to study Philosophy and Ethics at A Level. Throughout the course my strong passion for learning at a higher level and attaining new information has inspired me to choose to study Philosophy at University.

I am currently studying English Literature, Media Studies and Philosophy and believe that these subjects have provided me with a diverse range of skills that will assist me at University. Studying English Literature has helped me achieve independence as well as team work, as structuring essays and presentations both by myself and in a team has taught me to be articulate; both in my written work and when speaking to people. Additionally, both Media Studies and Philosophy have allowed me to gain an open minded attitude as debates have improved my critical thinking and debating skills.

Last summer I started working in a local estate agents, through this I developed skills to become more independent and mature, furthermore my experience helped me build my confidence when working with the general public, whilst maintaining a professional attitude. Debates in my Philosophy class have also helped me develop my confidence and appreciate other people's views and opinions, something which I have been able to use in my current job at a restaurant where I often deal with criticism. Dealing with a part-time job whilst also studying my A Levels has taught me how to balance my time sufficiently