In the year 2012, it was predicted that the world was supposed to end. By 2020 the world was supposed to be filled with flying cars and robots. It was impossible to think one could have come remotely close to stepping foot on the moon. Yet the world is still standing, there are no flying cars or robots, and there are footprints on the moon. Life is not a concept that anyone can predict. Once you enter the world, you no longer have complete control over how your plans of actions are executed. Regardless of how hard one may try to gain control, the reality of the situation is that, despite attempting to live life according to our own direction, it does not move according to our wishes. Human beings naturally fall into extreme obsessions with completing their goals, trusting others too much, and the inevitable events of death. In the works of literature, Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, Fitzgerald’s “ The Great Gatsby”, and Collins’ “The Hunger Games”, the authors assert, despite our plans, nothing in life is certain and many things fall beyond our control.
One’s obsession with obtaining a specific goal causes that individual to cloud their judgement of reality and fall into the delusions of the world. This aching desire only makes it easier to fail. Throughout Hamlet, this was consistently evident through the turn of events that occured. Nothing was strong enough to stop Hamlet from seeking revenge for his father’s death. Although, the only thing stopping him was himself. His pin point well thought out plan failed to take into consideration the uncertainties of life. “O, vengeance!
Why, what an a** am I! This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murder’d, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell…” ( Act 2, Scene 2, Line 525) , Hamlet reveals his flaw of hesitation. He berates himself for not being more passionate in nature after noticing how an actor can generate more intense feeling on a stage, than he can seem to do in real life. Hamlet has come to terms with the fact he will never be able to execute his plan because all he is focusing on is his desire to kill and not the greater knowledge behind it. He takes no time to think about what could go wrong or how to prepare for it. This reason is exactly what leads to the downfall of his character. Similarly, in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby blindly played all his luck and fortune into impressing Daisy, whom he hoped to win over. Gatsby’s obsession with his goal to impress and have Daisy all to himself is what led to this state of vulnerability and poor decision making. Since he let his obsession take control of how he lives his life, and what he does in order to attract Daisy he could no longer see his flaws in logic. The first flaw in Gatsby’s actions was allowing himself to be put in a situation where an individual has to power to affect his overall happiness. What he did not consider was that money and luck does not always get you far as they are one of the uncertainties of life. In hopes of getting his last shot at impressing the love of his life, Gatsby protects and takes the blame when Daisy kills Myrtle with the hope that this will gain her respect and love. However, he failed to take into consideration the flaws in this plan, as he was so focused on obtaining his one goal; Daisy. This results in his ultimate death stemming from George’s built up anger and resentment towards him. This shows that Gatsby blindly put his trust and faith into Daisy, when it puts him in a vulnerable position which ultimately cost him his life. Both Hamlet and Gatsby were too focused with achieving a certain goal that they were blinded of the true realities that lay deeper than the surface.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “The only thing guaranteed in life is death and taxes.” The theme of death is apparent throughout both The Hunger Games, and The Great Gatsby. Although, the irony lies in the fact that one is never prepared for a death even though it is supposedly inevitable. What Hamlet and Katniss fail to see is that even though death is unavoidable, does not mean it is prediable. Katniss has been an outsider since she became relevant in the Hunger Games society. She portrays characteristics such as selflessness and keeps a strong wall up not allowing anyone to get the advantage of knowing who she truly is. As she is participating in the games she establishes a strong relationship with a young girl named Rue. Rue was one of the very few people given the opportunity to get to know Katniss at a deeper level. Katniss invested a lot of time into protecting this young girl and allowed herself to establish a vulnerable connection with Rue. This further puts Katniss in a vulnerable position as she grows to deeply care for this young individual. Although, life took control of the situation and ultimately lead to the death of Rue, leaving Katniss in a position of grief. The similarity falls within the story of The Great Gatsby. Nick was a vital character in the creation of the entire story. He showed his loyalty through honesty and his listening abilities. He learned to get through life by actually getting to know a person. For example, Nick had a strong desire to acknowledge Gatsby’s existence because he would never take from a stranger without getting to know who they are. When Nick attended Gatsby’s party, his instincts were to formally meet the host. Continuously, Nick established a very strong and unique relationship with Gatsby, as he got to know him closer than anyone had before. Although, similarly to the Hunger Games, in the event of Rue’s death, Gatsby’s life was taken with no warning signs. Nick could never have predicted the downfall of Jay Gatsby, because death is never expected when one is not paying attention.
Every single day individuals make connections without everyone in their surroundings. These connections can vary from insignificant encounters, or life changing interactions. As time passes, bonds are created amongst individuals, stories are shared and feelings are felt. Although, trust and relationships are not absolute. This is thoroughly executed through the works of literature, The Hunger Games and Hamlet. To begin, Hamlet is a man of many words yet little action. Although he does speak through great intelligence in regards to his father and his empathy shown within. “Mother, you have my father much offended …You are the queen, your husband’s wife …” (3.4.10-15). During this time Gertrude betrays Hamlet, her own son, by marrying her late husband’s brother. This is something that an individual can never prepare for in advance as the action is so absurdly unexpected. Hamlet would never be able to predict being betrayed by his own mother, yet the course of life took its action. Hamlet was left feeling vulnerable because no relationship matches the relationship one establishes with their mother. In the Hunger Games, the people in the Capitol are very good at putting on a false persona for their audience. The whole time that Katniss is training in the Capitol, she is constantly told that she has to become someone that she is not or that she does not want to be in the hopes that people will like this version of herself. Katniss’s escort, tells her to act natural in front of the camera, although the ‘natural’ she is referring to is the natural the people in the Capitol want to see. This ultimately leads to the creation of the fake Katniss. Haymitch, her mentor brutally tells Katniss that her true self is not good enough. “ She’s got about as much charm as a dead slug”. Having a two faced persona is detrimental to Katniss when it comes to the friendships she has on a personal level. Peeta was, and is, truly in love with Katniss but, she took it for granted and acted like she loved him. She created a second persona that made it look like she loved him too, like star-crossed lovers. Katniss manipulated and betrayed Peeta by convincing him that she loved him too. Furthermore, in Hamlet, he thought the love he shared for his mother would be reciprocated in her actions as Hamlet genuinely loves Gertrude, although Gertrude disregards how Hamlet would feel as a result of her choices.
Hamlet has always been a fan of plays and the action of story telling. He explains this because many truths are hidden within literature and art. Hamlet himself, is in fact correct as this is evident throughout all three of these novels. Each piece of literature leaves the audience with valuable life lessons. Such as the only thing predictable in life, is the fact that it is unpredictable. Despite one’s initial plans and thoughts, nothing is as it seems and plans often fail to take into consideration the unpredictable variables of life. Betrayal is something a person can never prepare for because often, betrayal comes from the ones we trust the most. Hence the betrayal within Hamlet, The Great Gatsby, and The Hunger Games. At the end of the day, sometimes when an individual goes looking for what they want, it is often found that they run right into what they need.