The first similarity between the Great Gatsby and Manhattan Transfer, off the bat, would be their representation of a corrupted American dream. In Great Gatsby, the headlining character, Gatsby, is shot and killed by the end of the book, a metaphor to the “death” of America’s dream. In Manhattan Transfer, the concept of suicide and death are also present – portrayed in such a way that it could apply to any American citizen (as the characters involved range from milkmen to successful businessmen, from desperate immigrants to cheating wives, etc.
Another common factor that the two novels share is the concept of love. In Great Gatsby, the whole motive behind Gatsby’s acts of flaunting his wealth and having large parties is to impress a girl he’s loved for years, Daisy. If this love didn’t exist, he’d never had had those parties, and the novel would be pointless. The need for love – both to be loved and have love for others – is a topic clearly present in Manhattan Transfer. A main character, Ellen, is one for many men to love, leading them to desperate measures. A collection of other females and males yearning for their true loves to have mutual feelings is also present in the book, sometimes, if not all the time, leading to heartbreak and dissatisfaction.
Time passing by quickly is also a common factor between the two books. In Gatsby, the protagonist suddenly realizes it is his 30th birthday in the middle of the book – a pivotal moment in a man’s life, or so he makes it. In Manhattan Transfer’s case, the whole novel stretches over quite a bit of time, following the timelines of characters that start positive but turn sour, or vice versa.
