Joe Pendleton and Jay Gatsby - Essay Example

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is the story that is focused on Nick Carraway, a man who moves to New York City in the hope of having a better and more satisfying life. As he adjusts to his life in this great city, he is greatly interested in Jay Gatsby, a famous and incredibly wealthy magnate. Meanwhile, in the 1987 tragicomedy entitled Heaven Can Wait starring Warren Beatty who plays a football quarterback named Joe Pendleton is focused on the main character’s afterlife as an angel mistakenly takes him away to heaven too early.

The story is centered on this journey as he finds a way to return back to Earth to finally fulfill his lifelong dream: to lead his team as the quarterback in the Super Bowl.Joe Pendleton is preparing his team to play in the Super Bowl. For Jay Gatsby, on the other hand, is a successful and extremely wealthy magnate who throws extravagant lavish parties.Like Joe, Jay Gatsby refuses to give up on his desire to having Daisy, the girl of his dreams. Her affair with Gatsby five years ago brings about the main events in the story.

Because of Gatsby’s extreme fiery desire to rekindle the love he used to share with Daisy, he committed his life to become the rich and affluent man to impress her. Towards the end of the story, Daisy is aghast even though Gatsby refuses to stop the pursuit. He is still anticipating for her call up until the exact instant he dies. Meanwhile, Joe Pendleton, even in his new given body as Farnsworth, a dying millionaire, he is still determined and single-minded on leading his team to the Super Bowl as their quarterback.

Even in the afterlife, he refuses to believe his life has come to an end and it results in him finding new bodies to dwell in so he can lead as a quarterback in Super Bowl and even in his new life as Leo Farnsworth. His only goal is still to lead as a quarterback in the Super Bowl. For both characters, even to the point of death, their goal is their only thought in mind. Rather than admitting defeat and finally giving up on their goals, both these characters commit their lives to pursue and chase their dreams, no matter what circumstances they are in, whatever tragedy comes up in their lives and no matter how impossible the situation looks like.

For Jay Gatsby, it is his love for Daisy, the only girl in his heart. For Joe, it is the dream of starring as the quarterback of his team in the Super Bowl.