Esteban & Gatsby Comparative Paragraph

The similarities and differences between Gatsby and Esteban are actually pretty remarkable. For example, Gatsby and Esteban's quality of life began on the more humble side. Gatsby originally began as a janitor and did not have any significant inherited wealth, as most of his wealth was amassed during the years after the war. When Esteban is introduced, Marquez describes his body covered with "clumps of seaweed, jellyfish tentacles, and the remains of fish and flotsam" and a lot more gunk. It is only later on in the story where Esteban gains his current "position", like Gatsby. This is where some differences between their quality of life begins to show, Gatsby's life has more emphasis on materialistic goods, while Esteban's life has more of the homemade-wilderness kind of vibe. As for their impact on relationships around them, both characters used their position to bring people together, Gatsby would host parties and Esteban would bring people together to honor his death. However, Gatsby hosted large parties, where people would oftentimes never meet or recognize Gatsby, but for those gathering around Esteban, it was completely opposite. This influenced how they were received in death, both Gatsby and Estaban had a funeral, but a majority of people at Gatsby's funeral seemed to generally not care about his death, while Estaban's death was to be remembered, honored and memorialized by the people in the village.