Meet Mr. R.P McMurphy. A patient at a mental institution who has been portrayed as a tragic hero in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. McMurphy comes to the patients in their time of need, because they are being controlled by the head Nurse, Nurse Ratched. He becomes the patients role model to fight the battle against society to gain their rightful positions in society. According to Arthur Miller, a tragic hero is "the individual against the seemingly stable cosmos surrounding us-from this total examination of the unchangeable environment--comes the terror and the fear that is classically associated with tragedy", in the ward McMurphy accepts the challenge and everything that comes along with it to defeat the nurse, even though terror and fear comes along with it.
Meet Walter Younger. A man in desperation of a new life that will bring him and his family success and fortune. Walter lived in a cramped 2 bedroom apartment with his mother, wife, sister, and son. The apartment was warn down, showing that it was on its last string, but everything in the house had sentimental meaning and represented their family values, but it was destined for a new life with big dreams in mind. After receiving a check from Walter's dead father, they invest in a new apartment to start off a new beginning. Unfortunately the Younger's are told that they best not move in to the new apartments due to white families not feeling comfortable with a black family moving in.
Meet Jay Gatsby. A wealthy young man who resides on the West Egg of New York in his luxurious mansion which hosts outrageous parties for all the people of West and East Egg. Gatsby, like the common man, has many flaws throughout his life. The biggest flaw seems to be his affection for Daisy , who causes him to become a tragic hero. It happens to be that Daisy is the one thing that stands between Gatsby and perfection because she is the only unrealistic dream that he chases. "There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams — no through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion". Daisy corrupts Gatsby's sensitive side, revealing him as a flawed human being, rather than the strong mysterious man who was portrayed in the beginning of the novel.