Bright Lights, Big City and The Great Gatsby are two completely different books, yet they share some very distinguished similarities. Both books present stories narrated by the protagonist or main character. Bright Lights, Big City takes place during the 1980's while The Great Gatsby takes place during the 1920's. These time periods have great impact on the differences between the two books, but the ways in which the main characters tell their stories, brings them together.
             Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City is the story of a young man whose life is being controlled by drugs, alcohol and his own wit. His encounters cause him to tell his story through his eyes, discussing everything from his view as an outsider to his view as an insider. His separation from his wife and his journeys through nightclubs, fashion shows, editorial offices and parties pushes him to the point where he is forced to realize his misfortune and hopefully find his better instincts.
             F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is the story of the very wealthy Jay Gatsby, his love for Daisy Buchanan and the investigation of how he got his wealth. The story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway. Nick tells the story from his point of view, which was the view of an outsider because Nick describes what he observes of Gatsby's parties.
             Since both books are told through the eyes of one of the main characters, it is important to see their similarities. In Bright Lights, Big City the main character, Jamie, is big into the party scene. He goes to these parties, seems to enjoy them and be an important factor to them, but in fact he is very separated from them. Jamie tells his story as an insider looking out.
             In The Great Gatsby, Nick only tells us about what he can see going on in Gatsby's parties, since he has no inner connections, and because he is not physically at the parties. Therefor he tells his story as and outsider loo...