In some aspects Gatsby and Icarus can be compared to one another but they also have their differences. Both Gatsby's and Icarus' ambition was the cause of their downfall and they both had dreams that could never be reached. Icarus desperately wanted to fly close to the sun causing his wings to burn and leaving him to fall into the sea and drown. Gatsby intensely desired the standing the the upper class would give him. He had everything that would give him the ability to be in the upperclass, the money, the wealth, the power but the one thing he didn't have was the last name.
However they differ because Gatsby didn't have the voice of reason and the mora compas that icaurs had. Icarus' father repeatedly told him not to fly to close to the sun because it is dangerous yet he ignored him. Gatsby did not have this. Nick was one of his few friends in the novel and he actively encouraged Gatsby to pursue Daisy, which was Gatsbys way in to the upper class. She was Gatsby's sun.
