Dora Williams
The poem of Dora Williams [pages 31-32] instantly made me think of Gatsby once I finished reading. Like Gatsby, Dora started off not having much and then quickly acquired wealth in almost suspicious ways — whiole Gatsby was involved with some sort of shady scandals, Dora Williams gained her fortune through the deaths of former husbands. Also similar to Gatsby, she lived life to the fullest and her luxurious home became the center of parties for a huge assortment of characters. Also, both were eventually scorned by their lovers — Gatsby in the end was left by Daisy once again, and Dora’s abandonment by Reuben Pantier was what led to her lack of commitment with people and places for the rest of her life. While Dora suspects she was killed by her last husband, Count Navigato [a befitting name for Dora to inherit, because its translation from Italian is related to navigation/travel, as she lived her life], Gatsby was killed by Mr. Wilson, a man deeply affected by the death of his wife. So stretching it, they were both victims of love-related crimes. After both living such loud and extravagent lives, both are quietted by death. As is written on the tombstone of Dora Williams, “Contessa Navigato implora eterna quiete.” [Page 32] Even if I weren’t Italian and knew what this meant, I would probably be able to deduce what it was: a translation of this is that Countess Navigato asks for or even begs for eternal peace and quiet. If she lived as hectic a life as Gatsby had that resulted in both of their murders, I would deffinitely understand the appropriateness of this epitaph.
