Final answer:
Comparing The Scarlet Pimpernel with Gatsby in The Great Gatsby entails looking at themes of identity and perception, admiring the characters' mystique, and considering how they embody societal values of their times.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparing and contrasting characters from The Scarlet Pimpernel with the discussions surrounding Gatsby in the first two chapters of The Great Gatsby invites analysis of themes of identity, perception, and secrecy. In The Scarlet Pimpernel, the protagonist operates under an alias, much like Gatsby's constructed identity. Both are discussed in tones of admiration and mystery, yet while the Pimpernel is almost mythologized in heroism, Gatsby's wealth and ostentation provoke envy and speculation. F. Scott Fitzgerald creates a narrator who describes Gatsby from a distance, with an air of intrigue and the allure of the unknown, echoing the distant admiration afforded to the Pimpernel's daring escapades. Both characters embody the spirit of their respective periods, with the Pimpernel's valour and Gatsby's profligacy highlighting the societal values and disillusionment post-war. However, while the Pimpernel is ultimately revealed as noble, Fitzgerald allows Gatsby to remain an enigma, representative of the unique and universal struggles of the American dream.