Throughout their lives, people are forced to face obstacles and decisions that are presented with the passing of time. These impediments can later make or break the person's life depending on how they prepare for them. By adjusting oneself to the situation and adapting with time, the person will succeed by reaching true happiness. However, by ignoring the situation at hand and drawing oneself to the past, the person will fail to lead a pleasant self-fulfilling life. The characters that are presented as either survivors or failures include:
Catherine Barkley and Frederick Henry, from A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway; Nicole and Dick Diver, of Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald; and Quentin, Caddy, Jason, and Miss Quentin from The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. …
