Individuals in society are subject to conflict between social influence and personal desires,which put people in tension and result in their paradoxical beings in society,as illustrated by characters in both The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter.Both novels reflect that a human being is a complex result of the interaction between the social environment and human nature,and incessant and often contradictory desires,wants and needs. Individuals in society are subject to conflict between social influence and personal desires, which put people in tension and result in their paradoxical beings in society, as illustrated by characters in both The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter. Both novels reflect that a human being is a complex result of the interaction between the social environment and human nature, and incessant and often contradictory desires, wants and needs.