gatsby56-1-8


 * //The Great Gatsby//** F. Scott Fitzgerald
 * Chapter 1-2:** //If these chapters were short stories, what would be their theme? (What insight do they give to human life? What do they tell us about how people act?) Have you noticed any symbols? What do you think they represent? What are you thinking about the characters we've been introduced to so far?//

I believe that a theme of greed and lust is developing. Tom and the people around him only care about money and we can see this when he is with Mrs. Wilson and she wants everything she sees. Also, I cannot believe that Mr. Wilson could not think that anything is going on between his wife and Tom. At the party in chapter one we can see that Tom is very racist. I think that Tom is suspicious because during dinner he has to take a phone call from an anomous source. I dont understand why Tom's wife and Myrtals husband are not weary of their spouses realtionships with other people. During the party in the second chapter it seems like the people at it are very random and there has to be a connection between them. Mr. McKee is always wanting to take peoples pictures and has no respect for their privicy.

Chapters 1-4
//Well, so far we've seen three crazy parties that Nick has shared with us. What stuck out to you about each of them? What do each of them tell us about the characters we've met and how they relate to each other? Jordan is talking to Nick when she says, “And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy” (Fitzgerald 52). How does this quote reflect each of the gatherings in the first three chapters?//

Each of the three parties have stood out in my mind. They have all been very diffenent in the way the people have acted at these parties. At the first party at Tom's house there were only about six people and the as Jordan said there wasnt much privacy. (Why did he say this? What does this tell us about the character?) We learned that Tom is greedy about is money and is very racist. (Are there any examples you can find in the text that show this? Where do we as readers see this? ) The second party which took place at Tom's aparement was attended by an array of diffent folks. We meet the McKees who are crazy about their business as photographers and we meet Myrtal, Tom's mistress. During the course of the party we learn that Tom can be abusive when he hits his mistress, Mrytle. The next party which takes place at the extravant house of Jay Gatsby is very crowded and attended by over one hundred people. At the party Nick, the narracter, meets Jordan, who he meet at the first party at Tom's house. When Jordan says the previous quote she is referring to the party at Tom's house where she was one of the few people there and wasnt allowed to get away during the party. (Why would she want to get away? How does this relate to the other parties? You have the general idea of what the quote means, but if you can apply it to the other parties and other characters, it would better show your understan ding)

John-

You do a good job of describing the parties and what you noticed about them. You also talked about a few characters. I would try to find a few places in chapters 1-3 that SHOW the parties and the personalities of the characters. I'd like to see you talk more about the relationships between the characters and how that contributes to the story. This might be easier if you provide more details about some of the individual characters because it will allow you to see similarities and differences.

//The point-of-view that a novel is told in frames the entire story. How would// The Great Gatsby //change if if it were told in another character's perspective (like Jay Gatsby's point-of-view?) Why do you think Fitzgerald chose Nick to be the narrator?
 * Chapters 1-4**

I believe that Fitzgerald chose to have Nick be the narrator because he is a nuetral force in the story. He is witnessing the acts of Tom and he is also witnessing the acts of Gatsby. If Fitzgerald chose Gatsby insteed we wouldnt be able to see the whole story of Tom and Daisy's realtionship. We wouldnt have been able to the build up to the story of Gatsby and Daisy's true love. We would have only seen the side of Daisy as Gatsby's lover but with Nick as the narrator we were able to see her as a cheated on wife who hated her husband and longed for someone she truely loved.

John- Are there any examples in the text that help support this idea? You bring up some great ideas about how having Nick as a narrator lets us see into both the Tom and Gatsby's life. How else might having a different narrator affect the story? Do you think we'd see other characters differently? How do you think we'd see Nick if Gatsby was the narrator?

Apply Marxist Criticism to the first four chapters of// The Great Gatsby//. How is wealth portrayed in this book? How does the characters' wealth affect their lives and their choices? PLEASE, USE EXAMPLES FROM THE TEXT TO SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER.

In the society in the book wealth defines the person. (Where in the text do we see this? How does this affect the characters) Their socity says that without wealth the person is worth nothing. (Are there examples of when this happens to a specific character? What about Nick who is not wealthy, but is still associated with people in high society? ) The characters in this book judge people by their wealth. In chapter six we see Tom come over to Gatsby's and not want to have dinner with him because he lives on the West egg and from a East eggers prospective the West egg is inferior. (How is this shown to readers through the text?) The characters choose to live lavish and extravant lives and not save their money. They think that people will look at them with a better eye if they have more money and they choose to spend their money to showoff how much they have.

John- I am glad to see that you really grasp how important wealth is in the novel. What quotes could you have used to support your ideas? How do your ideas and the portrayals of wealth connect to Marxist criticism? Are there any parts of the novel that do not support Marxist theory? //

//Fitzgerald makes use of timepieces in several parts of chapter 5. What do these clocks and watches represent? Explain why these symbols are especially important in this chapter. Find one to three quotes that would serve as an example of a timepiece being a symbol, and explain what they represent.
 * Chapters 1-5**

The American Dream shows up as theme in many writings and discussions over// The Great Gatsby//. How do you define the American Dream? Does it have any influence in your life? Is the American Dream attainable to everyone in the United States? Find one to three quotes from the text that you believe makes a connection to the American Dream and explain why.//

In chapter 5 we see multiple examples of how timepieces are used as symbols. The first is at Nick’s house when Gatsby knocks over the clock on Nick’s mantle. This falling of the clock represents the great amount of time Gatsby and Daisy have been separated. (Good reading. Why do you think this? Is there a quote that supports this?) After being separated from each other for five years they are finally brought together and Gatsby knocks over the clock symbolizing the great amount of time they have been separated. Fitzgerald states, “His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy who was sitting grightened but graceful on the edge of a stiff chair.

John- Your reading of this event is great. Explaining WHY your quote is important, relevant and why it supports your ideas will make your writing stronger. Are there any other places in this chapter, or the novel as a whole, that we see time pieces? What do those symbolize and how do they affect o ther characters?

The American Dream is an idea that every American hopes of obtaining in their lifetime. It is the idea that you don’t have to worry about money and that you have everything you need and much more. The idea of the American dream shows up in the second chapter when we see Tom take Myrtle on a lavish shopping spree and Myrtle is allowed anything she wants from Tom. I believe that the American dream is able to be obtained by anyone with hard work and determination. (Why do you think this? Is there anything in // Gatsby // or other texts you've read that made you think this? Do you have any experiences that led you to believe this?)

John- Are there any other times in the novel we see the American Dream playing out? Do any other characters strive for or obtain the American Dream? What quotes can you use to support these ideas, as well as the ideas you expressed in your response?

**Chapter 1-6 ** //There is sometimes a question about who exactly the protagonist is in The Great Gatsby. Is it Nick or Gatsby? Who then would be the antagonist? Explain your answer using at least three events from the story to defend your thinking.//

I believe that the protagonist is Nick. Nick is involved in every scene in the book. We see him in New York without Gatsby and we also see him at Tom's house in chapter one without Gatsby. The story is in the first point of view from the perspective of Nick. We see the words I and Me used frequently and he has flashbacks that are told to him by Gatsby. The definition of protagonist is the character that the action follows. In the two above examples we see that Gatsby is not present so this should show us that he is not the protagonist. I believe the antagonist would be the fast passed society of the 1920's.  John- I am very glad to see that you stated what the definition of the protagonist in order to explain your answer. Are there any other specific events that lead you to believe that Nick is the protagonist? Where do we see the action follow him? Also, what are a couple of events that support your idea that the fast paced society is the antagonist? What made you think this? 

//What theme(s) are becoming apparent in The Great Gatsby by this point in the book? Support your answer with at least three examples in the text up until this point.//

A theme that I see developing is: with money doesn't come happiness. The character Tom who has plenty of money is not happy at all with his wife Daisy and whenever we see him is not in a very good mood. We also see this with Gatsby because it doesn't seem that he is happy unless he is with Daisy. This shows us that money does not bring happiness it does however bring trouble and strife. Gatsby does not seem complete without Daisy in his life.

John- How do we see this occurring with the the protagonist, Nick? Are there any examples that don't support this theme? What are some specific events or quotes that show people who are rich and also unhappy? Adding these details to your writing will make it more credible and persuasive.

//Who is the most dynamic character in this book? How (and how much) do they change? Would he/she be considered round or flat? Support your thinking with examples from the text.
 * Chapter 1-7**

A dynamic character in this book would be Gatsby. (Is he the MOST dynamic?) At the beginning of the book we don't know much about him besides the fact that we know he is rich and throws extravagant parties. As we get to know him we began to see that he is caring and is very kind to Nick and Jordan. (How do we see him being kind to these characters?) In chapter seven we begin to see a much harsher side of Gatsby when he is arguing with Tom at the hotel. He changes in chapter seven and becomes a mean and ruder character when he goes off on Tom. We have never seen this side of Gatsby before and that is why he is a round character. John- I think you definitely understand the terms that are presented in the prompt. Gatsby is a dynamic character, but is he the MOST dynamic? Do we see another character that is more dynamic than Gatsby? I think that a couple more specific examples from texts or even quotes would make your argument much stronger.

Who would be considered a foil in The Great Gatsby? Why would the author use these characters to show differences? By applying structuralism and looking for binary opposition, what values are considered important in this book?//

I think that Tom and Gatsby are foils. They are opposites and Tom brings out the harder side of Gatsby when they are having an argument in the hotel when they are fighting over Daisy's love. ( Expand on this idea. Why are they foils? Is their argument about Daisy the only time they foil each other?) We can also say that these two character create binary opposition because Tom represents what Daisy has and Gatsby represents what Daisy wants. In this book I can see that greed and lust play a major role in all of the decisions made by the characters. (What are some examples of this? Where do we see this in the novel? What characters provide good examples of your ideas?) The character in the book also seem to put a lot of emphasis on power and wealth rather then judging the person by who they are and not by how much power they have. ( Where is this shown in the text?)

John- Your ideas in this prompt are good. I think you just need to spend a little bit more time thinking of WHY you think these things, and then use examples from the book. Doing this makes it easier for the reader to understand exactly what you mean and where you're drawing these conclusions from.

//Choose one of the following symbols and explain what they represent. Then find three quotes in the text where this symbol appears – use MLA formats to avoid plagiarism. • Ashes and Dust • Cars and Drivers • Colors • Houses and Owners • Photography and Lenses • Flowers
 * Chapters 1-9**

Answer definitively what the theme of The Great Gatsby is. Find three quotes in the text to support your thinking.

Cars and Drivers represent recklessness of the rich or just people in general. It goes to show that the rich believe they are not responsible for their actions. Fitzgerald writes, "They had torn open her shirtwaist, still damp with perspiration, they saw her left breast was swinging loose like a flap, and there was no need to listen for the heart beneath" (137). This quote describes the scene when myrtle is killed by Daisy. Its shows that Daisy was reckless with her driving and even after she hit her she felt no need to stop. Fitzgerald, "At least a dozen men, some of them a little better off than he was, explained to him taht wheel adn car were no longer joined by any physical bond" (55). (This is an EXCELLENT quote to represent what your ideas are. HOW does it support your ideas?") Fitzgerald writes, " It takes two to make an accident" (58). ( How does this relate to your idea of wealthy people being reckless? How does it show people with money not being responsible for their actions?)

Theme: People who have money believe they are not responsible for their actions

Fitzgerald writes, "Its takes two to make an accident" (58). Fitzgerald writes, "It started because she passed so close to some workmen that our fender flicked a button on one man's coat" (57). John-

Your thinking here is very thoughtful and you are definitely onto something here! I'd like to see you explain your quotes more fully. Telling your reader WHY and HOW they support your ideas will make them more credible. What is the relationship between people who are not wealthy and their cars/driving? Adding some ideas about this relationship will also make this response stronger. I think that the second quote you chose can do a lot for your ideas, maybe talking about the physical bond and another type of bond between characters, wealth, etc. //