gatsby55-9-7


 * //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?//

from the last two cahpters I think the teme is something like how rich people acted in this time and how the women liked men with money but I'm not sure quite yet. I have not noticed any symbols yet but im sure some will pop out at me in the next few chapters. In way of characters I think Nick is the only one with his head on straight. tom has money but he seems to be extremely arrogant, daisy has her head on partially but could use some work, myrtile is cool when she is just around tom and Nick but when she is around other people she is the most stuck up person i have ever herd of. caterine myrtiles sister, I think is going to be dating Nick but i haven't finished the second chapter yet so something could still happen that changes my mind on that. I haven't really read enough about the other characters to know what i think aobut them, samething with the characters that we have herd of but I haven't mentioned. I think the protagonist is Nick and I'm not sure what or who the antagonist is. I like the book I just dont think I have read enough to start making too many predictions.

um I'm not sure what else to say, what do you think on the questions above?

3/7/10

I agree with you that money is a part of the theme of the first two chapters. Why do you think this? I think there are words that popped out at me that made me think more about money and status. Did you notice any words that seemed important? The one I’m thinking of is “sophistication.” On page 21, she says that ‘“I think everything’s terrible anyhow…Everybody thinks so – the most advanced people. And I //know//. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.” Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Tom’s, and she laughed with thrilling scorn. “Sophisticated – God, I’m sophisticated!”’ Daisy seems to have concerns about this word, and it makes me think that we should too. Are rich people sophisticated and what does this word even mean? I think this is a big question in the first two chapters. What else do you think of the idea of money and status in the book so far? The book seems to be painting a picture of what rich people do with their time – do you think it’s a good picture or a bad picture? Or somewhere in between? Why do you think Nick is the only one with his head on straight? I agree, but maybe that’s only because we get his point of view. It makes me want to side with him because I know what he’s thinking. I can see what you mean when you say that you haven’t read enough to know what you think about the characters yet, but I also think that there is something more about these characters that makes them hard to understand right away. They all seem to be very guarded in a way, like they don’t want to get very close to anyone else. For example, right after Daisy talks about being sophisticated, Nick “felt the basic insincerity of what she had said…sure enough, in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face as if she had asserted membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged” (22). Why did she say this if she didn’t mean it? It’s really difficult to understand characters at first when they don’t say what they mean, and from the way Nick describes it, Daisy has a definite purpose for saying these things. Do you think that the rest of the characters say things they don’t mean or act like different people than they are?

//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?//
 * Chapters 1-3**

I think that it has to do with money because throughout the first two chapters it talks about how other people have big expensive things in their houses and how nick doesn't. I did notice big and important words but if you asked me to tell you any i wouldn't be able tell you one of them. so far I things that your status in the city is based on the amount of money you have and the size of parties you are able to aford. with the painting the picture thing i am kinda in between i think it has some bad parts but it is just painting a picture of the reality of money in this time. I think nick is the only one with his head on straight becuase he knows the value of money and the people he hangs out with just spend and dont think anything of it, this is important because if they just spend they will either run out of money or buy the wrong thing and get introuble. I do think that others act the way they do because others are around and they are just trying to fit in with them but at the same time i think it is just becuase they have enough money to feel like they are on the top of the world and no one can hurt them so i go back and forth about it.

at each party the main thing that stuck out at me was the fact that they all could act this way and not get annoyed at others. at each party people are acting arrogant and incredibly stuck up, I personaly would puch some of them if they tanked like that for an extended period of time. Now for the difference between small partes and bigt ones, in the book. it shows that small parties if you do anything everyone will know but at the big ones you can stand in the corner and no one will pay any attention or you can leave early and no one would know you left. we see this at Gatsby's party everyone is partying and no one knows where people are so in a way you could do anything with anybody and no one would pay any attention.

3/16/10 I really liked what you said about Nick, that he “is the only one with his head on straight because he knows the value of money and the people he hangs out with just spend and don’t think anything of it.” That explains why I feel like he is the most relatable one, as well. He seems more aware than the other characters of the role of money in their personalities. At this point, we don’t know much about how the other characters think of their money. I also liked what you pointed out about the characters when you said they act the way they do “because others are around and they are just trying to fit in with them but at the same time i think it is just because they have enough money to feel like they are on the top of the world and no one can hurt them.” When I think about Gatsby or Tom, they do a lot of things that show they think they can do whatever they want, like Tom taking a mistress or Gatsby throwing these huge parties every weekend. But I think there are things going on that might tell a different story as well, like when Nick describes Gatsby standing alone, which he does a lot. Those parts go back to what you said about trying to fit in with those around them. Are there any other examples you think of when the characters show that they may be acting the way they do for different reasons, like you pointed out? And what do you think having different motivations (trying to fit in versus not caring what they do) effect the way they act or talk? Thinking about the different parties, I think you interpreted Jordan’s quote about intimacy at parties the way that I did. At first it doesn’t seem like it would be true to get more privacy at a big party, but after seeing the different parties Nick goes to, it makes a lot more sense, and it seems true in the way you said. Do you think a preference for the private feeling at a large party or the public feeling at a small party say anything about how the characters think? I’m thinking about Daisy versus Jordan here. Daisy is at home in the small party setting, and Jordan says she likes large parties best. Is there a difference in their personalities? I think that the way a person socializes says a lot about the person in general. Does Nick seem comfortable in both settings? Why or why not, and what more do you think you can learn about him by deciding either way?

//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?// I think he choses nick for the point of veiw because nick again has his head on straight but he can see what everyone thinks and can keep his mouth shut and not start trouble. It also seems as if fitzgerald is trying to tell us that you may know a lot about other people but at the same time you don’t know everything, nick is kind of finding this out for himself. From what we have seen it seems that if fitzgerald had told this story in one of the other characters point of veiw then we would just see that spending is good and nick doesn’t have enough money.
 * Chapters 1-4**

I read you as saying that Fitzgerald uses Nick as the narrator because he is observant (like you say, “he can see what everyone thinks”), and a kind of outside figure outside of the action (I got this from when you say he “can keep his mouth shut and not start trouble”). I think this is a really good point, and I agree with you. I wonder if Nick is always accurately observant? Do you think he notices everything, or is there anything that could get in the way of how he describes what he sees? I also think you have a great idea when you say that “you may know a lot about other people but at the same time you don’t know everything.” This book seems to be showing that people aren’t what they seem to be. Do you have any ideas about why this matters in the book? Does the fact that they are wealthy have anything to do with not knowing who they are? After you say that you don’t know everything about a character even if you know a lot, I read that you think the point of view of the other characters would be all about money. How does that idea work with your first thought that people aren’t what they seem to be?

//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.// I think that marxist criticism has a lot to do with the story line of this book because we see when gatsby gets pulled over he just holds up a card and gets away with speeding and gatsby has money so that means he has power. At least form what we have seen I don’t think tom and daisy have much power but we still have a few chapters to go so we may see that they do have power indead. Also for this time in history money means power so that helps with the whole powere and money thing. Im sure there are other example but I cant think of any right now.

From your response, I understand you as saying that the characters have money, which translates into power to do what they want. I think this is true in a lot of ways. Do you think there are any ways in which more money means less power? Because I don’t think Daisy has a lot of power, and I wonder why. What do you think? You also say that “for this time in history money means power.” Do you think it has changed since then? Do you think the wealth that Fitzgerald describes still exists in the same way today?

//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**
 * I think that Fitzgerald used these as a time piece to show that it has been some time since Gatsby has seen Daisy. Also the day that daisy was supposed to come over to nicks it seemed like it took for ever for Daisy to get there. “Nobody is coming to tea. It’s too late.” This is an example of what the time represented. It also in a way represented Gatsby making a fool of him-self because he was leaning against it and almost knocked it over, so I guess in a way it also could mean embarrassment.**

//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.// **To me the American dream is to have money and power. This is obtainable by everyone because if you really try you could get lots of money and power. This comes up in the book several times because when Gatsby is driving he gets pulled over and doesn’t get a ticket for speeding and he has money so he has money and power. It does have some influence in my life but I don’t want to have to much money and to much power but I wouldn’t mind having some. “Know you next time Mr. Gatsby. Excuse me!” this is an example of the power that Gatsby has.**

// 3/27/10 // I think that Fitzgerald used these as a time piece to show that it has been some time since Gatsby has seen Daisy. Also the day that daisy was supposed to come over to nicks it seemed like it took for ever for Daisy to get there. “Nobody is coming to tea. It’s too late.” This is an example of what the time represented. It also in a way represented Gatsby making a fool of him-self because he was leaning against it ** [leaning against what? I’m not sure what part you’re talking about here…page number or direct quote would be really helpful.] and almost knocked it over, so I guess in a way it also could mean embarrassment. **

i think that it tells us that gatsby is impatient but he has waited this long because he is not sure what to say but also it could me that he is patient and believes that good things will come if you just wait. im not sure which on he is right now but i think we will find out in the next few chapters. like i said i dont kow which one it is but i can relate to both of them because i havent asked cute girls out beause im not sure what to say but am really impatient and i waited figured out what to say and it ended up working. im not really saying time is embarrassing for Gatsby in fromt of people its more embarrasing to him self because he thought it would work and he suddenly wasnt thinking it would.
 * I’m reading that you’re saying that the timepiece throughout the chapter shows how the length of time since Gatsby has seen Daisy is a big factor in their relationship. I think this is a great idea, and I think that by bringing in all the timepieces, Fitzgerald is raising some questions about time and keeping the idea fresh in our minds. I’d like to know more about what the quote you brought in means for you (I like the quote a lot). What does it say about Gatsby and the issue of time since he has seen Daisy? Why do you think Gatsby is feeling this way – can you relate to the feeling of waiting forever for something, even if it’s only been a short while? In your last example from the book, are you saying that time means embarrassment for Gatsby? What could this mean? **

To me the American dream is to have money and power. This is obtainable by everyone because if you really try you could get lots of money and power. This comes up in the book several times because when Gatsby is driving he gets pulled over and doesn’t get a ticket for speeding and he has money so he has money and power. It does have some influence in my life but I don’t want to have to much money and to much power but I wouldn’t mind having some. “Know you next time Mr. Gatsby. Excuse me!” this is an example of the power that Gatsby has.


 * Your ideas about the American Dream are really insightful. I like that you say that it is “obtainable by everyone,” because that is a big part of what it is to me, as well – but only “if you really try,” like you say. I think these are the two big ideas behind the American Dream, that it is for everyone but only if you work hard for it. Do you think there is a difference between the idea of the American Dream and the reality of it? Is it really for everyone in practice? You say that it “does have some influence in my life” – how does it have influence? Where do you see it in your life? I guess I see it most in my parents’ ideas for me, because when I was in high school it was expected that I go to college, then get a good job, buy a house, and so on. I understand that the quote you give shows the power that comes with money. Is having enough power to be above the law the largest part of the American Dream that you see in the novel? What other parts of the American Dream are the focus? For example, what do you make of all the characters’ sort of obsession over Gatsby’s house?**

**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 think that the protagonist is Nick right now because he has been in the whole story and it seems like Gatsby has just floated in and out. the antagonist would be Gatsby then becuase nick is just trying to live his life and Gatsby every once in a while will throw a wrench into nicks plans or make nick seem infurior. a good example of making nick feel infurior is when Gatsby came over and payed to have people take care of his lawn and try and make it seem better than it already was. but of course like many people i go back and forth on it from chapter to chapter. like i said nick has been with us since page one of the book and we have herd about gatsby but he wasnt in the story untill chapter three. also every lunch, party, or other event the story takes us nick is invlolved.

//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.// i think that the teme is with more money comes more power because Gatsby has money and respect and he seems to be controling nicks life at some points in the story. again an example is coming over and trying to make nicks hou se better than it already is and through all of this nicks still respects the man. um another theme could be money doesnt matter just tresure your friends and the things you have. this is a theme that could be for nick because through all of this he has stuck with his friends and has everything he needs, he doesnt need fancy cars or a big house or boats or anything like that. if i had enough time i could make a theme for everyone of these people but i dont have all day so the second theme would not relate to tom and daisy because they have lots of moeny and always want more and newer thing, this is the same with Gatsby. although i think it could work for jordan because we havent herd much of jordan wanting more fancy stuff or money. on the other hand i think that the first theme i mentioned would work for everyone we have read about except nick and jordan becaue they want more, more, more and new, new, new things.

3/31/10 // 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 think that the protagonist is Nick right now because he has been in the whole story and it seems like Gatsby has just floated in and out. the antagonist would be Gatsby then becuase nick is just trying to live his life and Gatsby every once in a while will throw a wrench into nicks plans or make nick seem infurior. a good example of making nick feel infurior is when Gatsby came over and payed to have people take care of his lawn and try and make it seem better than it already was. but of course like many people i go back and forth on it from chapter to chapter. like i said nick has been with us since page one of the book and we have herd about gatsby but he wasnt in the story untill chapter three. also every lunch, party, or other event the story takes us nick is invlolved. ** I really like your claims here, especially when you bring up the example of Gatsby making Nick feel inferior when he cut his lawn for him. I think this is very insightful of you, because Nick never comes out and says that he feels inferior or tells the reader that he was angry about it – but Gatsby doing that is like an act of power over Nick, so of course Nick must have felt something about this. I like how you noticed that there was some feelings missing here in Nick’s narrative. On the other hand, though, how do we know if Nick is just not saying some of his feelings, or if he doesn’t feel this way? And if it’s the first one, and Nick is not being completely honest or not telling the reader some parts of his life, then do you think that is evidence against your idea that he is the protagonist? I’m not saying that it is, I’m just suggesting some different ideas. Do we know more about Nick or Gatsby, besides the fact that we see more of Nick’s day to day activities? Does knowing more about a character make them the protagonist? **

//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.// i think that the teme is with more money comes more power because Gatsby has money and respect and he seems to be controling nicks life at some points in the story. again an example is coming over and trying to make nicks hou se better than it already is and through all of this nicks still respects the man  (**what makes you think that Nick respects Gatsby?)**. um another theme could be money doesnt matter just tresure your friends and the things you have. this is a theme that could be for nick because through all of this he has stuck with his friends and has everything he needs, he doesnt need fancy cars or a big house or boats or anything like that. if i had enough time i could make a theme for everyone of these people but i dont have all day ** (are you saying that every character has his or her own separate theme that they represent, or that they represent the same theme in different ways?) ** so the second theme would not relate to tom and daisy because they have lots of moeny and always want more and newer thing, this is the same with Gatsby. although i think it could work for jordan because we havent herd much of jordan wanting more fancy stuff or money. on the other hand i think that the first theme i mentioned would work for everyone we have read about except nick and jordan becaue they want more, more, more and new, new, new things.
 * The two themes you talk about that I see are that money is power and money isn’t important to have a good life. The evidence that you give for the first theme is Gatsby’s power over Nick by cutting his lawn, and all the characters’ (besides Nick and Jordan) desire to buy things. Do you think the need for new things means that the characters have power? What or who exactly do they have power over? Where in the text do you see them talking about the new things they want to buy? Do you think every character shows that more money means more power and less money means less power? The evidence you give for the second theme, that money doesn’t matter, is that Nick has everything he needs and doesn’t have money, and the same goes for Jordan. Why do you think that Nick has everything he needs? Do you think that Nick is happy? Do you think Jordan is happy? How does your idea for the second theme fit in with the fact that Nick has a job and tries to make money every day? **

um i could probably find different points in the story where i felt different about what each characters theme is but i think they all represent the same basic theme but in there own way with a few different words for each person. //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.// to be completly honest i dont think any of the characters are dynamic but if i had to chose one it would probably be nick because he started off as not being very sociable and throughout the book he has become more sociable and not as shy. i also think that he is a round character becuase we see him uncomfortable, bursts of anger, and calm kindness. he is generally uncomfortable when he is around people that are in fights like when tom,daisy, and gatsby start arguing. he also just seems a little more mature than everyone else and maybe he has become more mature as the story went on as he found all of this stuff out about the people he thought he knew.
 * Chapter 1-7**

//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 each person has their own foil like jordan is nicks foil, tom is daisy's foil and gatsby could also be nicks foil. i say this because they have more bad parts that they show rather than good parts and nick either uses comon sense or stays nuetral in some situations. jordan at a couple points shows nicks high points and how he has his head on straight, daisy yes acts like a arrogant rich person but is better than tom, and finally gatsby acts kind of like he is better than everyone and daisy only loves him so he is better than everyone else. the author uses these characters to show a difference in each person because each person wether they are rich or poor acts completly different than another person even if they are in a family together. i think that gatsby doesnt seem as big of a character if he did not have money and he wouldnt be the same cahracter that he is and may be a foil to a different person or may not be a foil at all. ok im not sure what else to add to this what do you think and what questions do you have about what i said?

4/8/10 // 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. // to be completly honest i dont think any of the characters are dynamic but if i had to chose one it would probably be nick because he started off as not being very sociable and throughout the book he has become more sociable and not as shy. i also think that he is a round character becuase we see him uncomfortable, bursts of anger, and calm kindness. he is generally uncomfortable when he is around people that are in fights like when tom,daisy, and gatsby start arguing. he also just seems a little more mature than everyone else and maybe he has become more mature as the story went on as he found all of this stuff out about the people he thought he knew. In your response, you definitely show that you understand the definitions of a dynamic character and a round character. I think using examples from the text would really help your response here. For instance, when I read that Nick “started off as not being very sociable and throughout the book he has become more sociable and not as shy,” I’d like to know where your thoughts came from in the book. How do you know that Nick gets less shy throughout the first 7 chapters? Do you ever feel like anything is missing from the conversations that Nick tells us about? He seems to describe what other people say and how they say it in a very detailed way, but what about the things he says or feels? If you watched three of your friends fight and then wrote about it, would it sound different than how Nick describes it? I like your idea that Nick is changing because “he found all of this stuff out about the people he thought he knew.” I’d like to know more about this – what do you mean by maturity when you say it about Nick? After all, he is 30. I’m not saying at all that this is a bad word to describe Nick - I think you’re on to something by using that word. I’d like to know more about your thoughts here. //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 each person has their own foil like jordan is nicks foil, tom is daisy's foil and gatsby could also be nicks foil. i say this because they have more bad parts that they show rather than good parts [what do you mean by good parts and bad parts?] and nick either uses comon sense or stays nuetral in some situations. jordan at a couple points shows nicks high points and how he has his head on straight, daisy yes acts like a arrogant rich person but is better than tom, and finally gatsby acts kind of like he is better than everyone and daisy only loves him so he is better than everyone else. the author uses these characters to show a difference in each person because each person wether they are rich or poor [who is poor in the story?] acts completly different than another person even if they are in a family together. i think that gatsby doesnt seem as big of a character if he did not have money and he wouldnt be the same cahracter that he is and may be a foil to a different person or may not be a foil at all. ok im not sure what else to add to this what do you think and what questions do you have about what i said? From the way I read your response, you find a person who acts differently from each main character and describe how they are a foil to the other. When you say that “jordan at a couple points shows nicks high points and how he has his head on straight,” does that mean that Jordan does bad things that show that Nick has common sense? Or do you mean Jordan has her head on straight as well, so it shows that Nick does too? Why do you think that Gatsby is Nick’s foil? I love your idea that “gatsby doesnt seem as big of a character if he did not have money and he wouldnt be the same cahracter that he is.” I’m reading here that you think that money makes people who they are in this story, which is very insightful of you. Along those same lines, what do you make of what Gatsby said at Daisy’s house: “‘Her voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood it before. It was full of money – that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it…” (127). Who are these characters without their money?

//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.//

well first sorry it took so long to get this to you, my computer was acting up all last week. um im going to write about colors as a symbol. Throughout the story we see a lot of different colors and they all represent something else. One of the first colors we see is red and gold, these colors represent money because rich people like gold and the color red. one of the other colors we see early on is green, this represents hope because the green light at the end of daisy and toms dock gives Gatsby hope that he will have daisy again. also several times we read about how Gatsby is looking in that direction i think the theme all together in the Great Gatsby is //money is for fools and a meaningful life is for those who don't just care about money.// It just seems like this covers everything i have said before. it jsut seems like nick had a much better life without the piles and piles of money and Tom, Daisy, and even Gatsby at times only cared about the fact that they had money and knew how to show it off. It also seemed like nick didn't mind hanging out with the people that had money but he didn't want them to suck him in and get him to act the same way. back to the colors another color that we see is yellow which is close to gold and green all wrapped together in one car, that is Gatsby's car, it is gold which represents money and green interior which represents hope and he tries to get daisy in this car, so he is hoping he can get her.

4/13/10 well first sorry it took so long to get this to you, my computer was acting up all last week. um im going to write about colors as a symbol. Throughout the story we see a lot of different colors and they all represent something else. One of the first colors we see is red and gold, these colors represent money because rich people like gold and the color red. (Why is your idea that rich people like these colors important to the story? In other words, if these colors represent money, what do they do in the novel?)  one of the other colors we see early on is green, this represents hope because the green light at the end of daisy and toms dock gives Gatsby hope that he will have daisy again. also several times we read about how Gatsby is looking in that direction i think the theme all together in the Great Gatsby is // money is for fools and a meaningful life is for those who don't just care about money. // It just seems like this covers everything i have said before. it jsut seems like nick had a much better life without the piles and piles of money and Tom, Daisy, and even Gatsby at times only cared about the fact that they had money and knew how to show it off. (What in the text makes you think that Gatsby only cared about money? What was his motivation for becoming rich?)  It also seemed like nick didn't mind hanging out with the people that had money but he didn't want them to suck him in and get him to act the same way. back to the colors another color that we see is yellow which is close to gold and green all wrapped together in one car, that is Gatsby's car, it is gold which represents money and green interior which represents hope and he tries to get daisy in this car, so he is hoping he can get her. No problem about answering late! From you analysis of the symbols, I see that for you red and gold represent wealth in some way and green represents hope. You do a good job of indentifying which colors are significant in the text, and I think your reading of the color green is very useful. What about the quote from the very last few paragraphs when Nick says that he “became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes – a fresh, green breast of the new world” (189)? How is the word green in this quote representing hope, and do you think it could represent anything else? For instance, what do people feel when they see the trees turning green again in the spring? I think hope is a big part of it. I read your interpretation of the theme as being that money can’t bring meaning to life. Do you think that Myrtle’s death was brought about because of money, or how does her death fit in with your idea of the theme? If the theme is about what makes a “meaningful life,” and it is not money, do you think Gatsby had a meaningful life? For him, what in his life had meaning?