gatsby55-0-1

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?
 * //The Great Gatsby//** F. Scott Fitzgerald

Im not to sure about the theme but the characters in ther bok are very interesting. I see alot of foil involved in the book, as in Tom and Daisy. they might be married and all but they are opposites. [Good observation!] Tom is this big, scary, football player that has a racist side to him. Diasy is this little girl that just likes money. Tom has alot of money bringing out athe gold digger side of Daisy. Daisy isnt racist at all. The protanganist of this story is Nick Carroway. He works with bonds and is the second cousin of Daisy. A symbold in this story is the color white, symbolizing luxury. [Can you think of any examples from the story?] Back then people just wasted money like it was time leading to the recession. During this whole story so far, Nick hasnt yet judged anybody so he has takin the advice his father gave him to heart.

You make some really great observations about foil, so good job there. When you are thinking about theme, it might be helpful to think about place, West Egg and East Egg. What does place tell you about the people who live there?

It seems like everybody from the west egg are all about havin fun and living life to the fullest. Everybody from the east egg are all about there money.

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**

Ive notice that nick still hasnt went crazy at any of the parties or anything. But at each party he meets someone new and they become part of the story and his life. {nice observation. How do these new people change Nick? How do they add to the story?} Jordan quote means to me that at large parties you can get away with out anybody really noticing and have privacy but at small parties everybody can tell that somebody has left even if its a single person and at small parties you have discusions within that little group that came but at big parties there is multiple conversations. So at the first party it was just them in a big group talking but at large parties there were all kinds of things happening so nobody was just focused on one thing. {How do you think this allows the characters to develop? Why are there so many parties in the beginning of this book?} Jahzel, I think you make some great points when explaining the quote. It might be helpful to think about how these parties further the story and develop the characters, since this will be more important as the book continues.

//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**

In this book wealth is portrayed as if you have old money you have the most respect and power to do basically whatever you want and if you have new money you have the power over the “normal” people but under the people with old money. A way money affects the characters lives is how when Gatsby and Nick got pulled over, the cop came up to the car and seen who it was after Gatsby showed him a white card and walked away like nothin happened. This is true, but it doesn't address the prompt. Think about perspective. Would wealth be portrayed differently if the story was told from a different point-of-view?

//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.//

Wealth is portrayed as complicated by yet satisfying in the book to me. Complicated because of all of the problems that they have in the story and have to overcome but yet satisfying because they use money to make up for them. Lets use Gatsby as an example. He lost the love of his life, Diasy, and in order to try and get back in touch with her he uses in money to attracted everybody to his huge mansion by throwing a expenseive party hoping Daisy will come by. (Does his plan work? Is money portrayed as a successful way to solve problems?) Jahzel, I think you have a good understanding of how money works in the story, but a few more examples from the story might help you complicate your answer.

//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 clocks and watches in this chapter to me represent time stopping and is saying that they have plenty of time to catch up with things. (Interesting observation. Is this true for all the clocks that are mentioned? Why do you think this is particularly important in Chapter 5?) "his head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantlepiece clock and from thsi position his distraught eyes stare down at..." (Why did you choose this quote? What do you think it represents? Some explanation would help support your claim about time stopping.)

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.//

I define the american dream as living in america and bein successful which is you fulfilling your dreams. This influences me because i have a lot of dreams and i really want to fulfill them. the amercian dream is different in all eyes. (How so? Can you give some examples?) Anybody can fulfill their dreams which makes them live the american dream. (Is it true that anyone can accomplish the American Dream? Is it easier for some people than others?)

Can you think of any examples of the American Dream in the book? Do you think any of the characters have attained it?

**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.//

In this book i believe that the protagonist is Nick because the book is in first person and it is impossible to leave nick out. He has to be involved in the story no matter what. I dont think its possible to have some body else the protagonist in the story. ( Can you imagine the book in third person? Would Nick still be such an important character ) the whole time that the story is talking about Gatsby its Nick telling it or telling us about somebody telling us about gatsby. The antagonist in the story is i think money (Interesting point!) because Nick doesnt have much money but is startin to get spoiled by Gatsby and everybody else with money. Soon Nick will be one of "THEM". (How will this change Nick's character?) 

//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.//

One theme in the story that shows out alot is "If a person has money, they have power." (This is true, but why do you think so?) Throughout the whole book there were parts when you could see the power of money. For example, " (?)

//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**

In my opinion the most dynamic character in this story is Daisy. Since the day she reunited with Gatsby it has just been a time of emotional change for her. Starting out with Tom and supposedly in love with him, to being confused about her true feelings, to loving Gatsby, to wanting Tom again. She really doesn’t know anything at all. Seeing all of these different feelings you can tell that she is a very round character. (Does she change beyond who she directs her attentions at? Is anything else about her round?)

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?//

Gatsby and Tom are considered foil to me in the story because they are to totally different men. Gatsby is a sensitive man and Tom is a very masculine man. I think that they were put in the story to be foils because they have Daisy, the girl they both want, in the middle of them and we want to try to put things together to see which one is best for him and who we think she is going to choose. (How else are they different? Can you provide more examples?) At the beginning of the book Money seemed like the number one priority but when it came down to everything love was what everybody was looking for but money can’t buy love. (Does money stop being valued by all the characters?)

//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 I seen a few different color symbols in the story The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, mainly white and green. I seen white as innocents as in all of the "old money" girls, Daisy and Jordan. The beginning when Nick was first Meeting people, Fitzgerald writes,"They were both in white..."(12). Also i seen white as wealth, Fitzgerald writes,"Across th courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered..."(10). (Do you think there is a connection between old money being innocent?) Green, a big part of the story also, was mentioned quite a bit. I saw green as part of the American Dream. Green was the color of money and who doesn't want money? Green was associated a lot with Jay Gatsby. When people talked about his house and other possessions they mentioned green. His house with GREEN grass and his house was covered in GREEN ivy. Also Fitzgerald writes,"He felt the hot green leather of the seat"(127). (Good job with this question!) • 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.

I think a theme in this story could be The more money you have, the less problems you have to handle. Fitzgerald writes,"'But i need money pretty bad and i was wondering...'"(130). Here George needed money to move him and his wife away west to get away from a problem that they were facing. The wealthy just kind of leaves their problems behind and start somewhere else like Tom and Daisy. Fitzgerald write,"But she and tom had gone away early the afternoon, and taken baggage with them"(172). (Is it that the wealthy don't have problems, or that they can afford to fix them? What about Gatsby? Does his wealth solve his problems?) //