gatsby55-21

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 super confused on this story so Mrs.Lange told me to talk about a character. Tom Bucanon is a very rich man due to his parents wealth. Tom is a very cocky man that orders around Daisy. When Daisy talks back to Tom after he tells her to do something, she is very sarcastic **(Why do you think Daisy responds this way to Tom? Could it have something to do with the way Tom treats her?).** The characters that have been introduced so far are very different from each other **(How do they act different? How does Tom act differently than Nick? What could cause them to act different - where they live, money, or both?)**. Some characters are safisticated and rich while others aren't so privlaged. The protagonist in this story is nick caroway. and so far i see the antagonist being Tom. Nick is the protagonist because the story follows him. Nick is the narrotor of the story. Tom is the protagonist because he seems to be a bad guy (I think you meant to say antagonist here, not protagonist :-). He's abusive towards Daisy and talks down to Nick all the time (**Why do you think he chooses to be abusive to Daisy. Why do you think he talks down to nick - what could be some reasons for this?).**

Mrs.Lange and i were talking about the way i read. I seem to imagine to much when i read. When i was younger my teacher told me to imagine what i read and now i imagine to much. i think this is why i get to confused when i read.

Chapters 1-3
//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?//

All of the parties have been huge. Everybody is drunk and having a good time. Jordan likes how big the parties are tho because you can get away from someone if there making you mad. **(Why do you think Gatsby is having all these big parties - what is the significance of the parties?)** At small parties you cant escape and everybody knows your business. When Nick meets Gatsby, at first he doesnt really know who he is. Finally Nick said that he doesnt even know what the host looks like. Gatsby tells Nick that Nicks looking right at him. **(Why do you think Nick was so concerned with figuring out who Gatsby was?)**

//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 think that the narrator chose Nick to be the narrator because he’s a neutral party. If Gatsby told the story then we would view him differently. Instead of seeing him as this rich guy that parties all the time, we’d see that he wants to find Daisy again and fall in love with her. Nick’s character is in the middle and connects to everybody and brings everyone in this story together. Nick connects to Daisy which connects to Tom, Jordan, and Myrtle. Daisy connects to Gatsby which connects back to Nick. Nick is the key to the book in this story.


 * Jordan,

I agree. Nick is a very neutral character, and that is probably why he was chosen to be the narrator. Are there any other reasons you can think of - - Nicks beliefs about money, or society? I like how you explain that Nick's character connects to everyone, and in some way brings them together - this is a very good observation. You explain that if the story was told from Gatsby's point of view we'd see that he wants to find Daisy and fall in love with her - if Gatsby was the narrator of the story, how do you think Nick would be represented, what would he be like?**


 * Keep up the good work!

—Jessica**

//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.// // The more money you have in life, the further you go. People that are rich don’t buy things just because they have the money too, they buy experiences. Nick doesn’t have a lot of money and he acts a lot different than Tom for example. Tom is a very rude person because he feels powerful with his money, while Nick understands that you don’t need money to succeed in life. Gatsby’s different though because he has money but he’s using it to find Daisy. Gatsby throws his parties hoping that someday Daisy will show up without an invite. People say money talks but what language does money speak? For Tom it’s a dirty language with hate for the people under him, but for Gatsby it’s a very understanding language for people of all situations. It seems that the more money you have in this book the snobbier you are. So far that’s what it seems like but Gatsby defiantly makes me change my mind.


 * Jordan,

I really like what you say - that money can buy experiences, and then you connect that idea to the story. You explain that Tom is rude, and he acts this way because of the money he has. Do you think this demonstrates how powerful money can be? What type of people do you think are attending Gatsby's parties? People like Tom, who value money (snobby, greedy people)? People like Nick? Both? Where in the text, is there an example of how money affects Tom's decisions? - you do a great job of explaining how he feels powerful, and how he is snobby, now just find an example in the text to support this idea.

-Jessica** //

//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 the clocks in this chapter represent the lost time between Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby goes to Nick's house to find Daisy but she's not home. When Daisy finally arrives, Gatsby goes out of the back door and around the house to knock on the door like he was never there. "I'm sorry about the clock," This quote could represent an apology for all the time thats been wasted and the relationship broke because he was gone.


 * Jordan,

Great observation! Also, good job of using a quote to related to the clock. How do you think Gatsby felt - could have been nervous about what Daisy was going to think about him now? I definitely think you made a great observation when you say that Gatsby is worried about the time wasted - and how that is going to impact his relationship with Daisy now.

-Jessica**

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 believe that the American Dream is what every american wants, freedom,equality, and liberty. The American Dream in my life hasn't kicked in yet. I don't think the American Dream takes place untill you can truely understand what it means and how we the people use it.The AD is available to everyone but the journey isnt the same. People discriminate against one another and hate on other people. This is what weighs down people in day to day life.// "Taking a white card from his wallet he waved it before the man's eyes." This happened when Gatsby got caught speeding. Gatsby showed the police this white card and went on his way. In a way this shows the american dream because he gets what he wants and lives his life without worry.


 * Jordan,

This is a great explanation of the American Dream - and how the journey everyone takes to reach the American Dream is not the same. How are the characters in this story experiencing a different journey to the American Dream? Great job using a quote to support your beliefs. How do you think the situation would have changed - if it wasn't Gatsby that got caught speeding? Or would it have changed at all?

-Jessica**

**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.//

//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 it depends on which part of the story you look at. If you look at Gatsby's side of the story you could write a whole other book and he'd be the protagonist but in the Great Gatsby Nick is still the protagonist. I think that as the story progresses Gatsby will eventually become more of the protagonist then Nick will. It all started with Gatsby's parties when Gatsby was truely introduced. From there Jay became a heavy part of this story. Gatsby really starts to connect to Nick because of Daisy. Nick is still a very important part of the story with connecting everyone together but Mr.Jay Gatsby is really becoming a big part of the story. Especially now because were starting to see that he hasn't always been rich and were he came from as a child.

Ms.Lange told me that i have to pick only one character to be the protagonist. Ill choose Gatsby because the story is starting to evolve around him and wanting Daisy. The story is still being told by Nick but Nick's kind of falling out of the story. Gatsby started to be introduced at his parties. Gatsby is starting to unfold now in the story because we are seeing his childhood and were he came from. I feel that as the story goes on, we will see more of what Gatsby's like and who is was.

People that have money, have power. Jay Gatsby gets pulled over by the cops a chapter or two back and he pulled out a white card. This card got him out of a ticket because he did a favor for the police commisioner. Many times in this story the people that had the money bossed people around. Tom is a very good example. He thinks because he has money that he can tell people what to do. Gatsby's power is different tho. He doesnt really boss people around. Jay is more popular then powerful. He threw his parties in hope that Daisy would show up but because it wasnt an invite only, many people showed up. He has his power because he can get whatever he wants from people by doing good things for them.


 * Jordan,

I really like your idea about Gatsby being the protagonist. I agree with you, as the story progresses, it is not so much about Nick - the focus is more on Gatsby. What qualities does Gatsby have that make you think he could be the protagonist? Are there other reasons you think Gatsby is the protagonist, besides the idea that the story is starting to focus more on Gatsby than it is on Nick?

You seem to be recognizing some differences in social class, that's great! I really like your idea about how the antagonist is the people that have money. Also, great observations about how Gatsby and Tom both have money, but they seem to act different. What could this be telling us? What can money do to people?

Keep up the good work!

-Jessica**

//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**

The most dynamic character in this book is Gatsby. Gatsby starts the book off as a character that is rich and a cool classy guy, but as the book progresses we see Gatsby becomes more of an everyday person. Meaning that Gatsby is just like everybody else off of the street. Gatsby is definatly a round character. We get to see all sides of Gatsby. Right now, Tom and Gatsby are started to get things heated up and we havent seen that yet form Gatsby. We've seen Gatsby be the "cool" guy at his parties at the beggining of the book. Gatsby has been embarased with Daisy, in love from looking at Daisy, and happy just being with Nick and Daisy.

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?//

Tom and Gatsby are foils. Tom is showing that Gatsby isn't really as rich as he says he is and that he didn't really go to Oxford. Using this conflict in the book, it brings Myrtile back into the story other than just the affair. It talks about Mr.Wilson and Myrtile and there plans for the future. The values that are considered important is love. Love is whats splitting everybody apart. Its a problem between Tom and Daisy, Daisy and Gatsby, Tom and Mytile, and Myrtile and Mr.Wilson.


 * Jordan,

I agree with you, I think Gatsby is a dynamic and round character. Remember to show support from the text. Try looking for an example from the text at the beginning of the book first, to show how Gatsby was at the beginning, then find a few more examples from the text as it progresses. Good analysis - indicating that Tom and Gatsby are "foils." What in the text leads you to believe this? Do you think anyone else could be a foil?

-Jessica

Chapters 1-9** //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

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