gatsby61-8-2


 * //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?

In the first chapter Nick's father says that he is never to judge people, and he doesn't, so people tell him things and some individuals thinks he knows more than he should. So I almost think that the theme of the first chapter could be not to judge people and just accept them the way they are. **This makes a lot of sense to me, I can definitely see how this would apply. Nick does seem to just go along with everybody, even if they do things he doesn't approve of.** That's why I believe at dinner with Tom, Daisy and Jordan he didn't say what he thought of Tom's infidelity because it's not his place to judge even though he //knows// it's wrong and that it hurts Daisy. It also goes to show that everyone has faults and, as a friend to them, sometimes you have to overlook those faults because no one is perfect. **Great observation!** In the first chapter all I could find that had a semblance of a symbol was all the colors mentioned; the green light off in the distance, the white of the house and the red and gold. I'm not sure what it means as of yet but it has to have some sort of significance. Do you have a guess as to what they could mean? **I am not sure either. I will have to find these parts you described read them again.** Of all the characters I have to say I like Nick, the protagonist, the best as he seems the most trustworthy and 'real' person out of all of them. **I agree with you on this! He is my favorite now too.** Tom is arrogant and too engrossed in his money //and// he is a racist. Daisy is just stupid because she has to know that her husband is cheating on her with a mistress yet she takes no real action to stop it or get away from Tom while Jordan is just a busy-body and feels the need to gossip about everything. **It seems like you have made up your minds about these characters. Do you think there is more to them than what we are seeing right now? I wonder if we will learn more later on that makes us change our minds. I am curious, do you think the first impression sticks with you when you read a book, or have you changed along with the characters?** In the second chapter I am not sure what the theme is as I haven't finished reading it yet but did you have any predictions as to what it is? I will read your reply after I finish the chapter, myself. I noticed that a symbol in this chapter would be Dr. Eckleburg's eyes and glasses and they have some sort of meaning and theme to the story of which I'm not quite sure of. **I will also have to look at this again, maybe we can both think about it and talk more in the next blog.** I don't know if you've read the story yet but do you have any guesses as to what they might represent? We are also introduced to many more characters this chapter including Tom's mistress, Myrtle. She acts fine when she is only around Tom and Nick - though still very spoiled - but at the party she is arrogant and acts like she can order everyone around. **She does act very strange in these two situations, do you think this tells us anything about her and Tom's relationship?** Mr. McKee is a photographer but he is a snobby one and if he doesn't find you 'attractive' enough to photograph it seems he won't even give you the time of day while his wife seems to be much more genial and kind. Honestly I feel sorry for Myrtle's husband Mr. Wilson because he - as Tom mentioned - is not really stupid he's just to naive enough to believe that his wife would never cheat on him. **You have brought up a lot of the cheating that is in this chapter, and it seems like it happens all the time! Do you think this tells us anything about how the characters live in this time period? Or maybe not, just a thought.** He just got unlucky in his finding of a woman that was only happy with things and not love and I really think he deserves someone much better than her. I at least hope that he finds out about Mrs. Wilson's deceitfulness before the end of the novel.

//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**

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 the author chose to write The Great Gatsby from Nick’s point of view because it gives us a full view of all the characters and yet it still means there are things we don’t know and that secrets are better kept **Great!**. It’s almost like Nick was just a character plopped down amongst all the other characters who all seem more extravagant with their big houses, loads of money and scandalous affairs. He, to me, just seems like your average guy who tries to do well and not judge and is put in these situations with other people that then bring out not only his character but theirs as well **I really like this thought. Why do you think it is important that Nick is an "average guy"?**. If the story were told from Tom’s point of view it would talk about his affair more and why he chose to engage in one while this way with Nick it’s still a bit of a mystery. While if the story was told by Myrtle, Jordan or maybe even Daisy far more trivial things would be discussed like wealth and gossip and it would be hard to see the bigger picture as women tend to overanalyze things **I can definitely relate to that! However, do you think through these "trivial things" the women could show us another side of the story? If so, what would be different from the man's perspective?**. One person whom I think would make a good narrator, besides Nick, would have to be Gatsby. He’s so mysterious and he seems to have his own agenda and is very secretive. We don’t know much yet about his character because Nick doesn’t know about his character and I think that just makes it all the more interesting. It’s better in a story if everything isn’t just laid out before you and you’re left having to decipher the words and meanings behind them **I agree. Do you think that your other classmates would agree, and decipher things in the same way as you do? Just a thought I had!** All in all I believe Nick was the perfect choice of a narrator for this book.//

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 this book wealth and power is often coincided with arrogance and haughty people who care more about what’s in your pocketbook than theirs. At parties the women gossip and exchange false pleasantries while the men discuss who’s more powerful and wealthy, though in very subtle ways of course **Great description, this really took me back to the party**. This is all just an inference by me as it seems that everyone, such as Tom, that has money considers themselves higher than others who don’t – which is still how it is today at times **Very true, have there been other parts of the book that have reminded you of our society today?**. In the instance of Tom he has money and power therefore he thinks he can make unwise choices yet still have the benefits of someone who’s innocent – such as having a wife and mistress at the same time. At times it would appear he feels there is nothing wrong with that though we know that is false because he does not tell his wife Daisy and she has to find out through other means. Myrtle, Tom’s mistress, only really likes Tom for his money and she always has him buy nice things and even goes so far as to buy an apartment and fill it with big furniture just to future show off ‘her’ wealth **Great example from the book. What do you think of this relationship so far?**. When around Tom and his money she also acts differently and wears her more expensive dresses, waltzing around as if she owns the party and is of //// course //// so much better off than you. It’s only Gatsby, so far, who seems to handle his money with some class though he too has his faults. He also believes he can talk how he wants – for instance his conversation with Nick about Jordan – like Tom though he has yet to really say something so extreme as to drop my own respect for him a peg or two. Then you have Nick who is not rich but walks amongst rich people yet he still manages to keep his dignity and be a good-mannered person. He also doesn’t seem the type that would ask for ‘loans’ just because they would have the money to give. I would definitely say that in this novel affluence is not portrayed in the most angelic light **I think this is a powerful statement that makes a lot of sense. Why do you think Fitzgerald portrays affluence in this way?** //

//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 was gone the day chapter 5 was discussed so I'm unsure whether the actual meaning behind them were explained but I'll say what I believe them to mean. The one that stood out to me most was when Gatsy says something like "Sorry about your timepiece" and Nick says something like "It's alright, it was old" and they're talking about it like it's already broken and done with **How did these phrases make you feel about what had happened? You said this really stood out to you- why do you think that is?** This can symbolize the loss of time between Gatsby and Daisy and that times have changed so it's impossible for them to be together again **I think this is really well stated.** Daisy is married - disregarding the fact that Tom is cheating himself - and they haven't seen each other for five years. It can also show how time can get away from us, the days go by and it's only years later that you realize you never got what you had wanted in the first place **Great! Why do you think Fitzgerald wanted us to understand this?**


 * I am not sure about his myself, do you think Fitzgerald's use of symbolism make it more powerful for us to understand? Or maybe not**

//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.//

The American Dream is often described as being in a large house with a white picket house a wife/husband and maybe a kid or two with a dog. To me the American Dream can be whatever you want most; it's not what others perceive it to be, it's what you //wish// it to be. That's partly what I believe is wrong with America is that so many of us look towards someone else for the answer instead of looking for it yourself **Wow! This makes me think about it in a new way, that I like a lot more than the traditional view. Do you think that with your definition, it is more attainable to everyone?** If you wish to live in a duplex or apartment with no spouse and one cat then that is your choice and no one should be able to tell you that that's not The American Dream. It's what you want so to you, it is. In Fitzgerald's novel it seems for most people - besides Nick, really - that everyone's American Dream is to be wealthy and have nice things **What specific phrases from the book made you think this way?** Of all the characters we've seen the only two that really strike as not really caring is Mr. Wilson and Nick. Mr Wilson is poor and said to not be very smart yet he doesn't strike me as quite the type to want unfortold riches and glory, neither does our narrator. They just want a few nice things, sure, and a roof over their heads and if money happens to fall into their laps they won't be ones to deny it. The American Dream should be attainable to everyone because it's what you want and if you work hard enough everyone should be able to achieve that goal. It's on your own head to get that dream.


 * Shailey, I really your ideas here! They are really positive, i'm curious if you think that Fitzgerald would agree with your ideas?**

**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.//

It's complicated really because most would probably believe the protagonist is Nick because the story is told from his point of view, it follows him throughout the book and we get to hear his thoughts **I like this idea. How would you define "protagonist" to someone who had never heard the term before?** We get to know what he thinks about the other characters from the books and what he thinks of the world around him. Others could argue Gatsby is the protagonist because the author seems to depict more information on him than on our own narrator; we learned of a brief background of Nick in the beginning but after that we rarely get details of his past **Why do you think that the more information we have on a character, the more likely they are to be the protagonist?**. The more we learn about Gatsby it seems like the less we know about Nick. We know, roughly, how Gatsby grew up and where he went to school and how he lived, what he wanted to achieve -- we don't get nearly that many details with Nick. We barely even know about his job in bonds but we can infer that Gatsby works in something of a buisness field. So, to me at least, the protagonist could be either or maybe both of them **Interesting idea. So do you think its possible to have more than one protagonist? Have you read any other stories that had more than one protagonist/antagonist? If so, how did this affect the story?**. It is a very arguable topic I would agree and I would have a hard time having to directly pick one out as the protagonist. The antagonist could easily be a number of characters such as Tom or Daisy or maybe even Jordan. Tom would work because he causes conflict for not only Nick but also Gatsby - which would fit in on the 'who is the protagonist' speel - as he is married to Daisy whom Gatsby. Daisy could be the antagonist because of her and Gatsby's past love which, now, only causes for problems and deceit. She is who I call an unbeknownst antagonist as it isn't really obvious if she is but I do think it is a possiblity.


 * I really like your thoughts on the protagonist/antagonist here, I do think its complicated but you do a great job of examing all the possibilties. Are there any specific quotes from the story that made you think about these characters?**

//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.//

The theme that //I// find most apparent is the whole 'money can't buy happiness' or 'love' or anything else that really means something. **Great! You seem to think of this "money can't buy happiness" theme as sort of cliche. If I am getting that right, do you think there are a lot of books out there with this theme? And if so, do you think we really ever get the message Fitzgerald and others are trying to get across?** In the story, as I've mentioned in an earlier essay, money is put up on such a high pedestal - along with power - and if you don't have it then you're basically nothing to some people. Gatsby had to work up to that status of wealthy because he knew the only way he would be recognized - and would probably get Daisy back - was to have money and be able to get somewhere in the world. Fitzgerald seems to really pound that theme into your head of how much power was worth back then and if you were able to manipulate a person into what you wanted then you were basically considered godly **You say that power was worth a lot back then. Would you say that this theme could still apply to us today? If so, how?** We recently met Sloane who lives on the East Egg and I perceive him as thinking that everyone that lives on the West Egg as beneath him and not as worthy. When they came to Gatsby's house the pretty woman invited Gatsby to a party but it was obvious Sloane didn't want him there simply because he lived on the West Egg and had 'new money,' as they call it. I would really say that something regarding affluence and power is the theme of the story because it is what is most seen to me as an issue and also most brought up in the text. **I would agree that is brought up the most.**

I think this is a great idea for the theme, and the examples you brought up really help me understand where you are coming from!**
 * Shailey,

//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**

I think the most dynamic character from the book would be Daisy. She starts off rather airily moving through life and not really seeming to care when later we find out her marraige with Tom is not all it is made out to be. We know that Daisy knows Tom is cheating and, when around friends, she acts as if she does not really care and is rather flippant. Though in one of the first scenes where Jordan, Tom, Daisy and Nick are having dinner Tom and Daisy go back in the house and there is an argument. We then move from her rather nonchalant attitude to something more hurt and distressed, making her all the more human **I like your idea here, "making her all the more human."** **How do you think this changes our perception of Daisy?** And then Gatsby enters the picture and the reader sees how happy and excited she is to see him and their relationship is sort of like two teenagers going on a date for the first time. They sneak out together and do all sorts of 'scandalous' things that would not be prohibited. Daisy's character grows to be not as docile to Tom and she stands up to him a few times when he's trying to bait Gatsby into saying some more about himself **What do you think gives Daisy this power to be less docile to Tom?** She then acts as if she is confused and doesn't know whether she still wants to go away with Gatsby because she still loves Tom while still loving the other man. We see many different sides of Daisy in the text which is why I think that she is a dynamic character. **Great! Since you think Daisy is dynamic, do you have any predictions as to how she will be in the end?**


 * Maybe I just didn't catch it, but do you think that Daisy is a round or flat character? And how would her characteristics fit in with your definition of a round/flat character?**

//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?//

Who I think are the foils in this book would be Tom and Gatsby. While they are both rich they both have a different way of showing it and acting with their money; they are both still snobby - as most rich people are - but Tom is in more of a 'look down at you from atop his nose' type of way while Gatsby is only playing pretend **This concept of "pretend" is very interesting. Do you think that this is a common idea in this book, and in life, when talking about people with money?** Tom inherited his money so he thinks he has a reason to act the way he does while Gatsby had to earn and make his own money so he is more likely to show sympathy than Tom. That is one of the foils it brings out is that Gatsby can show compassion while Tom seems more the type to stick you in the eye with a needle than pull one out (**I really enjoy how you wrote this!)**. It shows how differently people with money //can// act and they don't all treat everyone else the same as stuck up wealthy persons do **Very true, are there examples how they treat different people from the book? .** Fitzgerald makes a real point of wealth and power in the book which is something that they both have - while Tom would disagree and say he has both while Gatsby simply has some money. He doesn't believe that, unless you have old money, you really have money at all.


 * Shailey, I think you did a great job of identifying this foil and how it relates to the theme of wealth. I would like to hear more about what you think of the old/new money difference.

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.//