Calm (Tim)

The 8th chapter uses many calming imagery. This serves to contrast with the events of the night before, where the temperature was sweltering. As the sun comes up the next day :

[they open] the windows down-stairs, filling the house with gray-turning, gold-turning light. The shadow of a tree fell abruptly across the dew and ghostly birds began to sing among the blue leaves. There was a slow, pleasant movement in the air, scarcely a wind, promising a cool, lovely day.

It is also a bit ironic, in that it leads the readers to believe that the majority of the conflict is over (while in fact, it is certainly not). Another image of calm: Gatsby was relaxing in his pool, on a float when he was killed. The world is calm:

A small gust of wind that scarcely corrugated the surface was enough to disturb its accidental course with its accidental burden. The touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing, like the leg of compass, a thin red circle in the water.

It seems to add to the tragedy that all this conflict has happened, and the world seems to be indifferent. Gatsby dies prepared, not fearing death, but calm and ready.

Daisy, the Accidental Burden (Sandra Ackert – Smith)

           In chapter eight of The Great Gatsby, Nick suggests that Gatsby’s big error was falling in love with Daisy. Gatsby wasted many years of his life idolizing, dreaming about, and fixating over an entity that was incessantly out of reach. “… He must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (161). The “price” that Nick references is Gatsby’s life. To Gatsby, Daisy had divine wealth and beauty – these qualities became his preoccupation. Due to the lack of perspective on his situation, Gatsby never realized that he could live happily without his love. Nick summarizes Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship when he says, “A small gust of wind that scarcely corrugated the surface was enough to disturb its accidental course with its accidental burden” (161). Daisy, the “small gust of wind,” transformed the course of Gatsby’s life and her presence (or lack thereof) became a burden to him. Although Gatsby’s time with Daisy “scarcely corrugated the surface” of his life, she impacted him long after her presence faded.

Was Daisy ever aware of the amount of leverage she had over Gatsby? Was Gatsby’s affection towards Daisy within the boarders of healthy, or did it borderline psychosis?  

 

Diminutive Lecture

Through out chapter 8, there were two things happening. One was describing Gatsby and what he has been thinking about since Myrtles death, with the other being the people around Myrtles home dealing with Myrtles death. I noticed as I was reading that during the sections that were focusing on Gatsby, there was little to no dialogue. This is interesting because it is such a fasted paced part of the story. Fitzgerald mostly focuses on the way Gatsby is thinking about Daisy, (how much he loves her.) Its almost like Nick is inside Gatsby’s head and has faded away as a character. The words used are soft and loving and seem to move slowly along through the story. “He sat with daisy in his arms for a long, silent time…” pg150. Fitzgerald’s writing style drastically changes when he starts to focus on the life around the late Mrs. Myrtle. When Fitzgerald is talking about the people around myrtles home, IE her husband, there is lots of dialogue, and lots of harsh words being used. “Your Morbid George!” pg 158. Also note that pg 158 is entirely dialogue.

Negativity - Lex Jackson

In the third paragraph on page 161 of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates a sad and depressing mood. He does this, first, by taking beautiful objects and, using negative diction, making them seem terrible. This juxtaposition enforces Gatsby's misery by making the reader feel depressed as well. Fitzgerald describes the sky as "unfamiliar," the leaves as "frightening," a rose as "grotesque," the sunlight as "raw," and the grass as "scarcely created." Generally, these living, abundant things are described as lush, beautiful, warm, and colorful, but in this paragraph they are just the opposite. Fitzgerald explains this morbid imagery by stating that Gatsby "no longer cared." It seems that Gatsby has given up hope, and not even the sun and sky can be beautiful any longer. The second way that Fitzgerald creates this gloomy atmosphere is with fearful images, specifically those of ghosts. The end of the paragraph has a direct reference to ghosts, followed by a lengthy description with ghastly diction such as "drifted," "ashen," and "gliding." Furthermore, Fitzgerald continues these images of transparency and fright when he stops illustrating the ghosts, as seen when he describes trees as "amorphous," and mentions that Gatsby "shivered." This paragraph is depressing as well as scary, and the repetition of such negativity has an emotional effect on the reader. However, do you thing that it is meant to reflect on previous deathly happenings, or to preface future occurrences? If it is neither, is this paragraph a reflection of Gatsby's feelings since he is without Daisy, and is waiting expectantly for her to call?

Finally able to log in again! (really long compilation of everything I couldn't post before)

Eliot Crawford

Does Gatsby’s money count as old or new money? In chapter five the following exchange occurs, “His eyes went over it, every arched door and square tower. ‘It took me just three years to earn the money that bought it.’

‘I thought you inherited your money.’

‘I did, old sport,’ he said automatically, ‘but I lost most of it in the big panic—the panic of the war.”

One of the themes we have been told to look for is old money vs new money. This exchange begs the question, What Does Gatsby’s money Qualify as? My Current theory is that it is supposed to be representative of Gatsby not entirely belonging in his current egg. While his money was in herrited he had to build up his fortune placing him neither in the west or east eggs.

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The Style of the book is What I refer to as a Perspective novel. By this I mean that it focuses less on a plot and more on The Narrator’s opinion and Perspective on ongoing matters. Because of this we get an extremely restricted view of the world in which the book is set.This style is very easily noticeable and easily distinguished from other nore direct styles of writing. Ex. If a book talks about walking up a hill in a non-perspective novel format it might read something like this: “I walked up the hill I did not like walking up the hill. I saw a rabbit. I thought that the rabbit was fast. I reached the summit. The hike was over.” Now if the same ‘plot’ when conveyed in a ‘perspective’ format might read something like: “ walking up the hill I suddenly found myself remembering mountaineering with my cousin four years ago, now my cousin had never been one for hiking but he still would go on occasion. Seeing a rabbit move throughout the forest brought back images of my cousin’s desperate attempt to catch the mole that had wandered across the path that day. Reaching the summit I fallback in triumph overjoyed to have completed the long trek.

My question Is this: What does Fitzgerald gain from using a perspective format? After all because of the length of perspective style writing compared to direct, and taking into account the size of the Great Gatsby, it stands to reason that he sacrificed activity in the story for the ability to make Nick free associate about the plot.

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The Main difference between the east and west egg is old money vs. new money. This brings up the question of who is better? The east egg where money has been in families for generations has the argument of hereditary superiority. The west has the argument that they are better for building themselves up to their wealth. Gatsby essentially inherited his money however he was not allowed to collect this ‘inheritance’. Gatsby built himself up but Really where does he belong? He deserved the ‘free ride’ that comes with inheritance and so should live in the east egg but he never received it and had to build himself up and therefore lives in the west.

Daisy is Money - Lex Jackson

Throughout The Great Gatsby, but most prominently in chapter eight, Daisy Buchanan is described as money. First, things pertaining to Daisy are often thought to be green, such as the "green light" (92) at the end of her dock, as well as the car she was driving, which Michaelis said he thought was "light green" (137). Second, both Nick and Gatsby use money related words to illustrate physical aspects of Daisy, as seen when Nick describes Daisy as "gleaming like silver" (150) and "shining" (150), and when Gatsby states that "her voice is full of money" (120). Finally, Daisy's presence is monetary, as shown when Nick mentions one of Daisy's good qualities and then says that "it increased her value in (Gatsby's) eyes" (149). Similarly, when Gatsby is separated from Daisy, Nick describes him as "penniless" (153), rather than lonely, or another term that could portray lack of companionship. To Nick and Gatsby, and possibly other characters, Daisy is the personification of money. Could this explain why there is such high demand for her and why Gatsby and Tom are both battling to call her their own? Does anybody like Daisy for who she is, or do they all see her as a material possession? Lastly, what can we derive about Fitzgerald's conceptions of human nature from these descriptions of Daisy?

The Original Book Review on Gatsby

Hi guys,

Justine forwarded me the NY Times review of "Gatz", a staged reading of the novel. The editors of the Times posted the original book review of Gatsby alongside of the play review. Check it out!

http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/12/24/specials/fitzgerald-gatsby.html

Christie

Something of Interest

Hey everyone,

My mom found this article, and forwarded it to me. I in turn sent it along to Christie.

Here it is for you guys:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/theater/03gatz.html?emc=eta1

What Has Happened, Old Sport?

Ever since his fight with Tom, Gatsby has been changed. He is no longer is confident self, he is nervous, and scared of some hidden feeling or person. He is blocking phone calls because he is waiting for a call from Chicago, but as Nick said, "...Gatsby himself believed that it would not come." (Pg 161)Gatsby is also acting differently, he is much less formal then he used to be, and only said "old sport" 2 times in 15 pages. He also shows that he is more desensitized to the killing of people, and his reaction to Myrtle's death proves this.
Now that Daisy has said that she doesn't love Tom, He seems to be somewhat less in love with her, or is that just me?

Words.

"Looked up at an unfamiliar sky thought frightened leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing rose is and how raw the sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass," (pg 161) this quote shows how everything in Gatsby's life seems to be running away and changing all at once. By using the words "unfamiliar, frightened, shivered, grotesque, raw, and scarcely" it creates tension, fright and mystery for Fitzgerald's final chapter. In the next paragraph he uses "anxiously," and again the word "scarcely" as Nick enters Gatsby's home which gives off the feeling of uneasiness in the house. During the last paragraph "accidental" (pg 162) is used repeatedly, as if someone is retelling the story and is making sure everyone knows that it wasn't anyone fault. Now we know that two deaths have happened, the question is what will Gatsby do? Will he move out of town and leave Daisy behind? Or will he fight to prove his innocence?

Eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs...

The two islands of fictional New York, the east and west eggs, are polarized in cultures.
East egg, where Tom originates, is full of stuffed-shirts who simply inherit the money of their ancestors over several generations. This money as somewhat of a code of honor, and many people from east egg keep themselves in good posture, don't act out, and do their very best to avoid situations that would stir gossipers. However, this also makes them really snooty, and very bland.
However, the people of west egg are all about the life of glamor and having fun. The money they have is recently obtained, and as the old saying goes, "Easy come, easy go." People like Gatsby and Jordan throw away their money willy-nilly without a second thought to have people run amok and make utter fools of themselves.

Gatsby and Myrtle.. ehhhh?

As we are seeing more and more through out the Novel Gatsby is a man of impulse, and one of no excuses. Although he has a history with Daisy it would be quite the plot twist for Gatsby to end up with his crush's husband's mistress. Myrtle, the whimsical and impulsive girl would almost fit in seamlessly with Gatsby and his own crazy habits. If Daisy and Tom find that flame or what ever, leaving both Gatsby and Myrtle out of the picture it would make sense that they some how find each other in the tangled mess that is the love square created by the four characters.

The Eggs

In chapter 6 the differences between the East and West Eggs become even more obvious when Gatsby and Tom meet. The West Egg is populated mostly by individuals stuck in tradition who have come from a long line of wealth and who uphold the strictest social conventions, or at least appear to. The East Egg is more of a mystery and has a more light hearted feel as a culture compared to the West. Nobody is entirely sure where Gatsby earned his wealth but being one of the most prominent East Eggers he makes the most of it. Although East Eggers lack the 'class' of those on the West Egg they have an ability to live life to the fullest and laugh in the face of social conventions. West Egg seems to be almost fake in the sense that there is a kind of show put on where its residents act to only do the right thing in the eye of society, but in reality they end up doing what ever they like. The true difference between the two comes down to the fact that the West Eggers can not admit that they are not the socially responsible (cheating on spouses) high class residents they try to be, while East Eggers admit that achieving what they want in life might not be viewed as acceptable by society.

Two "Eggs"

From the beginning of The Great Gatsby there have been references to how West Egg and East Egg differ. We know the two “eggs” rarely interact with each other therefore leading the reader to believe they have two completely different life-styles. In chapter VI this assumption is proved true when Daisy and Tom attend Gatsby’s party. The party shows the reader that people from East Egg are more close minded and like to stick to traditions, while those from West Egg are easier going and more open minded.

The reader can truly see the differences in life styles and personalities between East and West Egg when Nick narrates, “But the rest offended her- and inarguably, because it wasn’t a gesture, but an emotion. She was appalled by West Egg, this unprecedented ‘place’…she saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand.” At this point the reader realizes it may not just be an argument of new money or old money, but something deeper in the philosophy of life and how people should behave. These are my conclusions from this chapter, but my question is, are there any other deeply rooted conflicts between East and West Egg, that are not based on money or wealth?

East Vs West Egg

In chapter six Nick isn't the main character, but he remains the narrator. The chapter is more a story of Daisy dealing with Tom and Gatsby. In choosing one man over the other she is having to weigh not only the individuals, but also the life style they lead. Her life at home with Tom is boring and depressing. Anything it seems would be better than this boredom and oppression by her husband but when she is at Gatsby's party she is bored and insulted by drunk people. That said, however, when she leaves she felt a strong urge to go back inside, because once she's gone she'll have no idea if something monumental will occur. One of the first things that crosses Nick's mind is that she could be worried about some other woman changing or taking Gatsby's affections. In the end, her choice between Gatsby and Tom is like choosing how to invest one's money. By investing in Tom, she is essentially putting her money in the bank where it will grow at a small amount forever, with little to no risk. Investing in Gatsby is much more risky, as he lives an extravagant carefree life where she is in danger of being forgotten at any time.

East Egg VS. West Egg

The difference between East Egg and West Egg is similar to the East and West of America. The people from the East seem to be more uptight and stricter than those of the West. In my opinion, the most significant from this chapter was the view on women. Tom, a person of the East, frowned upon "Daisy's running around alone" (p.103). On the opposite side, people of the East show up to parties they aren't invited to, and drink like there is no tomorrow. "'When she's had five or six cocktails she always starts screaming like that.'" (p.106). Another example of the West being looser than the East is Gatsby: marriage is a thing to be respected. Tom and Daisy don't get a divorce even though Daisy knows about the affair, and Tom wants to be with Myrtle, but marriage is too sacred to end it: a typical, Eastern, strict belief. But from a Western, looser, Gatsby perspective, he is planning to end the marriage between Daisy and Tom; a marriage isn't as important to him as it is to Easterners. A question I pose is, where does Daisy fit into the East VS. West? She doesn't seem opposed to being with Gatsby, but she hasn't divorced Tom, so where does that leave her?

Chapter V, A Glimpse into Gatsby

In chapter V of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows us a glimpse inside Gatsby’s vulnerable side. Up until this point in the novel, Fitzgerald has kept Gatsby mysterious, and in the dark. Just a chapter before, Nick says “My eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes.” This quote keeps Gatsby at a distanced, almost an unattainable entity with a slight air of arrogance about him. However, in chapter V, this cover is shattered when Daisy renters Gatsby’s life. He turns into a child-like figure, unsure of how to act, something the reader has never seen before. My question is why has Fitzgerald chosen to keep us a secret to Gatsby’s life up until this point? Would it have changed the book if we were able to see more of Gatsby’s real personality? Personally it would make Gatsby more relatable if we had seen this side of him earlier in the book. Any other ideas?

East v. West

In chapter 6, the readers have a more detailed view of the differences between East Egg and West Egg. What appears in this chapter is that the East Egg people look down upon the West Egg people for two reasons. From both Daisy and Tom's perspectives, the West Egg inhabitants have earned their money quickly and therefore, shadily and dishonestly. "A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know." Tom, page 107. Although these are assumptions and accusations, it seems quite possible that Tom is somewhat correct given the intimations about how Gatsby has gained his wealth. In addition, even if the West Egg people made their money more honestly, there seems to be a distinct difference between old and new money. why is there this profound, important distinction? It would seem to me that making your own money would be worth more than just inheriting it. Even so, Daisy and Tom, representing old money and East Egg look down upon this "world complete in itself" (page 104) as something shameful. "She was appalled by West Egg... appalled by its raw vigor that chafed under the old euphemisms and by the too obtrusive fate that herded its inhabitants along short-cut from nothing to nothing. She saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand." page 107.
Also, as an aside, how confusing is that paragraph I quoted on page 107. I'm not entirely sure what some of that meant.

East and West Egg

In this chapter, the difference(s) between East and West Egg are thrown into the spotlight by Tom and Daisy attending one of Gatsby's soirees. After Tom, a man called Sloane and a nameless woman drop by Gatsby's home, Tom becomes "perturbed" about Daisy "running around alone." Consequently, the following Saturday night, Tom and Daisy are found at Gatsby's house.

Nick comments on the change in the atmosphere on page 104: "... I felt the unpleasantness in the air, a pervading harshness that hadn't been there before. Or perhaps I had merely grown used to it, grown to accept West Egg as a world complete in itself, with its own standards and its own great figures, second to nothing because it had no consciousness of being so, and now I was looking at it again, through Daisy' eyes. It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment." All it takes is the presence of the East Egg to change how the party feels.

Tom and Daisy could not be more different than Gatsby. While the married couple grew up in family wealth, Gatsby worked for his money. Gatsby is the offspring of an unsuccessful farming couple, but Tom and Daisy were always rich. But why does that make a difference? Who cares whether the wealth is new or old? Why does Tom obviously see Gatsby as being lower than him?

A Brief Psychoanalysis of Nick

After five chapters of being inside the head of the main character of Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, I'm still finding myself wondering: Who the heck is this guy? From the start we aren't told much about the man we follow around for the entirety of the book, in fact the lack of information I found almost refreshing. We're given a brief background, but besides that we have nothing to go on. Because of this, I've rendered it necessary to truly dig into the passages of this book and find out what kind of person Nick really is.

The first page contains Nick talking about his tendency to reserve judgement. It would appear that Nick is telling us about himself, but this opinion I believe is biased. Nick is in fact very judgmental, no matter how deserving one is to his judgment. To give an example, in the most recent chapter Gatsby is again and again portrayed as extremely awkward through the eyes of Nick. Another further back example, Tom is shown as abusive and perhaps even dim-witted through subtle wording which Nick gives to the reader.

So what does this mean if right from the beginning we're given questionable description of someone, given by themselves? Well perhaps this means that Nick is not fully honest with himself, and this raises a number of questions. Is Nick so dishonest that he portrayed characters in ways another who knows these people personally would disagree with? Is Nick so dishonest that he leaves out detailed he would rather not divulge, or emphasizes those that bolster his image? Is Nick a reliable narrator after all?

Social Commentary through Romantic Comedy (Tim)

In Chapter 5, Gatsby and Daisy are finally reunited. Gatsby, all the while trembling with excitement, is incredibly dopey: knocking over clocks and nervously overcompensating by flaunting his wealth (why yes I do have a yacht). His awkwardness is met by Daisy's sappy, soap-opera comments about pink clouds and her swooning at the sight of his worldly possessions (I too tear up at the sight of designer flannel shirts). Their behavior is as if it were straight out of those romantic comedies that line my DVD shelf. What perplexes me is how Fitzgerald will continue to make comments on society while all the while Daisy and Gatsby are making lovey eyes in the corner. The two writing styles don't really seem to fit. Maybe their relationship isn't all that important, and the book will just continue despite it. Maybe the struggle will be to save the relationship; striving against social injustices X Y and Z. Or maybe we will get to see the two lovebirds torn apart, making the book a tragedy.

Unequivocal Engrossment Of Gatsby

Gatsby seems to always be engrossed in the big picture of life. It seems as though he has the need to live his life to the fullest and cant take his time to enjoy the slow un eventful times of his life. The sad thing is is that Gatsby can always have his full life because of his money, but i feel like he needs some more alone time and time with one person I.E. Daisy so that his life becomes enjoyable versus a constant need for more. After the scene where Gatsby is finally connecting with Daisy, there is reason to believe that she may be the gate way into a happy more fitting life style for Gatsby. I also think that we are going to see many more changes in Gatsby's personality and not only the way he lives his life.

The Stepping-Stone (Sandra Ackert - Smith)

         Chapter five is the first time that Nick appears to be a stepping-stone for Gatsby. Gatsby wants to get closer to his love interest, Daisy, by utilizing an already-established connection. Coincidently, this is also the first time that Gatsby displays weakness, vulnerability, and imperfection. Awkward and unsure, Gatsby is nervous about his first impression on Daisy, and tries to overcompensate. “Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom” (86).  Is Gatsby intentionally using Nick just to get closer to Daisy? Is it appropriate to use Nick as a stepping-stone given the context of their relationship? Even if a relationship is superficial, is it acceptable for one person to take advantage of another? 

Inside Gatsby

Gatsby is slowly revealing more and more of himself, and is not as seclusive and quiet as he was before. While he is still keeping up the formality, his air and feeling are becoming more and more hospitable, as well as revealing more about his wealth and history. For example, he inherited a large sum of money, which until now, is what we assumed he was living on. His time in the oil and drug business gave me the impression of a man who knows what he is doing, but is not a gambler, but rather someone who prefers to stay on the sidelines, due to the safe nature of those sectors.

I also have a hypothesis that when Daisy followed a solider to NY before he went off to war, that solider was Gatsby. Gatsby was part of the war, and that would explain the odd reaction that Gatsby had when he saw Daisy, a reaction which seemed a bit odd, even if you hadn't seen that person in almost 5 years.

So, do you think Daisy and Gatsby were lovers before the war?

Discuss.

Who Forgets First?

After reading Chapter V, there were only two sentences that stuck in my brain: "No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart... I think that voice held him most, with its fluctuating, feverish warmth, because it couldn't be over-dreamed - that voice was a deathless song." (page 96). This last section of the chapter reminded me over another, contrary quote: "It would not be in the nature of any woman who truly loved... We do not forget you as soon as you forget us. We cannot help ourselves. We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey upon us. You always have business of some sort or other to take you back into the world." (From Jane Austen's Persuasion, page 207). Persuasion is one of my favorite books, and those sentences have always stuck with me. The difference between what Fitzergerald writes and Austen writes is remarkable. In Gatsby, a man waits for a woman and in Persuasion, a woman waits for a man.

The question I pose is simple: Which author do you agree with?

Wealth

Nearly all the central characters in The Great Gatsby are wealthy, living in nice areas, in nice houses. There is some contrast of this, with the Ashy area, and the less rich people living around there, but in general everyone in the book is well off. Does anyone think there might be some event in the book that might change this? Perhaps one formerly wealthy character will lose some of their money, maybe a house will burn down or some other event. Or will everything remain the same wealth wise throughout the book.

Also, it's possible that more contrasts could be made between the rich and the poor.

Gatsby's Illusion of Perfection

Built up over 5 years, Gatsby has an illusion of his long lost love Daisy. In his eccentric mind, she is a Goddess, a Cleopatra, a princess. There is a quick realization when Gatsby shows his dreams seem to have surpassed reality. However, for the majority of their time together, he seems completely mesmerized and content like the goals of his life have been achieved. He throws his wealth at her as if she had never seen such splendor. "It makes me sad because I've never seen such--- such beautiful shirts before." page 92. Either this is a lie, or she is so caught up in this dream of his, that she continues the fantasy. They seem out of touch with reality. At first, they don't want Nick to leave, but later on, he doesn't even exist anymore. "Gatsby didn't know me now at all." page 96.

marriage

It would seem that so far in The Great Gatsby that the married couples have no loyalty at all to each other. Up until Daisy and Gatsby's past is revealed I believed that Tom's fooling around with other women was solely a reflection upon his own poor character. After it is evident that Daisy and Gatsby are interested in one-another the list of characters loyal to their spouses dwindles to one, that being Myrtles husband. When Nick is attending parties, he notes that women are fighting men said to be their husbands. This implies that the couple may not be married, or even may be married to other people. It is also mentioned in such a care-free way that it is evident that such relationships are accepted, normal, and even encouraged by the West Egg community.

What is it about Daisy?

What is it about Daisy Buchanan that makes people act they way they do? Tom Buchanan finds their relationship boring enough that he won't remain faithful to her. Jordan Baker idolizes her. Jay Gatsby set up a whole scheme just so he would get the chance to talk to her. Jay Gatsby moves next door to Nick Carraway, in hopes that after he throws multiple parties, he'll casually invite Nick to one. Gatsby hopes the two will bond, and the topic of Daisy will casually come up, and Nick will offer to invite her over, and Gatsby and Daisy will converse once again, and their spark will be re-ignited. So what is it about Daisy that makes her such a commodity to Gatsby, but Tom is so willing to throw her away for Myrtle? What is it that caused Jordan to idolize her? What is it about Daisy that makes the characters act the way they do around her?

Old Metropole Prediction?

Could Gatsby's home become the new Old Metropole? "Filled with faces, dead and gone. Filled with Friends gone now forever."(pg 70) The Metropole was an old restaurant that used to be filled with life and character, but now its haunted with past memories and people. "I keep it always full of interesting people, night and day. People who do interesting things. Celebrated people." (pg 90) Although Gatsby's home is not a restaurant, it is always full of life. If someone were to die in Gatsby's home, it could become deserted like Old Metropole. The question is could we have a murder scene coming up? We have all the elements, large luxurious parties, affairs, secrets and Gatsby's businesses with drug and oil now we just need the murder.

Fire vs. Water - Lex Jackson

In chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald compares Gatsby and Daisy to fire and water, respectively, to emphasize how they have grown apart. The chapter opens with a description of Gatsby's house as 'blazing.' (p.81-83). However, starting with Daisy's arrival, and continuing throughout the duration of her stay, there is 'increasing rain.' (p.86-96). Similarly, at the exact moment when Gatsby first sees Daisy, he is 'standing in a puddle of water,' (p.85), a metaphor for his being in her company. The juxtaposition continues in descriptions of the two characters. Gatsby is described as 'glowing' (p.89) and 'radiating,' (p.89), with a smile of 'recurrent light' (p.89) and a voice containing 'feverish warmth,' (p.96), all images of fire. Inversely, Daisy has a 'damp streak of hair' (p.85) and 'wet hands,' (p.85), as well as a voice that 'ripples,' (p.85), a face 'smeared with tears,' (p.89), and a tendency to cry 'stormily,' (p.92), all images of water. The differences between these two characters tell the reader that Gatsby and Daisy have lived in two separate worlds for too long, and cannot coexist as fluidly as they used to. Regarding their future together, do you believe that these opposing lifestyles will hinder their relationship, pushing Gatsby and Daisy apart, or that the saying 'opposites attract' will hold strong, and their differences will unite these two long lost lovers? 

Fading Façade

Mr. Gatsby, up to this point, seems like a cool, collected figure of power, manipulating and persuading everyone he meets (or at least Nick) to do whatever he wants. however, upon Daisy's arrival to the Tea Party, he very uncharacteristically becomes shy, clumsy, and incredibly awkward. He mumbles around Daisy until he is told that Daisy is just as embarrassed as he is. Gatsby then puts on his mask of cool, "old-sport" personality, and the the visit turns for the better.
So which is the real Gatsby? do we really know who he is? what if Gatsby reverts to awkwardness again? will Daisy leave him?

Cars and Their Drivers

Through out the Great Gatsby, F Scott pays special attention to the automobiles driven by the characters. When one reads the novel the parallels between what vehicle a character owns and their personalities become inherently clear. There is Gastby with his over the top Rolls Royce, used to haul his guests to his over the top parties; it has class but lacks modesty and makes no excuse for doing so. Then there is daisy's old car from when she was growing up: a white roadster. Daisy's car is light and care free, something perfect for taking her impulsive self where her heart wants to go, and never being tied down by practicality. The last great example of a car which represents its owner is Wilson's ford. Wrecked and now sitting under a tarp it was never especially classy and now has been exiled to "crouch in a dim corner" for the rest of its existence. He believes it only needs a little more work and then it will be back to its original glory, but we all know that is not the case.

(Sandra) The Jazz Age: Observations on the Setting and Time Period

        Certain characters and relationships in The Great Gatsby are semi-autobiographical. Not only was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s relationship tumultuous and lavish, his spouse, Zelda, often caused the couple to go into debt by living beyond their limits. Their lifestyle embodied the Jazz Age and was symbolic of a new era – as the principles of the preceding generation declined, the stock market augmented. As the American Dream was put into play, it gave birth to endless possibilities and wealth. The luxuriousness of the Roaring Twenties (which was often accompanied by a sense of being emotional unfulfilled) is clearly displayed in Fitzgerald’s writing. Through the lens of Nick Carraway (an extension of Fitzgerald) comes an inspection of the effects of a nation’s fixation with a money-centered lifestyle. Could The Great Gatsby have the same potency if it were written after-the-fact, rather than during the Roaring Twenties? 

(Sandra) Examining Color Representation: Emerging Themes and Motifs

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s repetitive color imagery is evident. More than anything else, the author utilizes the symbolism of white. Ash, white, and colorlessness are always referred to as being pure and clean. When the author is not passively being racist, he says outright and blunt statements. For example, “A small, flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril. After a moment, I discovered his tiny eyes in the half darkness.” Similarly, “… in which sat three modish negroes, two bucks and a girl. I laughed aloud as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry.” In both of the aforementioned instances, the protagonist is describing the passersby, which, given the context, leads the reader to assume that this is also the view of the author. However, Fitzgerald’s racism was not far out of line with the average Caucasian of the time… in fact, it directly correlated with the national prejudices. Is racism a prominent theme in the book, or is it a thread that appears only on occasion? 

A helpful addition

Hi guys,

Again, I have been enjoying reading your posts! I have a bad cold that kept me from school on Friday. I hope that you continue to read, enjoy, and make discoveries about Gatsby. Please add one more post and one more comment after you read chapter five... which contains, at least in my opinion, the most awkward moment in American literature. I would love to see if you guys can guess what part of the chapter I mean... oh man, is it brutal.

Be sure that you are proofreading your posts. I am noticing some typos and capitalization errors. Remember, these posts are for a class, not a Facebook page!

Also, if you could include your name as part of the title for your post, it would help me identify who has been posting.

Thanks. I hope you all enjoy your New York Encounter Week. It's fitting that you go there while reading Gatsby!

The Names (Willie)

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses a somewhat Dickensian style of using characters' names to portray their personalities. While they are not outlandish or extravagant like "Bounderby" or "Gradgrind," they do still say something about the person. For example, Tom is a fairly bland person. He's rich and arrogant and doesn't do anything particularly of interest. By comparison, "Tom" is an equally bland name. How often do you think of someone named Tom as being fun and intriguing? Another great example of this in the novel is the namesake character of Jay Gatsby, whose last name is rather unusual. By comparison, he is a rather unusual man, never appearing to be fully understood or perceived by anyone, including Nick, our narrator. Yet another example would be Daisy, the young, attractive ex-lover of Gatsby. The first thing, at least for me, that comes to mind when I hear that name is beauty, outgoingness, and perfection. Daisy is the embodiment of this description.

Jordan and Nick

What's going to happen with Jordan and Nick? Is it a completely superficial relationship, or will it develop into something more meaningful? The relationship could conflict with Nick's possible attraction to Gatsby, and it's possible that this will be made more apparent as the story continues. I predict that they will not end up as a good couple, due to Nick's possible homosexuality, and Jordan's inherent dishonesty.

Gender Roles

Throughout the book Gender roles in America in the 1920’s are looked at through many different ways. This was a time when gender roles were dependent on where your rank was in society. While tom and Mr. Gatsby are richer and much controlling like they are on top of the world and have a lot of power. They differ from a much nicer, working class man like Mr. Wilson. When Nick talks about the party at Gatsby’s he talks about the groups people are slit up into. While the richer people with more connections stand in groups pretending to care about what the people around them are saying nick decides to walk towards the back where there are other people standing alone. Woman’s rights at this time are just becoming a big deal. When Nick talks about the woman at the party being carried out by their husbands kicking and screaming it tells you that men had much more power over woman and were generally not afraid to show it. Most of the women in this book don’t especially seem to care how they are treated as long as they are with older men who have more money and liquor. Throughout the book so far it seems like men treat love and woman like a prize to won while woman are a little more romantic, however; social class does play a huge part in gender roles. Two questions I have would be, how are gender expectations different now? Were woman judged as much on their income as men were?

Fake

Throughout the book Gender roles in America in the 1920’s are looked at through many different ways. This was a time when gender roles were dependent on where your rank was in society. Woman’s rights at this time are just becoming a big deal. When Nick talks about the woman at the party being carried out by their husbands kicking and screaming it tells you that men had much more power over woman and were generally not afraid to show it. Most of the women in this book don’t especially seem to care how they are treated as long as they are with older men who have more money and liquor. Throughout the book so far it seems like men treat love and woman like a prize to won while woman are a little more romantic, however; social class does play a huge part in gender roles. Two questions I have would be, how are gender expectations different now? Were woman judged as much on their income as men were?Tom and Mr. Gatsby are richer and can act like they're on top of the world since they have a lot of power. They differ from a much nicer, working class man like Mr. Wilson. When Nick talks about the party at Gatsby’s, he talks about the groups people are split up into. While the richer people with more connections stand in groups pretending to care about what the people around them are saying nick decides to walk towards the back where there are other people standing alone. This shows how important social standing was in these days.

Women...

As discussed in class today through out the first three chapters the women in the Great Gatsby seem to be dishonest and border line trashy. Most of the Female characters are shown as almost heartless beings drifting around the eggs. There is an sense that women cause a lot of harm through their actions in this section; it is hard to sense if F Scott actually means something by these negative portrayals; perhaps he is using them to expose other rarely mentioned aspects of the roaring 20s. The scene on p. 38 is an example of a rather homoerotic scene in the book which seems bizarre and out of place: could F Scott be trying to tear down the images we have of the 1920s? Replacing the classic ladies men with something completely different..

I don't know if that specific example will prove true, but it does seem F Scott is trying to create a new view of some commonly accepted aspects of the 20s.

Structural Analysis: Introspection on the Forthcoming

As tailors of words, authors tend to lay threads as a base of their narratives, leading to the climax and finale of their books. Sometimes the threads stray off and seem to hint at heading towards a particular ending but turn out to be just another piece of information. This post will be focusing on the possibilities of a connection to the car crash that occurred in chapter 3 on pg. 53, 7th paragraph. After analyzing the crash i feel it is a comment on the way our narrators life is headed. His life is going to start to fall apart and then crash due to this man Gatsby and his introducing Nick to the world of partying. Through out the book i will be looking for more connections like this and will post frequently when asked. Thanks and ill be here till monday.

Looking Back at that Golden Moment

Before reading this book, we were all told that a common theme to look out for was to be people living in the past. From the beginning the first one was laid out in front of us; "...but I felt that Tom would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game." Tom wishes he could still be in his golden years, a star football player with fans cheering him on with every movement.

Since then however, these moments for the other characters have remained hidden. Hidden until now it would seem, as not one but perhaps two characters have revealed to us, the readers, what moments they look back on longingly.

The first is Jay Gatsby, a character who we have finally learned much about after a long period of looking at him through clouded vision. In the most recent chapter Gatsby has arranged an elaborate meeting with Daisy, someone who we know through Jordan he previously held a relationship with. From Gatsby's tone and the description from Jordan, it would seem that Gatsby is quite obsessed with Daisy and wishes to be with her once more. This is his Golden Moment, he wants to be once more with Daisy.

I did say two characters have shown their Golden Moments, and the other is appropriately enough Daisy. We know from her own dialog that Daisy has become a cynic. She believes that there is nothing in life for her and that the best she and any other woman can be is a beautiful fool.

Now why would she think this? We now know that Daisy had a particular experience which may have affected her more that she lets on. In her late teens, Daisy had many relationships with soldiers, and at one point she planned to see off a soldier in New York. While packing she was caught by her mother, and was forbade from going to New York. This may have been when she begins to believe that she has been a fool, and she takes such a cynical outlook on life. No matter how she represses it, the golden moments of her life which she may forever look back on have passed.

Now here's why I post these both together. I believe their two moments connect more so than the book explicitly says. Again and again while telling the story of his life, Gatsby refers to a very sad thing that happened to him, just before the war. We also know that Daisy had many relationships with soldiers, one of them being Gatsby, a Lieutenant as Jordan remembers. This Lieutenant was Jay Gatsby.

Gatsby says that he accepted a commission to become a Lieutenant as soon as the war started.

Daisy was supposed to see a soldier off at New York, but was forbade from going. This soldier would have been expecting her, and to have her not show up must have been heartbreaking.

Gatsby and Daisy's break up was never explained, and Gatsby seems rather obsessed with Daisy now, why did he ever let her go in the first place? Was he forced by the war?

See where I'm going with this yet? What if the turning points for both Gatsby and Daisy are the exact same event? What if Gatsby was the soldier Daisy was going to see off, and Gatsby was very saddened by her not showing up? What if that very sad thing that happened to Gatsby was Daisy not showing up to see him off in New York?

Or maybe I'm completely wrong, but it makes sense it my head.

Nick isn't even a narrator (in a sense)

Though as readers we only receive Nick’s biased view on events and only hear his commentary on events this in now way means that his opinion is anything less than fact. If this were a real story told by a real person then yes, Nick would be extremely unreliable narrator. All his drinking and the fact that we never hear any other opinions would create a completely biased and therefore unreliable perspective for the reader. The Great Gatsby however, is a work of fiction and, when analyzing the writing style, must be taken as such. We cannot look at Nick as a person; rather we should view him as a device, which Fitzgerald uses to show us the world he created. This means that whatever Nick may say or think is, in fact, Fitzgerald telling us what to make of the situation described at that time. By creating a biased narrator he passes his own ideas and social commentaries through to the reader without simply stating them. No matter who or what a fictional narrator may be they are only there to pass-along the message of the author.

To summarize: Fitzgerald created Nick with intent; meaning that for all analytical purposes Fitzgerald is the narrator.

Why So Quiet?

Gatsby is quite the character. He has wealth, a huge house, and hosts a large amount of parties. However, he is quiet and reserved, even when he has awards from every country in WW1 and he went to Oxford.In addition, he appears to have connections all over the world, who call him often enough. What is causing him to be so quiet though? and why does he run away when he meets Mr. Buchanan? So, why is he so quiet and reserved when he has had experiences for 10 men, and appears to be quite a likable fellow, with a jolly good British dialect?

Themes: dishonesty

Nick sees dishonesty in every character and situation so far in the book. To hear him describe it, the act of lying is a moral obligation for the inhabitants of the eggs. No character is exempt from this code. It can be seen especially in Jordan as her character seems to be built solely around falsehood. "She [Jordan] was incurably dishonest" Nick then goes on to explain how "Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply." (both 58) Nick thereby shows that he finds the dishonesty to be her primary characteristic, but is not bothered by this at all. This makes me wonder if he will soon begin to show signs of a similar dishonesty and keen sense of selfishness.

Daisy's Petals.

How many petals can one Daisy have? For Daisy Buchanans there is the one she lets everyone see, which is elegant, flirty and fake. Then there is the side she only slow in private, which is depressed, mournful, and yet truthful. "Daisy's murmur was only to make people learn toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming, (pg. 9)" Daisy makes these kinds of remarks because she is the wife of the new money-man Tom Buchanans. Then in the latest chapter (IV) Daisy reveals her younger self, still flirtatious but with a tough of lass added to her life. "After that she didn't play around with soldiers any more...(pg. 75)" (I'm guessing that the soldier she was meant to meet was Gatsby?) this quote shoes that daisy was somehow hurt by another solider. We've seen who Daisy has become with Tom, dependent and slightly arrogant since she has become an adult. The question I pose is, what will happen when Daisy meets Gatsby?

A Reoccurring Theme - Eyes

From the beginning of Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald writes about eyes consistently. We see this in chapter two, in the valley of ashes, with the billboard of Doctor T.J Eckleberg. I interpreted this billboard as two eyes floating above all the ash, looking down upon the valley. In chapter three, we also see the repetition of the word eyes. “My eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes.” Fitzgerald’s repetition of eyes, whether it is in words or images, is a reoccurring theme that will become more prominent throughout the novel. The billboard of T.J. Eckleberg will become a common image because Nick encounters it multiple times when driving to and from West and East egg. My question is why eyes? I have not seen any other pieces of the book that relate eyes to the plot or characters, so why would Fitzgerald choose eyes as a reoccurring theme?

Time

As we mentioned in class, there are near constant references to time in the book, though some are not always direct. The sun is often mentioned, as a way of indirectly showing what time it is, and sometimes the date is mentioned instead of the time. Why do other people think Time is written of so frequently? It could be that it is to better reflect streams of thought, similar to how he writes at parties. We all think about time a lot more than we might realize, wondering when classes end, how long we've spent doing something, when we can finally go to sleep, and so on. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? Or a better explanation of why it is so often mentioned.

The cover art

Hi guys!

I have been enjoying reading your posts and comments- keep it up! We're getting somewhere with this novel. Tomorrow we are going to go on another "pattern hunt" so that we can get a running list of the themes, symbols and images that just keep appearing. What is Fitzgerald up to with all of these patterns? I also have a hand-out for you, a list of "explanatory notes" that give further detail to some of the contextual references in the book.

To spark discussion, both on the blog and in class, I wanted to share some information about the cover art of the novel. Spanish artist Francis Cugat was the painter, and he was commissioned by Fitzgerald's editor, Maxwell Perkins. Cugat completed the painting before Fitzgerald completed the novel. According to publisher Charles Scribner, "Under normal circumstances, the artist illustrates a scene or motif conceived by the author; he lifts, as it were, his image from the page of the book. In this instance, however, the artist's image preceded the finished manuscript and Fitzgerald actually maintained that he had 'written it into' the book" (197).

Adam saw the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in the cover. What do you see?

Source: Scribner, Charles. "Author's Note." The Great Gatsby: The Authorized Text. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1992. 195-205.

Who is the Protagonist?

The protagonist (as we learned it in 8th grade) is the character who has to overcome the most obstacles. For me, at least, it is difficut to see who is the protagonist in The Great Gatsby thus far. The first candidate that jumps to my mind is Nick. However, he is boring (having neither opinions nor an interesting character) and is lacking a struggle in his life. Because he is not struggling with anything, he seems like a weak protagonist (at least for now). The next character that seems a likely candidate is Gatsby himself. After all, the title has his name in it. However, at this point, we cannot tell what kind of struggles Gatsby may be facing, or if he has any at all.

A strong protagonist will make the audience sympathize with them, and right now, I don't quite sympathize with any character. I guess we will have to sit back and wait for the protagonist to reveal him/herself.

Gatsby

The mysterious Gatsby... Nobody quite knows what to make of this fellow. Some say he was a German spy, others say he killed a man. Whatever his story is has yet to be determined, but all we know is he is a wealthy, wealthy man who hosts large parties. He seems to have an aura about him, a positive aura, that rubs off on other people when he is near them. "Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my reaction- Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn." (Pg. 2). Nick has nothing but criticism for every other character in this book, except for Gatsby. In fact, he spends about half of a page describing in great detail how nice of a smile Gatsby has. Gatsby is the kind of man that when a girl ripped her dress at his party, he sent her a brand new one, free of charge. What I'm wondering is, how far off are his guests' speculations? Is Gatsby truly "just a nice guy"? Or is he hiding something? If he is, what could it possibly be? And where is the relationship between Gatsby and Nick going?

Nick+Gatsby = ♥ (Tim Sears)

Nick has a crush on Mr. Gatsby. In this chapter, Nick describes Gatsby as dark and mysterious as well as jovial and warm. In so many words: sexy. When Nick firsts meets him (Chapter 3) he mentions the man's smile a full eight times! Additionally, he goes on to say "[Gatsby's] tanned skin was drawn attractively tight on his face and his short hair looked as though it were trimmed every day." Gatsby's reputation precedes him; the guests know little about their mysterious host, other than the occasional rumor that serves only to make his character more byronic. In fact, Nick's description of the man made me imagine him like the man from the "Dos Exis" commercial. I predict that we will hear more good things about Mr. Gatsby, as Nick grows more and more close to him.

Predicition Time

So, for those who've been keeping up with the book, I think it's time for some predictions of what's gonna happen between the characters.

SPOILERS. DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ CHAPTER IV.
And if you've read ahead, don't give anything away :)





First off, what about the Gatsby-Tom-Daisy circle?
I suspect that Tom might have an accident or something similar, and Gatsby will be waiting. Maybe even some violence from Tom toward the other two.

Jordan and Nick, Predictable, but cute.
I've been put on guard ever since Nick noticed she liked "stupid men."
Personally, I can't wait to see where it goes, whether she manipulates him, or changes her for the more honest (not likely).

In chapter IV, dozens of characters were described great detail.
Including the gambler.
I think we're going to here more from this gambler, but probably not until the last few chapters.
I would be surprise if he rescues one of the protagonists from a dire situation.

Tell me what ya think guys!

Gatsby Speculation

Since Gatsby is first brought up in the novel his exact profession and personal history are the subject of gossip and rumor. Depending upon the speaker, Gatsby has been portrayed as a gentleman and a fantastic host, an ex-spy from Germany, wealthy business man with far too much spare time, and many more roles. "The two girls and Jordan leaned together confidentially. "Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once." A thrill passed over all of us."(pg44) The quote shows us that Nick finds this mysteriousness to be enthralling. This is later confirmed when Nick is extremely impressed by Gatsby owning real books. Why is it impressive to own real books? "Absolutely real--have pages and everything. I thought they'd be nice durable cardboard." It is not a common situation to find yourself in, trying to read a book only to discover that it is made out of cardboard. This I believe is a sign that Nick is so intrigued by Gatsby that anything the host does is seen as positive.

The Value of Relationships

F. Scott Fitzgerald does not believe that marriage or relationships can be pure or perfect, and he portrays this in The Great Gatsby through scenes of cheating, fighting, and divorce. First, there are numerous characters who have more than one relationship at once, such as Tom Buchanan, who has "some woman in New York" (p.15) and dates "one of the chambermaids in the Santa Barbara Hotel" (p.77) while being married to Daisy; Myrtle Wilson, who is Tom's mistress and the wife of George Wilson; Nick Caraway, who had been "writing letters once a week and signing them: "Love, Nick,"" (p.58) to one girl, while "all (he can) think of" (p.58) is Jordan Baker; Mrs Chrystie, who attends Gatsby's parties with Hubert Auerbach while being married to Mr Chrystie; and other men at Gatsby's parties, including some who talk to other women while attending the party with their wives. The dishonesty in relationships is so common that it is not narrated from a shocked or confused perspective, but rather accepted as the nature of the world. The fighting between married couples is almost as bad as the cheating, and Nick describes the ending of the parties where "most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands." (p.51). Other images of violence in relationships can be seen when Nick mentions "that Muldoon brother, who afterward strangled his wife" (p. 62), a woman who "resorted to flank attacks" (p. 51) on her husband, and also Tom Buchanan, who breaks Myrtle Wilson's nose. Finally, Fitzgerald shows the reader the first instance of divorce, in the family Quinn. However, the reader can safely assume that, with all of these cases of violence and deceit, there are more divorces to come. There is not a single healthy relationship in the first four chapters of The Great Gatsby, and from this the reader can deduce that Fitzgerald does not believe such a truthful and pure connection is possible. In regards to the value of love and relationships, I pose these two questions: First, should there, or will there ever be a punishment for the lying and cheating characters in this book? And second, will there be a 'happy ending' in this book, where one couple finds 'true love?'

The First Rule of Gatsby...

Now we've read up to chapter three, and have introduced to Gatsby, several odd parallels between The Great Gatsby and Fight Club. Many of the main characters reflect each other, with Nick resembling "The Narrator", Jordan resembling Marla, and Gatsby himself resembling Tyler Durden.
Nick (The Narrator) is a rather naive, innocent character (with questionable sexuality) who is rather lost in his new surroundings. He ends up meeting cynical, bored-with-life Jordan (Marla), who he ends up following around, and finds that he has rather deep emotions toward her. Around the same time, Nick meets Gatsby (Tyler Durden), a charismatic fellow who Nick looks up to. Gatsby is followed by hundreds of people, almost religiously at times.
Meanwhile, Chuck Palahniuk and Scott Fitzgerald share many similar writing styles, such as narration, confusing dialogue, and very convincing description of people and scenery.

Gatsby- Party Person?

My question is about the behaviors of Gatsby. All along, we do not see him that happy, and he does not seem like a care-free person. He throws many lavish, fancy parties, but we never see him particularly enjoying himself. Does Gatsby have a reason he hosts so many extraordinary parties? Is he so rich that he is merely bored like Tom and Daisy? And, in addition, why is Gatsby trying to become acquaintances with Nick? Nick does not seem like a very memorable person especially in comparison to the countless other young people at Gatsby's parties. In my opinion, Gatsby is a perfect host, providing guests with a lovely atmosphere to party and drink. However, for some reason, the way Nick tells the story, there is something more mysterious going on. At the same time, Gatsby shows internal pressures that possibly drive his motives for these social gatherings. Through Nicks eyes, we see an intrigue caused by this strange, compelling character. Clearly, Gatsby lives alone, but hosts these parties, and then seems to stand alone even at the parties. He single but does not seem to be actively looking for a partner.

A Dissolution Of Fitzgarld's Phraseology

Referring to the comment made by our teacher regarding Fitzgerald's cautious phraseology, today i will focus on the vocabulary used amongst the current section at hand. Fitzgerald seems to be writing in a way that almost lays the tracks for the readers train of thought. The novel is simply easy to read. "The bottle of whisky--the second one--was now in constant demand byall present." Chpt. 2 pg. 35 last paragraph, single tab over, sentence one. This description is an example I pulled from the book its self, I feel it exemplifies my thoughts on the smoothness of the book. If you disagree. Bring it.

"Reading over what I have written so far..."

On the bottom of page 55, Fitzgerald makes an unusual word choice. The opening sentence of the last paragraph reads:

"Reading over what I have written so far, I see I have given the impression that the events of three nights several weeks apart were all that absorbed me."

This sentence brings up, whether intentional or not I am not sure, something quite peculiar. It refers to what has happened up until now as written, as if in a book. At the same time however, as evidence by "that absorbed me." it is indeed Nick saying this. Allow me to reiterate, Nick has now acknowledged that the past three weeks of his life have been written, and has inferred that he is in fact the one writing it.

So does this mean that Nick knows he's in a book? He never directly talks about himself being in a book, this section seems like it would belong in an autobiography. In fact since seeing this, I've realized that much of this book is written in the style of an autobiography, so is that in fact the genre? I suppose what I am in essence asking is whether this book is not just a work of fiction, but someones life experiences portrayed in the first person through the writing style of a completely unrelated author.

Breaking the Fourth Wall

This curious phenomenon occurs many times throughout the book, when the author addresses the audience through Nick. This occurs frequently throughout the reading, and there is a whole paragraph dedicated to it on page 55. I feel it creates an air of causality in the reading, and provides an air of normality, as your not reading a book, but more being part of the life of the character. This occurs in large numbers, suggesting an author who prefers not to let the reader make his own assumptions about the character. Instead, he tells them (the reader) exactly what the character is like. This type of book is enjoyable, but it tends to have a more predictable plot, as you know more about the characters thoughts and daily life, which has an effect on any person. That is how The Great Gatsby is breaking the fourth wall.

A Reason for Nick's Unreliable Narration

Although I agree that Nick’s narration is bias, I believe Fitzgerald has a reason for portraying each character through a negative lens, rather than a neutral or positive lens. I believe Fitzgerald biases Nick’s views in order to show change throughout the novel. Readers like to see dynamic characters; characters that change over the course of the novel, rather than static characters, who are the same no matter what. I do not know how Fitzgerald will choose to show the transformation. He might alter Nick’s views or thoughts on the other characters, showing his change of opinion towards them. However, Fitzgerald might choose to alter the other characters actions thereby changing the way Nick views them.
A perfect example would be Tom. Everything the reader knows about Tom so far, Nick has not agreed with or there has been a negative connotation associated with him. “It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things.” (p.13) This is one of Tom’s revealing moments, leading the reader to believe he is a bad person. However, Fitzgerald could be showing us the bad in characters only to slowly bring out the good. I am not positive this is correct, but I was trying to bring a different perspective to Fitzgerald’s narration. This is my answer as to why there are negative connotations associated with every major character. My real question is, why is Fitzgerald only showing the “bad” side of characters, especially if they are not going to change? Any other thoughts on why he would do this?

Verb Tenses

I hate reading a renowned piece of literature and finding tense discrepancies. It bothers me so much when author's switch from past to present and back again. Fitzgerald continues to do just that. Chapter 3 begins in past tense ("There was music...") but on the second page of that same chapter, it changes to present tense ("By seven o'clock the orchestra has arrived..."). The third page of that chapter it's back to past ("I had been invited."). Each time I come across a section written in a difference tense it throws me off. Maybe this is just my issue. The question I want to pose is: Why? It does not seem to add anything to the story, so why change it? Does it indeed add something to the story? Or is it simply an editorial mistake? You tell me.

The Eggs.

Some of the themes that are portrayed in The Great Gatsby are the rich and the poor classes. Fitzgerald starts by introducing us with Nick, who ranks between these two groups. Nick first pays a visit to the elite class, East Egg, and starts to get to know their lavish lives which are filled with parties, champagne and secret affairs. Soon after he visits the impoverished side, West Egg, which consists of work, dirt, and some more affairs. Although they think they come from two completely different ends of egg, there are some similarities. With the affair between Tom and Myrtle, these two classes are bound to clash with each other. And when these two groups "come together" will Nick be there to witness it all? Also who will loose the most? The rich? Or the poor?

Nick: Not a Reliable Narrator

In my opinion, Nick is not a reliable narrator. First of all, he comes from a middle-upperclass snobby family, and the apple never seems to fall far enough from the tree. "My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this Middle Western city for three generations." (p. 3). Within the first few pages, he is describing the wealth and fortune his family owns, due to a hardware business passed down each generation. Despite breaking free of family molds and going into the bond business, Nick still has a snobbish nature. For example, when he goes to visit Daisy and Tom Buchanan, the animosity Tom feels for Nick is apparent to the readers. Nick's take on the situation is, "I always had the impression that he approved of me and wanted me to like him..." (p.7).
While narrators can, and usually do have skewed perspective, I think Nick's is too small a window to look at the other characters through. Readers are supposed to be able to make judgements on the characters themselves, but I feel Nick's opinion is too strong for the readers to get to that point. Every other character in this book, Nick describes them with a negative connotation: Tom is abusive, Daisy is cynical, Ms. Baker is lazy, Mrs. McKee is shrill, Mr. McKee is meek, and so on. I think that Nick judges the other characters too harshly, and denies the readers an opportunity to judge the characters themselves. A question I pose is: if Nick's opinion on the characters is ignored, how would you perceive the characters? If that's too broad, I pose another question: Despite Nick's current opinions, which current character do you think Nick would/will become closest to throughout the span of the book?

The Roaring Twenties

Stylistically speaking, we have been told that Fitzgerald sets many of his scenes during parties. So far, there have been two gatherings of some sort. In each, Nick has met at least one new person, and formed an opinion about him or her quickly. Whether he is biased or not remains unseen to me. I do not agree that he is 100% neutral. It's possible, but I am not convinced yet. His opinions of people are harsh. Tom is not a good person, but I doubt he's as horrible as Nick believes. To me, Tom has a temper, and gets bored easily. I wouldn't want to associate with him, but he must have his good points. However, so far, all we are seeing are his bad points, described by Nick.

The reason for my post though is not to discuss Nick's narration, but the setting of the novel. It takes place in the summer of 1922, a time of jazz and prohibition; one of ten years that constitute as the "roaring twenties." What I'm wondering is why that's such a popular time to write about. Couldn't this novel have taken place at a different time? Coming from a theatre geeks prospected, the roaring twenties is almost cliché because it is so over-used. And in each play, musical or novel I've seen or read, there has a been at least one moment of illegal drinking. Now those two words have a different meaning these days, but back then, alcohol was illegal. I don't understand why this common denominator exists. The question I'm posing is: Why the twenties?

Nick- a reliable narrator?

In my opinion, Nick is a reliable narrator. In the first chapter, he gives his opinion of Tom in a slightly negative way, showing the reader what Nick thinks of Tom. Nick also hears and reveals to the reader a rumor about Tom's open affair. In chapter two, Nick's opinion of Tom is clearly validated becasue we see that he is in fact cheating on his wife, and he punches his girlfriend in the nose. Even though Nick is drunk, most of the chapter, it is still clear that Nick's perceptions are valid and Tom is not a nice guy.

Introduction: Words from F. Scott Fitzgerald

The first four paragraphs of the Great Gatsby are a message from the author to the reader, describing the lens through which he intends to portray his thoughts. In the first paragraph, Nick introduces a quote from his father, which tells him to consider a person's history before judging them. This is Fitzgerald's way of letting the reader know that he has done his research, and that all future criticism in the book is based off of reality and not skewed interpretations. Next, Nick states that he is 'inclined to reserve all judgements,' or in other words, will not be biased. This, again, is the author, proving to the reader that he will be fair with his assessments of other people and their actions, and will not show unnecessary rudeness, or state untruths. Finally, Nick mentions an 'intimate revelation' which he has had. In this introduction, Fitzgerald is promising to portray said 'intimate revelation' to the reader, and writes almost as though the entire purpose of the book is to do so: to share his newly crafted ideas with the world. However, is it possible to tell everything exactly as you see it? Is there a way to enlighten the world on something you have noticed but to do so in a way that is fair to everyone involved in said enlightenment? This question may not have a yes or no answer, so I pose you one more: What can an author do, in terms of writing techniques, literary devices, or simply word choices, to convey to the reader that they have an unbiased view on the matters that they are discussing?

Ideas for Posts

Hi guys,

I want you to discover this novel as you read it, and not lead you too much. However, I did want to provide some ideas for what to post about:

Revealing Moments of Characters

Observations about Nick's Narration (in other words, can we trust the guy?)

Observations about the Setting and Time Period

Emerging Themes and Motifs

Emerging Symbols

Responses to Fitzgerald's Style

You should also pose questions in your posts so that those who comment after you can address them. Happy Reading!

Welcome!

VCS's Great Greats-blog is a forum for eleventh grade students at the Vermont Commons School to discuss F.Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Here, you can record observations, pose questions, and collectively, come to better understand this classic novel. You can also post pictures and videos that connect to the novel's characters, setting, and historical context. Enjoy!

Blog Grading Rubric:

Each posting and comment will be assessed for content, clarity and mechanics. I expect you to proofread your postings and comments, making sure to correct spelling and grammar mistakes before you make them public. I also expect proper spelling... no "u" for "you" or other abbreviations. I also expect you to be respectful of each other on the blog; you may disagree, but you must disagree respectfully. I will be assessing the postings and comments on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest score. A five is equivalent to an A, a four equivalent to a B, and so on. A posting or comment that earns a five contains thoughtful ideas and questions, refers specifically to the text, contains no spelling or sentence structure errors, and uses a respectful tone. There is no specific requirement for how long a posting or comment should be, but I expect you to spend at least 15 minutes on it.