Post your journals for Ch.1-3 or 4-6 (choose only one to complete for this week), & 7-9 here using the following guidelines as a prompt. You do not have to address all parts of the prompt.
*Title entries with the chapter numbers. (Chapter 1-3 Journal) Each journal should be at least two paragraphs of your analysis/interpretations for the chapters. Here are some ideas:
1. Choose a different character to focus on.
a. Name the character.
b. Choose a quote that you think best represents the character.
c. Describe his/her best and worst qualities.
d. In a paragraph describe the character's role in the novel.
2. Choose one meaningful quote, and then describe its significance in the novel.
3. Note at least two sightings of one or more of the following symbols: the color green, the color white, silver and gold, the ash heap, the eyes of T.J. Eckleberg, Gatsby's career/Nick's career, Gatsby's library of uncut books/Nick's unread books, Dan Cody, East Vs. West Egg, rain in chapter five, heat in chapter seven, Wolfsheim's cufflinks, faded timetable (showing names of Gatsby's guests), Gatsby's cars/clothes.
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I was really surpised at the type of life that Gatsby lead in chapters 4-6. (sorry f i spoil anything.)We finally find out that he is just trying to lead this kind of lifestyle just so he could get back his long lost love, Daisy. I couldn't believe it. I knew that there was something strange about Gatsby, but i never imagined this. I think that Gatsby has a bit of a problem with letting go of the past. He might like to see his long lost love as a women who loved him. When Daisy, sees his home, however, she does not wheep for him, but for the vast array of shirts that he has collected. I think that this is a short-comming on both Daisy, for taking reliance on material things, and Gatsby, for building put this dream of his for the past five years. i think that he might be a little down trodden at the fact that daisy might not fully love him yet, but he will try his best to be reunited once again.
ReplyDeleteChapters 4-6 Journal
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby
"He looked at me sideways - and I knew why Jordan Baker had believed he was lying...And with this doubt his whole statement fell to pieces and I wondered if there wasn't something a little sinister about him after all." (69)
In a way he seems social and quick to share some of his wealth with friends, but on the other hand he seems a bit shady, like a very rich conman. He never seems to have a straight story about himself, and like Jordan Baker might be tweaking the truth a bit to make himself look better than he really is. He seems at the end of the day a very private man and no one really knows his story.
Gatsby seems like a man of show -- the major element of his character is to impress others with the material wealth he has accumulated. He attempts to reenter a relationship with Daisy, who is already married, but spends a lot of his time showing her around his house and showing off his expensive clothing and semi-talented pianists rather than connecting by the content of his character.
Chapter 4-6 Journal
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby
"And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces, and I wondered if there wasn't something a little sinister about him, after all" (65).
Jay Gatsby seems quite fervent to let Nick know "God's truth" about Gatsby, and immediately goes into the story of his ancestors. Nick found many of the facts suspicious, and believes that Gatsby isn't coming up with the true story of himself. Nick can't tell if Gatsby is truly from old money, or if he just earned all of his money through being a skilled conman.
As Elisa said, Gatsby is a very materialistic man and seems keen to show off his wealth to be accepted as opposed to letting people see the true nature of his character. He is a very secretive person and only lets those close to him believe what he wants them to believe, not what they have drawn conclusively themselves.
Chapter 7-9 Journal
ReplyDeleteDaisy Buchanan
"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made...." (179).
Daisy Buchanan throughout the novel proved to be a very materialistic human being. She was the object of Gatsby's love, and he held her high upon a pedestal where he believed she could do no wrong. Throughout his life, Gatsby made it his goal to obtain the kind of wealth and popularity that Daisy appreciated.
Daisy showed her true nature in chapter 7 when she chose Tom Buchanan over Gatsby after leading him to believe she still loved him, and when Daisy allowed Gatsby to take the blame for the death of Myrtle, even though Daisy was driving the car. Daisy turned out to be not the wonderful woman of Gatsby's dreams, but a shallow woman who loved fame and money.
Tom Buchanan
ReplyDelete"What if I did tell him? That fellow had it coming to him. He threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy's, but he was a tough one. He ran over Myrtle like you'd run over a dog and never even stopped his car" -p. 178
Tom, from the moment we are first introduced to him, seems to be a bad character. In the beginning he causes a problem by cheating on Daisy. Then at the end of teh novel he ends Gatsby's life by telling Wilson it was him who ran over Myrtle.
Although Tom is a vile excuse for a man, he is one of the people who saw Gatsby for a fraud. That was the dust in the eyes, Tom delved into Gatsby's past and discovered the not so legal business beginnings. Tom was a strong headed man til the end, and never stopped to find out the truth about Myrtle's death.
Chapters 7-9
ReplyDeleteNick Carraway
"They're a rotten crowd...you're worth the whole damn bunch put together" (p. 154)
Nick for the first time in the entire novel, states his opinion of the other characters out loud. Nick, in the beginning of the novel, stated that he had a gift of reserving his judgments. Nick finally tells Gatsby that he does not like Tom, Jordan, and Daisy and that Gatsby is worth more to him than Tom, Daisy, and Jordan combined. Though Gatsby has some significant flaws, Nick can see that he truly means well. This quotes also reveals that Nick is in fact a dynamic character. Nick realizes that he cannot always reserve his judgments and finally lets Gatsby know how he feels. Tom, Daisy, and Jordan only care about money and taking advantage of people. They are evil and manipulative in order to get what they want.
Nick realizes that he cannot always reserve his judgments because he would always get taken advantage of, and he would get trusted with too many secrets. However, by reserving his judgments throughout the novel, Nick is able to see the true personalities and consciences of many of the characters that we would not know are evil or untrustworthy without reservation of judgments. If Nick would have told Tom that he thinks it is wrong that he is cheating on his wife before he was invited to the party where he saw first handed that Tom was cheating on Daisy, we would have never seen how evil and horrible Tom was. We would only have the rumor from the untrustworthy Daisy and Jordan. Nick's reservation of judgment may not have been a favorable characteristic in real life, but in the novel, it allowed the reader to see into the minds and actions of the other characters.
Nick Carraway's role in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, is that of a link between the East Eggers and the West Eggers, new money and old money. Nick is from old money in his ancestry, but lives in West Egg with the new money. Nick is the link between Gatsby and Daisy and a character that allows the reader to see both sides in the 1920s culture. He allows the reader to see the societal tension and differences between the new money and old money during the roarin' 20s. Nick reserves his judgments in order for the reader to see both sides and to reveal major attributes and flaws of the characters.
Chapters 7-9
ReplyDeleteI think that the ending was kind of sad. it sort of just wrapped up kind of quick and easy. I think that this just kind of was a quick way to handle things. I think that there should have been a nicer way to handle it. i mean, why couldn't have Gatsby just have left town? That would have ment that he could have started a new life anywhere he wanted.I guess that doing that would mean he would have to leave the love of his life behind, which he couldn't do. I really am kind of annoyed that we don't ever find out more about Gatsby in his youth, but i guess that some things are better left unsaid.
Chapters 7-9
ReplyDeleteI also ind it kind of odd that all of the characters sort of leave by the novels end. Tom and Daisy have moved off to somewhere in the u.s, and Jordan couldn't come to the funeral. I find that most interesting. i think that Fitsgerald was trying to make a point here by saying that just because these people come to your parties doesn't mean that they are your friends. I think that this is a great thing to keep in mind. I think that we could all learn from this.
Chapters 7-9
ReplyDelete"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and the retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean ip the mess they had made." (188)
This, out of anything else, reveals one of the main themes in The Great Gatsby. It shows the money absorbed, shallow, careless people that made up the wealthly of the 1920's. It also can accuratly represent the wealthy of this generation. I believe this quote also shows the transformation of Nick from the beginning of the novel to the end of it. He used to reserve his judgment like his father told him, however witnessing what he did, he started to use judgment accordingly.