"Interpreter of Maladies"
Jhumpa Lahiri
This story was very interesting, and of course a little sad because of they way the Dases treated their children and really, each other. I did not like how they constantly rejected them and tossed them aside for the pleasures they enjoyed. The culture difference probably stood out the most to me because we could see how both sides lived--the Indian family who was totally Americanized and the people living in India. Mr. Das is explicitly proud of his American life and wants to see the culture without actually acknowledging his Indian roots. Like Dee from "Everyday Life," he just wanted to experience the parts of his heritage/culture that filled his wants. Even though he was in fact of Indian dissent, he chose the American lifestyle which was very different. "The family looked Indian but dressed as foreigners did" (Lahiri). The tourist aspect of the short story was very interesting because it was like the Dases were experiencing their culture through the eyes of others: they took many pictures and seemed very centered on their own wants, when most parents would cherish the opportunity to show their children where their parents came from. On the other side of the culture difference was Mr. Kapasi who lived in India and worked as the Das' tour guide for their vacation. The story was very sad because he had lost his son, did not seem to love his wife because their marriage had been arranged, and he had a little crush on Mina Das, who drastically offended him with the tale of her son's being another man's. In his mind, one did not commit adultery, which was probably only possible to Mrs. Das because of American influences in her life. She also told Kapasi that she was in a loveless marriage, which paralleled his marriage, but he probably had no intentions of calling it off with her because it wasn't done in his culture.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Everyday Use
"Everyday Use"
Alice Walker
I really enjoyed this short story, but absolutely hated Dee. She was extremely annoying and totally rude to her mother and younger sister, who obviously needed special love and attention. I just felt sad throughout the entire story (until the last few paragraphs) because the woman tried so hard to give her children the most out of life, and Dee just hops back in their lives and takes advantage of everything they have. It reminded me of the novel we read last year for AP Lang, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places. In the book, Le Ly's older sister kind of gave up her heritage for the life of a modern woman. I really enjoyed that book too, but her sister was not a major character like Dee was in "Everyday Use" (Walker). I thought this short story was kind of funny too because the woman kept calling her son-in-law(?) Asalamalakim because he had greeted them with that. For whatever reason, I think it's hilarious when people call other people by nicknames from things they say or do. Anyway, I really liked the ending because Dee got what she deserved and Maggie got to keep the quilts. The last paragraph was really sweet because it described her real smile, presumable after frowning for years while Dee stepped all over them.
Alice Walker
I really enjoyed this short story, but absolutely hated Dee. She was extremely annoying and totally rude to her mother and younger sister, who obviously needed special love and attention. I just felt sad throughout the entire story (until the last few paragraphs) because the woman tried so hard to give her children the most out of life, and Dee just hops back in their lives and takes advantage of everything they have. It reminded me of the novel we read last year for AP Lang, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places. In the book, Le Ly's older sister kind of gave up her heritage for the life of a modern woman. I really enjoyed that book too, but her sister was not a major character like Dee was in "Everyday Use" (Walker). I thought this short story was kind of funny too because the woman kept calling her son-in-law(?) Asalamalakim because he had greeted them with that. For whatever reason, I think it's hilarious when people call other people by nicknames from things they say or do. Anyway, I really liked the ending because Dee got what she deserved and Maggie got to keep the quilts. The last paragraph was really sweet because it described her real smile, presumable after frowning for years while Dee stepped all over them.
Hazel Tells Laverne
"Hazel Tells Laverne"
Katharyn Howd Machan
This was probably the most entertaining poem we've read so far just because of the way she dictated her thoughts. Her point of view and manner of telling the story were really funny as I imagined the scene really playing out. I originally noticed that she used absolutely no punctuation or capitalization in the poem, so the breaks stand for breaks and alter the flow of her words. They imply commas and periods, but they surprisingly don't detract from the meaning--they enhance it. From the details included in the poem, working at Howard Johnsons and her not-so-elegant diction, we can determine that she is uneducated and probably has a dead-end job. The words like "hitsm," and "ta" and the invented "sohelpmegod" (Machan) all display her lack of formal education and her mood while she tells Laverne the story. I think that by repeating the lines "me a princess" (Machan), she displays her thoughts about being a princess--she could never be one because she lives such a non-fancy life. When Hazel sees the frog, she is in disbelief and calls him a pervert, which adds to the idea that she doesn't think she deserves or expects a prince to come to her rescue. Obviously, this is a pretty loose interpretation of the original Frog Prince story, and the ending is very different. However, the poem does explain a completely different side to life because not everyone, actually hardly anyone, gets to go through life as a princess would.
Katharyn Howd Machan
Mr. Z
"Mr. Z"
M. Carl Holman
With this poem, I really focused on the last line, which seemed to contradict the entire poem, but really just further revealed Mr. Z's character. "'One of the most distinguished members of his race'" (Holman). The entire poem talked about how he had transformed himself from a black man to a whiter black man. It even discussed how his wife had also lost her identity in favor of the better, perhaps easier, lifestyle when she was born Jewish. This line, completely ironic, does make perfect sense because Mr. Z wanted to assume the identity of the norm and presumably a white man, but in doing so, he greatly distinguished himself from his true race which was cast down in society at the time. Irony is also found several times before in the poem, such as in lines 16 and 22. These all parallel the irony of wanting to be a different race, when race is never able to change. Although Mr. Z strove throughout his entire life to be like the white race, he apparently struck no "false note" (Holman) in doing so. The white men probably appreciated him for being proper and assimilating, yet he still died a black man. I think Holman is satirizing society which had embellished the white race and expected others to fall in line, and he obviously did not approve.
M. Carl Holman
With this poem, I really focused on the last line, which seemed to contradict the entire poem, but really just further revealed Mr. Z's character. "'One of the most distinguished members of his race'" (Holman). The entire poem talked about how he had transformed himself from a black man to a whiter black man. It even discussed how his wife had also lost her identity in favor of the better, perhaps easier, lifestyle when she was born Jewish. This line, completely ironic, does make perfect sense because Mr. Z wanted to assume the identity of the norm and presumably a white man, but in doing so, he greatly distinguished himself from his true race which was cast down in society at the time. Irony is also found several times before in the poem, such as in lines 16 and 22. These all parallel the irony of wanting to be a different race, when race is never able to change. Although Mr. Z strove throughout his entire life to be like the white race, he apparently struck no "false note" (Holman) in doing so. The white men probably appreciated him for being proper and assimilating, yet he still died a black man. I think Holman is satirizing society which had embellished the white race and expected others to fall in line, and he obviously did not approve.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Dream Deferred
"Dream Deferred"
Langston Hughes
First, I just want to connect to APUSH last year because I'm pretty sure we read this and a few others of Hughes in class. As when I read it last year, I really liked it and its message. I also want to answer the second question from the book because I like it and had forgotten that Langston Hughes was a black American. I originally thought this poem just talked about a dream in life that is not acted upon. However, when I learned a little of Hughes' background and the span of his lifetime, I understood this poem to be about the "deferred" dreams of black Americans before the Civil Rights Movement near the end of Hughes' life. I think this represents not just his dreams, but the dreams of all oppressed members of society at that time. Rhetorically, I noticed the rhetorical questions, the three pauses between lines, and especially, the italicized line at the end of the poem. The questions causes the reader to invent his own solution to the problem Hughes has presented. He also utilizes different similes to ask "what happens to a dream deferred?" I think the three pauses are also important because they give the reader a second to consider what he wrote. I really enjoy the last line, "Or does it explode?," (Hughes) because it gives one final suggestion and possibly his favorite of the alternatives. It is italicized, I think, because it is the most important line and offers his answer to the question posed in the beginning.
Langston Hughes
First, I just want to connect to APUSH last year because I'm pretty sure we read this and a few others of Hughes in class. As when I read it last year, I really liked it and its message. I also want to answer the second question from the book because I like it and had forgotten that Langston Hughes was a black American. I originally thought this poem just talked about a dream in life that is not acted upon. However, when I learned a little of Hughes' background and the span of his lifetime, I understood this poem to be about the "deferred" dreams of black Americans before the Civil Rights Movement near the end of Hughes' life. I think this represents not just his dreams, but the dreams of all oppressed members of society at that time. Rhetorically, I noticed the rhetorical questions, the three pauses between lines, and especially, the italicized line at the end of the poem. The questions causes the reader to invent his own solution to the problem Hughes has presented. He also utilizes different similes to ask "what happens to a dream deferred?" I think the three pauses are also important because they give the reader a second to consider what he wrote. I really enjoy the last line, "Or does it explode?," (Hughes) because it gives one final suggestion and possibly his favorite of the alternatives. It is italicized, I think, because it is the most important line and offers his answer to the question posed in the beginning.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Poetry--Lawrence Perrine
"The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry"
Laurence Perrine
I really enjoyed reading this article/essay, but I do not exactly agree with everything Perrine claimed. He wrote that "there are correct and incorrect readings," but I think that there is no wrong answer when it comes to reading and analyzing poetry. However, I do think that poets have certain meanings and themes that they want to convey with their works, and readers should be open to those understandings. For the most part, I agree with Perrine because his theory actually makes very much sense. He says that the correct interpretation satisfies every detail of the poem and must not contradict any piece of the work. This makes perfect sense because the poet put every detail in the poem for a specific reason. He also says that the interpretation must be the most "economical," meaning the one that makes the most sense with all the information present in the poem. In the fifth paragraph on page 4, Perrine talked about how one detail would bring to mind a wide interpretation, but by taking in more details, we can picture just the one correct image. As much as I want to disagree with him, this makes total sense. Actually, the more I think about his theories, the more I agree and say that every poem has just one solid meaning, even though I sometimes don't fully understand it.
To be honest, Perrine kind of made me feel like a idiot because I did not have the same sense of the poems that he did--especially with the four poems we read for our last assignment. I thought my interpretations of the poems made sense, but now that I read his, I realize that they make so much more sense. Every detail of the poems are accounted for, and I see that some of mine contradicted themselves. However, I don't think we were that far off with our interpretations because he mentioned all of them in the paper--and then disproved them all. With the Dickinson poem, we thought that it had something to do with nature or a scene with flowers or sailors, but it actually was about a sunset. Now that I know that, it makes more sense than our initial interpretations; the concrete evidence about the original title and the individual details also correspond to his sunset idea. With the Rose poem, we were right on with our thoughts on something pure with its evil counterpart, but we missed the difference between the Melville and Whitman poems. Reading the third paragraph on page 4, I especially felt dumb because he says that the repetition of certain words in the Melville piece "immediately suggests stars," which I totally missed when I read it. Like most of our class, I thought they were both about the Civil War, or just any war in history.
Laurence Perrine
I really enjoyed reading this article/essay, but I do not exactly agree with everything Perrine claimed. He wrote that "there are correct and incorrect readings," but I think that there is no wrong answer when it comes to reading and analyzing poetry. However, I do think that poets have certain meanings and themes that they want to convey with their works, and readers should be open to those understandings. For the most part, I agree with Perrine because his theory actually makes very much sense. He says that the correct interpretation satisfies every detail of the poem and must not contradict any piece of the work. This makes perfect sense because the poet put every detail in the poem for a specific reason. He also says that the interpretation must be the most "economical," meaning the one that makes the most sense with all the information present in the poem. In the fifth paragraph on page 4, Perrine talked about how one detail would bring to mind a wide interpretation, but by taking in more details, we can picture just the one correct image. As much as I want to disagree with him, this makes total sense. Actually, the more I think about his theories, the more I agree and say that every poem has just one solid meaning, even though I sometimes don't fully understand it.
To be honest, Perrine kind of made me feel like a idiot because I did not have the same sense of the poems that he did--especially with the four poems we read for our last assignment. I thought my interpretations of the poems made sense, but now that I read his, I realize that they make so much more sense. Every detail of the poems are accounted for, and I see that some of mine contradicted themselves. However, I don't think we were that far off with our interpretations because he mentioned all of them in the paper--and then disproved them all. With the Dickinson poem, we thought that it had something to do with nature or a scene with flowers or sailors, but it actually was about a sunset. Now that I know that, it makes more sense than our initial interpretations; the concrete evidence about the original title and the individual details also correspond to his sunset idea. With the Rose poem, we were right on with our thoughts on something pure with its evil counterpart, but we missed the difference between the Melville and Whitman poems. Reading the third paragraph on page 4, I especially felt dumb because he says that the repetition of certain words in the Melville piece "immediately suggests stars," which I totally missed when I read it. Like most of our class, I thought they were both about the Civil War, or just any war in history.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Like I said, I did enjoy The Great Gatsby more than The House of Mirth. Even though both were tragedies, we expected something like this with this novel, and with The House of Mirth, I never really expected that, or even her death.
Both novels contained some seriously beautiful styles of diction, and I think I prefer F. Scott Fitzgerald's because his made more sense, probably because it was written twenty years closer to the modern age. Specifically, Wharton did not really beautify Lily Bart's death, but Fitzgerald did. I won't comment on that again because I think I already have like four times... Two random examples of beautiful diction are "he came alive to me, delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendor" (Fitzgerald, page 78) and "the great central lantern overhead shed a brightness on the women's hair and struck sparks from their jewels as they moved" (Wharton, page 19), though I could have flipped to a page at random and find a passage I love.
I really enjoyed characters in both novels, except for Tom and Gus, both antagonists, but I did love even their descriptions and they way both authors brought their characters to life.
And although this shouldn't really matter, it does when reading something for a class--the length of the novels. At 180 smaller pages, The Great Gatsby is significantly shorter than The House of Mirth (268 pages), which I actually think should be longer because the last few scenes are so rushed with Lily and Selden's last encounter and her overdose and death.
Thanks, Mr. Costello for assigning the way longer novel first...=)
And one final comment on The Great Gatsby. I totally think the person on the cover looks like a woman... Why the red lips and dark eyes? I did love the picture of the city, though, along the bottom.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Like I said, I did enjoy The Great Gatsby more than The House of Mirth. Even though both were tragedies, we expected something like this with this novel, and with The House of Mirth, I never really expected that, or even her death.
Both novels contained some seriously beautiful styles of diction, and I think I prefer F. Scott Fitzgerald's because his made more sense, probably because it was written twenty years closer to the modern age. Specifically, Wharton did not really beautify Lily Bart's death, but Fitzgerald did. I won't comment on that again because I think I already have like four times... Two random examples of beautiful diction are "he came alive to me, delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendor" (Fitzgerald, page 78) and "the great central lantern overhead shed a brightness on the women's hair and struck sparks from their jewels as they moved" (Wharton, page 19), though I could have flipped to a page at random and find a passage I love.
I really enjoyed characters in both novels, except for Tom and Gus, both antagonists, but I did love even their descriptions and they way both authors brought their characters to life.
And although this shouldn't really matter, it does when reading something for a class--the length of the novels. At 180 smaller pages, The Great Gatsby is significantly shorter than The House of Mirth (268 pages), which I actually think should be longer because the last few scenes are so rushed with Lily and Selden's last encounter and her overdose and death.
Thanks, Mr. Costello for assigning the way longer novel first...=)
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Well, I definitely liked this novel more than The House of Mirth! However, there were still some parts that I didn't appreciate. I think that Fitzgerald was, just like Wharton, all over the place at times, with the narrations and especially the dialogue. This jumpiness contributed greatly to my misunderstanding and confusion at times, but certain scenes seem to fall into place a little after reading further.
On Fitzgerald's style, I would definitely say that I love it! His diction was often-times very beautiful and thoughtful, and even funny when the scene called for it. Some of my favorite lines in the book were funny comments Nick made of society or people he met. He called a few men "Mr. Mumblers" and another, "Owl Eyes" (Fitzgerald, page 54). I also loved the way Nick viewed the world, often with humor.
I really like Jay Gatsby, even though I still don't understand exactly what illegal businesses he was involved with and his relationship with Daisy Buchanan. I've said it a hundred times, but I hate Tom because of his view of women and the pompous manner in which he brings science into every situation and conversation. I like both prominent women, Daisy and Jordan, because of their forward manners and lightness they bring to the story.
After reading The Great Gatsby, I really want to watch the up-coming film with Leo DiCaprio and maybe read some of Fitzgerald's other works. [I did pick up Summer, another Wharton piece, from the library last week.] Although I was not pleased with the ending of this novel, Fitzgerald's beautiful diction entices me to read some of his other classic pieces. This year, I have decided to read one novel, not involved with school, once a week from my loooong reading list, which I will, unfortunately, never finish in my lifetime, but at least it's a start.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Well, I definitely liked this novel more than The House of Mirth! However, there were still some parts that I didn't appreciate. I think that Fitzgerald was, just like Wharton, all over the place at times, with the narrations and especially the dialogue. This jumpiness contributed greatly to my misunderstanding and confusion at times, but certain scenes seem to fall into place a little after reading further.
On Fitzgerald's style, I would definitely say that I love it! His diction was often-times very beautiful and thoughtful, and even funny when the scene called for it. Some of my favorite lines in the book were funny comments Nick made of society or people he met. He called a few men "Mr. Mumblers" and another, "Owl Eyes" (Fitzgerald, page 54). I also loved the way Nick viewed the world, often with humor.
I really like Jay Gatsby, even though I still don't understand exactly what illegal businesses he was involved with and his relationship with Daisy Buchanan. I've said it a hundred times, but I hate Tom because of his view of women and the pompous manner in which he brings science into every situation and conversation. I like both prominent women, Daisy and Jordan, because of their forward manners and lightness they bring to the story.
After reading The Great Gatsby, I really want to watch the up-coming film with Leo DiCaprio and maybe read some of Fitzgerald's other works. [I did pick up Summer, another Wharton piece, from the library last week.] Although I was not pleased with the ending of this novel, Fitzgerald's beautiful diction entices me to read some of his other classic pieces. This year, I have decided to read one novel, not involved with school, once a week from my loooong reading list, which I will, unfortunately, never finish in my lifetime, but at least it's a start.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 9
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The last part of chapter 8 and the entirety of chapter 9 contained the falling action and resolution.
Falling Action: After the death of Myrtle, Wilson sort of loses his mind and begins to investigate her death. He tries to find out who the owner of the car is (we know), and when he does, he goes to his house and presumably shoots him then himself. Like I said before, this scene was written so beautifully that I sort of missed the actual death because the beauty hides it so well. "Its accidental course with its accidental burden" (Fitzgerald, page 162) describes Gatsby's death so perfectly. The weirdest part of the whole thing is that Daisy leaves and is nowhere to be seen. Why didn't she come to see him at all or at least go to his funeral? I'll blame Tom; he probably refused to let her out of his sight after the affair with Gatsby...I hate Tom. So that was weird, but also, where was Jordan? She seemed to be friends with him, and she didn't attend the funeral or even call Nick about him.
Resolution/ Denouement: The story ends with Gatsby's terrible funeral. It was just really sad that only three people attended the man's funeral. Even though he may not have been the nicest, most truthful, or most legal person, there should have been more people mourning his passing than three. I did really like Jay's father and wish we could have learned more about his past and views of his son, but we only got a few pages in the last chapter. "Owl Eyes" also attended, but I still don't really understand his purpose. The last chapter also contains Nicks meeting with Tom where he felt he could not tell him the truth of what happened that night. I wonder if Tom would have ended it with Daisy if he had known that she was the one who killed Myrtle... I guess I'm glad that Nick didn't say anything about it.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The last part of chapter 8 and the entirety of chapter 9 contained the falling action and resolution.
Falling Action: After the death of Myrtle, Wilson sort of loses his mind and begins to investigate her death. He tries to find out who the owner of the car is (we know), and when he does, he goes to his house and presumably shoots him then himself. Like I said before, this scene was written so beautifully that I sort of missed the actual death because the beauty hides it so well. "Its accidental course with its accidental burden" (Fitzgerald, page 162) describes Gatsby's death so perfectly. The weirdest part of the whole thing is that Daisy leaves and is nowhere to be seen. Why didn't she come to see him at all or at least go to his funeral? I'll blame Tom; he probably refused to let her out of his sight after the affair with Gatsby...I hate Tom. So that was weird, but also, where was Jordan? She seemed to be friends with him, and she didn't attend the funeral or even call Nick about him.
Resolution/ Denouement: The story ends with Gatsby's terrible funeral. It was just really sad that only three people attended the man's funeral. Even though he may not have been the nicest, most truthful, or most legal person, there should have been more people mourning his passing than three. I did really like Jay's father and wish we could have learned more about his past and views of his son, but we only got a few pages in the last chapter. "Owl Eyes" also attended, but I still don't really understand his purpose. The last chapter also contains Nicks meeting with Tom where he felt he could not tell him the truth of what happened that night. I wonder if Tom would have ended it with Daisy if he had known that she was the one who killed Myrtle... I guess I'm glad that Nick didn't say anything about it.
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Like in The House of Mirth, the setting of this novel plays a very important role in its plot and outcomes. The Roaring Twenties were a great time of joy in history just before the Great Depression in the 1930's. The Prohibition was a major cultural concern during this time because many people were dry (for prohibition), while many others were wet (pro-alcohol). "Bootleggers" (Fitzgerald, page 61) at the time gambled on their businesses with big risks, as the sale or consumption of alcohol was illegal. Here, I jump to Jay Gatsby because he was kind of a well-known bootlegger, and that's where he made his money to impress and gain back Daisy and her love. At another time in history, he would not have been able to have this "profession" and possibly would not have been nearly as successful and wealthy. Let's move on to Daisy, then. She was also greatly affected by the setting of the novel because she was too scared to divorce Tom for Jay. While I think divorces should not be taken lightly, I also think that she shouldn't suffer without the man she really loves, just for society's sake. Most women in the modern world choose to marry the men they love, rather than those society approves of, unlike Daisy who felt she had to marry Tom because she needed strong financial backing and Jay was gone in the war.
I also think the novel would have ended very differently if it had taken place in a more modern setting because Daisy would have, most likely, known that Tom was cheating on her (with the invention of cell phones and other devices), and people today would have been on her side if she chose to divorce him because of it, unlike society of the 1920's. Maybe, "Gatsby" (Daisy) would have been able to avoid hitting Myrtle if he had been driving a more modern car, and she possibly could have seen him coming down the street. Regardless, the police would have been able to track his car almost instantly because of modern devices, invented for doing just that.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
| Prohibition protestors |
I also think the novel would have ended very differently if it had taken place in a more modern setting because Daisy would have, most likely, known that Tom was cheating on her (with the invention of cell phones and other devices), and people today would have been on her side if she chose to divorce him because of it, unlike society of the 1920's. Maybe, "Gatsby" (Daisy) would have been able to avoid hitting Myrtle if he had been driving a more modern car, and she possibly could have seen him coming down the street. Regardless, the police would have been able to track his car almost instantly because of modern devices, invented for doing just that.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 8
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald's writing in this chapter was probably my favorite of the entire novel. Even the small, detailed descriptions of irrelevant moments were so beautiful. Some of my favorites include: "a sort of splash upon the keys of a ghostly piano," (Fitzgerald, page 147) "pervading the air with the shades and echoes of still vibrant emotions," (page 149) and "fresh and cool, as if a divot from a green golf-links had come sailing at the office window" (page 155). [I'll talk about my absolute favorite, albeit a little unorthodox, passage from the book in just a minute.] I also want to touch on the weirdness of Nick and Jordan's break-up because I still don't fully understand what happened. Their conversation was very stiff and I feel like we missed something between them, that only the author and characters were privy to.
And with just a touch of foreshadowing, we learn Gatsby's fate. "By half-past two he [Wilson] was in West Egg, where he asked some one the way to Gatsby's house. So by that time he knew Gatsby's name" (Fitzgerald, page 160). The two paragraphs concluding chapter 8 were the most gruesome, yet most beautiful in the entire novel, at least to me anyway. Gatsby's death was hidden in this small passage, yet we still understand what has transpired--"a holocaust" (Fitzgerald, page 192). Although we know for sure Gatsby and Wilson died, I want to clarify a bit. Wilson shot Jay and then himself, right?
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald's writing in this chapter was probably my favorite of the entire novel. Even the small, detailed descriptions of irrelevant moments were so beautiful. Some of my favorites include: "a sort of splash upon the keys of a ghostly piano," (Fitzgerald, page 147) "pervading the air with the shades and echoes of still vibrant emotions," (page 149) and "fresh and cool, as if a divot from a green golf-links had come sailing at the office window" (page 155). [I'll talk about my absolute favorite, albeit a little unorthodox, passage from the book in just a minute.] I also want to touch on the weirdness of Nick and Jordan's break-up because I still don't fully understand what happened. Their conversation was very stiff and I feel like we missed something between them, that only the author and characters were privy to.
And with just a touch of foreshadowing, we learn Gatsby's fate. "By half-past two he [Wilson] was in West Egg, where he asked some one the way to Gatsby's house. So by that time he knew Gatsby's name" (Fitzgerald, page 160). The two paragraphs concluding chapter 8 were the most gruesome, yet most beautiful in the entire novel, at least to me anyway. Gatsby's death was hidden in this small passage, yet we still understand what has transpired--"a holocaust" (Fitzgerald, page 192). Although we know for sure Gatsby and Wilson died, I want to clarify a bit. Wilson shot Jay and then himself, right?
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
This post is all about the plot-line of The Great Gatsby.
The Exposition: We meet Nick Carraway who moves next door to Jay Gatsby, who throws extravagant parties every weekend at his beautiful mansion. Nick's second cousin Daisy lives nearby, and they have a small dinner where he meets Jordan Baker.
Rising Action: Gatsby invites Nick to his parties and begins to befriend him, although Nick is never really privy to the truth about his new friend. They grow closer, and finally, Jay begins to utilize his new-found pawn, so Nick invites Daisy over for tea. We realize why Gatsby chose his house (because Daisy lives just across the bay) and why he chose Nick as a friend (because he wants to get back together with Daisy, the woman he's loved all his time). Tom introduces Myrtle, his mistress, and they seem to get along very well (the puppy), except when he goes off and punches her face (okay, that only happened once, but I just can't let it go). Tom is happy with his new woman, Daisy is ecstatic, re-united with Jay, and Nick is actually in a relationship with Ms. Baker.
Climax [chapters 7 and 8]: The whole little group goes out to the city for the day, and Tom confronts both Myrtle and Daisy about their situations. Myrtle is supposedly moving away with her husband, and Daisy is having an affair with the man she really loves. Both are huge blows for Tom: "She's not leaving me!" (Fitzgerald, page 133) he claimed about Daisy, although it would suit the situation for either woman. The second part of the climax continues with Gatsby, unintentionally, murdering Myrtle with his automobile.
Falling Action and Resolution: I'll analyze later.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
 | |
| Completely unrelated, but so cool! |
The Exposition: We meet Nick Carraway who moves next door to Jay Gatsby, who throws extravagant parties every weekend at his beautiful mansion. Nick's second cousin Daisy lives nearby, and they have a small dinner where he meets Jordan Baker.
Rising Action: Gatsby invites Nick to his parties and begins to befriend him, although Nick is never really privy to the truth about his new friend. They grow closer, and finally, Jay begins to utilize his new-found pawn, so Nick invites Daisy over for tea. We realize why Gatsby chose his house (because Daisy lives just across the bay) and why he chose Nick as a friend (because he wants to get back together with Daisy, the woman he's loved all his time). Tom introduces Myrtle, his mistress, and they seem to get along very well (the puppy), except when he goes off and punches her face (okay, that only happened once, but I just can't let it go). Tom is happy with his new woman, Daisy is ecstatic, re-united with Jay, and Nick is actually in a relationship with Ms. Baker.
Climax [chapters 7 and 8]: The whole little group goes out to the city for the day, and Tom confronts both Myrtle and Daisy about their situations. Myrtle is supposedly moving away with her husband, and Daisy is having an affair with the man she really loves. Both are huge blows for Tom: "She's not leaving me!" (Fitzgerald, page 133) he claimed about Daisy, although it would suit the situation for either woman. The second part of the climax continues with Gatsby, unintentionally, murdering Myrtle with his automobile.
Falling Action and Resolution: I'll analyze later.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 7
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
I just read a book last week called Maid to Match which was actually pretty good, considering I just grabbed it of a shelf at random at the library. It is about a maid who wants to upgrade her position in the household to ladies' maid, but she meets a male servant who is new to the house and quickly falls in love with him (but that's not really relevant to this novel).
When I read chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby, I thought of this book because all of the servants in it are very close and loyal, like Gatsby's new servants would be. I know it's a little ridiculous to fire an entire household of workers, but I do understand why he did it. He wanted to be sure no word of his affair with Daisy Buchanan reached the ears of anyone, much less Tom--who knows what he would have done if he heard of if from anyone but Daisy.
The major scene in chapter 7 was the little dinner at the Buchanans' house that Gatsby, Jordan, and Nick were invited to. A common description during this part was "hot," which reminded me of pretty much this entire summer which was really hot, considering we live in INDIANA. Numerous records were broken this summer for extreme temperatures. I love this description of the heat: "The straw seats of the car hovered on the edge of combustion; the woman next to me perspired delicately for a while into her white shirtwaist, as her newspaper dampened under her fingers, lapsed despairingly into deep heat with a desolate cry" (Fitzgerald, page 115). I also loved how Daisy passionately kissed Jay right in front of Nick and Jordan because she was so forward for the 1920's and so irrational with love that she just didn't care. I also felt a little sad for Gatsby because "he didn't really believe in its [Daisy's child's] existence before" (Fitzgerald, page 117), and a child would just further complicate any break-up (what he wants to happen).
F. Scott Fitzgerald
When I read chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby, I thought of this book because all of the servants in it are very close and loyal, like Gatsby's new servants would be. I know it's a little ridiculous to fire an entire household of workers, but I do understand why he did it. He wanted to be sure no word of his affair with Daisy Buchanan reached the ears of anyone, much less Tom--who knows what he would have done if he heard of if from anyone but Daisy.
The major scene in chapter 7 was the little dinner at the Buchanans' house that Gatsby, Jordan, and Nick were invited to. A common description during this part was "hot," which reminded me of pretty much this entire summer which was really hot, considering we live in INDIANA. Numerous records were broken this summer for extreme temperatures. I love this description of the heat: "The straw seats of the car hovered on the edge of combustion; the woman next to me perspired delicately for a while into her white shirtwaist, as her newspaper dampened under her fingers, lapsed despairingly into deep heat with a desolate cry" (Fitzgerald, page 115). I also loved how Daisy passionately kissed Jay right in front of Nick and Jordan because she was so forward for the 1920's and so irrational with love that she just didn't care. I also felt a little sad for Gatsby because "he didn't really believe in its [Daisy's child's] existence before" (Fitzgerald, page 117), and a child would just further complicate any break-up (what he wants to happen).
The Great Gatsby Chapter 6
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
This is just going to be a random post with odds and ends from chapter 6 because I really didn't find something big that I wanted to blog about.
Before chapter 6, I was really confused as to what the point was of The Great Gatsby. I was also really confused about the reporter, but I guess it just had to do with some of his illegal activities or something else we're not really privy to. I think that should be more in focus in the book because the audience does not really understand his whole story, which I suppose is one of Fitzgerald's key means of describing the mystery of the great Gatsby. I was also really confused with the pool thing. What did running that woman's head under cold water have to do with anything? Relevancy, please?
Also really random--I loved the part about St. Olaf College because I had never heard of it until I got mail from there last year.
I thought the little meeting with Tom was really weird and didn't fully understand its meaning and purpose, but I did like how Gatsby talked about Daisy, even though Tom didn't fully "get it" yet.
It was really funny when everyone started calling Tom "the polo player" (Fitzgerald, page 105). I was actually laughing out loud when I read that part, considering how much I hate Tom Buchanan. I also loved the description of Jay's dancing the fox-trot, which shows how much he actually learned on his way to success in society.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
This is just going to be a random post with odds and ends from chapter 6 because I really didn't find something big that I wanted to blog about.
Before chapter 6, I was really confused as to what the point was of The Great Gatsby. I was also really confused about the reporter, but I guess it just had to do with some of his illegal activities or something else we're not really privy to. I think that should be more in focus in the book because the audience does not really understand his whole story, which I suppose is one of Fitzgerald's key means of describing the mystery of the great Gatsby. I was also really confused with the pool thing. What did running that woman's head under cold water have to do with anything? Relevancy, please?
Also really random--I loved the part about St. Olaf College because I had never heard of it until I got mail from there last year.
I thought the little meeting with Tom was really weird and didn't fully understand its meaning and purpose, but I did like how Gatsby talked about Daisy, even though Tom didn't fully "get it" yet.
It was really funny when everyone started calling Tom "the polo player" (Fitzgerald, page 105). I was actually laughing out loud when I read that part, considering how much I hate Tom Buchanan. I also loved the description of Jay's dancing the fox-trot, which shows how much he actually learned on his way to success in society.
The Great Gatsby Characters
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Gatsby is, obviously, the main character in the novel, although we do not directly meet him until the third chapter. Some would argue that Nick Carraway is the central character in the book, but I think that he is just a pawn in Gatsby's plans and just plays the role of friend and observer throughout the story. I think he is a round, dynamic character because he has multiple personality traits and changes throughout the novel. Something random about Jay Gatsby--what's with the "old sport" stuff on nearly every page? I love it though! I also love his newly-kindled relationship with Daisy. "At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete" (Fitzgerald, page 111).
I couldn't find a drawing of just Nick, so this is one of both him and Gatsby; however, this is actually a great place to start with Mr. Carraway's description. Well, he doesn't actually know Jay for practically his entire life, but he does live right next door to him. As a pawn in Gatsby's future plans, Nick is invited to one of Gatsby's famous parties, and some sort of relationship blossoms, although neither really confides truthfully in each other. Nick is also a round, dynamic character because of his role in Gatsby's life. The Great Gatsby is about what else--the great Gatsby--and his demise.
Jordan Baker is an interesting character because she is so mysterious, and I really like her because she is so forward for the 1920's. I think that she is more of a static character because she really doesn't change throughout the novel and really isn't a main character. I like her relationship with Nick, but I wish Fitzgerald would have included more details about the two of them, instead of focusing on just Jay and Daisy.
I immediately liked Daisy, but after a few more chapters, I found her to be kind of annoying. She is so focused on wealth and status, just like Lily Bart in The House of Mirth, and she doesn't realize how much better her life would be with Jay who would be loyal to her and not have a mistress (like somebody else we know...). Like I said with Lily Bart, I cannot understand why she just didn't drop Tom for Gatsby; I would like to think that I would give up a life of wealth and luxury for true love. Wait, that doesn't really make sense--I guess she just does not want to become involved in a divorce scandal and whatever illegal activities Jay was involved in.
And I guess I'll include Tom, even though I really don't like him.
Jerk!! I'll just leave it at that.
No, not really. But he is really not a nice guy. I keep thinking about his mistress and that one time he punched her... Well anyway, he doesn't really change throughout the novel either, so I would classify him as static and possibly flat because he only has a few personality traits.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
 |
| Jay Gatsby |
 |
| Jay and Nick |
 |
| Jordan Baker |
Jordan Baker is an interesting character because she is so mysterious, and I really like her because she is so forward for the 1920's. I think that she is more of a static character because she really doesn't change throughout the novel and really isn't a main character. I like her relationship with Nick, but I wish Fitzgerald would have included more details about the two of them, instead of focusing on just Jay and Daisy.
| Daisy Buchanan |
And I guess I'll include Tom, even though I really don't like him.
| Tom and Daisy Buchanan |
No, not really. But he is really not a nice guy. I keep thinking about his mistress and that one time he punched her... Well anyway, he doesn't really change throughout the novel either, so I would classify him as static and possibly flat because he only has a few personality traits.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 5
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Dear John--A great, bittersweet movie and book (though I have not read it yet) which really parallels Gatsby and his story with Daisy. In The Great Gatsby, Jay and Daisy had been sweethearts when they were younger and were really in love. However, Jay had to go off in the army and left her behind while he successfully served in the Great War. Just as John arrived home to find the love of his life married to someone else, Gatsby came back home to find that Daisy had moved on, married Tom Buchanan, and had a beautiful daughter. This was devastating to both men, but it also gave Gatsby something to strive and work toward: getting her back. In order to get Daisy's love back, he felt that he needed to become very wealthy and prove to her that he could support her both emotionally and physically. Presently in the novel, Gatsby has achieved nearly everything he wanted, yet he still desires Daisy, so Nick invites her over for a tea that Gatsby just happens to attend. It was a bittersweet reunion because she was still married to Tom and they could not openly be together, but they did have a nice time and renewed certain feelings toward each other. Fitzgerald's writing in this scene was often very beautiful. One particular sentence stood out to me: "He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room" (Fitzgerald, page 89). I love Nick's view of his friend's romance and the way Fitzgerald describes it with such beautiful diction.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Dear John--A great, bittersweet movie and book (though I have not read it yet) which really parallels Gatsby and his story with Daisy. In The Great Gatsby, Jay and Daisy had been sweethearts when they were younger and were really in love. However, Jay had to go off in the army and left her behind while he successfully served in the Great War. Just as John arrived home to find the love of his life married to someone else, Gatsby came back home to find that Daisy had moved on, married Tom Buchanan, and had a beautiful daughter. This was devastating to both men, but it also gave Gatsby something to strive and work toward: getting her back. In order to get Daisy's love back, he felt that he needed to become very wealthy and prove to her that he could support her both emotionally and physically. Presently in the novel, Gatsby has achieved nearly everything he wanted, yet he still desires Daisy, so Nick invites her over for a tea that Gatsby just happens to attend. It was a bittersweet reunion because she was still married to Tom and they could not openly be together, but they did have a nice time and renewed certain feelings toward each other. Fitzgerald's writing in this scene was often very beautiful. One particular sentence stood out to me: "He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated from him and filled the little room" (Fitzgerald, page 89). I love Nick's view of his friend's romance and the way Fitzgerald describes it with such beautiful diction.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 4
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
In Chapter 4 of The Great Gatsby, we finally realize that Gatsby likes Tom Buchanan's wife Daisy (if we didn't read the summary on the back of the book or forgot what it said, like I did).
"'This is Mr. Gatsby, Mr. Buchanan.'
They shook hands briefly, and a strained, unfamiliar look of embarrassment came over Gatsby's face...I turned toward Mr. Gatsby, but he was no longer there" (Fitzgerald, page 74).
He is awkward around Tom probably because he is jealous and possibly angry at him for stealing away his woman. This is completely understandable as no one would want to be around someone who currently has the love of the person he/she loves. I wonder if Tom suspects anything or if Daisy had mentioned anything about Jay to her husband. I know I wouldn't.
Anyway, Nick goes on to describe a conversation with Jordan Baker in which she recalls the details of Jay and Daisy's relationship years before. It was sad when she said she found Daisy drunk on her wedding day because she was obviously still in love with Jay, but she had given up on him and true love. Many things come into focus in this chapter as well, such as why Gatsby moved into that particular house (because it was across from Daisy) and why he befriended Nick from the beginning (because he wanted Daisy to come over to see his house). This makes a lot of sense, but I do feel bad for Nick because he has been taken advantage of and possibly is not close to the real Gatsby at all (although I'm still not sure if he really likes him or not).
This is where I would reference a movie or book where the man didn't want to he around his love's husband, but there are too many to choose from so I'll leave it to your imagination.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
In Chapter 4 of The Great Gatsby, we finally realize that Gatsby likes Tom Buchanan's wife Daisy (if we didn't read the summary on the back of the book or forgot what it said, like I did).
"'This is Mr. Gatsby, Mr. Buchanan.'
They shook hands briefly, and a strained, unfamiliar look of embarrassment came over Gatsby's face...I turned toward Mr. Gatsby, but he was no longer there" (Fitzgerald, page 74).
He is awkward around Tom probably because he is jealous and possibly angry at him for stealing away his woman. This is completely understandable as no one would want to be around someone who currently has the love of the person he/she loves. I wonder if Tom suspects anything or if Daisy had mentioned anything about Jay to her husband. I know I wouldn't.
Anyway, Nick goes on to describe a conversation with Jordan Baker in which she recalls the details of Jay and Daisy's relationship years before. It was sad when she said she found Daisy drunk on her wedding day because she was obviously still in love with Jay, but she had given up on him and true love. Many things come into focus in this chapter as well, such as why Gatsby moved into that particular house (because it was across from Daisy) and why he befriended Nick from the beginning (because he wanted Daisy to come over to see his house). This makes a lot of sense, but I do feel bad for Nick because he has been taken advantage of and possibly is not close to the real Gatsby at all (although I'm still not sure if he really likes him or not).
This is where I would reference a movie or book where the man didn't want to he around his love's husband, but there are too many to choose from so I'll leave it to your imagination.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Great Gatsby Chapter 3
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
I really liked the third chapter of the novel because it went in-depth into one of Gatsby's famous, extravagant parties. One of my favorite lines from this scene is where Jordan says "And I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy" (Fitzgerald, page 49). I absolutely love this contradiction! At first, it doesn't make much sense, and then I read it again and fully understood what Jordan was getting at. At large parties, people are able to separate into smaller, more intimate groups and can discuss certain topics or perform certain acts. But at smaller parties, everyone is in the same place, and no one gets any privacy. I have been to both types of parties and must say that I agree with Jordan Baker on this one. I enjoy being able to mingle with different people and get some privacy, which is seemingly impossible at a small, intimate party.
I also really like how Nick comes up with nicknames for various party-goers. On page 44, he refers to three men as "Mr. Mumbles" and the man from the library as "Owl Eyes" (Fitzgerald, page 54). Both references give a little insight into how he views the world and seems to make fun of many aspects of the party. I'm a huge fan of The Office, so of course I thought of a Michael Scott moment.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
I really liked the third chapter of the novel because it went in-depth into one of Gatsby's famous, extravagant parties. One of my favorite lines from this scene is where Jordan says "And I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy" (Fitzgerald, page 49). I absolutely love this contradiction! At first, it doesn't make much sense, and then I read it again and fully understood what Jordan was getting at. At large parties, people are able to separate into smaller, more intimate groups and can discuss certain topics or perform certain acts. But at smaller parties, everyone is in the same place, and no one gets any privacy. I have been to both types of parties and must say that I agree with Jordan Baker on this one. I enjoy being able to mingle with different people and get some privacy, which is seemingly impossible at a small, intimate party.
I also really like how Nick comes up with nicknames for various party-goers. On page 44, he refers to three men as "Mr. Mumbles" and the man from the library as "Owl Eyes" (Fitzgerald, page 54). Both references give a little insight into how he views the world and seems to make fun of many aspects of the party. I'm a huge fan of The Office, so of course I thought of a Michael Scott moment.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
As I said before, the narrator of this novel is very different from Wharton in The House of Mirth. Written in first person, The Great Gatsby tells the story from the point of view of Nick Carraway who is close friends with Jay Gatsby. Throughout the first couple chapters, Nick described his life and acquaintances which set the stage for Gatsby for the remainder of the novel. Differing greatly, the narrator in The House of Mirth is omniscient and tells the story in third person, giving thoughts and feelings of different characters, not just Lily Bart. Edith Wharton and F. Scott Fitzgerald both share some qualities in their writing such as flashbacks, beautiful diction, and varying syntax [but that's for another post].
Now a little about Nick Carraway. I really liked Nick from the very beginning. He is really funny, sometimes sarcastic, and intelligent. I appreciate his decisions and choice of friends, although the novel does not go very in-depth with his various relationships. Anyway, I love the little "bromance" blossoming between Gatsby and Nick because it seemed like he really needed a close friend, even though he had those huge, extravagant parties seemingly every weekend. I really like Gatsby too because he loves Daisy, even after all those years, and he is cutely nervous and embarrassed around her. "Oh, God," "This is a terrible mistake...a terrible, terrible mistake," and "Don't talk so loud" (Fitzgerald, pages 87-88.) This was really sweet as Gatsby seemed so calm and collected all the time except when he was around Daisy. Nick was also sweet during this scene when he talked Gatsby through his nervousness and really supported him like a good friend should. [Whoops, I guess this is in chapter 5, so I'm going a little out of order on the posts.]
F. Scott Fitzgerald
As I said before, the narrator of this novel is very different from Wharton in The House of Mirth. Written in first person, The Great Gatsby tells the story from the point of view of Nick Carraway who is close friends with Jay Gatsby. Throughout the first couple chapters, Nick described his life and acquaintances which set the stage for Gatsby for the remainder of the novel. Differing greatly, the narrator in The House of Mirth is omniscient and tells the story in third person, giving thoughts and feelings of different characters, not just Lily Bart. Edith Wharton and F. Scott Fitzgerald both share some qualities in their writing such as flashbacks, beautiful diction, and varying syntax [but that's for another post].
Now a little about Nick Carraway. I really liked Nick from the very beginning. He is really funny, sometimes sarcastic, and intelligent. I appreciate his decisions and choice of friends, although the novel does not go very in-depth with his various relationships. Anyway, I love the little "bromance" blossoming between Gatsby and Nick because it seemed like he really needed a close friend, even though he had those huge, extravagant parties seemingly every weekend. I really like Gatsby too because he loves Daisy, even after all those years, and he is cutely nervous and embarrassed around her. "Oh, God," "This is a terrible mistake...a terrible, terrible mistake," and "Don't talk so loud" (Fitzgerald, pages 87-88.) This was really sweet as Gatsby seemed so calm and collected all the time except when he was around Daisy. Nick was also sweet during this scene when he talked Gatsby through his nervousness and really supported him like a good friend should. [Whoops, I guess this is in chapter 5, so I'm going a little out of order on the posts.]
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