All lit circle discussions for The Great Gatsby should occur in this thread. Please remember, Blog posts are due Thursday nights by 10pm. Posters in this group include: Holly, Clayton, and Trey.
I thought it was strange that Mr. Gatsby wasn't introduced until the 3rd chapter. When he was finally introduced I was shocked to learn that he was about the same age as Nick. I assumed he would have been older because of how he was mentioned in Nick's introduction and because of his financial success and popularity.
I agree completely! I was shocked by his description, I assumed he was an old, lonely man, full of wisdom and riches. I think that he was kept hidden in order to show the time he spent trying to find out about Daisy, and develop a plan for winning her back. I am really curious to find out whether or not Gatsby and Daisy end up together, and I wonder why they ever broke up in the first place.
One of the main symbols of the novel, the green light, is discussed in the first four chapters. Nick first sees Gatsby reaching his hands out towards this light in the distance, as if he is longing for what it represents. It is later revealed that this light is a light on the end of Daisy's dock. Gatsby still loves Daisy very much and wishes to be with her again, so this light can very well represent his yearning to be with her. The light may also represent Gatsby's pursuing of the American Dream. Gatsby's living in the West Egg shows that he must have earned all of his money himself, and he throws extravagant parties in hopes of making his name known with everyone, including the East-Eggers. Overall, the green light adds to the mysterious characterization of Gatsby, as it can represent several different ideas.
I absolutely love this book so far. The mystery and awe that Nick finds in Gatsby, I have also found myself to feel. I like that Nick seems to be the character representation of the reader in my opinion.
I can't wait to see what we find out about Gatsby. Is he corrupt like his friend that rigged the 1919 World Series? Ahhhh we don't know yet! So exciting!
When I first started reading this book, I was a total Gatsby fan and I had no idea why anyone would make up rumors about him killing a man. However, as I have continued reading, I've begin to wonder myself if Gatsby may be a little bit sketchy himself. I feel like there is something in his past that he is hiding. Do you think that Daisy really ran over Mrs. Wilson, or do you think it was Gatsby as a method of getting back at Tom?
The thing I’ve found quite ironic through the development of Jay Gatsby is the contrast between his reputation and character. Gatsby is known throughout the West Egg as the ultimate party host. With a mansion for a home, lots of lights, full orchestras for entertainment, alcohol provided (not a BYOB type of party), and a pool, Gatsby knows how to put on a show. His parties have such an excellent reputation that he does not need to invite people, they simply show up. Aside from the parties, Gatsby owns what is described as a masterpiece automobile: Rolls Royce quality. Another reputation of Gatsby describes him as a master crook, meddling in practices outside the law, even making him seem like a dark and devious character. His personality, however, is far from any of these reputations! He throws parties not to have fun, but so he can feel accepted. As for his car, Gatsby admits that he likes it, but still questions passengers to gain a sense of approval. And the notion that Gatsby is in charge of an underground smuggling operation further contrasts his personality because the man has to run away and hide when a woman he likes comes over merely because he lacks the confidence and poise to talk to her. Not only is he extremely nervous around her, he essentially acts as a suck up by favoring items in his home merely because she also likes them. Just a thought… Need to save some for the discussion tomorrow.
I find it interesting that Nick deems himself one of the only honorable, honest people of the time period, yet he is exposed to two different marital affairs and doesn't do a thing about them. First, he attends the party with Myrtle and Tom and just goes along with it, never even hinting to Tom that his affair is wrong even though Nick is particularly fond of Daisy. Then, he goes on to even help Gatsby set up a meeting with Daisy in order to help him rekindle his love with her. Nick seems as a somewhat passive person that doesn't like confrontation. However, his favor for Gatsby might also have something to do with his admiration of Gatsby and his sympathy for Daisy who is caught in a troubling marraige.
I thought it was rude of Gatsby to show up after 5 years and expect Daisy to drop everything in her life and be with him. She had already started her own life. She's married and has a child, but he still expected her to fall back in love with him.
I think that Gatsby has a false perception of reality. Not only does he expect Daisy to drop everything and be with him, he also expects her to be the same young, lively girl he knew 5 years ago. People change, and he seems to oblivious to that fact, and unwilling to even consider the fact that Daisy may not be the girl he remembers. If he keeps his expectations high, he going to set himself up for failure, and he will eventually be disappointed.
So, at last, we confirm that Gatsby will never be able to recapture the past as he has so wished to do. However, even though it is evident that he isn't getting Daisy back after his confrontation with Tom, he still continues to hold on to his dream by a thread. I almost start to feel sorry for him at this point, as all of his hard work to try and win her over amounts to nothing and gets him nowhere. The ending is very shocking and even a little haunting. I don't think anyone could expect things to happen in the way that they did. Finally, even though Gatsby threw giant, extravagant parties with many people, only 3 people + a few servants come to his funeral. It goes to show that he never really made a significant connection with any of the people in his life; they were all just part of the plan to win over the one person whom he truly cared about, Daisy.
I really enjoyed this book, however; after finishing I still have some unanswered questions. My biggest question is bout Dasiy. Why didn't she tell Tom about her driving when Myrtle was killed? This really annoyed me becasue I thought she loved Gatsby but she just let all of the blame fall on him, which eventually lead to his death. My second question is: Does she feel guilty for Gatsby's death? I would really love to hear about what everyone else thinks!
I enjoyed this book EXTREMELY. I feel like every part of it was just as I expected, full of twists and turns and emotions all over the place. I would recommend it to anyone who simply enjoys a good heartfelt piece.
Yeah... Let's just say that this story didn't end quite like I hoped or expected. Since when do the two lovebirds not get married and live happily ever after? I suppose that the presence of a child somewhat complicated the matter, but why couldn't Tom just go find another mistress or something? It seems like he got more attached to Daisy after Myrtle died, but if Daisy wasn't enough last time, who's to say she will this time? I was really hoping that the kid would somehow end up being Gatsby's so they could all live together, but that didn't end up happening. After Gatsby dies, we also learn more about his somewhat OCD lifestyle, unveiling soke of the mysteries of the great Jimmy Gatz.
14 comments:
I thought it was strange that Mr. Gatsby wasn't introduced until the 3rd chapter. When he was finally introduced I was shocked to learn that he was about the same age as Nick. I assumed he would have been older because of how he was mentioned in Nick's introduction and because of his financial success and popularity.
I agree completely! I was shocked by his description, I assumed he was an old, lonely man, full of wisdom and riches. I think that he was kept hidden in order to show the time he spent trying to find out about Daisy, and develop a plan for winning her back. I am really curious to find out whether or not Gatsby and Daisy end up together, and I wonder why they ever broke up in the first place.
One of the main symbols of the novel, the green light, is discussed in the first four chapters. Nick first sees Gatsby reaching his hands out towards this light in the distance, as if he is longing for what it represents. It is later revealed that this light is a light on the end of Daisy's dock. Gatsby still loves Daisy very much and wishes to be with her again, so this light can very well represent his yearning to be with her. The light may also represent Gatsby's pursuing of the American Dream. Gatsby's living in the West Egg shows that he must have earned all of his money himself, and he throws extravagant parties in hopes of making his name known with everyone, including the East-Eggers. Overall, the green light adds to the mysterious characterization of Gatsby, as it can represent several different ideas.
I absolutely love this book so far. The mystery and awe that Nick finds in Gatsby, I have also found myself to feel. I like that Nick seems to be the character representation of the reader in my opinion.
I can't wait to see what we find out about Gatsby. Is he corrupt like his friend that rigged the 1919 World Series? Ahhhh we don't know yet! So exciting!
When I first started reading this book, I was a total Gatsby fan and I had no idea why anyone would make up rumors about him killing a man. However, as I have continued reading, I've begin to wonder myself if Gatsby may be a little bit sketchy himself. I feel like there is something in his past that he is hiding. Do you think that Daisy really ran over Mrs. Wilson, or do you think it was Gatsby as a method of getting back at Tom?
The thing I’ve found quite ironic through the development of Jay Gatsby is the contrast between his reputation and character. Gatsby is known throughout the West Egg as the ultimate party host. With a mansion for a home, lots of lights, full orchestras for entertainment, alcohol provided (not a BYOB type of party), and a pool, Gatsby knows how to put on a show. His parties have such an excellent reputation that he does not need to invite people, they simply show up. Aside from the parties, Gatsby owns what is described as a masterpiece automobile: Rolls Royce quality. Another reputation of Gatsby describes him as a master crook, meddling in practices outside the law, even making him seem like a dark and devious character. His personality, however, is far from any of these reputations! He throws parties not to have fun, but so he can feel accepted. As for his car, Gatsby admits that he likes it, but still questions passengers to gain a sense of approval. And the notion that Gatsby is in charge of an underground smuggling operation further contrasts his personality because the man has to run away and hide when a woman he likes comes over merely because he lacks the confidence and poise to talk to her. Not only is he extremely nervous around her, he essentially acts as a suck up by favoring items in his home merely because she also likes them.
Just a thought… Need to save some for the discussion tomorrow.
I find it interesting that Nick deems himself one of the only honorable, honest people of the time period, yet he is exposed to two different marital affairs and doesn't do a thing about them. First, he attends the party with Myrtle and Tom and just goes along with it, never even hinting to Tom that his affair is wrong even though Nick is particularly fond of Daisy. Then, he goes on to even help Gatsby set up a meeting with Daisy in order to help him rekindle his love with her. Nick seems as a somewhat passive person that doesn't like confrontation. However, his favor for Gatsby might also have something to do with his admiration of Gatsby and his sympathy for Daisy who is caught in a troubling marraige.
I thought it was rude of Gatsby to show up after 5 years and expect Daisy to drop everything in her life and be with him. She had already started her own life. She's married and has a child, but he still expected her to fall back in love with him.
I think that Gatsby has a false perception of reality. Not only does he expect Daisy to drop everything and be with him, he also expects her to be the same young, lively girl he knew 5 years ago. People change, and he seems to oblivious to that fact, and unwilling to even consider the fact that Daisy may not be the girl he remembers. If he keeps his expectations high, he going to set himself up for failure, and he will eventually be disappointed.
So, at last, we confirm that Gatsby will never be able to recapture the past as he has so wished to do. However, even though it is evident that he isn't getting Daisy back after his confrontation with Tom, he still continues to hold on to his dream by a thread. I almost start to feel sorry for him at this point, as all of his hard work to try and win her over amounts to nothing and gets him nowhere. The ending is very shocking and even a little haunting. I don't think anyone could expect things to happen in the way that they did. Finally, even though Gatsby threw giant, extravagant parties with many people, only 3 people + a few servants come to his funeral. It goes to show that he never really made a significant connection with any of the people in his life; they were all just part of the plan to win over the one person whom he truly cared about, Daisy.
I really enjoyed this book, however; after finishing I still have some unanswered questions. My biggest question is bout Dasiy. Why didn't she tell Tom about her driving when Myrtle was killed? This really annoyed me becasue I thought she loved Gatsby but she just let all of the blame fall on him, which eventually lead to his death. My second question is: Does she feel guilty for Gatsby's death? I would really love to hear about what everyone else thinks!
I enjoyed this book EXTREMELY. I feel like every part of it was just as I expected, full of twists and turns and emotions all over the place. I would recommend it to anyone who simply enjoys a good heartfelt piece.
Yeah... Let's just say that this story didn't end quite like I hoped or expected. Since when do the two lovebirds not get married and live happily ever after? I suppose that the presence of a child somewhat complicated the matter, but why couldn't Tom just go find another mistress or something? It seems like he got more attached to Daisy after Myrtle died, but if Daisy wasn't enough last time, who's to say she will this time? I was really hoping that the kid would somehow end up being Gatsby's so they could all live together, but that didn't end up happening.
After Gatsby dies, we also learn more about his somewhat OCD lifestyle, unveiling soke of the mysteries of the great Jimmy Gatz.
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