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Cohort 8
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a great read for people who enjoy suspense, great character and plot development , and a well written story. Fitzgerald in the last three chapters of the story had many readers shocked with the events. Tom invites Gatsby over for dinner and realizes his wife likes Gatsby or that they have something going on with one another. Knowing how Tom is, im surprised Tom didn’t say anything to the two right then and there. Daisy tries to avoid tension going into the city, but the plot gets even more intriguing and Gatsby causes more tension to arise. He asks Daisy to choose between the two of them, Tom and Gatsby. On their way back we find that Daisy hits Myrtle, Tom’s mistress with Gatsby’s car and drives off. Myrtle was probably running to Tom for help since George Wilson had her locked up. Tom later sells out that it was Gatsby’s car that hit Myrtle, but doesn’t tell Wilson that his wife did it. Wilson shoots Gatsby in the pool which is ironic since it was going to be drained because of the autumn season. It was as if Gatsby’s fate was to get shot and die. Nick holds a funeral for Gatsby and Tom and Daisy don’t show up to the funeral, there aren’t even any flowers from them to show their condolences. This was to be expected considering the type of characters we were dealing with, Tom was a shady backstabber to his wife so he can definitely do it to someone who was trying to get with his wife. We learned that Daisy is selfish and wishes to please her on desires just like how she pleased herself by messing with Gatsby and flirting with him. Daisy didn’t actually care about Gatsby, but Gatsby was really determined to get with Daisy. As the story progresses though, it seems like Gatsby gets desperate for Daisy. This leads me to wonder, what would the story have been if Daisy waited for Gatsby? Would Gatsby be alive if he drained his pool? The author leaves us readers with many questions and concerned about the story.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has to be one of my new favorite books. It is very well written and has a good plot. The author used the characters to develope this plot that just made you want to keep reading. The narrator Nick tells us a portion of his life where he meets this man, Jay Gatsby. He finds out that Gatsby has a love for Daisy, a married woman. Throughout the novel, Gatsby tries to wooher back tp him since they were once in love. I feel that we start to realize that Gatsby makes Daisy bigger than life. he has been wanting her for so long that once he finally sees her, he is disappointed. The idea of wanting this woman that he was once in love with made him feel stronger for her. And since the feeling wasn’t reciprocated, he felt rejected and depressed. At the end of the novel, Gatsby gets shot and Nick holds a funeral for him. Daisy and her wife Tom do not show up nor send flowers. Nick realized that they cared for no one but themselves. Personally, I was not surprised that they wanted nothing to do with Gatsby’s funeral. Daisy was basically leading Gatsby on for the fun of it. Their romance started and died many years ago and she was never leaving her family behind. But I wonder what would’ve happened later on if Gatsby didn’t die. Would Daisy have cheated on her husband? Or would she have dropped Gatsby and returned to her unfaithful husband?
I agree, The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books and is a very great read for someone wanting to read about the american dream. I wasn’t surprised that Daisy and Tom didn’t show up for the funeral knowing the character of those two.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was a fascinating read that was very well written with symbolic meanings hidden from colors, to time, to temperature, to a billboard. This novel took some very unexpected turns that left me in awe and wondering why everything happened in the end such as the car swap between Tom and Gatsby, the outburst of love, and the murders of Myrtle and our beloved
James Gatz. I also was very suspicious of the narrator Nick and wanted to know why he was so infatuated with Gatsby and his “world.” Because of the way this book was well written, I found myself reading back into the last 3 chapters and trying to find hidden symbols that could help me know why everything played out the way it did and try to understand where Fitzgerald’s head was at creating this amazing novel. I realized that the weather played a big role in one of the last few chapters. When Tom, Jordan, Daisy, Nick and Gatsby went into the city, they went on the hottest day in summer. Typically hot/ humid weather causes you to have an unclear conscience or mind and burst out things you never meant to in the first place, or generally just bring out another side of someone. This could be why Gatsby had his little outburst with Tom about who Daisy loves the most. This is only one of the many symbols. One topic I wanted to discuss was Nick. Throughout the novel I asked myself why is the Nick the narrator? Why is he so judge mental? Why is he so caught up in Gatsby’s life if he isn’t even fond of him? Perhaps Nick is secretly infatuated with him? I later came to the conclusion that Nick in the end, turned out to be Gatsby’s closest friend without even realizing. His only friend. The one of three who actually showed up to his funeral. It’s crazy how someone you never really liked or learned to love could be the person who was affected the most by you. The saddest part is that when it is all said and done and there are no last words or final goodbyes, once that realization hits you, you can’t go back in time and try to be a little more understanding or less judgmental and get to really know the person before it’s too late. In conclusion, Gatsby and Nick were both important and key roles in each others lives.
Hey Kristin, I 100% agree with you on the fact that this book was well written with symbolic meanings. The fact about it being the hottest day in the summer played an important part of the discussion between Tom and Gatsby. During the summer, the severe heat can bring out the worst in people. I also agree on the fact of Nick being his only friend. I can’t believe almost no one showed up to Gatsby’s funeral, not even Daisy who claimed to “love” him.
Within the last few chapters of the book, every character’s true self, was revealed. Gatsby, blinded by love, wanted to see past the malicious aspects of the world, to reinvent a past that was unattainable. He was so so blinded by a facade of Daisy’s love that it leads him to his death. The curious thing about Gatsby was the reasoning behind his death. Wilson did not kill him. Love, lust, and the longing for an unattainable perfection did. Stuck in the past, Gatsby longed for the only thing that he needed to create a perfect and picturesque life; a significant other. Daisy represented everything that Gatsby wanted, packaged and pristine to perfection. She embodied all of the dying dreams he wanted to pursue and although at first, it might seem that Daisy and Gatsby will end up together, like many dreams, Daisy left his life and failed to save him when he was being drowned by the harsh realities of rich carelessness. Daisy, a snobbish, superficial fool let the shallow waters of money and conformity restrict her from standing for what is right and resulted in standing by what is wrong. She became a conformist in life, settling for what she thought was the more convenient option and carelessly letting go of the hopes she internally desired for herself. Daisy, an overlooked character is much more than what the character, Nick, makes her out to be. She is foolish, asinine, and in many ways, mute in her own life. She lets everyone put her in a box and she does nothing about it. As foolish as Daisy might be, she is no more than a hurting woman, scared of rebelling against the harsh society that has been constructed around her surroundings. While many see her as an antagonist, she remains a moral symbol in the story, representing all of the people who had to conform to life for the benefit of living a safer life. She lives life on the safe side, being told what she should do and who she should become. She is our society. In contrast, Gatsby, represented all of the beautiful fools in the world, everyone who dared to go for a dream that is unreachable. Gatsby dared to dream of a corrupt world and became nothing more than an idea tossed around in the mind of someone who would never fully bring him justice; Nick. This book displayed the power that money, immorality, and corruption have above hope and love. Sometimes hope and love aren’t enough because it certainly wasn’t enough to keep Gatsby alive.
To start off, the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was a well-developed and thought out book. Fitzgerald played close attention on writing about a setting/temperature that related with what was taking place. Regarding this fact, we head over to Chapter 7 where Nick (the narrator) recalls that it was the hottest day of the summer. Usually, the heat brings out the ugly side of people, it can bring out the worst in them. Nick, Jordan, Tom, Daisy and Gatsby spend the day together and there is already some tension between Tom and Gatsby (the “heat”). The heat also produces people to become more violent. Tom has kinda figured out that there is something going on between his wife, Daisy and Gatsby. When they arrive at the hotel Tom starts to question Gatsby, due to the fact that he doesn’t trust him. Gatsby then loses it in the heat of the moment and tells Daisy to tell Tom that she never loved him. Tom responds by bringing up the past and saying that that can’t be true. The tension is rising between Tom and Gatsby, waiting to see what Daisy would say. Toward the end when they are heading back home, Tom is so secure that he sends Daisy back home with Gatsby. Another topic were the eyes that “kept their vigil” along the roadway. Those eyes consist of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg was a billboard along the road to get from West Egg to Manhattan. These eyes can be interpreted religiously, relating it with God. God sees everything and Wilson mentioned the fact that those eyes represented God. Everything we do is seen by a great good, God. Those eyes were “God’s” eyes looking at everything the characters did.
In Chapter 8, we find out that Gatsby was shot and killed by Wilson. Nick takes care of Gatsby’s funeral and is in charge of getting people to go. At the end of the day, only a few people attended Gatsby’s funeral; Nick, Gatsby’s dad and Owl Eyes being a few. Nick is surprised that not even Daisy showed up or called. That leads him to believe that people like Tom and Daisy are careless. He refers to them as people who, “smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.”
Hey Melanie, I completely agree that Fitzgerald played close attention on writing about a setting/temperature that related with what was taking place. The heat does bring out the worst in people and causes them to not have a clear mind. I was very surprised when Daisy did not attend the funeral. Or at least call considering she supposedly loved him. However, I understand it was a very tough situation and a choice had to be made. Overall, The Great Gatsby was a very interesting, well thought of, and clever read.
I really like that you decided to analyze this part of the story because I think that often in the book, the weather is always overlooked. One cool thing that I remember is the weather when Gatsby and Daisy met. When they met, it was a rainy day and I think this was very important since it showed how they met under harsh conditions and would later reveal that Gatsby and Daisy would not last. The weather in this scene was very meticulously chosen out and I think that if the author wouldn’t have done that, the scene might’ve not been as intense.
In The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, there are many characters to analyze and dissect. Between the abusive and corrupted character of Tom Buchanan and the idealistic and ultimately modernistic hero Jay Gatsby, the interpretations are endless. However, a character that is often overlooked happens to be the narrator, Nick Carraway.
Nick is interesting for many reasons, but what intrigues me most is that he is a walking contradiction of himself. For example, he is both deeply insightful and absolutely clueless. This is shown between the quotes, “This was untrue. I am not even faintly like a rose. She was only extemporizing, as if her heart was trying to come out to you concealed in one of those breathless, thrilling words.” (Fitzgerald 14) and “”Is something happening?” I inquired innocently. “You mean to say you don’t know? (…) I thought everybody knew.” “I don’t.”” (Fitzgerald 14-15). Carraway is self aware- perhaps the most self aware character in the novel. He knows his actions, the thought behind his actions, and the consequence of every single one. He knows the way his own mind works and the way he carries himself. He also has a greater understanding of everybody else’s motives, and the pain it must cause them.
However, to the outside world- to gossip, to social circles, to day to day trivialties- Carraway is completely oblivious. He’s such an introspective person that he tends to be completely blind to the “simple things” in life. This captures modernism spectacularly- a man suffering, captured in the torment of his own mind, aware and yet so detached to the lives falling apart and coming together around him.
Hey Kat! I also loves the role that Nick plays in this book. I think people really overlook his character. The story would’ve ebeen so different if not told from his perspective. He really gives us this raw story that he is seeing with his own eyes. I also find it a little weird he knows so much, but he’s very into minute details.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a modernism novel that was published in 1925. The novel is based on Jay Gatsby, which ironically is not the narrator. The narrator’s name is Nick Carraway. I feel like the reason Fitzgerald made the book this way was so that you can see the life of the rich from a perspective of someone viewing their lifestyle. If the book was narrated by Gatsby, it would be totally different. Nick finds out that he’s neighbors with Gatsby and has him over. He sees that Gatsby has feelings for Daisy and helps him see her. Gatsby met Daisy long ago and still has feeling for her. So Gatsby invites Nick over with Daisy for tea and they see to forget about Nick. They talk like they’re best friends and ignore Nick. Daisy is married though so would she leave her husband for Gatsby? Back then, it was unheard of for a woman to leave her husband. It was also unheard of for the wife to cheat on her husband. It was common for the husband to have a mistress, in fact multiple mistresses. Daisy’s husband Tom is already cheating on her, but Daisy has no idea. I think Gatsby will find this out and eventually tell Daisy so that way she leaves Tom for him. Gatsby longs for Daisy, but knows that she is married. He moved to the house next to Nick in order to become close to Daisy and reconnect what he feels that they first had.
Hey Izabella!
One part of your commentary I heavily agree with is the fact that it was unheard of for a woman to leave her husband. Divorce was, and to an extent still is, taboo. Taking the beatings, knowing of the affairs, and acting like nothing was wrong was daily for most housewives, Daisy included. Though class tended to take it’s place in this, for the most part, it was a universal thing. However, what I disagree with, is that it was unheard of for a woman to cheat on her husband. A woman cheating has always been marketed as a rather “normal” fantasy- to escape with her dream man, someone who really understands. Romance novels were pretty much invented to keep a housewife entertained with such notions. Though women would often get beat if their husbands caught them, and would socially be destroyed if their families and male friends knew of it, it definitely happened more often than most would think.
The Great Gatsby is a well written American novel whose subtle signals towards a greater understanding of the American dream, leave you wanting more. Mystery, a characteristic well portrayed by the author, Fitzgerald, kept the reader vigorously flipping the pages for more. The lack of information given makes the reader want to uncover the secret truth not only behind Gatsby but by the grand era in which it takes place. The main characters, Daisy, Tom, Jordan, Gatsby, and the narrator, Nick, all separately represent a powerful or struggling community within the time period. From wealthy misogynistic men, conforming women, and dishonest characters, the book has it all. Thus far into the book, we know that Daisy is married to Tom, an emotionally abusive husband who finds himself seeking for love in the arms of women other than Daisy. Nick a former soldier and aspiring businessman, seeks a greater meaning behind life, always searching for the unknown and trying to familiarize himself with the mystery of the unknown behind Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby as we come to meet him seems to be infatuated with a married woman, always referring to the idea of being with her as the green light he sees across the water from his lavish mansion. Gatsby, a man of wealth, seems to have become an unusual target for the people of New York to conspire about. Due to the lack of knowledge anyone has on Gatsby, he has become a sort of monument and attraction within his city, with everyone always wanting to find out more. This same motif of wanting to know more is what gravitates the narrator, Nick to become closer to Gatsby. The two of them bond well since Gatsby realizes that Nick’s family connection to Daisy can lead him to the love he thinks he deserves with her. When the two finally meet, it seems as if Gatsby’s green light is gone. This green light whom I translated it to be a possible relationship with Daisy, has been dimmed once Gatsby acquires what he has always longed for. The color green is a color that I refer to as a meaning of perseverance and motivation. Gatsby dedicated so much of his time [also a large reference throughout his interactions with Daisy], to getting with Daisy, and now that he has her, it seems like he is realizing that this fantasy he created in his mind isn’t what it seemed. This same statement can be related to the idea of the American Dream. Many people see this white picket fence scene when they picture the American Dream, however, throughout the process, one can start to realize that the green light they have longed for, wasn’t as green and positive when they finally have it. As the saying goes, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”.
The Great Gatsby is a novel written in 1925 by Scott Fitzgerald in the setting of New York. From chapters 1-5 readers learn a lot about characters, how they act, and we get a sense of hatred or liking for some of them. Nick, the narrator, seems like a very nice and innocent guy who can be easily influenced into doing stuff. We also learn Tom is a snake and not loyal to his wife Daisy, cheating on her with a low class mistress named Myrtle who is cheating on her husband George. Daisy realizes that Tom is cheating on her but still decides to stay and when her baby daughter was mentioned she gave readers a sad line to read. It states “I hope she’ll be a fool, that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Daisy is a women of society in the 1920s and leaving her husband will bring shame to her even if he is having an affair, so she simply coops with the American femininity. As we read on in the novel Gatsby finds out that Nick is cousins with Daisy. Gatsby and Daisy were lovers, but Gatsby went into war and Daisy promised to wait for him, but didn’t fulfill her promise because she thought he was dead. As the two meet Gatsby was nervous and accidentally drops the clock, but catches before it hits the ground and possibly shatter. This could symbolize the catching up of time that the two are having since the war. Also, since we know now that Gatsby and Daisy were lovers, the green light that sits at the end of Daisy’s lot can be a symbol for Gatsby’s hopes and dreams of finding Daisy and reuniting with her.
I completely agree with you about how women really struggled to leave toxic relationships in the 1920’s and how it shaped this negative mold that women would have to fight to deform in later years. While I do think that one of the reasons why Daisy is still with Tom is their child, I also think that Daisy is in it for the money. Due to Tom’s wealth status, it would be a foolish move for Daisy to leave him. Your interpretation of the symbolic meaning behind the clocks and time within the novel was very interesting to me. Similarly, I referred to time as something that has been lost and wasted in the process of him trying to gain Daisy and him realizing it might not have been worth it. Your green light statement is very similar to mine as I also thought she was his beacon of hope in the negative world and bubble Gatsby had made for himself.
I also agree with you both. It was hard for women to leave relationships in the 1920s. I do not think Daisy is in it for the money because her and nick were from a family with “old money,” but i do believe she is also still with him because of their child. I agree that a lot of time was wasted while Gatsby tried to get with Daisy. I feel like she won’t leave Tom. Though I feel like her and Gatsby” belong ” together there are too many cons than pros as of now that we know of.
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a great read for people who enjoy suspense, great character and plot development , and a well written story. Fitzgerald in the last three chapters of the story had many readers shocked with the events. Tom invites Gatsby over for dinner and realizes his wife likes Gatsby or that they have something going on with one another. Knowing how Tom is, im surprised Tom didn’t say anything to the two right then and there. Daisy tries to avoid tension going into the city, but the plot gets even more intriguing and Gatsby causes more tension to arise. He asks Daisy to choose between the two of them, Tom and Gatsby. On their way back we find that Daisy hits Myrtle, Tom’s mistress with Gatsby’s car and drives off. Myrtle was probably running to Tom for help since George Wilson had her locked up. Tom later sells out that it was Gatsby’s car that hit Myrtle, but doesn’t tell Wilson that his wife did it. Wilson shoots Gatsby in the pool which is ironic since it was going to be drained because of the autumn season. It was as if Gatsby’s fate was to get shot and die. Nick holds a funeral for Gatsby and Tom and Daisy don’t show up to the funeral, there aren’t even any flowers from them to show their condolences. This was to be expected considering the type of characters we were dealing with, Tom was a shady backstabber to his wife so he can definitely do it to someone who was trying to get with his wife. We learned that Daisy is selfish and wishes to please her on desires just like how she pleased herself by messing with Gatsby and flirting with him. Daisy didn’t actually care about Gatsby, but Gatsby was really determined to get with Daisy. As the story progresses though, it seems like Gatsby gets desperate for Daisy. This leads me to wonder, what would the story have been if Daisy waited for Gatsby? Would Gatsby be alive if he drained his pool? The author leaves us readers with many questions and concerned about the story.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has to be one of my new favorite books. It is very well written and has a good plot. The author used the characters to develope this plot that just made you want to keep reading. The narrator Nick tells us a portion of his life where he meets this man, Jay Gatsby. He finds out that Gatsby has a love for Daisy, a married woman. Throughout the novel, Gatsby tries to wooher back tp him since they were once in love. I feel that we start to realize that Gatsby makes Daisy bigger than life. he has been wanting her for so long that once he finally sees her, he is disappointed. The idea of wanting this woman that he was once in love with made him feel stronger for her. And since the feeling wasn’t reciprocated, he felt rejected and depressed. At the end of the novel, Gatsby gets shot and Nick holds a funeral for him. Daisy and her wife Tom do not show up nor send flowers. Nick realized that they cared for no one but themselves. Personally, I was not surprised that they wanted nothing to do with Gatsby’s funeral. Daisy was basically leading Gatsby on for the fun of it. Their romance started and died many years ago and she was never leaving her family behind. But I wonder what would’ve happened later on if Gatsby didn’t die. Would Daisy have cheated on her husband? Or would she have dropped Gatsby and returned to her unfaithful husband?
I agree, The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books and is a very great read for someone wanting to read about the american dream. I wasn’t surprised that Daisy and Tom didn’t show up for the funeral knowing the character of those two.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was a fascinating read that was very well written with symbolic meanings hidden from colors, to time, to temperature, to a billboard. This novel took some very unexpected turns that left me in awe and wondering why everything happened in the end such as the car swap between Tom and Gatsby, the outburst of love, and the murders of Myrtle and our beloved
James Gatz. I also was very suspicious of the narrator Nick and wanted to know why he was so infatuated with Gatsby and his “world.” Because of the way this book was well written, I found myself reading back into the last 3 chapters and trying to find hidden symbols that could help me know why everything played out the way it did and try to understand where Fitzgerald’s head was at creating this amazing novel. I realized that the weather played a big role in one of the last few chapters. When Tom, Jordan, Daisy, Nick and Gatsby went into the city, they went on the hottest day in summer. Typically hot/ humid weather causes you to have an unclear conscience or mind and burst out things you never meant to in the first place, or generally just bring out another side of someone. This could be why Gatsby had his little outburst with Tom about who Daisy loves the most. This is only one of the many symbols. One topic I wanted to discuss was Nick. Throughout the novel I asked myself why is the Nick the narrator? Why is he so judge mental? Why is he so caught up in Gatsby’s life if he isn’t even fond of him? Perhaps Nick is secretly infatuated with him? I later came to the conclusion that Nick in the end, turned out to be Gatsby’s closest friend without even realizing. His only friend. The one of three who actually showed up to his funeral. It’s crazy how someone you never really liked or learned to love could be the person who was affected the most by you. The saddest part is that when it is all said and done and there are no last words or final goodbyes, once that realization hits you, you can’t go back in time and try to be a little more understanding or less judgmental and get to really know the person before it’s too late. In conclusion, Gatsby and Nick were both important and key roles in each others lives.
Hey Kristin, I 100% agree with you on the fact that this book was well written with symbolic meanings. The fact about it being the hottest day in the summer played an important part of the discussion between Tom and Gatsby. During the summer, the severe heat can bring out the worst in people. I also agree on the fact of Nick being his only friend. I can’t believe almost no one showed up to Gatsby’s funeral, not even Daisy who claimed to “love” him.
Within the last few chapters of the book, every character’s true self, was revealed. Gatsby, blinded by love, wanted to see past the malicious aspects of the world, to reinvent a past that was unattainable. He was so so blinded by a facade of Daisy’s love that it leads him to his death. The curious thing about Gatsby was the reasoning behind his death. Wilson did not kill him. Love, lust, and the longing for an unattainable perfection did. Stuck in the past, Gatsby longed for the only thing that he needed to create a perfect and picturesque life; a significant other. Daisy represented everything that Gatsby wanted, packaged and pristine to perfection. She embodied all of the dying dreams he wanted to pursue and although at first, it might seem that Daisy and Gatsby will end up together, like many dreams, Daisy left his life and failed to save him when he was being drowned by the harsh realities of rich carelessness. Daisy, a snobbish, superficial fool let the shallow waters of money and conformity restrict her from standing for what is right and resulted in standing by what is wrong. She became a conformist in life, settling for what she thought was the more convenient option and carelessly letting go of the hopes she internally desired for herself. Daisy, an overlooked character is much more than what the character, Nick, makes her out to be. She is foolish, asinine, and in many ways, mute in her own life. She lets everyone put her in a box and she does nothing about it. As foolish as Daisy might be, she is no more than a hurting woman, scared of rebelling against the harsh society that has been constructed around her surroundings. While many see her as an antagonist, she remains a moral symbol in the story, representing all of the people who had to conform to life for the benefit of living a safer life. She lives life on the safe side, being told what she should do and who she should become. She is our society. In contrast, Gatsby, represented all of the beautiful fools in the world, everyone who dared to go for a dream that is unreachable. Gatsby dared to dream of a corrupt world and became nothing more than an idea tossed around in the mind of someone who would never fully bring him justice; Nick. This book displayed the power that money, immorality, and corruption have above hope and love. Sometimes hope and love aren’t enough because it certainly wasn’t enough to keep Gatsby alive.
To start off, the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was a well-developed and thought out book. Fitzgerald played close attention on writing about a setting/temperature that related with what was taking place. Regarding this fact, we head over to Chapter 7 where Nick (the narrator) recalls that it was the hottest day of the summer. Usually, the heat brings out the ugly side of people, it can bring out the worst in them. Nick, Jordan, Tom, Daisy and Gatsby spend the day together and there is already some tension between Tom and Gatsby (the “heat”). The heat also produces people to become more violent. Tom has kinda figured out that there is something going on between his wife, Daisy and Gatsby. When they arrive at the hotel Tom starts to question Gatsby, due to the fact that he doesn’t trust him. Gatsby then loses it in the heat of the moment and tells Daisy to tell Tom that she never loved him. Tom responds by bringing up the past and saying that that can’t be true. The tension is rising between Tom and Gatsby, waiting to see what Daisy would say. Toward the end when they are heading back home, Tom is so secure that he sends Daisy back home with Gatsby. Another topic were the eyes that “kept their vigil” along the roadway. Those eyes consist of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J Eckleburg was a billboard along the road to get from West Egg to Manhattan. These eyes can be interpreted religiously, relating it with God. God sees everything and Wilson mentioned the fact that those eyes represented God. Everything we do is seen by a great good, God. Those eyes were “God’s” eyes looking at everything the characters did.
In Chapter 8, we find out that Gatsby was shot and killed by Wilson. Nick takes care of Gatsby’s funeral and is in charge of getting people to go. At the end of the day, only a few people attended Gatsby’s funeral; Nick, Gatsby’s dad and Owl Eyes being a few. Nick is surprised that not even Daisy showed up or called. That leads him to believe that people like Tom and Daisy are careless. He refers to them as people who, “smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.”
Hey Melanie, I completely agree that Fitzgerald played close attention on writing about a setting/temperature that related with what was taking place. The heat does bring out the worst in people and causes them to not have a clear mind. I was very surprised when Daisy did not attend the funeral. Or at least call considering she supposedly loved him. However, I understand it was a very tough situation and a choice had to be made. Overall, The Great Gatsby was a very interesting, well thought of, and clever read.
I really like that you decided to analyze this part of the story because I think that often in the book, the weather is always overlooked. One cool thing that I remember is the weather when Gatsby and Daisy met. When they met, it was a rainy day and I think this was very important since it showed how they met under harsh conditions and would later reveal that Gatsby and Daisy would not last. The weather in this scene was very meticulously chosen out and I think that if the author wouldn’t have done that, the scene might’ve not been as intense.
In The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, there are many characters to analyze and dissect. Between the abusive and corrupted character of Tom Buchanan and the idealistic and ultimately modernistic hero Jay Gatsby, the interpretations are endless. However, a character that is often overlooked happens to be the narrator, Nick Carraway.
Nick is interesting for many reasons, but what intrigues me most is that he is a walking contradiction of himself. For example, he is both deeply insightful and absolutely clueless. This is shown between the quotes, “This was untrue. I am not even faintly like a rose. She was only extemporizing, as if her heart was trying to come out to you concealed in one of those breathless, thrilling words.” (Fitzgerald 14) and “”Is something happening?” I inquired innocently. “You mean to say you don’t know? (…) I thought everybody knew.” “I don’t.”” (Fitzgerald 14-15). Carraway is self aware- perhaps the most self aware character in the novel. He knows his actions, the thought behind his actions, and the consequence of every single one. He knows the way his own mind works and the way he carries himself. He also has a greater understanding of everybody else’s motives, and the pain it must cause them.
However, to the outside world- to gossip, to social circles, to day to day trivialties- Carraway is completely oblivious. He’s such an introspective person that he tends to be completely blind to the “simple things” in life. This captures modernism spectacularly- a man suffering, captured in the torment of his own mind, aware and yet so detached to the lives falling apart and coming together around him.
Hey Kat! I also loves the role that Nick plays in this book. I think people really overlook his character. The story would’ve ebeen so different if not told from his perspective. He really gives us this raw story that he is seeing with his own eyes. I also find it a little weird he knows so much, but he’s very into minute details.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a modernism novel that was published in 1925. The novel is based on Jay Gatsby, which ironically is not the narrator. The narrator’s name is Nick Carraway. I feel like the reason Fitzgerald made the book this way was so that you can see the life of the rich from a perspective of someone viewing their lifestyle. If the book was narrated by Gatsby, it would be totally different. Nick finds out that he’s neighbors with Gatsby and has him over. He sees that Gatsby has feelings for Daisy and helps him see her. Gatsby met Daisy long ago and still has feeling for her. So Gatsby invites Nick over with Daisy for tea and they see to forget about Nick. They talk like they’re best friends and ignore Nick. Daisy is married though so would she leave her husband for Gatsby? Back then, it was unheard of for a woman to leave her husband. It was also unheard of for the wife to cheat on her husband. It was common for the husband to have a mistress, in fact multiple mistresses. Daisy’s husband Tom is already cheating on her, but Daisy has no idea. I think Gatsby will find this out and eventually tell Daisy so that way she leaves Tom for him. Gatsby longs for Daisy, but knows that she is married. He moved to the house next to Nick in order to become close to Daisy and reconnect what he feels that they first had.
Hey Izabella!
One part of your commentary I heavily agree with is the fact that it was unheard of for a woman to leave her husband. Divorce was, and to an extent still is, taboo. Taking the beatings, knowing of the affairs, and acting like nothing was wrong was daily for most housewives, Daisy included. Though class tended to take it’s place in this, for the most part, it was a universal thing. However, what I disagree with, is that it was unheard of for a woman to cheat on her husband. A woman cheating has always been marketed as a rather “normal” fantasy- to escape with her dream man, someone who really understands. Romance novels were pretty much invented to keep a housewife entertained with such notions. Though women would often get beat if their husbands caught them, and would socially be destroyed if their families and male friends knew of it, it definitely happened more often than most would think.
The Great Gatsby is a well written American novel whose subtle signals towards a greater understanding of the American dream, leave you wanting more. Mystery, a characteristic well portrayed by the author, Fitzgerald, kept the reader vigorously flipping the pages for more. The lack of information given makes the reader want to uncover the secret truth not only behind Gatsby but by the grand era in which it takes place. The main characters, Daisy, Tom, Jordan, Gatsby, and the narrator, Nick, all separately represent a powerful or struggling community within the time period. From wealthy misogynistic men, conforming women, and dishonest characters, the book has it all. Thus far into the book, we know that Daisy is married to Tom, an emotionally abusive husband who finds himself seeking for love in the arms of women other than Daisy. Nick a former soldier and aspiring businessman, seeks a greater meaning behind life, always searching for the unknown and trying to familiarize himself with the mystery of the unknown behind Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby as we come to meet him seems to be infatuated with a married woman, always referring to the idea of being with her as the green light he sees across the water from his lavish mansion. Gatsby, a man of wealth, seems to have become an unusual target for the people of New York to conspire about. Due to the lack of knowledge anyone has on Gatsby, he has become a sort of monument and attraction within his city, with everyone always wanting to find out more. This same motif of wanting to know more is what gravitates the narrator, Nick to become closer to Gatsby. The two of them bond well since Gatsby realizes that Nick’s family connection to Daisy can lead him to the love he thinks he deserves with her. When the two finally meet, it seems as if Gatsby’s green light is gone. This green light whom I translated it to be a possible relationship with Daisy, has been dimmed once Gatsby acquires what he has always longed for. The color green is a color that I refer to as a meaning of perseverance and motivation. Gatsby dedicated so much of his time [also a large reference throughout his interactions with Daisy], to getting with Daisy, and now that he has her, it seems like he is realizing that this fantasy he created in his mind isn’t what it seemed. This same statement can be related to the idea of the American Dream. Many people see this white picket fence scene when they picture the American Dream, however, throughout the process, one can start to realize that the green light they have longed for, wasn’t as green and positive when they finally have it. As the saying goes, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”.
The Great Gatsby is a novel written in 1925 by Scott Fitzgerald in the setting of New York. From chapters 1-5 readers learn a lot about characters, how they act, and we get a sense of hatred or liking for some of them. Nick, the narrator, seems like a very nice and innocent guy who can be easily influenced into doing stuff. We also learn Tom is a snake and not loyal to his wife Daisy, cheating on her with a low class mistress named Myrtle who is cheating on her husband George. Daisy realizes that Tom is cheating on her but still decides to stay and when her baby daughter was mentioned she gave readers a sad line to read. It states “I hope she’ll be a fool, that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Daisy is a women of society in the 1920s and leaving her husband will bring shame to her even if he is having an affair, so she simply coops with the American femininity. As we read on in the novel Gatsby finds out that Nick is cousins with Daisy. Gatsby and Daisy were lovers, but Gatsby went into war and Daisy promised to wait for him, but didn’t fulfill her promise because she thought he was dead. As the two meet Gatsby was nervous and accidentally drops the clock, but catches before it hits the ground and possibly shatter. This could symbolize the catching up of time that the two are having since the war. Also, since we know now that Gatsby and Daisy were lovers, the green light that sits at the end of Daisy’s lot can be a symbol for Gatsby’s hopes and dreams of finding Daisy and reuniting with her.
I completely agree with you about how women really struggled to leave toxic relationships in the 1920’s and how it shaped this negative mold that women would have to fight to deform in later years. While I do think that one of the reasons why Daisy is still with Tom is their child, I also think that Daisy is in it for the money. Due to Tom’s wealth status, it would be a foolish move for Daisy to leave him. Your interpretation of the symbolic meaning behind the clocks and time within the novel was very interesting to me. Similarly, I referred to time as something that has been lost and wasted in the process of him trying to gain Daisy and him realizing it might not have been worth it. Your green light statement is very similar to mine as I also thought she was his beacon of hope in the negative world and bubble Gatsby had made for himself.
I also agree with you both. It was hard for women to leave relationships in the 1920s. I do not think Daisy is in it for the money because her and nick were from a family with “old money,” but i do believe she is also still with him because of their child. I agree that a lot of time was wasted while Gatsby tried to get with Daisy. I feel like she won’t leave Tom. Though I feel like her and Gatsby” belong ” together there are too many cons than pros as of now that we know of.