Focus: What does Fitzgerald teach us about our capacity for wonder?
1. Warming up with the documentary contract and musical chairs close readings of passages from Chapter 9
2. Enjoying our final fishbowl discussion of The Great Gatsby, Chapter 9
3. Offering you my current final takeaway from this novel
HW:
1. Prepare for tomorrow's timed writing. Feel free to e-mail me your thesis if you'd like feedback ahead of time. Click HERE if you'd like to preview the rubric. IF YOU ARE ABSENT FRIDAY, YOU MUST COMPOSE THE TIMED WRITING ON YOUR OWN, BEFORE MONDAY.
2. Make sure your Chapter 9 Gatsby blog is finalized by tomorrow; I will be grading your journals as you compose your timed writings.
3. Bring in your signed documentary contract by Tuesday, April 24 at the latest.
4. Complete your book club letter and have your book IN YOUR HANDS when you walk in on Wednesday, April 25.
On page 169 it says: "After that I felt a certain shame for Gatsby-- one gentleman to whom I telephoned implied that he had got what he deserved" (pg. 169).
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the book, Nick talks about how his father taught him to see the best in people. Are Nick and Daisy the only two people who see the good in Gatsby?
I think a lot of people were jealous of Gatsby's sudden rise to power,and they assumed right that he did it illegally. Daisy and Nick were really the only people who knew Gatsby well, everyone else just knew him from his reputation or meeting him at a party. So they are the only ones who saw the good in him probably because they were the only people who really knew him.
Delete"They were careless people tom and Daisy they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they had made." pg 179.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you think Daisy is in the final chapter of the book?
It says that her and Tom packed up and left. I feel like Daisy will regret not going to the funeral because she did care about him and she was close to running away with him. But Tom might have made sure she didn't go to the funeral. I think that Tom wanted to pack up and leave just so that him and Daisy weren't confronted by Nick.
Deletedaisy and tom seem to still be together with their daughter. from how the story went, it seems that she’s unhappy and still with a man that cheats and who she “ never loved”
Delete"I called up Daisy half an hour after we found him, called her instinctively and without hesitation. But she and Tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them." This makes it seem that Daisy doesn't really care that much, although it could have been Tom's doing. They are so wealthy that they just leave their home, like they left Chicago, when things get hard so they can start over again. Why do you think that they left, or why would Daisy let herself leave?
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Daisy can make decisions on her own. When Gatsby comes into the book and tells her that he loves her, she says she loves him too, but when Tom gets upset she says she loves him too. She says and does what people want her to do. I think if Tom wanted to leave she would've just agreed with him and left.
Deletesince gatsby is gone, it seems like daisy really doesn’t have a back up plan. she’s still with tom because he’s her only sense of stability. she seems like she would’ve left with him because she needs someone
DeleteIf I were Daisy, I would be concerned to have probably been forced to pack up and leave randomly, only to have been informed that Gatsby had died only an hour later. I would've been concerned that Tom definitely had something to do with it. I wonder if she was forced into leaving by fear of him. Or had been thinking about her daughter, that it wouldn't be good to have the family split up. Or of herself? Her and her daughter wouldn't have anyone to financially support the both of them. I believe, by instinct, she was on more along the lines of survival, an instinct learned from childhood possibly? From the movie, it looked like, what I assumed, was her mother wasn't the most affectionate...
Delete“But she and Tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them” pg 164
ReplyDeleteWhy did Tom and Daisy leave? Did Tom know that Mr. Wilson was going to kill Gatsby?
Tom did know, which is why he packed up the Buchanan family to avoid confrontation from anyone, or Nick. Especially Nick, because Nick was well aware of Tom's feeling towards the subject of Daisy and Gatsby's affair
Delete
ReplyDelete“I called up Daisy half an hour after we
found him called her instinctively and without hesitation. But she and Tom had gone away early that afternoon, and taken baggage with them.” (164) What happened in this part of the book? Did they leave becuase they didn't want to get caught up in what happened with Myrtle and Gatsby?
That would be my guess, Tom also said "I told him the truth..., What if I did tell him? That fellow had it coming to him." Tom new that Wilson would go after Gatsby if he lot dim who killed his wife. He wanted to get out of Doge as fast as possible so he would most likely not be investigated in the inevitable murder. Tom also left for another reason, his wife. Tom and Daisy were in rough shape, Tom probably wanted her to be far from anything containing reference to Gatsby.
DeleteAs we finish the book, and reflect back on the title and cover, why is Gatsby great? And what do you think the cover symbolizes after we have read the book?
ReplyDeleteI think that Gatsby was considered great because he was like a firework. Fireworks are quick, flashy, fiery, and over as soon as they have gone off. But they can also be beautiful pieces of art, which is how the author wants us to view Gatsby. His time in life was short and he was not rich or famous for long, but he still lived an extraordinary life.
DeleteGatsby is great because he symbolizes the American Dream. He started as a poor farm boy and got himself all the way to one of the most powerful people in New York. Nick is the one telling this story, and from his eyes Gatsby is perfect. He is a super rich guy but cares about Nick and has a big influence on his life.
DeleteI think that Gatsby was considered great because he gave 100% to everything he did. He worked hard to become a wealthy man, he threw huge parties and had a large home, and gave everything to win Daisy back. I think he is considered great because he did nothing on a small scale. I don't think great is describing him but more his grand actions.
DeleteI think the title is based off of Nick's perception of Gatsby and to Nick, he was great. He threw wonderful parties and gave Nick a chance to live those months. Also on pg 179, "i spent my Saturday nights in New York, because those gleaming, dazzling parties of his were with me" Those parties were so so memorable for him and so Fitzgerald put the lights on the cover.
DeleteI think what made Gatsby so great was because of how much of an odd chracter he was. He was mysterious since the beggining and he became this fascinating character that everyone was curious about. I agree with the comments above stating he completed an Amercian Dream. He started from the bottom and build his way up and made himself something he idolized. I think it also has to deal with the way Nick sees Gatsby and describes him too.
Deletei don’t think gatsby is actually “great”. it seems like what makes him seem great is how the people saw him. the people who went to his parties and nick all saw him as great and rich and interesting and mysterious. he doesn’t seem actually great
DeleteNow that I think of it, I believe on the cover the outline of a woman WAS Daisy. And the woman in the irises of her eyes was Myrtle. Because after all,Daisy was behind the wheel when she hit her, and she realized that ruined any future she could've had with Gatsby which is why it displays tears running down her face.
DeleteOR, like in the film, the woman is still Myrtle in Daisy's eyes but its a reflection of what daisy is seeing when she is driving, Myrtle flying over after hitting the windshield. Daisy was in a really emotional state anyways after the argument between Gatsby and Tom, which would also explain the tears.
Delete"After that I felt a certain shame for Gatsby"
ReplyDeleteIn this story even the rich and once powerful are forgotten in little time. There is so much empty drama to cover up what is really important. Because Nick was never a big part of anyone else's life besides Gatsby's, he was not washed up in this wave of forgetfulness. Do a lot of popular people end up this way? or are they remembered and mourned after for a long time?
I really liked percy's question in the inner circle, "how do people's perspective change on someone when they die?"
ReplyDeleteI think it changes in many ways, people start to have more empathy for things the person did when they were alive,and people see more as acceptable now that the person isn't around, they start to excuse mistakes and emphasize the good times when they wouldn't have done so if the person was still alive.
I think that when people die, you finally accept who they really were and what your relationship is really like. When someone is alive you can make excuses for their behavior or your relationship with them. You can tell yourself that they are gonna change and become better, but when someone dies you see them in their true light. You become honest with yourself about your opinions on them.
DeleteWas Gatsby's desire to make his dad proud another factor as to why Gatsby bought such an extravagant house and things?
ReplyDeletepg 172 "Mr. Gatz walking up and down excitedly in the hall. His pride in his son and in his son's possessions was continually increasing"
I think that most children try to impress their parents with their achievements and it was super impressive that Gatsby came from nothing and he created such an extravagant life for himself.
Deletei feel like he wasn’t trying to get wealthy to make his dad happy. i feel like he did it because he decided he wanted to be important and rich for himself
DeleteI was sure he'd start when he sawe the newspapers, just as I was sure there'd be a wire from Daisy before noon-but neither a wire nor Mr. Wolfsheim arrived; no one arrived except more poice and photopgraphers and newspaper men" (pg 165). Why do you think these people wanted to see Gatsby and not his friends. I think it is because society idolizes money and fame and we are interesting in their lives but it is not a genuine caring. When it comes down to it his "friends" didn't even care about him enough to grieve his death.
ReplyDeleteI think Mr Wolfsheim wanted to go to the funeral but it would have been to hard for him. I know lots of people don't go to funerals because they don't want a sad memory to be the last memory that they have of someone that they care about.
Delete“Three cars reached the cemetery and stopped in a thick drizzle” pg 174
ReplyDeleteWhy did so few go to Gatsby’s funeral? I understand the Meyer didn't want to go because it would have been to sad for him. But Daisy should have gone because she loved him. Instead she ran away. Will Daisy regret not going to the funeral? Also why did nobody else from the parties go to the funeral?
I think that so few people attended Gatsby's funeral because they were all in a way cowards. They only cared about Gatsby when he threw parties, but as soon as they read untrue or misleading reports they wanted nothing to do with Gatsby. It's sad that Daisy was so selfish and ran away from her problems with Tom. In a way her and Tom let all of the blame fall onto Gatsby and got away unscathed.
DeleteI would ask if Daisy even new that Gatsby is dead, Tom guessed what Wilson would do and fled the area with Daisy in tow.
Delete"When the butler brought back Wolfsheim's answer I began to have a feeling of defiance, of scornful solidarity between Gatsby and me against them all." (165)
ReplyDeleteThroughout the whole book Gatsby threw these gigantic parties that everyone came to and enjoyed, so why does nobody seem to care about his death?
Everyone enjoyed Gatsby while he was alive, and used him for grand parties and a good time. But once he died no one came to his funeral, is this a symbol for how shallow all of these wealthy people were. Why do you think no one came?
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the book it said that nobody really knew Gatsby. Some of them didn't even know what he looked like. The people at his parties weren't really Gatsby's friends.
DeleteYes, I do think that this reveals the true identity of the majority of people in New York at this time, and the relationships that they had. People lived with ingenuine attitudes and established relationships with lack of true care for one another. For the people who claimed to be friends with Gatsby, or those who attended his parties, life without Gatsby was the same as it was with, they just had to find another host.
Delete"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter---to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...And one fine morning---So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." What does this mean and why did Fitzgerald end the book on this note?
ReplyDeleteThe green light was coming form what was Daisy's house. He believed in it because he loved her and it was a symbol of hope for him. I think the light also symbolizes Gatsby's past with Daisy and in general.
DeleteFitzgerald focuses on the eyes of characters very often, what is he trying to tell us?
ReplyDeleteQuotes about eyes: vacant-84, distraught-86, loved-91, fascinated-116, frightened-135,glazed-135, blurred-153, faded-157, unmoved-165. and so much more
Do you think it was a good decision for Nick to more back West?
ReplyDeleteI think it was a good decision for Nick, because even if he is living a glamorous life in New York, that is not happiness. Sometimes simplicity is best. I don't understand why he didn't love Jordan enough though.
DeleteI think it was. Nick was surrounded by people who could've cared less about him. They just used him in their games. He needed to find people like him who didn't care about money or gossip.
DeleteI think after everything Nick had seen and had been through without the story, I wouldn't blame him for leaving and trying to move on with his life. I think Gatsby would be just a memory for him.
DeleteI think it was a good decision for Nick to move back west because he doesn't have many friends left. He doesn't have respect for Daisy and Tom because Tom told Mr. Wilson that it was Gatsby who hit Myrtle. And nothing was happening with Jordan because she was always so busy and Nick wasn't trying to make that work. Why would one stay in a location when there is nothing left for them?
Delete"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made..." (Pg. 179)
ReplyDeleteWhat does this reveal about the characters, Tom and Daisy? We have seen countless reasons to disapprove of Tom, with all of the awful things he had done. However, we haven't been given much reason to think the same things of Daisy. Is Daisy completely innocent in all of this? Or does she deserve more blame for the unfortunate events that have unfolded?
On a final note I would like you all to know that I think that Gatsby was great and I think it is very hard to not like him. He spent his whole life trying to do stuff for someone else and he should go down as a hero.
ReplyDelete