1. Warming up with an enthusiastic round of "Fix My Thesis"
- Click here for my thesis criteria and sample Gatsby thesis statements.
- Try composing a first draft of your thesis statement.
2. Performing a close reading of the last line of Chapter 8; finding your own word or phrase from Chapter 8 to read closely and posting it on today's blog with a question or comment.
3. Enjoying our penultimate fishbowl discussion: The Great Gatsby, Chapter 8
HW:
1. Please read and blog on Chapter 9 by Thursday. Leaders should prepare the syllabus and post it on the class WEBSITE (not blog).
2. Keep tracking evidence that connects to your timed writing topic and refining your thesis.
Did Gatsby leave the world happy or sad?
ReplyDeleteit seems like gatsby was content. he didn't seem to care too much about what happened to myrtle. he was back with daisy, even though tom was still involved, but he was with her again
DeleteI think he left the world confused because of what happened with him and Daisy. He was probably confused as to why she wouldn't love him back after the whole scene in the hotel room and why she would ever live with Tom after that.
DeleteI think that Gatsby died unsatisfied with his life. He spent his whole adult life trying to win back Daisy and was crushed when he found out that she loved Tom at one point. In the end he enevr really won her back. He spent his whole life working for something he couldn't reach, so I think he died uncontent with his life.
DeleteI think he was sad, his whole goal in life was to be accepted by the upper class and to do this he wanted to get an upper class girl, which ultimately failed.
DeleteGatsby centered his life around getting his girl back. When Tom disrupted that, Gatsby was at a loss on how to continue on with himself the way that he is. I agree with Cam, Gatsby is confused on the way things turned out because he cannot fathom how Tom was able to steal Daisy from him.
DeleteI think it's sad because he wasted most of his life on one dream which was being with Daisy. He didn't completly accomplised what he wanted when he could have done so much more.
DeleteI do not think Gatsby was either happy or sad when he died. However, I do think he was beginning to come to terms with and realize the truth about his life and his purpose in his final moments.
DeleteI don't think the world cared too much. Like most news, Gatsby will have the world's attention for a few days or so because of his death, but the worth of the attention will begin to cease to the world and will just turn into any other day for most.
Delete"It was this night that he told me the strange story of his youth with Dan Cody, told it to me because "JayGatsby" had broken up like glass against Tom's hard malice." pg 148. Do you think that Gatsby has reverted beck to his original self?
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't believe so. I think he was getting impatient with Daisy and accidentally leg out a little anger. He is still a baller.
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ReplyDelete"No telephone message arrived, but the butler went without his sleep and waited for it until four o'clock – until long after there was any one to give it to if it came. I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn't believe it would come". Before Gatsby's death do you think he thought the phone call would come? If he thought it wouldn't I think he wouldn't have even wanted to live anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great point. I don't think Gatsby would ever assume that a return call would come from Daisy after everything that happened between them. This could be a reason as to why he wasn't content with his love life when he died and it seemed like right before he was killed, everything was going downhill.
DeleteI agree with Cam. Everything seemed negative and not right, or usual what was happening in Gatsby's life right before he died.
DeleteI believe Gatsby did believe that the phone call would come. Because you could tell he was very confident in the fact that Daisy loved him. I believed that he at least saw some chance. Any sliver of chance there was, Gatsby would take it because it's his only goal for the future. And if that fails, then I believe Cam is right, he would believe he has no other purpose.
DeletePage 148
ReplyDelete"He wouldn't consider it. He couldn't possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do"
In this moment Gatsby is showing that he would give up everything he owns and has for Daisy. By staying he risks his life, wealth, reputation, and Daisy herself, but Gatsby believes that it is safer to stay for Daisy
What does this say about Gatsby's mental state and his view of Daisy as a person?
I believe his view is that Daisy is his "Earth Angel". In his eyes, she is the ray of sunshine tearing through the darkness he's only ever known. Which may explain the symbolism of her radiance Nick describes of her in the beginning.
DeleteOn page 154 it says: "I've always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end." If Nick has disapproved of Gatsby from the beginning, then why did he continue to spend time with him? Does Nick get a certain validation from Gatsby about him or his insecurities?
ReplyDeleteit seems like nick wants to be around gatsby because gatsby seems so important and nick doesn't know too many people like that. i feel like he likes the attention from a well known rich man
DeleteEven though Nick disapproved actions Gatsby made, I think that Nick continued to spend time with Gatsby because he saw the man that Gatsby once was/could be. I am not sure if Nick gets a certain validation from Gatsby about his insecurities because Gatsby had the wealth/life that Nick never had.
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ReplyDelete“Just before I reached the hedge I remembered something and turned around. “They’re a rotten crowd,” I shouted across the lawn. “You’re worth the whole damn bunch together.” (154) I think Nick felt emptahy for Gatsby out of all charaters because he realizes being surrounded by all of the different other characters in this story, he feels like Gatsby has "worth" and has a better purpose than the others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. Throughout the whole book every choice that Gatsby made was for Daisy, his intentions were to free Daisy from Tom and let them live the rest of their life together happily. To Nick, this shows that Gatsby has "worth" because all of the other characters are extremely selfish and don't do anything unless it helps themselves.
DeleteWhy do you think Wilson killed himself after shooting Gatsby? Was it because he could not live with his crime, or because he could not live without Myrtal? Was Myrtal seen by Wilson in the same light as Gatsby saw Daisy?
ReplyDeleteProbably because of Myrtal. Myrtle was all Wilson had and he was looking forward to moving west with her. After she passed away, he had one thing left to do in his life and that was kill Gatsby.
DeleteThe book makes it clear that after Myrtle was killed, Wilson went kind of insane. He lost someone he loved and he didn't know how to handle it. I think that there is a real possibility that Wilson did not even realize that he killed Gatsby, so he might not have even understood what he was doing to himself.
Delete*Myrtle
DeleteWhat do you think the eyes of the Doctor in the valley of ashes mean? If it's saying God see's everything and justice will be served, is there a chance Gatsby was actually driving the car?
ReplyDeleteIn the movie version, the director made it so that we saw Gatsby driving the car the moment that it hit Myrtle.
Delete“They’re a rotten crowd,” I shouted across the lawn. “You're worth the whole damn bunch put together” (page 154)
ReplyDeleteDid Nick mean something deeper when he said this to Gatsby?
I think Nick realizes Gatsby has a lot more worth to what people think of him. I think he leanred to sympathize with Gatsby being surrounded by him and all of the other characters.
Deletewhy was gatsby driving the car in the movie but not in the book? which one is the better version of it?
ReplyDelete"If that was true he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream." (Pg. 161)
ReplyDeleteAt this moment, just before Gatsby is killed, it seems he has sort of come to terms with himself and the reality of his dreams. Perhaps, he has finally realized that his lifelong dream of getting back with Daisy is slipping away, despite coming so close. Without this dream, he has nothing left to live for, as his whole preceding life had had the single purpose of getting back with Daisy. Also, him getting into his pool for the first time seems to say something about Gatsby realizing the unlikeliness of his dream, and coming to terms with himself. He finally gave in and no longer cared about creating this image of himself in order to impress Daisy. Instead, he got in the pool, simply because he wanted to.
Good point, I also found it odd that this is the first time he uses his pool. Nothing really mattered to him anymore.
DeleteI think the ghosts can contradict to answer Caroline's question; basically symbolizes someone that was there and alive, is still there with the people they were surrounded with on Earth. But it also shows that God can watch over you and he will be there for you, so maybe this ghost(s) shows signs that this person will be there for you and take care of you. Personally, that's what I think of it, but I could be reading the message incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, why is it Wilson and Gatsby the ones that are killed? In a way, it was both Gatsby and Wilson that had been cheated on, yet they are the ones that are killed, and the ones that cheated remain alive. What is Fitzgerald trying to say about both loyalty and justice, or lack there of, in this situation?
ReplyDeleteThere is no justice, Tom took Gatsby and Wilson's girl and is the only one still alive. Maybe that is saying that there is no justice, and with the eyes of the doctor, it could be saying how God didn't make sure there was justice here.
Delete“I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn’t believe it would come, and perhaps he no longer cared. If that was true he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream.” (161)
ReplyDeleteGatsby lived a majority of his life obsessed with the idea of being with Daisy and being obsessed with the idea of living a life that wasn’t his own. His “american dream” was and wasn’t accomplished. It was almost wasted.