I'm generally pleased with what I've been seeing thus far, but please don't feel you need to spend much time simply retelling the story. Let's assume that everyone's reading and at least "getting it" at a superficial level. As Katie M. pointed out, there really hasn't been much plot yet. We shall continue to focus on character and setting in class. We now have three parties to compare. I'd like to see more comments on the connections between the party in ch. 2 (at Myrtle's apartment) and the party in ch. 3 (at Gatsby's).
I welcome your speculations on Gatsby (the character). The words that recur in your postings are "mysterious," "lonely," and the like--and it's good that you see this. I believe Fitzgerald wants to give Gatsby a mythic dimension, to make him larger than life, ultimately undefinable, so he does remain elusive and continually evades our attempts to pin down his identity (but again, that's part of the plan).
On Thursday I'd like to spend some time looking at the Valley of Ashes (beginning of ch. 2) and at Fitzgerald's descriptive techniques (beginning of ch. 3). Please be sure to continue reading the postings, and feel free to respond to each other's observations.
Dr. No
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