Review (Ch5-7)

Quotation #2

This scene is appeared when Daisy,Nick, and Gatsby were looking around the Gatsby's house. In this passage, the green light symbolizes many things. Gatsby had been looking at the green light at the Daisy's house, and he didn't try to approach Daisy but just waited. The green light was Gatsby's hope and dream that he meets her again. Right before this passage, Gatsby says, "you always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock," to Daisy. He says his hope carefully to Daisy, and she answers through her action, putting her arm through Gatsby. And then, “that light had now vanished forever.” Gatsby’s only hope to meet Daisy came true and to him, the light meant nothing anymore.

To the Class - from Dr. No

To my 3rd period class--

First of all, an explanation . . . my father had a serious heart attack last Sunday, the 10th, and my wife and I drove down to Georgia to see him.  (For the record, he's still seriously ill and will be in cardiac intensive care for some time to come.)

Second, thank you for carrying on in my absence.  I've finally caught up on all the blogs and made comments (most of them brief) on 15 or 16 of them.  It's been helpful to see what you're thinking about the novel, and I'm impressed by the generally high level of commentary.

Finally, here's a suggested plan for the week.  On Monday, the 18th, let's have a final discussion of Gatsby--so I'd like for everyone to bring in one final question or observation about the novel (or you might have a passage in mind to look at).  On Tuesday we'll put together some possible writing prompts, so please be thinking about a topic you'd like to address.  (I find any number of excellent ideas in the posts you've made on the blog.)  For Tuesday night's homework I'd like to ask you to write an introductory paragraph to your essay.  On Wednesday we'll go to the lab and have a work day on Gatsby papers, and on Thursday please bring Death of a Salesman to class, for we'll start reading that play aloud.  Gatsby essays will be due on Monday, February 25th.

Any questions?  Please write.  And thanks again for carrying on in a difficult time.

Dr. No

Question #1

Nick thinks that Gatsby's dream cannot be achieved. The death of Myrtle will anger Tom much more than before, so he wouldn't let Daisy go to Gatsby. Although Daisy killed Myrtle, Gatsby said he want to put all the fault on him. Thus, Tom would think Gatsby as an enemy and never do whatever Gatsby will like. Gatsby has no choice but getting all blame to protect Daisy from Tom. 

Quotation #5

This quote shows that Gatsby is desperate to have Daisy. He thinks all the pasts can be repeated again. Nick tells Gastby to give up since Daisy is married and can’t be divorced. But, Gatsby see nothing but getting Daisy. We could say that he spent at least half of his life getting Daisy. Only to satisfy Daisy and himself, he built a huge mansion near her house. Gatsby held parties in order to see Daisy at his parties. He stayed close to Nick because he was Daisy's second cousin. 

in class blog

All the characters have a disillusion about who they are and what they want. Myrtle for example is on the outside of high class status looking in. She has this hope and dream to get to be at the same level as Tom, she changes dresses to change her persona. Acting all mighty to the people that she thinks are “below” her, when really she is at there exact level. Another character that does this is Jordan she wants to be respected but in reality she cheats at golf and is an incessant liar. The most important character that has this disillusionment though is Gatsby. Nick picks up on it at the end of chapter 5 when Gatsby and Daisy are alone, “Daisy put her arm through his abruptly but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on the dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.” Nick states that Gatsby has always been trying to get Daisy. He believes that once he gets her his dream of reaching the elite class will also be met. Gatsby is reaching for something that is unattainable, the green light; because he doesn’t really want Daisy he wants the image that daisy resembles. Nick says that Daisy has fallen short of Gatsby’s 5 year dream.

-Michael Spinosa

quotation

"i want to wait here till daisy goes to bed. good night, old sport." 'He put his hands in his coast pocketss and turned back eagerly to his scrutiny of the house, as though my presence marred the sacredness of the vigil. So i walked away and left him standing there in the moonlight-watching over nothing.' This is the last passage summery of chapter seven after we discovered that it was initially daisy who ran over myrtle with the yellow car causing her to die; it was considered an accident. what struck me the most was the fact that gatsby was willing to give up his own life and was ready to take the blame for myrtle's death for daisy's sake. after the night cooled down and it became dark, gatsby decided the least he could do for daisy at a distressed time like this was to watch over her throughout the night. he still somehow managed to grasp on the hope that daisy would decide to leave everything and come to him and in that case he wanted to be at a convinient location and accessible. it is also impressive to see gatsby prove just how desperately he wanted daisy by the physical exhaustion and slomber he would have to endure while waiting all night. this proves that he is ready to do about anything at any measure to acheive his dream. nick describes gatsby's wait as "watching over nothing" because as far as the realistic eye can see, it is not probable that daisy would come around because the odds are too great. gatsby just cannot give the impression of getting over himself and he will not because daisy could not become his daisy and the world cannot function on his favor constantly.

what does gatsby want daisy to do?

the moral of the story is that gatsby wants everything to fall according to his plan and desire including daisy's love and affection. gatsby wants daisy to pick up the left pieces of the long-gone, innocent kentucky romance they shared before his departure for the war. despite all that has happened including daisy's getting married to tom and having a child with him, gatsby wants her to forget it all and relive the past with him. for example, the reunion instance was initially in gatsby's imagination and fantasy but he managed to make it a reality which is why he carries that-if you can dream it, you can live it-motto throughout everything he does and believes. in other words, he wants to pretend that nothing happened in between his departure to europe and his becoming extremely wealthy because he treats the reality of these facts as if their accurance did not matter and the only thing that did is was what daisy thought of him and how he could get her back. he simply wants the world to fade away with its harsh realities and pain and their love to emerge from the horizon growing bigger and more compassionate with everyday that passes by with daisy in his arms .

Gatsby's Idealism

Throughout the entire story, Gatsby truly does possess an “extraordinary gift for hope” and a “romantic readiness” that seems to conquer all worldly cynicism and material corruption. Gatsby’s life’s goal is to return from the war and marry Daisy. Even though she is already married and has a family, Gatsby has the unwavering belief that Daisy will drop everything she has and join him. When he confronts Tom in the hotel room, he tells him that “You’re not going to take care of her anymore.” This shows that Gatsby has the romantic assumption that Daisy’s love for him will conquer her ties to her family and the material world, and she will be able to marry him. Gatsby “wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say, ‘I never loved you.’ After she had obliterated three years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken.” Gatsby believes that he can “repeat the past” and live happily with Daisy without outside conflicts. At the end of the chapter, Gatsby waits outside of Daisy’s house to make sure she is not injured by Tom. In fact, Gatsby may be still clinging to the romantic hope that Daisy will run away from Tom. He fails to acknowledge that Daisy may have conflicting interests and may not be able to leave Tom. Gatsby idolizes Daisy throughout the entire novel, but Daisy seems to be unable to achieve these lofty ideals.

Hope/Disillusionment

Hope defines Gatsby. He is a dreamer, an illusionist. Gatsby longs to be with Daisy who is so close, yet so far away. Gatsby bought a mansion in West Egg for the soul purpose of being near to Daisy. (Pg 21) “Involuntarily I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light.” The green light is at the end of the dock at the Buchanan’s house. To Gatsby it is a light of hope, a sign that Daisy is just within his grasp, and that he can find his true love again. At the same time Gatsby has placed Daisy on a pedestal, a level above all others. In her absence he has idolized her to the point where she can not live up to his expectations.

idealism/cynicism in the great gatsby

the whole story of jay gatsby and daisy buchanan is centered around idealism because from a realistic perspective, their feelings for each other are not obtainable and cannot easily be established in reality. the whole book is evolved around characters like nick and jordan that seem to dominate the story but truly, it is gatsby's tale. according to the events in the book(the parties, picnics etc.), the situations and circumstances that surround gatsby and his reaction and solution to them suggest that he is an idealist. for instance, he does everything according to how it would have been done in his imaginary utopian such as the case with daisy, the appearance of his house and the kind of people that would be at his lavish parties. he is also a perfectionist according to the instance where he had nick invite daisy for a tea party so that he could reunite with her. he cut nick's grass just so it could resemble the grass he had in mind; maybe the grass would have made things seem more realistic to him. he also invisioned daisy to look and behave in a certain manner according to his dreams and hopes of her. the reason he allows anyone to come to his extravagent parties without an invitation is because he once invesioned daisy being amongst the guests and once he spotted her there, they would reunite somehow. unfortunately, his party-throwing habits proved to be a fiasco in terms of catching daisy's attention because realistically, daisy had too much sophistication and elegance to just barge in peoples' parties and he should have known that. now that there is quite a few examples of gatsby's perspective on life, it can be determined that he perhaps lived his entire life in persuit of his ideal dreams and how he would fulfill them; that is why once he achieved material wealth and prestige, he had no true sense of direction on what to do next other than getting daisy.

Waiting for the Light

As the night progresses Nick finds Gatsby in the yard all alone. Nick finds it strange and ackward that Gatsby is alone standing in the dark. In a sense, though, Gatsby isn't alone. He is staring into the night across the bay waiting for a sign from Daisy. She is with Tom and Gatsby is afraid that he will try and hurt Daisy. In quote 4 is shows Gatsby as desperatly waiting for a sign from Daisy. I think that Gatsby's true reason for staring across the bay is because he's afraid that he is losing her. He is afraid that Daisy will realize that Tom will protect her and no longer need Gatsby. So Gatsby waits, and waits and waits. But Daisy never puts on the light. This signifies that Daisy does not need Gatsby any more. And so that is it. Daisy and Gatsbys affair is over. She will run of with Tom and Gatsby dies alone, just like he feared. He's perfect plan alomost ahieved what he had dreamnt about for years.

Gatsby's Need for Daisy

As I adressed in my last post, Gatsby is living entirely in a dream world. Upon changing his name, he set his sights completely upon "his platonic conception of himself" and sought only to achieve that goal by whatever means necessary. Soon enough, this "conception" became seeing himself with Daisy and nothing else. This was his ultimate dream, an almost magical relationship. "He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God." At this moment, all of his previous dreams flooded into this single hope of getting Daisy. From Nick's introduction we knew that this was Gatsby's greatest feature, "his extraordinary gift for hope". And he never stops hoping this whole time even when this hope may seem disillusioned in the eyes of the reader. He continues to strive for this ideal dream even after he hasn't seen Daisy for years and she is married to another man. But after latching on to Daisy as the ultimate goal of all of his hope, he cannot let go no matter what. Every thing he does in his life must build to this ultimate purpose. If she doesn't accept him when all is said and done, all of his life will have been for nought.

Turn Back Time

As the perfect idealist, Gatsby not only holds high expectations and utopic dreams for his future with Daisy, but his love does not falter when she fails to reach these heights. In his illusion, Daisy would abruptly leave Tom, publically declaring her mistake in marrying the hulking brute of a man whom she does not love. With her husband out of the equation, Gatsby and Daisy would pick up right where they left off, as if their painful time apart never existed. The more time Nick spends with his neighbor, listening to the numerous quixotic fantasies, the more he feels Gatsby has seeded his goals too deeply in the past, making them unattainable. Gatsby displays his unwavering belief in his ability to recreate his former relationship with Daisy by telling Nick, "Can't repeat the past? . . . Why of course you can!" (116). Gatsby expects sacrifices and radical changes from Daisy, like leaving Tom, which she is not quite prepared to undertake.

Theme: Hope/Disillusionment

Question: What does Gatsby want Daisy to do?

Quotation: #5

Jay Gatsby is a mysterious man; no one really knows where he came from, where he got his money, or why he hosts parties that he never enjoys. Nick is finally informed by Jordan that his purpose for all of these things is to be reunited with his long lost love, Daisy. Gatsby has obsessed over meeting her again for years. All the money and the parties have all been an attempt to catch Daisy's eye. When he finally learns Jordan and Nick know Daisy, he wants them to help him see Daisy again. Nick invites Daisy to tea at his house, she doesn’t know it but he’s also arranged for Gatsby to come as well. The two meet again and within hours the old flame appears to be rekindled. Daisy is taken will Gatsby’s new wealth; she even cries when she sees all of his “beautiful shirts”. Nick notices Daisy's reactions, and Gatsby's reactions to Daisy's reactions. Gatsby seems to seek the approval of Daisy on all of his possessions. This visit with Daisy sparks hope in Gatsby; he thinks maybe she is still in love with him, as he is with her. After much secret time spent together, Gatsby is convinced Daisy is in love with him and not Tom. After a lunch at the Buchanan's house, Daisy suggests they all travel to New York. Tom begin to realize Daisy's attraction to Gatsby when she and Gatsby take a separate car, leaving Nick, Jordan and Tom riding together. In New York Tom finally confronts Gatsby; Daisy tries to get him to calm down but he responds ,"I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife,". Gatsby can only think of one thing to say back to Tom and that is, "your wife doesn't love you!". Tom obviously argues this point until Gatsby asks Daisy to say she doesn't love her husband. Eventually, with some reluctance, Daisy says it. This is what Gatsby has dreamed of for years: Daisy. "He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: 'I never loved you.'" However, all of this progress Gatsby thinks he's made with Daisy is merely hope. He can only hope Daisy loves him, there is no guarantee. Later we learn, that after all of this, Daisy really does love Tom. All of Gatsby's perseverance has in turn, pushed Daisy away.  

Hope

Hope defines Gatsby.

Chapter 7

The suspicion about Mr. Gatsby and Daisy has finally gotten to Tom. At his house he hosted a lunch for Jordan, Nick and Mr. Gatsby, it soon began to get awkward and boring for Daisy so she asked Mr. Gastby to take her into the city. By then Tom realizes their feeling for each other and decides to get everyone ready so they all can go together. While they are in the city Nick, Tom and Jordan stop for gas at Mr. Wilson garage. He has found out about his wife Myrtle's affair, but hasn't found out about her lover's identity. So he plans to move her out to the west. At this point Tom and Mr. Wilson are in the same position. Back in New York City everyone is all together and Tom and Mr. Gatsby have a confrontation about Daisy. She admits that she loves them both which shocked both Tom and Mr. Gatsby. In the heat of the argument Tom sends Gastby and Daisy back to Long Island to show Gatsby that he can't hurt him. When everyone gets back Daisy and Tom talk the situation out and they are back to basics in their relationship. But unfortunately Gatsby's dream is shattered.

Enlightened Eyes

In the valley of ashes under the omniscient eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, several relationships unravel, bringing to light unwanted realizations of infidelity. Tom hastily decides to trek into town after he witnesses the intimate interaction between Daisy and Gatsby. While the sun's rays radiate down onto Daisy and Gatsby, "she had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded" (125). The use of Tom's surname emphasizes his marital connection with Daisy and gives the observation an underlying serious tone, like a news report. The following sentence tersely displays Tom's blatant shock, completely at a loss of words. Upon arriving in town under the blazing sun in the gray wasteland, which reflects the physical dimension of immorality, Tom encounters sickly Mr. Wilson, who plans to move out West with Myrtle. The realization of his wife's affair weighed on the poor garage owner to the point of corporeal distress. Nick, having observed these lateral discoveries, finds "no difference between men, in intelligence or race" (131). The polar opposite men find themselves in the same eye opening situation after realizing the true nature of their wives under the wide blue eyes of Dr. Eckleburg. Another pair of eyes "wide with jealous terror" belonging to Myrtle, focused on Jordan, incorrectly labeling the young golfer as her lover's wife (131). Later that day, under Gatsby and Tom's pressure, Daisy admits that she has loved them both, making "Gatsby's eyes open and close" (140). With one breath, Daisy brings Gatsby a little closer to reality out of his fantastical dream world where he imagined her painfully pining for him during their five years apart.

"Oxford" Man

"He killed a man once!" "He was a German spy during the war." "He told me he was an Oxford man, however I don't believe it." Rumors about Gatsby are thrown all over the place, mostly because he is a mystery. He was not bred in the high society of East and West Egg in New York, but rather came from a poor family and worked his way up to the top, and as we find out later, all in the name of Daisy. A reoccurring rumor however that shows up in the novel is wether Gatsby is, or is not, an "Oxford man." Jordan Baker has her doubts as she voices them to Nick at the party, and her reasoning is slightly unclear as her response when asked why not is, "I don't know. I just don't think he went there." Perhaps it is the way that Gatsby rushes through the subject when he mentions his education, rather than boasting about it that makes the idea seem unlikely. Later on, in chapter 7, Tom mocks Gatsby saying he "wears a pink suit" and is is from "Oxford, New Mexico, or something like that." The attack on Gatsby's background might be purely out of feeling inferior or jealousy, but it raises a question of why he chose to comment on the fact that Gatsby attended such a prestigious institution. However, despite these disbeliefs, the story is actually true. Gatsby did attend Oxford after the war and received a top notch education. It is not clear why Gatsby does not advertise this fact, but it seems as though he prefers to keep such accomplishments hidden as to not be conspicuous, much like he stays on the outskirts of the parties. Most of what he does is for Daisy, and he feels he doesn't need to advertise or bother with anything that is not directly related to her.

Ch. 7 Journal Response

The controversy of double-standards has been around for a long time. Mostly between men and women, which is illustrated in this chapter of The Great Gatsby. Tom Buchanan has a definite mistress, of whom he's not the least bit ashamed. Talk of previous mistresses leads us to believe it's not a first time thing for Tom. However, as Gatsby and Daisy are reunited and slowly growing closer, he begins to suspect Daisy is having an affair. Tom's suspicions peak after he hosts a lunch with Jordan, Nick, and Gatsby. After the meal, Daisy suggests a trip to the city. Gatsby eagerly agrees, and after some debate, Gatsby and Daisy take a separate car. In the car, Tom is all worked up about Daisy's choice to ride with Gatsby. He asks Nick and Jordan, "did you see that?" (pg. 121) to which Nick responds "see what?". It doesn't take Tom long to realize Nick's nonchalant answer was insincere. "You think I'm pretty dumb, don't you?" (pg 121) Tom demands. Tom only becomes angrier when they arrive in New York when he confronts Gatsby. He eventually sends Gatsby and Daisy back to Long Island together, to show how he isn't the least bit threatened by Gatsby's evident affection for Daisy. My first thought after reading Tom's reaction to it all was that he was a hypocrite. How could he possibly be angry at Daisy for having an "emotional affair" when he has had several physical affairs? Perhaps that is why Tom is so angry. The situation might just have been his "wake up call"; he realizes he never loved any of his mistresses. Daisy is the only woman he feels serious about.

Pammy

So far in The Great Gatsby, we have only seen Daisy and Tom's daughter, Pammy, once- when Tom, Nick, Gatsby, Jordan, and Daisy are having a get together. If Pammy didn't have any lines in the novel, I would have to assume she was Daisy's pet rather than her daughter. Pammy is described as "well-disciplined" (p. 117). She has a nurse maid, whom she seems to spend most of her time with. Daisy refers to her daughter as "Bles-sed pre-coius" and an "absolute little dream" (p. 117). From the few lines Pammy has, she appears to be a very rational little girl. She speaks in sentances very advanced for the age of the girl Daisy seems to be speaking to.
Daisy and Pammy's relationship seems to be like, as I said before, one between a pet and its owner. Daisy makes a lot of references to her daughter's appearence, like her dress and her hair. Daisy doesn't seem to have very serious communications with her daughter- that's probably what the nursemaid is for anyway.
The family relationship, like Tom and Daisy's, appears to be fine on the outside but is actually very tense underneath. When Pammy asks where her father is, Daisy goes on to say some nonesense about how Pammy looks more like her than her father, rather than answering the question.
Pammy seems like a very good representation of the steriotypical priveleged New York child. Her parents are for the most part absent, and have a tense relationship with eachother. Pammy really wants to impress her mother, but is usually ignored. Pammy is important to the novel because she helps to further develop Daisy's character, by showing her shallowness towards her daughter.

The Other Man

Tom is scared. In chapter 7 his eyes are opened to the reality of Daisy having an affair with Gatsby. "You think I'm pretty dumb, don't you?' (121) He can no longer ignore the constant shy stare and the "accidental" brush of the arm. Tom, the hulking man, is being replaced in his wifes eyes and heart by a man he greatly dislkes. Tom has a mistress who he is satisfied with but he still finds it completely unacceptable for his wife to have the same. Tom confronts Gatsby with blatant questions that lead to Gatsby saying," You're wife doesn't love you. She's never loved you. She loves me." Tom refuses to believe what Gatsby says is true. Tom becomes angry and starts to feel the loss of control that he used to have over Daisy. For Tom having a mistress was satisfying because he knew that no matter what Daisy was still his wife, whom he controlled. Now that Daisy has another man, Tom can see his whole life with Daisy slipping away. Tom questions Daisy by saying, "You never loved me?" Daisy can't deny that she never did and Tom begins to regain his control. " I'm going to take better care of you from now on." Tom says this to Daisy in hopes that she will just say, "Yes Tom, I believe you, lets forget about Gatsby and your mistress and start over." Unfortunatly, for Tom, Daisy is stuck in the middle of two loves. One man she secretly never stopped loving and the other, a man whom she loves despite his treatment of her. Daisy is forced to decide who she wants to be with. Neither Tom nor Gatsby are in control of Daisy any loger. Finally her decision and her life are in her control.

Destiny

Gatsby is motivated purely by what he deems to be his own destiny. He puts himself in a position of total control over what his future will be. First of all though, he must shed all that holds him back to his past life. First to go was his original name, James Gatz, which kept him attached to his farming parents, because "his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all" (98). Fitzgerald's choice of the word "imagination" in this context simply adds to the reader's conception of Gatsby as a dreamer. he doesn't like his parents because they aren't up to snuff with what his dream parents would be. For Gatsby, everything must exist as it would in his fantasy world. He simply decides the way he wants things to be, envisions them being so, and then makes them that way. He "sprang from his Platonic conception of himself...and to this conception he was faithful to the end" (98). Whatever impedes his ability to march to the "drums of his destiny", as St. Olaf's College did, he simply casts it aside and begins anew (99). But when something promoting his fantasies comes along, he reels it in right away and uses it until he can't anymore. This is precisely the way he sees Nick, an object to be uses to get Daisy, his ultimate dream, and then casts away when its purpose is used up. But something prevents Gatsby from only using Nick in that way. Despite his tendencies, he holds on to Nick for some reason I'm sure will be revealed in the chapters to come.

The Oppressive Heat of Tension

In Chapter 7, the tension between Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom reaches the highest point of the book so far, and this tension is shown through the oppressive heat that seems to pervade the entire chapter. Nick describes the temperature as “broiling” and the seats of the car “hovered on the edge of combustion,” just like the tempers of these three lovers. As Jordan and Nick watch awkwardly, the three try unsuccessfully to salvage their day and leave the subject of the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. Throughout the chapter, many of the characters strain under the “oppressive” and “relentless” heat, as the tension between Tom, Daisy and Gatsby grows to a climax. As the three argue in their room, there is a wedding proceeding outside, in response to which Jordan says, “imagine marrying anyone in this heat.” This is interesting, because Tom and Daisy were also married, not in the literal heat of the summer, but in the heat of tension and worry. Daisy still loved Gatsby, and was uncertain about her future. In this chapter, we also begin to see a “chink in the armor” of Gatsby, as he seems to lose some of his idealism and romantic trust in Daisy. When he first saw Daisy and Tom’s daughter, Gatsby “kept looking at the child with surprise” as if he “had never believed in its existence before.” Here, Gatsby realizes that Daisy truly loves her husband and has her own family with Tom, which is completely separate from him. She cannot simply leave everything behind and come with him. Later, Gatsby seems to be stunned by Daisy’s reluctance to deny her love for Tom. After being asked to do so, Daisy said, “you want too much.” This shows that Daisy can never fully live up to Gatsby’s romantic image of an ideal woman. She is human, and has human flaws, even though Gatsby seems desperate to ignore them.

gatsby and his character!

as irrelevent as gatsby's first impression may be, he is actually the main character of the book. gatsby started as a mysterious and glorious character that was only seen through the eyes of nick, the narrator, and everything we knew about him was revealed to us through nick's perception of him. "...-he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, as far as i was from him. i could have sworn he was trembling. involuntarily i glanced seaward-and distinquish nothing except and single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of the dock. when i looked once more for gatsby, he had vanished, and i was alone again in the unquiet darkness."pg-20-21 i wanted to follow his character evolution throughout the book and so far what i have discovered is that gatsby is a fragile, consistent and an admirable character. that however does not interfere with his fantasies that have become his only priority to make real. daisy is one example of his fantasies. she is everything gatsby lives for and everything he wishes to have. he is one of those ambitious people that will let no dose of reality overtake or control their dreams. for instance, he still fantasizes about daisy and would do everything in his power to obtain her love and effection despite the fact the she is happily married to another man. to farther my explanation, let's put gatsby's life in a tree category: the branches being his wealth and prestige, the leaves being his past (he does not have to explain his past and his confidence about it falls and changes according to the season/mood he is in) and the roots being his burning desire and longing to be with daisy which he would sacrifice and achieve anything in order to obtain. gatsby's life is soley focused on daisy and what she thinks of him.

reminder

Dear Class:

This is just a reminder/reiteration of the assignment I made yesterday (Tuesday).  You should choose one of your postings to use as a rough draft for a more formal essay/reflection to be handed in tomorrow.  Please don't merely cut and paste--rework, reshape, and revise.  Your polished essay should be approximately 2 pages, typed and double-spaced.

Thanks.

Dr. No

Gatsby&Daisy (Ch.5)

Almost FIVE YEARS. The reunion of Daisy was what Gatsby eagerly wanted. Before that, Gatsby was so timid to approach her although she lives close to his house. But they met each other again ,and between them, there was Nick. To connect them, there had to be Nick, but they didn't seem really care about him. The relationship between Gatsby and Daisy had seemed akward, but soon turned to bright. Their relationship was strong although they didn't say anything to each other about their ex-relationship. Gatsby's heart toward Daisy was shown through some descriptions of several sceneries in his house, "...Daisy admired this aspect or that of the feudal silhouette against the sky, admired the gardens, the sparkling odor of jonquils and the fronthy odor of hawthorn and plum blossoms and the pale gold odor of kiss-me-at-the-gate(p.90)." Well, this description might also mean the past relationship between the couple. Although Daisy had already married Tom, Gatsby still loved her. He also seemed that " he hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy..(p.91)." He also had collected clipings about Daisy, and seemed that "he was consumed with wonder at her presence. He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it right through to the end..(p.92)." In the last part of this chapter, the two spent a sentimental time like their past time. They still loved each other.

Chapter 5 Daisy and Gatsby

The relationship between Daisy and Gatsby is all wrong. You have a woman who is only interested in Gatsby because of his wealth. For example when she gets overly emotional about the shirts, “They’re such beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful shirts before” (p 92). Come on there just shirts, shouldn’t she be crying over the fact that the man she wanted to marry in the first place is back with her. Not eyeing every lavish ornament in his house. Gatsby is no better he just wishes for something he can not get. The thrill of the chase excites him. Daisy is the green light he wants to worship from afar. Once he can attain that light it’s no longer exciting for him. This is explained when Gatsby has gotten daisy and Nick is right about to leave, “As I went over to say good-by I saw that the expression of bewilderment had come back into Gatsby’s face, as though a faint doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness. Almost five years! There must have been moments even in that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams-not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion” (p 95). Gatsby has put her image on a pedestal making her super unattainable, only seen in dreams, now that she’s real he doesn’t know what to do.
-Michael Spinosa

Daisy and Gatsby's relationship

Daisy and Gatsby were in a relationship some time ago. Jordan Baker explaines the affection between these two people on page 75, and it is clear that they were in love. When Gatsby went off to war, a change came over Daisy. She had some trouble with her family, but then seemed to go back to normal. I think it is clear her personality changed at the loss of Jay Gatsby when he went overseas. By the February after the summer he left, she was already engaged to a man she had presumably only known for about five months. It is my opinion that Daisy did this because, after Jay left, she came to realize that love can be a fleeting thing. She married Tom because she didn't want him to leave her, the way Jay did. Unfortunetely, Daisy mistook security for love, which resulted in her leading an unhappy life with Tom.
In chapter 5, Jay Gatsby, obviously returned from the war and living across the Sound from Daisy, not to her knowledge, makes up his mind to re-connect with Daisy after many years. At first, their meeting is somewhat awkward, but after some time, the two seem to go right back to where they left off. Nick describes Daisy's reaction to Jay as "unexpected joy" (p. 89) and Jay as "literally glow(ing)" (p. 89)
Later, when Gatsby is showing Nick and Daisy all the nice things in his home, Daisy unexpectantly bursts out crying. She claims it is because she has never seen such beautiful shirts as the ones Gatsby owns, but there is obviously a different reason. It think Daisy was crying because she had come to the realization of what she had missed; the opportunity lost when she went off and married Tom. Daisy was filled with grief because she knew that she would have been much happier wit hGatsby, if only she had waited.

Gatsby and Daisy

I think Fitzgerald does an incredible job of portraying the depth of feeling between Gatsby and Daisy. He describes it as "wonder" towards each other as if every moment that they interact is beautiful in itself. Being apart for so long, they seem to treasure veery second even more as if it is the last they will spend together. It is especially interesting to read this as high school students because, most likely, none of us have experienced anything quite like this. Seeing this sort of love right before our eyes is a foreign, yet fascinating thing. The different levels of emotion that Filzgerald paints onto the page are what really struck me. I am definitely not in agreement with what Alexa said about this being like a highschool crush. I believe Gatsby and Daisy's relationship goes far beyond that boundary...But at the same time, this love does not live up to the way Gatsby had dreamed it up. In preparing to see Daisy, Gatsby had created the ultimate fantasy of how they would be together, but nothing, not even love could ever match what we can construct in our minds and our hearts. The world of dreams and fantasies goes so far beyond anything that exists on the earth and "No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart" (96).

"A Highschool Crush"

Surprisingly in chapter 4 the readers found out that Gatsby and Daisy had a past. Gastby doesn't seem to be over Daisy. Even though Daisy has clearly moved on. She married another man but Gatsby can't let her go. Gatsby is acting like he has a highschool crush on Daisy. He won't ask Daisy himself to come over to his house. He needs Nick to ask Daisy. Gatsby is immature or afraid of rejection? Gatsby is trying to get Daisy to come see how he lives and maybe she would come back to him. Gatsby may have all the money he needs, a mansion, and may throw the parties everyone wants to go to. But he is missing one thing. Daisy, is the one thing/person he is missing in his perfect 20's life.

In chapter 4 we have learned much more about Mr. Gatsby. He was awarded medals in the war for his dedication for saving lives. This is much so American because he dedicated himself for his country. He is known to be a man who people talk about in bad ways. He took it upon himself to talk to Nick about the situation of his life, but their was still some strangeness in his voice when he talked about Oxford and the situation with his family and the money. When Nick finally knew about the love situation between Daisy and Mr. Gatsby it was a shock. But Mr. Gatsby decided to be the bigger person and try and keep the way he felt about Daisy away from Tom, knowing that she left him after he entered the war.

Is Gatsby an American?

Restlessness. This is what I always feel toward Americans. I feel Americans are so active and diligent. Here, in the Great Gatsby, Gatsby seems restless. 'He was never quite still; there was always a tapping foot somewhere or the impatient opening and closing of a hand.' I felt that Gatsby would never give up until he reaches the goal. I could tell that from Baker's telling. Baker said Gatsby moved his house, and wanted Nick to invite Daisy to his tea party so that Daisy can see Gatsby's house. I am pretty sure he wouldn't stop until he reaches the goal just like most enthusiastic Americans. He was also the patriot. Most Americans that I saw was patriots. He attended the War for America. Since Americans have the proud that they are living in the best country and everyone wants to live in there, patriotism comes naturally. Thus, I think he is a true American.

Gatsby, the Great

In chapter 5 Gatsby seems to let down his "great" side. Instead he becomes the young man who has a crush on a girl named Daisy. His whole personality changes when he is with Daisy. He becomes a happier person with her. In chapter 4 at his party, he seems to be this wise guru who sits back and observes life and peoples actions. In someway he comes off as one of those "cool" kids that almost every high school has. He is looked up to by so many, yet he can't seem to see that so well. In chapter 5 this cool kid image melts away and he looks up to Daisy and only wants to make her happy, forgetting all about his faults and past. We gradually realize that there are two, very different sides to Jay Gatsby.

Is Gatsby a true American?

In Chapter 4, the character of Gatsby is developed further, but the more we learn about him the more mysterious he becomes. In many ways, Gatsby does represent a true American as he shows that he has a sense of resourcefulness. When Nick sees Gatsby, he describes him as having “resourcefulness of movement that is so peculiarly American.” This resourcefulness or knack for innovation is a key American quality, which Gatsby seems to possess. Gatsby also appears “restless” as he is constantly thinking about achieving his goals. The ability to be innovative and the “rags to riches” story is truly a part of the American Dream. Gatsby also seems to have fought bravely in the Great War, earning a Medal of Honor for his actions, and this patriotism shows that Gatsby embodies the American ideals of honor and perseverance, but also freedom, which he fought for. However, even though Nick learns much about Gatsby, he becomes an even more complicated and mysterious individual. Besides the rumors that Gatsby has committed murder and is part of a bootlegging scheme, Nick also meets one of Gatsby’s friends, who wears a coat with buttons made of human molars and was supposedly responsible for the fixing of the 1919 World Series. Also, while Gatsby was explaining his history, Nick increasingly felt a tension, as if Gatsby were lying or “pulling [his] leg.” Gatsby also “hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him.” This shows that, while Gatsby does have some traits, which are American, he also has a mysterious side to him and it is impossible to tell if he can be trusted.

A Quintessential American

Gatsby is American not only in his body language, but also in his patriotism through participation in the war, his fall into love and money, his strong nature, and finally his restlessness due to wealth. When he arrives to pick up Nick for lunch, "he was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement that is so peculiarly American" (68). Gatsby's constant yet subtle motions display his American lack of discipline to sit still and his impatience to never waste time and to always make some sort of progress towards his goals. His time as a soldier and his tangible honors of bravery and dedication from war medals reflect his loyalty to his country. Gatsby also partially achieved the American dream by falling in love and acquiring a vast fortune. Jordan describes him as "a regular tough underneath it all" in reference to how he waits for Daisy and would not dare offend Nick with his plan to see and impress her (84). Jordan alludes to Gatsby's stubborn resilience of never giving up on Daisy after all these years, a very American quality of never stopping the chase to catch a dream. His restlessness also comes from his wealth, which cannot satisfy him. In a Chicago newspaper, a contemporary Gatsby explains the exact same sentiments, "Yes, I have a nice apartment, a great job, a great degree, great clothing. But I feel empty inside rather often. . .There is so much more to life than materialistic possessions." Although Gatsby has a beautiful mansion and immense popularity, he knows his life lacks a deeper level of happiness and satisfaction. Nick observes this "purposeless splendor" when Gatsby opened his lonely arms to Daisy across the bay (83). Gatsby's most American trait lies in his realization that he cannot rely solely on wealth to quench his desires.