Favorite Reading

My favorite book that we read this school year was The Odyssey by Homer. I have not liked Greek mythology books or movies in the past so I was shocked by how much I enjoyed reading this book. I really liked the way the plot was paced and how the story progressed. My favorite part of the book was when we got to learn what happened to Odysseus before he was trapped on the island with Calypso. I can see why this story has lasted through many generations. My least favorite reading was the poetry section. Although I did like most of the poems we read, I preferred focusing on a certain book for a few weeks rather than looking at multiple poems per class. Overall I really enjoyed the things we did in class this year. There was not one book that we read that I could not stand to read.

Golden Noses Rotting In Money

Throughout the book The Great Gatsby, the distortion of noses has been used to represent the corruption of people by wealth. In the novel, whether it be direct or indirect, both the rich and the poor are affected by wealth. Although none of the main characters of the book have their noses distorted, a few secondary characters are described as having their noses deformed. Such as the movie producer, “‘I liked that man what was his name? With the sort of blue nose.’ Gatsby identified him, adding that he was a small producer,” the gambler Mr. Wolfshiem, “A small, flat−nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril,” and Tom’s mistress, Myrtle, “With her face bruised and her nose swollen,” (Fitzgerald, 133, 75, 167). All of these people were well off and had plenty of money to spend, whether it be their own or their lover’s. They all became corrupted in some form or another by money. In Wolfshiem’s case, he loved money so much that he broke the law just to obtain more of it. The most well-known use of a nose as a symbol in the book is the story of the butler’s nose, “‘Well, he wasn't always a butler; he used to be the silver polisher for some people in New York that had a silver service for two hundred people. He had to polish it from morning till night, until finally it began to affect his nose,” (Fitzgerald, 17). In this quote, the butler’s nose is still distorted by riches, the silver, even though it was not his. The other mention of a nose that I found to be very important was the “nonexistent nose” of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg (Fitzgerald, 26). Eckleburg is used as a symbol of the all seeing eye in the valley of ashes. He does not have a nose because he is supposed to be the pure incorruptible god that has not and will not be corrupted by money. I believe that Fitzgerald used noses to symbolize corruption from money because they are typically used to describe rich people being stuck up when they turn up their noses to other people or things.

Hotel Madness

Is the climax the hotel scene when Tom and Gatsby argue, or is it when Gatsby meets Daisy at Nick's house? What central conflict or conflicts are being addressed in the climax, and how is this the turning point of the narrative (story)? Use textual evidence to back up your claims.

I believe that the climax of the book occurs when Gatsby and Tom have a confrontation in the hotel. The entire book seems to be leading up to that moment and then everything after that just feels like tying up loose strings. Although it can be argued that the climax is when Daisy and Gatsby first meet at Nick’s house that is not the moment when the dynamic of the book shifts. After Gatsby and Daisy meet, Gatsby has not yet reached his ultimate goal of obtaining Daisy, and the overall plan Gatsby has and pacing of the book stays the same. When he is at the hotel he has her in his grasp when she says she never loved Tom but then loses her when she retracts her statement. After that Gatsby’s world starts to crash as he tries to readjust and convince Daisy to leave Tom for him. This is when Gatsby’s plan to get Daisy and the pacing of the book changes which brings about the end.

A Dream of American Daisys

What is the primary theme of the novel?

The theme of The Great Gatsby is the hidden flaws of the American Dream. In the book, the “green light” symbolizes the American Dream. For Gatsby, the “green light” symbolized Daisy, his American Dream. Gatsby romanticized Daisy to the point where when he finally was able to see her after so many years he became disillusioned with her (Fitzgerald, 95-96). His dream completely unraveled when Daisy could not say that she never loved her husband Tom and only love him. This was when Gatsby started to see the flaws and the impracticalities of his dream. Ever since the war was over Gatsby’s goal, like most people of the time, was to achieve a certain monetary and social status. Although Gatsby’s goal was to get a girl and not a car or house he still treated her more like an object than a person and when he found out she was not as shiny and golden as he previously though his life fell apart. It was the same with all of the people of the 1920s when their dreams of wealth and riches were crushed by the great depression.

Rainy Day For a Romance

1. In chapter 5, when Daisy and Gatsby meet, how is weather used to create mood, and what mood(s) is created?

When Gatsby and Daisy meet for the first time in years the day starts off rainy. Fitzgerald describes the day like this, “The rain cooled about half-past three to a damp mist, through which occasional thin drops swam like dew,” (Fitzgerald, 84). As the day continued the skies started to clear up, “After half an hour, the sun shone again” (Fitzgerald, 88). After Gatsby showed Daisy his shirts it began to rain again, “Outside Gatsby’s window it began to rain again,” (Fitzgerald, 92). A common occurrence throughout the book is the use of light to describe a time of hope for Gatsby. In chapter 5 when it is sunny, or light out, Gatsby is getting closer to Daisy which is his ultimate goal. When there was no sun and it was rainy Gatsby felt that meeting with Daisy was a mistake and that he would not have a chance with her. When it became sunny I believe Gatsby thought that he might finally have a chance to win Daisy back. When it starts to rain again Nick wonders if Gatsby was underwhelmed by Daisy and that he lost his meaning in the green light, the symbol of hope.

Nick's Judgment

In the first two pages of the novel, Nick Carraway claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgment." Do you find that this is true so far? Please provide textual evidence to support your position.

Nick Carraway, for the most part, matches up to his claims that he holds all judgment about people. He says that it is because his father once told him, “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had.” (Fitzgerald, 1). I feel like this quote would speak more about judging someone because they are a professional pleasure dancer, rather than somebody who is much more well off than he is like Tom Buchanan. However, Nick also claims to hold his judgment for even the well off. He sticks relatively close to his declaration that he is not, nor has ever been, judgemental throughout the first three chapters. During the first encounter Nick had with Ms. Baker, she appeared very snobbish, yet he did not write one single note about it (Fitzgerald, 8-9). When learns of the affair Tom is having, he does not make a single disparaging comment about the situation (Fitzgerald, 15). He even went with Tom to meet his mistress without so much as giving him a crooked eye even when Tom breaks the mistress’s nose. The drunk man Nick met in Gatsby’s library that lost a wheel from his car and kept driving, although of a lesser status than the rest, is still exempt from Nick’s criticism (Fitzgerald, 53-55). Even when Nick remembers the scandal with Jordan Baker and realizes that she is a compulsive liar he continues on talking about her in the same light (Fitzgerald, 57). It could be argued that by Nick describing these people in this unflattering manner he is making a judgment about them. However, assuming that the way Nick is describing everyone is completely true and unbiased, then Nick sticks true to his word that he is a man without judgment.

Although, Nick does not put down others for their actions he does exalt himself for his own. The quotes, “I’m inclined to reserve all judgments,” (Fitzgerald, 1), and, “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.” (Fitzgerald, 59), are instances of him lifting himself above others. Not all instances are as clear as these are. An example would be, “A sense of fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth.” (Fitzgerald, 2). In this quote, Nick is stating that not all people have the common decencies that are attributed to being a good person. He makes other statements like this throughout the first three chapters that make him seem that he thinks that he is a better person than others because of the things he does or does not do.

Characteristics of Shakespeare's Tragedies in Othello

Shakespeare's tragedies all end in a tragic death for the protagonist making the play tragic, but there are other themes that Shakespeare's tragedies must also include. One of them is the protagonist in Shakespeare's tragedies often have a personality flaw that leads to their demise. The main characters in the plays are all rich and of high status so that when they meet their end it has a greater impact and is more tragic. There is also an external force that drives the character to act on the issue in the play that leads them to their downfall. The hero also has many opportunities to changes his course of action but he never does.

The play Othello fits in very well with these characteristics. Othello’s flaw is that he has a bad temper and can be hot headed. This causes him to be quick with rage and kill Desdemona. He is a nobleman held in high status that married a Venetian senator’s daughter bringing a lot of same to the family when he committed the murder-suicide. Iago was constantly manipulating Othello and encouraging him to kill Desdemona throughout the play. If it had not been for Iago the events of the play would have never happened. Throughout the play, Othello is given reasons to trust Desdemona by many people but he refuses to believe that she is not cheating on him until it is too late. Finally at the end of the play the protagonist Othello died and many of those close to him.