Final Response

8/16/10

Fitzgerald's book The Great Gatsby is a well written novel and is a good read. I found his type of writing somewhat confusing at times. The way he introduces characters is very unique. I have found that instead of learning right away who exactly they are and how they will effect the story, you must wait to find out more about them through the plot. Fitzgerald starts the book by describing the relationship between the main character and his father. He does not mention the main characters name until the third page. Although this was interesting to me, it made the first few pages harder to read because I was lost. If I were someone who needs to be sucked into the book right away, I would have set The Great Gatsby down and picked up something new. However, I am not one of those people and because I was reading the book for English class, it made much more sense to just keep reading. Fitzgerald does an excellent job with the time period used for this story. He uses the jazz period to help describe economic times and the way people are expected to act. Along with the time period, Scott goes above and beyond when describing the town and the houses surrounding the main character's.Fitzgerald's story of the main character Nick getting caught up in his cousin's marriage and the problems within it is like nothing I have ever read before. He is good at surprising his readers with a turn of events or new details about his characters. Granted, some small parts are boring, but aren't some parts of all books boring? Overall, Fitzgerald did a phenomenal job at keeping his readers on their toes and an even better job at leaving them satisfied with the end.

Author Research

8/15/10

F. Scott Fitzgerald was a well respected novelist and writer of his time."He lived in a room full of clocks and calenders." (Malcolm Cowley) Meaning he was a man of his own time. The most common point made about Fitzgerald was how he met Ginevra King when he was only 18 years old. She is said to be the prototype of Daisy in the novel I have just read. It was not uncommon for Fitzgerald to have a more than one girlfriend. Around the age of 14 he would even compete with himself on how many valentines he could receive. I believe the reason Fitzgerald is able to write so well about love and lust is probably through his own experiences.
Fitzgerald started writing at a young age. He first began by writing short plays for amateur production. (Donaldson,Scott)When Scott found he could no longer be with Ginevra he wrote his first of many stories to come, using his disappointment as determination.
Fitzgerald was indeed in World War I. Unlike Hemingway however, he never saw any action and did not go to France.(Liukkunen, Petri)
When Scott was only 22 he met Zelda Sayre. They fell deeply in love and married only two years after. Soon after their marriage Fitzgerald started to become more and more well known. The money the new couple made should have been but was not saved. This was a problem when they found out that Zelda was pregnant.When the Fitzgerald realized they needed money for the baby he immediatly started on a book called The Beautiful And Damned. The couple used that money to move to Europe. As soon as he was settled in Scott began one of his most well known novels today, The Great Gatsby. Although the book was popular this did not give them the money they expected. Even though the books didn't bring in the cash they needed they started to make plays and then eventually a movie about it. Fitzgerald soon took up drinking and the marriage began to change. Years went by and Fitzgerald became an alcoholic while his wife began having mental breakdowns.(Liukkunen,Petri) Although this was tough for the young couple, i would imagine it gave Scott a lot to write about.
The Great Gatsby was a very popular movie with some of the most famous actors of the time taking part in it. " It's like a vampire movie after the vampires have left." (Donaldson,Scott)
Fitzgerald's life gave him most of the motivation he needed in order to write his books. His family and experiences helped him to earn his fame.

The house of Scribners brought out all of Fitzgerald 's books during his life, and continues to publish them, in hundreds of thousands of copies, to this day(Donaldson, Scott)




citations:

Liuekkunen, Petri. "Francis Scott Key ." Books and Writers (2008): n. pag. Web. 17 Aug 2010. http://kirjasto.sci.fi/fsfitzg.htm.

Donaldson, Scott. "F. Scott Fitzgerald ." (1981): n. pag. Web. 17 Aug 2010. http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/fitzgeraldbio.html.

Quote #11

page 180
8/15/10

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." This is my favorite quote out of the whole book. After reading a story about lies, deceit, love, affairs, and death. This is the perfect quote to show that no matter what has happened, you always push forward. This quote makes me believe that Fitzgerald's outlook on life is both interesting and positive.

Quote #10

page 176
8/15/10

After everything went wrong and people died, Nick came up with a theory. "Gatsby, Daisy, Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life." If I were Nick I might have thought the same thing. That is such a weird situation to be in during your life and it can really change you as a person. If you think about it, nothing at all worked out for them. Humor is the right way to go to describe such a unique and inexplicable state of affairs.

Quote #9

page 165
8/15/10

After Gatsby died, Nick was in charge of arranging his funeral. Nick had never spoken to Gatsby about his parents so he was forced to do it alone. When he came into the room where Gatsby lay, he was disappointed to find there was nobody to call about Gatsby's death. "I wanted to get somebody for him. I wanted to go into the room where he lay and reassure him." I thought this quote was important to include because it says a lot about Gatsby and Nick's friendship. Although they had a weird relationship and most of the time Nick spent trying to understand Gatsby, I think they both thought of each other as good men and were closer friends than might seem.

Quote #8

page 161
8/15/10

After the night of Tom and Gatsby's fight, Gatsby had not heard from Daisy. He had been expecting her phone call, but after a certain amount of time knew himself that it would not come. Now that his love was gone and he could no longer see the woman he cared so much about, the world looked different to him. Fitzgerald describes this world by saying " A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about." This quote is important in two ways. The first is that it shows the reader just how sad Gatsby really is. How much this effected him, so the reader can get the full impact of Gatsby's sorrow. Second is it shows the description in Fitzgerald's writing. The way he uses metaphors to brings the imagery to life is extremely talented. This quote and many others of Fitzgerald's were enjoyable to read.

Quote #7

page 79
8/15/10

"There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired." Nick says this on his way home walking with Jordan. Nick had been thinking about Gatsby and Daisy at the time. So I am guessing what he meant when he thought this was that you have to be in one of these categories, or you aren't living at all. When he said the pursued I believe he is talking about Daisy being pursued by Gatsby. The pursuing is Gatsby pursuing Daisy. The busy is Jordan with her career. The tired is Nick because he has to deal with all of those people. This is not one of the most important quotes in the book, but I liked it because it brought humor and truth at the same time. I also like the way Nick says this, as if he doesn't mind being tired because he likes dealing with the rest of them.

Quote #6

page 99
8/15/10

Nick finally hears the story of why Gatsby changed his name. Along with the story is an explanation as to why he thought he needed to change his name. Gatsby had been living a single life and had never experienced love before. He would often fantasize of being in love to help himself fall asleep. " For a while these reveries provided an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy's wing." He thought love was a fairytale. This part of his life and part of the book explains a lot about why Gatsby's feelings are so strong. Imagine his surprise when he found that what he was feeling for Daisy was love. This gave me, the reader, a chance to consider that maybe the reason Gatsby held on to Daisy so long was because she was the only love he knew. He hadn't experienced it with anyone else. This quote helps mostly with the character development of Gatsby.

Quote #5

8/15/10
page 96

"No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart." This quote is interesting because it says a lot about Gatsby's feelings for Daisy. It means that after all the time they spent apart he still loves her. I look at this quote in two ways. First, I think Fitzgerald was trying to say that after being away from someone for so long it might make you think that person is someone else. You expect more from them because you have an image of them in your head of how they should be, how you want them to be. After all that time believing they are someone they aren't you would rather stay with them than to believe you wasted your time. Second, that Fitzgerald was just trying to say once a man falls so deeply in love with a woman, there is no possible way to pull him out of the world he wants with her.

Quote #4

8/14/10
page 88

There is a point in the book where Daisy and Gatsby finally meet up again. While they catch up Nick gives them some time alone, he sits outside and looks over to Gatsby's huge house. He had heard a story before of the man who originally built the house, and how he wasn't much of a family man. His children ended up selling the house without hesitation as soon as he died. Nick must have some bitterness towards those types of situations because he says " Americans, while occasionally willing to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry." To me, it seems what Nick is trying to say is that although people have no problem working for another, the don't like the title that comes with the job. The children didn't appreciate how hard it was to build that house. They didn't want to be seen as common people, so they sold the house for the money. Sometimes money and social status mean more to people than family. This may not have much to do with the story, but it helps you to understand Nick's views and the way he thinks.

Quote #3

8/14/10
page 59

After Nick realized that he loves Jordan he starts to second guess himself. He knows that love is a strong word and he didn't want to get ahead of himself before he actually meant it. So, he tries to convince himself otherwise. When he thinks about her though, this does not work. He says "Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known." He can not trick himself because no matter if he is ready to be in love or not, he knows he is.

Quote #2

8/14/10
page 2

After explaining his relationship with his father, the main character Nick, starts to explain more about himself. He makes a point to tell the readers that even though he makes himself sound great, he is not perfect. He explains this by saying " Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes, but after a certain point I don't care what it's founded on. " I found this quote clever and funny. Along with the last, this quote explains a lot about Nick and his realistic point of view.

Quote #1

8/14/10
page 1

F. Scott Fitzgerald introduces his main character, Nick Carraway, in an interesting way. Instead of stating his name and where he was born, Fitzgerald starts with the Nick's relationship with his father. His father would tell him " Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." This quote is extremely important to the story. Not only do I agree with this quote completely, but it also sets the mood of the book. The fact that Nick remembers his father telling him this and tries his best to live by the rule helps the reader to understand what kind of person Nick is. This quote,I believe, is the first step to Nick's character development in The Great Gatsby.

RR #12

pages 136-180 (end)
7/16/10

Why Fitzgerald chose to kill Myrtle I didn't know while reading it. However after finishing the book I realized the only way Fitzgerald could truly please the reader of his book, was if he surprised and disappointed them with one more main event. I think my favorite part in this book was reading about the accident and having to fit the puzzle pieces together myself. To fully understand what happened to Myrtle you had to be paying attention to minor details that Fitzgerald throws into his writing. If i hadn't been paying attention to the fact that Gatsby and Daisy were driving a yellow car, I would have had to wait until Nick and Gatsby spoke later in chapter to realize they killed Myrtle. I love the way the book ended. The fact that Fitzgerald used Myrtle's husband George to kill Gatsby was brilliant. I would have never suspected quiet George to be so driven. I was angry though, I was angry because the two people who started this whole mess, the couple who was unfaithful to eachother. They killed the people they dragged along. It was Tom's fualt that Myrtle ran out to his car in order to ger his attention.He was the man who suggested switching cars in the first place. It was also Daisy's fault that Gatsby was killed, because she was the one who actually hit Myrtle in the first place and he just tried to protect her. Even though I thought the ending was extremely unfair, I also loved the way Fitzgerald surprised me. This book really made me think of a domino effect. If one of them fall, the rest follow.

RR # 11

pages 119- 135
7/15/10

I left off while the Buchanans were sitting down to eat with their friends. As they sat and chit chatted like most days things began to take a turn for the worst. When Tom saw Daisy mouth the words "I love you" to Gatsby I was astonished that he didn't act out more. I was angry with Daisy for making such a careless mistake. Instead of having having Tom claim what he had just witnessed, Fitzgerald lets the problem ride out as long as he can. When they finally listen to Tom and decide to go to town, Daisy insists she ride alone with Gatsby. It is extremely entertaining to read about the trip into town and how the men raced.Along with the gas station stop and how Myrtle mistakened Jordan as the wife of Tom. The fact that they stopped at that station was just one more thing Fitzgerald usedto tie the story together and to its end. I was almost confused as to why they would rent a hotel room just to relax and talk, they could have done that at home. I had to remind myself Fitzgerald was writing this in the 1920's. In order to keep the reader curious, F. Scott decided to wait until the hotel room to bring up the issue of the couple. The argument between Gatsby and Tom was ridiculous. I was taken back when Daisy told Tom she had always loved Gatsby. Even more so I was baffled when she started taking back her word and saying that she did indeed love Tom also. Nothing was actually solved at the hotel. When Daisy and Gatsby left the hotel, I couldn't believe that was the way Fitzgerald wanted to end the book.

RR # 10

pages 105- 118
7/15/10

While at the party Daisy and Tom don't really spend any time together. Daisy and Gatsby actually sneak off at one point and Tom doesn't even notice. This makes me wonder if Tom would even care if he found out about them. After all, isn't he guilty of the same thing? The party leads to an invite to the Buchanan's house for a dinner. When Gatsby and Nick arrive I wonder how they are all going to act around each other. Everything is going smoothly, Daisy even introduces her daughter to Gatsby. The way Daisy speaks to her daughter and the way she lets the nurse take care of her makes me think of Daisy differently. I'm not sure if this is was Fitzgerald intended to do, but I think maybe Daisy doesn't truly care about being a mother. Perhaps she had the child just because she thought that is what you should do when you are married at that age. The way the child asked for her father made it seem as though Tom must spend more time with her. Daisy was really only focused on the fact that she looked pretty and that she liked her "friend" Gatsby. When Tom walked out of the room and Daisy gave Gatsby a kiss I was shocked. I didn't think her to be a person who would boldly do such a thing in front of her friends. Specifically because Fitzgerald has made her seem like a traditional character so far in the story.

RR #9

pages 97- 105
7/14/10

In the next section I read, Fitzgerald turns completely away from the subject of the two lovers and on to the subject of Jay Gatsby's real name. After grasping the concept of Gatsby and Daisy being together, it was difficult to focus my attention on the story of Gatsby's life. Fitzgerald begins to write about Jay and his friend Cody. The story is not exactly exciting to hear about,but it did help me to understand that Jay Gatsby is not his real name, James Gatz is. At seventeen Gatsby invented a new man in order to lead the life he wanted to. After some time passes and Gatsby and Daisy are getting along, Tom decides to stop by the house. When I read the name Tom and realized he was with Gatsby I half expected there to be a brawl. Much to my surprise it seemed as though Tom had no idea that Gatsby and Daisy knew each other at all. The meeting ends after Gatsby invites Tom and his company to his next party.

RR #8

pages 82-96

7/14/10



Gatsby and Nick set the date for the tea party rather quickly. Fitzgerald makes the character of Gatsby bold in that way. By having Gatsby go to the trouble to talk to Jordan and Nick. He is making the character of Gatsby seem very determined. Gatsby is also somewhat of a perfectionist. He believes that if everything isn't perfect, it will reflect his appearance and Daisy won't want to give him a chance. By having someone actually come over to Nick's house in order to cut his lawn for him, it showed Nick's character that Gatsby is very picky and at first he was very irritated by that trait. When Daisy arrives even more character development appears. Daisy's character is growing to be a quiet and laid back person. I started to realize this when she found out Gatsby was at the house and she didn't really show any emotion at all unless to act as if the situation was not awkward. The way Fitzgerald so swiftly goes from silence to Gatsby giving Nick and Daisy a tour of the house is interesting. He has the characters acting as though they have lost no time together at all. Fitzgerald throws in hints every now and then to let the reader know Daisy is very happy to see Gatsby. From Fitzgerald's description of the two, it was easy to figure out they would be together as the story progressed.

RR #7

pages 74-81
7/13/10

After all of the anticipation, Fitzgerald finally tells through Jordan, the story of Gatsby's inquiry. When Jordan explains the story of Daisy and Gatsby's relationship when they were younger the story starts to fall into place. The climax of the story is without a doubt when Gatsby asks Nick to have Daisy over so he may have the chance to see her again. At first when Gatsby asks this I am a bit offended for Nick, thinking that this was the reason he was invited to the party I thought it was a quite rude. Gatsby goes on to explain that he invited Nick before he had any idea whether or not he was related to Daisy at all. Character development is a major part of this particular section of the book. The fact that Nick agrees to this shows that he is understanding. Because Nick's character has been building and growing the whole book the reader already knows he will agree because we have seen this characteristic in him before.

RR #6

pages 59-74
7/13/10

It is not long before Nick realizes he has feelings for Jordan. This I was expecting only because most books most have some mushy gushy feelings or it wouldn't be as interesting or realistic to some readers. The next chapter begins with nothing but a list of names. Although I understood Fitzgerald added the names to give the fact that Gatsby is well known impact, this section of the chapter was disappointing to the point where I almost skipped it. However the names give the reader a good idea of how big and random the parties actually are and after you get through the names the chapter picks up speed. When Gatsby invites Nick to lunch and Nick is told it is in regards to the chat Jordan and Gatsby had at the party. I was curious to find out why Nick was included in this situation. At lunch Nick meets one of Gatsby's friends and is quickly asked if he would like a job. This job offer seemed a little undercover me and made me wonder if Gatsby was actually a good man. Fitzgerald has continued to leave hints about something suspicious going on between some of the men in West and East Egg. It keeps you guessing and makes you wonder whether this will turn out to help end the story or help to start the climax of the story. Even more peculiar, when Nick introduces Gatsby to Tom Gatsby looks worried and flees out of the restaurant.

RR #5

pages 45- 59
7/12/10

The way Gatsby and Nick meet is marvelous. From the extravagant party to the comments about Gatsby, I was expecting a grand entrance. I love the way Fitzgerald just so happens to put Gatsby into the book as if it were an accident. When Nick was talking to a man about the infantry and how he recognized him, not only was Nick surprised but I was too! Nick's embarrassment was very realistic and it said a lot about Gatsby's character when he shook it off as an accident instead of an insult. The rest of the party went smoothly and I was curious to learn more about Gatsby and the way he runs things. I was glad to find Gatsby wasn't the type to draw attention to himself and instead blended in with the crowd. Just before the party was over Gatsby called Mrs. Jordan Baker in to speak with him. As most movies and books go when the person spoken to leaves the room, they usually spill the beans. Well not in this case. Instead when Jordan returns she can only say "I swore I wouldn't tell it but here I am tantalizing you." Fitzgerald leaves the reader to wonder what it could be at the end of the chapter.

RR #4

pages 43-45
7/12/10

During Gatsby's party Jordan and Nick ran into a few girls who had been to the parties before. Most was just small talk to be polite, but within the small talk I obtained details of Gatsby purposly hidden by Fitzgerald, to give you an idea of what kind of man he really is. A lady name Lucille says "When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, inside of a week I got a package from Croirier's with a new evening gown in it." Someone else commented saying he sent the dress because he doesn't want trouble with anybody. Either way, Fitgerald was definitly thinking when he added this comment. It gives the reader a chance to already have their own perception of Gatsby. Letting them think that he is a man in trouble, or just a man who likes when people enjoy his parties will make it more interesting when Gatsby is actually introduced into the story.

RR # 3

pages 39- 59
7/12/10

Gatsby has been mentioned before during the story but he hasn't played a part in Nick's life quite yet. Mrs. Baker brought Gastby up in conversation during the dinner at the Buchanan's house when she found out where Nick lived. After that, Nick started to notice parties going on next door. He watched as prestiges cars pulled into the drive which held men and women with fancy clothing inside. He could hear the laughter and babbling from his house and wondered what was going on there. Reading about Carraway listening to the party and not being there made me sad for him. As if it was second grade again and he was left out of a dodgeball game. I knew judging from the title that Gatsby would play a major role in this story so I knew something stirring would happen shortly. Sure enough the morning after the party a man crossed Nick's lawn with an invitation. The night that Nick went to Gatsby's I was confused to hear that most of the guests weren't invited. Fitzgeralds way of bringing characters into the story is different from any other author I have ever incountered before. When he introduces them, he won't give their whole name and typically won't bring them back into the story untill a few chapters later. I had almost forgotten of Mrs. Baker when Nick saw her at the party. I was also taken off guard when F. Scott used her first name. This was the first time her character had been addressed as Jordan. After Nick began to speak to her I could tell she would be important to the book as well.

RR #2

pages 30-38
7/12/10

When I stopped reading, the guests at Myrtle and Tom's flat were being introduced. I found it interesting how they could so non saliently bring guests into their home and not even try to hide the fact that they were both already married. Myrtle's sister was introduced to the story and along with thier neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Mckee. When Myrtle's sister, Catherine begins to talk about the relationship between the couple it suprises me to hear both of them claim to love their spouse at all. When asked why they don't just get divorced from their marriages Myrtle says it is becauase Daisy is Catholic so therefore doesn't believe in divorce. It slowly becomes clear to Nick that Myrtle Wilson loves Tom Buchanan much more than he loves her. By telling Mrs. Wilson his wife is Catholic when she truly is not, it shows his feelings are not as strong as hers. The evening was going well and even though some parts during this section in the story got a little boring and started to drag on with talk of photography and prices raising. The story soon livened when Tom suddenly hits Mrs. Wilson, breaking her nose. I was suprised to find that F. Scott did not go on any longer with talk of that event. I didn't really understand why he had Nick leave with Mr. Mckee. Only later did I notice that this whole scene helped with Nick's character development. The fact that he left instead of staying for the drama adds to his personality. It assists the reader in understanding Nick Carraway would rather stay out of something like that. Even if it means he would have to sleep in the station waiting for his train.

RR #1

pages 1-30
7/10/10

When i began reading The Great Gatsby i was a bit confused. The first few pages bounced around sporadically about different topics. I was somewhat nervous as to whether or not I would be able to keep up with F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing style, however I continued to read. By the 3rd page the main character's name was finally mentioned and the story starting making sense. Main character, Nick Carraway, has an interesting sort of life in somewhat of a separated community. He mentions his family and the fact that he graduated from New Haven and participated in the Great War. He talks about the town he lives in and how the side of the lake you lived on depends primarily on your wealth. To me, it seemed as though Fitzgerald was rushing the book. One moment I was reading about Nick's house in West Egg (the less fashionable side) and the next thing I know I am being introduced to Nick's cousin Daisy and her husband. Little did I know, these characters would soon be just as important as Nick, not to mention causing most of the problems in the story. Fitzgerald's way of describing his characters is brilliant. I enjoyed learning so much about them when just a few words were said. When F. Scott says Daisy's husband Tom is " a national figure in a way, one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savors of anticlimax" I immediately pictured a bulky man with a big head on his shoulders. With further description Tom, I realized that's exactly the type of man Tom is. After I learned a little about these people Nick was quick to go visit them. The imagery in which Fitzgerald uses to describe the Buchanan's house is incredible. Every detail down to the curtains was written down. Along with Daisy and Tom i also meet a quiet woman named Miss Baker. So far she is not playing a huge part in the story, but i will see. From what I have read so far, Fitzgerald's style of writing is not hard to read but is piculiar in its own way. He will often start by explaining something plainly to quickly jumping in to a deeper meaning. I find myself reading the same sentence twice just to be sure I have absorbed all the information I need to. While Nick is enjoying a dinner with the new characters Tom recieves a phone call. This is when Nick is told that Daisy is not Tom's only woman. Not only is this big news to Nick but Daisy and Tom are acting somewhat suspicious of something. After dinner Tom contemplates showing Nick the horses but when Daisy hears this the topic is dropped immediatly. I am curious to find out if the horses will come up later or if the horses even exist at all. I like Miss Baker's character thus far, the way she so casually brings up Tom's other woman makes her sound so easy going. A few days after the dinner, Tom brings Nick to meet his "other woman."Myrtle is her name and she has a very strong personality. She gets everything she wants from Tom and doesn't hide their relationship from her friends. She too has a spouse and he has no idea as to what is going on. Fitzgerald certainly made her character interesting but as for now, i still do not like the character of Myrtle. I was disapointed to find out Tom and Myrtle had an apartment together and played house as if they were doing nothing wrong.