tkral15’s Blog

well, what an ending.

i thought that this chapter was pretty sad. But, was pertinent for my essay. I’ve decided to change my thesis again. after reading this book i got a new idea. The American character goes after love. Ahab went after moby dick, his obsession, his love. Gatsby goes after Daisy, his love, his obsession.

i felt bad for gatsby after such a life, i’m sure meeting so many different people close to nobody showed at his funeral. How sad is that. Those that were most interested were the gossip reporters.

I think this chapter i gained more respect for Gatsby. When his father showed Nick the book with his schedule. “It just shows you. Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he’s got about improving in his mind? He was always great for that. He told me i et like a hog once, and i beat him for it.” (173)

I feel like Gatsby was just trying to make a great life for himself. Giving himself a name, a reason to live. Since he was young he made himself lists of how to live, no room for fooling around. He had specific goals that he wanted to reach. i would have liked to see his friends at his funeral. I would have liked Daisy to be there, after all Gatsby went through just for Daisy, and she wasn’t even at his funeral. EVEN, after Gatsby took the blame for Daisy, after she killed Myrtle. I guess that shows the true side of a person.

When Nick encountered Tom in the city i was so angry. I just wanted Gatsby to yell at him and tell him how it was Daisy who was drivning the car. Daisy did it. then would nick have a different opion?

“God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!”  pg. 160

i thought this quote was important because during this section of reading there were a couple refferals to the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg I though that these eyes could deffenitly be referring to God, especially after the above quote. I guess it depends on your religous views, but if you beleive God see’s anything then this book becomes so much more scandelous. You know that one man or woman is watching your every move. The multiple affairs that are going around, the people who party and get drunk, the crimes, the illegal businesses that lurk. I find that a lot of this book has to do with image. How someone sees you. The pretty girls only want to marry and rich guys. Rich boys drive nice, fast cars and have lavish parties…to find their lost lover? Is that how it really is supposed to happen? I am still curious why didn’t Gatsby just go after Daisy. He knew where she lived, he felt he knew that she loved him, and never loved tom. Why couldnt he just go over to her house and get her? he had the money now, he had a huge beautiful house now that would impress Daisy.

Also i found that in these chapters you can see a persons true personality. when put in crazy situations, like hit n runs, fights, murders. You see people reactions. some cant cope, and go after a murder and kill them, then they still feel they have nothing to live for, they kill themselves. Saying that, i wonder if Gatsby ever had a chance, did he see Wilson coming? i feel like Gatsby would be fine with the thought of death. He felt he had nothing to live for Daisy was basically gone.

interesting.

is the rich american character different from the poor? well duh, but how different. Are the values suddenly changed beacuse of someone’s wealth?- “It made no difference to me. Dishonestly in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply-I was casually sorry…”

“you’re a rotten driver, i protested. either you ought to be more careful, or you oughtn’t to drive at all. i am careful. no you’re not…well other people are. she said lightly. Whats that go to do with it?.. They’ll keep out of my way, she insisted, it takes two to make an accident” (58)

so, it is okay for these rich people to have their way, they don’t need to pay attention, someone else can for them. It takes two people to make an accident… Values to change. It’s okay for rich women to lie, lying doesnt make a difference. The scandel about Jordan moving her gold ball was passed by, obviously the few people that started the rumor backed down..interestttting.

“i’ll tell you God’s truth” His right hand suddenly ordered divine retribution to stand by. I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West-all dead now. I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford, beacuse all my ancestors have been educated there for many years. It is a family tradition…What part of the Middle West?…San Francisco.” (65) Oh, so this is where all of Gatsby’s money came from. This shows that sometimes the American Character doesn’t have to do much to earn his or her money. Some people are just born into lavish families. But is that really being an american character? or does the american character work hard to be sucessful. Do they have to go through painful experiences in order to feel sucess? I just find it so funny too that gatsby said he was from the middle west, and then continued to say san franciso, http://www.effingham.k12.il.us/central/4thgrade/donaldson/midwest/schimmel/mwstates.html

california is clearly not part of the middle west….lies, what else is Gatsby up to?

quote:

“i thought you didn’t if you’ll pardon me-you see, I carry on a little4 business on the side line, you understand. And i thought that if you don’t make very much-You’re selling bonds, aren’t you, old sport?…trying to. Well, this would interest you. It wouldn’t take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money . It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing” (82-83)

i decided to use this quote because with all the disscussions we’ve had in class about who these people are i thought this one brought out a secret side of gatsby. He said he has this little side business and i am dying to find out what exacatly it entiles. Also i feel like this chapter shows something about the american character. It shows how even the richest people have their own problems. Gatsby is so nervous and uncomforable meeting up with Daisy. I though at times he wasnt going to go through with his plan with nick.

anyways how nice is gatsbys house? it is described as being so luxourious is it a greenwich back country house, a north street monster?

“the fact that he had one was insisted upon wherever he was known. His acquantances resented the fact that he turned up in popular resaurants with her and, leaving her at a table, sauntered about, chatting with whomsoever he knew. Though i was curious to see her, i had no desire to meet her-but i did…” (24)

i chose this quote because it shows how these people were just so rich that they even had mistresses. Whenever i think of a mistress i associate them with rich men who can afford to have a wife and an affair. i feel like a mistress is just an assessory and when the 3 are in the cab they pull over and buy a dog. they go shopping on fifth avenue as if its not a big deal. the people in this story are very nosey, they buy the scandelous gossip magizines daily. they talk about trips they take frequently to monte carlo and other lavish places in europe.

http://shopstampafe.com/images/T/eyes-of-Dr.gif

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/themes.html

    The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg

quote:

“I graduated from New Haven in 1915, just a quater of a century after my father, and a little later I participated in that delayed Teutonic migration known as the Great War. I enjoyed the counter-raid so thoroughly that i came back restless…so i decided to go East and learn the bond business. Everybody i knew was in the bond business, so i supposed it could support one more single man.” Page 3

this quote relates to my american character essay in that it shows how someone has the freedom to do a variety of things. The main character and narrator-nick mentions how he went to college and then took part in the war. When he returned he just decided that he wanted to learn about the business of bonds. Everyone has the freedom to chose what they want to do with their life. I think i’m going to like this book. I feel like its much easier to read and i can actually understand what is going on.

http://www.armzrace.com/mark/images/MLAL/great_gatsby.jpg