individual work Blog
In Chapter 8, Nick goes to see Gatsby after Myrtle's death. The two talk about how Gatsby waited for Daisy that night and about his previous love affair with her. He admits that he loved her for her wealth and beauty and popularity. He says that she left him for Tom because he was established. In the middle of the conversation Gatsbys gardener says he is going to drain the pool, but Gatsby says not too. This foreshadows that the pool will be important later. Nick tells that Gatsby's friendship is very important. He then goes to work but is too distracted. We find out that Mr. Wilson thinks that Myrtle was killed by her lover but doesn't know it's Tom. He thinks it's Gatsby so he goes to his home, finds him in the pool and shoots him. He then kills himself. Nick finds his body and then wonders about his final thoughts, which he assumes would be about what life would be like without Daisy.
Chapter 9, was written years after Gatsby's murder. It describes the aftermath and the funeral services. Rumors about Gatsby swirled even after his death. Nick tries to throw a large funeral for Gatsby but people refuse to come. Very few people show up, but Gatsby's father does. He says he is proud of his son. Nick thinks the east is sick and represents more of the West. He even says this story is a western story since everyone was from the west. Nick thinks the east coast shaped who all of these people are. He decides to move back to the Midwest. Before he leaves, Nick runs into Tom. He concludes that Tom and Daisy are unkind and basically careless about anyone who isn't them. Nick lays on Gatsby's beach the night before he leaves and thinks about Gatsby and life. He concludes a lot about life and then thinks that dreams motivate people and that a lot of people are motivated by similar dreams.
0 Comments
In Chapter 7, Gatsby and Daisy are caught up in their “love”. Gatsby no longer throws lavish parties to lure Daisy in, he thinks that he has her and that she is going to leave Tom. He thinks that she loves him and never loved Tom, which we find out to not be true. Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, Nick and Jordan meetup for lunch. This is when we see Tom already agitated since he knows there is something going on between the two. Gatsby and Daisy can hardly contain themselves. Daisy’s daughter is introduced yet she seems very disinterested in her and acts as if she could careless about the child. Gatsby is astonished by the child and is so surprised that she even exists.
Since it is a very hot day, the five of them go into New York City. Tom, Nick,and Jordan ride together in Gatsby’s car and stop at Wilson’s to get gas. They find out that the Wilson’s are moving because Mr. Wilson knows about his wife's affair. They hurriedly leave to meetup with Daisy and Gatsby. Once they are all together, Tom and Gatsby start fighting over Daisy. Daisy says that she loves them both and both of the men are hurt, Tom because his wife cheated (even though so did he) and Gatsby because he thought Daisy loved only him. Daisy ends up leaving with Gatsby in Tom’s car. On they way back, they run over and kill Myrtle Wilson. They do not stop though, they just keep driving to Daisy’s home. Tom, Nick and Jordan see the aftermath of the killing, and Tom is very upset to find out that his mistress has been killed. Mr. Wilson picks up on this distress. Once back on the island, Nick speaks with Gatsby outside of Tom’s home. He tells him the story of Myrtle’s death and then says he is basically waiting to see if Daisy is okay. Nick leaves him there but tries to persuade him to go home since Tom and Daisy are just sitting at their kitchen table. In Chapter 6, we learn Gatsby's real past. He was not born into a wealthy family, in fact he was poor. He also never attended college. He worked for a man named Dan Cody. He was his personal assistant and looked after him when he was drunk, which was often. This was when Gatsby fell in love with wealth and dedicated his life to becoming wealthy.
Next, Nick sees Tom come out of Gatsby's home. Gatsby is very nervous and awkward. He tells Tom that he knows Daisy. This made him suspicious but he did not know right away. The following weekend, Gatsby has a party but it seems less successful than the past parties. Tom is upset that Daisy did not have fun and he does not like Gatsby. Gatsby wants everything to go back to how it was in Louisville and wants Daisy to leave Tom. Nick tried to tell Gatsby that he cannot recreate the past but Gatsby thinks his money can. Gatsby seems to think that wealth can buy happiness and that in order to be happy he must use his wealth. In Chapter 5, Nick comes home and sees Gatsby's home lit up. He assumes that Gatsby is having a party, but comes home to find it completely unoccupied. Gatsby walks across the yard towards Nick. Nick thinks that Gatsby is nervous and is trying to win Nick over, so he will invite Daisy over. He wants Nick to go to Coney Island and swim in his pool, Nick declines his offer which is surprising to me because he most likely likes Gatsby. Nick tells Gatsby that he will invite Daisy over, Gatsby immediately starts to offer Nick many services and goods and this offends Nick a little.
Nick invites Daisy over and she comes. Gatsby is very nervous and the rain adds to his nervousness. The meeting is very awkward at first but eventually Daisy and Gatsby are talking and hitting it off. Nick realizes they don't know he is there so he just leaves them alone. In Chapter 4, Nick starts off by naming off a lot of the people who have be guests at Gatsby’s parties. They are all rich and lavish. F. Scott Fitzgerald has even named some of them after American people who are rich or famous. Nick is some what impressed and awed by these wealthy guests. After, him and Gatsby go out to lunch in the city. Gatsby wants to clear up all the rumors that Nick has heard about him. He lets him in on his past. Gatsby tells Nick that he is from San Francisco, went to Oxford, has been awarded medals from military service, has no family left, and spent a lot of time in large European cities. He even goes as far to say that during the war, he tried to die many times. Nick thinks that all of this is extremely far fetched and does not believe Gatsby. Yet, Gatsby is able to prove all of his stories with photographs, metals, and a meeting with his old friend Mr. Wolfsheim.
The reader already knows that Nick is interested in Gatsby, he asks Gatsby if he is in love with Jordan Baker when he brings her up. I think this was very interesting because it could lead into the suspicion of Nick’s true sexuality. Nick is going to have tea with Jordan, but that does not mean that he is not interested in Gatsby in a different way. Gatsby is then pulled over for speeding. Gatsby just flashes a card at the policeman and the policeman just leaves them alone. Nick was impressed by this. He is constantly impressed by and in awe of Gatsby; this could be support in the suspicion of Nick’s sexual identity and true feelings for Gatsby. After, Nick meets with Jordan for tea. He tells Jordan about Gatsby and she tells Nick that Gatsby is in love with Daisy. She tells him about the two and Daisy and Tom. She tells Nick that Gatsby wants him to arrange a meeting between him and Daisy. Gatsby’s plan is to surprise Daisy by showing up at Nick’s while she is there. Chapter 3 seems to be important because the reader is more formally introduced to Jay Gatsby. Nick goes to one of Gatsby’s lavish parties. He describes the party to be very posh and everyone seems to be enjoying and taking in Gatsby’s wealth. Gatsby throws parties regularly where anyone can show up; he rarely knows many of the guests because anyone can show up, people are rarely formally invited, however, Nick was formally invited by Gatsby. Nick describes him as someone who just stands in the background, which seems weird for someone with this lifestyle. Nick and Jordan Baker seem very curious about Gatsby and his background since the only things they know about him are rumors. Nick is definitely interested in Gatsby but so are many other characters. Gatsby’s guests are often surprised by some of his habits and his nature. However, Nick finds out that him and Gatsby were actually in the military together and they reminisce for a moment on France. After him and Gatsby’s conversation, Jordan asks him if he is having a good time, but she uses the word gay instead of happy. I think this is a clue to Nick’s true sexual identity. Nick also seems almost infatuated with Gatsby during the party and back in Chapter One. So far, many parts of this book have hinted at Nick’s sexuality but also, his apparent liking towards Gatsby says something about Nick’s interests.
In Chapter 2 of 'The Great Gatsby', the reader is introduced to a few new characters but also find out a lot more about the existing characters. The reader finds out that Tom has a tendency to be somewhat bossy and controlling. This is shown when he pulls on Nick, demands Myrtle (Mrs. Wilson) to meet him in New York City, and later when he breaks her nose. Tom thinks that Myrtle has no right to mention Daisy and out of rage he hits Myrtle in the face. We also learn that Myrtle's sister does not trust Gatsby and that Gatsby is rumored to be rich because of a possible relation to Kaiser Wilhelm. Also, that Tom is having an affair and is extremely unhappy in his marriage. Tom is open about his affair with Myrtle, despite the fact that Nick is Daisy's cousin. Myrtle's husband does not know about the affair, but Catherine (Myrtle's sister) does. This raises the questions of, does Daisy know about Tom's affair? and is Daisy also having an affair?
The new characters introduced in this chapter are Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, Catherine and the McKee's. Mrs. Wilson is having an affair with Tom, behind her husbands back. Her husband and her live in a home over a garage in a poor town. Catherine is often used as a cover up for Mrs. Wilson going to her apartment in the city with Tom because she is Myrtle Wilson's sister. Catherine knows about the affair and how unhappy both Tom and Myrtle are in their marriages. She says that Tom and Daisy are not divorced because Daisy is a catholic. This statement stuns Nick because Daisy is not of the catholic faith. The McKee's live in the apartment underneath Tom and Myrtle's. They come over and they are all having drinks together. After the get together, Nick leaves with Mr. McKee and he says he doesn't remember much about the night because of alcohol but he remembers leaving with Mr. McKee, being in his room and then being at Pennsylvania Station. I thought this said something about Nick, along with his descriptions of men and the lack of a lot of details when describing women. Another part of this chapter that stood out to me was the billboard in the town where the Wilson's live. It was a pair of eyes with huge classes that belonged to a doctor who was no longer in that area. No one ever took his billboard down. I think that carries symbolism. I think it shows that people know their secrets and their business; that someone is watching over them and knows. I think it could also show that the ones around them might know more than some characters believe they do. The Great Gatsby is narrated by a man named Nick Carraway. Nick starts his story off by reminiscing on his father’s advice. He clearly states that his father’s views have stuck with him for years, thus shaping his morals, which are strong but also viewed as an insecurity to a certain extent. Even though these morals, that were shaped from his family, got him criticized in college and even got him called a politician he remains somewhat positive on his outlook on life, especially after his move. His positivity lets there be a somewhat cheerful mood to the story, which can be seen in his uses of similes and metaphors throughout the chapter. He also will keep up this positive mood when describing characters later. Also, for this story, the narrator needs to be subjective and since Nick’s family raised him with this strong moral character he can be the subjective narrator.
As the chapter continues, we learn more about Nick’s past and new surroundings. He recently moved to the West Egg versus East Egg. Both of these neighborhoods are based around wealth, which is one of the key themes of the story. The East Egg is characterized as “old wealth” while the West Egg is “new wealth”. Nick finds himself living adjacent from a very large mansion, who we later find out is owned by Jay Gatsby; Gatsby is an important character to this story. This is how the reader is introduced to Gatsby and how Nick is tied to him. You see his positive attitude come out when he meets Gatsby. Nick talks about him in a way that makes him seem intelligent and well rounded. He also boasts about how after he met Gatsby he was no longer lonely, he now has friend. The way his loneliness changed and the way he described Gatsby is a foreshadowing of the change that will come throughout the story. The chapter continues with Nick traveling to the East Egg to visit his cousin, Daisy, her husband, Tom,and her friend Jordan. Daisy is also an important character to this story. He describes her quite cheerfully, which also reveals things about Daisy’s character. He uses the term “bright” many times to describe Daisy, adding to Nick’s positivity and cheerful mood while narrating this story. All three are set up to be extremely wealthy and almost dream like. Nick seems almost impressed by Tom and also by the setting. This feeds into the theme of wealth. It also continues Nick’s positivity because he paints the three as dream like, and beautiful way. As a reader beings to read “How Soccer is Ruining America: A Jeremiad” they are bombarded with sarcastic and ironic claims made by the author Stephen H. Webb. At first the reader may be unclear on his real opinion on soccer, but as his claims become even more absurd, they tend to figure out that he isn’t actually against the sport. Of course, if a reader was still unclear on his stance his last paragraph makes it clear that he appreciates soccer. “I must say that my kids and I come home from a soccer game a very happy family”(269) is evidence that Webb, in fact, support the game. His most powerful strategy in this essay was the portrayal of being for the opposite side. He made his writing a sarcastic and ironic one so that he could use those arguments against themselves. He destroyed all credibility of the counterargument, improving the credibility of his own.
Webb’s whole essay was suppose to be hilarious and condescending. He places puns, insults, similes and hyperboles throughout the essay, resulting in laughs and anger. This would turn away some readers but it would also keep soccer lovers hooked, keeping their attention. He did this to keep his audience interested and to appeal to more than just the soccer loving people of America. He insults many groups including women. He says “I know my daughter will kick me when she reads this, but soccer is a game for girls” (268), which was meant as an insult of the intelligence and “bloodlust” of females. He intended this insult to keep readers hooked, so that they’d continue to read, only to find out that he does not think females are unintelligent for playing soccer. Puns, similes and hyperboles give this essay a sense of humor, keeping the attention of the readers. Also, making the claims he makes so outlandish that the reader must keep reading. All of these strategies feed into his most powerful one, the one of taking an opposing side on his argument. If a reader stops laughing, and makes it to the end of the essay then they find that Webb actually does not mind soccer and that his kids play the sport. He makes his argument by destroying the counterargument and holding the attention of his audience in a humorous, ironic, and condescending way. He may offend people in the process but they come to find out that he was merely joking and does not feel that way about them or the sport of soccer. Recently in New York, police officer Wenjian Liu was killed while on duty, leaving his family and the other officers in the police force in a state of mourning. Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at officer Liu’s service, but during his eulogy officers turned their back on him. These officers acted in this rude manner since they felt that Mayor de Blasio acted with an “anti-police” campaign; despite the fact that he used rhetorical devices to express his sympathy to all of those who are hurting due to this tragedy.
Mayor de Blasio used the appeal to pathos in order to express his sympathy to both Liu’s family and the New York Police Department. He mentioned his own personal connection to the New York Police Department, being that he was a police officer prior to his current position. He also used anaphora, to emphasize the hurt of the not only Liu’s family was and is feeling, but most of all of the city of New York. He repeats “All of this city..” to increase the speeches pathos and makes the eulogy even more personal. Mayor de Blasio constantly mentioned the officer’s family and even referred to the police force as a ‘second family’, which would appeal to pathos since it is common for someone to value the ones that they love. As he spoke, de Blasio appeared to be a bit choked up about the situation, making the eulogy more personal and making him seem even more sympathetic to those who are hurting. Despite his attempt to release some of the tension that was built around the situation that brought these people together, some officers still turned their back on him and did not want any part in what he was saying. Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed his sympathy for the police department who lost a member of their ‘family’, while comforting Wenjian Liu family in their time of need. He did this by appealing to pathos to make his eulogy more personal and sympathetic. |