The Great Gatsby (Blog 15)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

This book, along with The House of Mirth, shows that one can never truly achieve happiness by living the "American Dream."  It seems like this dream leads to the downfall of characters like Jay Gatsby and Lily Bart.  "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all-Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life" (Fitzgerald, 176).  All five of these characters in The Great Gatsby were trying to live the "American Dream."  However, they never really fit into the lifestyle of the West, and this eventually destroyed all of them.  Gatsby was killed.  Daisy will probably never find happiness, especially now that she is staying with Tom.  Jordan and Nick do not end up together.  All of their lives are left empty and unhappy.  Nick eventually decides to avoid West Egg on Saturday nights, as it is too hard to remember the parties at Gatsby's.  "I spent my Saturday nights in New York, because those gleaming, dazzling parties of his were with me so vividly that I could still hear the music and the laughter, faint and incessant, from his garden, and the cars going up and down his drive" (Fitzgerald, 179).  I think that this quote proves that Gatsby had a greater impact on Nick's life than he could have ever imagined.

The American Dream that was so appealing
to the characters of this novel led to their
corruption and unhappiness.

Overall, I actually thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Unlike Edith Wharton, Fitzgerald was able to consistently keep me engaged in this book.  It was simple to understand, and there were not any parts that I found to be completely boring.  I definitely enjoyed this book a lot more than The House of Mirth!

The Great Gatsby (Blog 14)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Nick describes what it was like after Gatsby's death.  Nick tried so hard to contact a lot of people about the incident, and I found it upsetting that only a few people showed up to Gatsby's funeral.  I feel like all of the people just used him to go to his parties because they clearly didn't care enough about him to show up to his funeral.  They all made up excuses to not come.  I think that this shows that, besides a few people, Gatsby was ultimately a very lonely man.  I was shocked when Mr. Gatz, Gatsby's father, arrived; I had no idea that his parents were even alive.  When Mr. Gatz walked around Gatsby's house, I liked to see how proud he was of his son.  "He had reached an age where death no longer has the quality of ghastly surprise, and when he looked around him now for the first time and saw the height and splendor of the hall and the great rooms opening out from it into other rooms, his grief began to be mixed with an awed pride" (Fitzgerald, 168).  It seems like Gatsby's father had never been to his son's house, so he was not aware of how successful his son had become.  I expected Mr. Wolfsheim to come to the funeral, but he seemed to be too caught up in his work to care.  He said that he was extremely upset about the news, but I think it is a shame that he didn't show up to the funeral of his closest friend.  Another person that I expected to show up to the funeral was Daisy.  Nick never got a hold of her, yet I still think it's sad that she wasn't there because Gatsby really was in love with her.  When Owl-eyes showed up to the funeral, I honestly didn't even remember who he was at first.  I think this further proves that none of Gatsby's "friends" were sincere, but at least Owl-eyes made an effort.  I think that he really just had a desire to become close to Gatsby, which is why he probably showed up to the funeral.  Ultimately, I feel sorry for the lonely life that Gatsby lived.  I didn't realize how alone he must have been until Nick explained his funeral situation.

The Great Gatsby (Blog 13)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

After a sleepless night, Nick gets up very early to talk to Gatsby.  Nick tells Gatsby that his car will be easily traced, and he suggests that Gatsby leave West Egg immediately.  Gatsby ends up telling Nick of he and Daisy's past in Louisville.  At the time, Gatsby was not wealthy; this was the reason that Daisy did not marry him.  "However glorious might be his future as Jay Gatsby, he was at present a penniless young man without a past, and at any moment the invisible cloak of his uniform might slip from his shoulders" (Fitzgerald, 149).  After talking for awhile, Nick realizes that he must leave in order to catch his train.  "'They're a rotten crowd,' I shouted across the lawn.  'You're worth the whole damn bunch put together'" (Fitzgerald, 154).  I thought this was nice of Nick because, as he mentions, he never complimented Gatsby.  Meanwhile, back in the city, Wilson is struggling immensely with his wife's death from the previous night.  Honestly, he kind of goes crazy.  He starts saying that he knows Myrtle's lover is the one that killed her.  He begins a search to find Tom Buchanan, who he thinks will help him identify the car.  (Little does he know that Tom was Myrtle's lover.)  Tom tells Wilson that Gatsby was the driver.  Enraged, Wilson heads to Gatsby's West Egg mansion.  When he arrives at Gatsby's, he shoots Gatsby in the pool.  He then kills himself.  Both are dead by the time Nick arrives at Gatsby's house.  I could not believe this!  I didn't expect either of these men to die, especially not Gatsby!  This ending is already depressing, and I wonder how Nick is going to cope with the death of his good friend.  I also am curious to see how Daisy handles Gatsby's death, since she chose Tom over him the night before.

The Great Gatsby (Blog 12)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

I honestly could not put this book down while I read chapter 7!  It was so eventful, and I didn't expect any of this to happen.  On what is said to be the hottest day of the summer, Nick, Gatsby, and Jordan join the Buchanan couple at their house for lunch.  There is much tension building up during this lunch.  Daisy and Gatsby do a terrible job of hiding their love for each other.  As a result, Tom sees Daisy tell Gatsby that she loves him.  "She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw.  He was astounded.  His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as some one he knew a long time ago" (Fitzgerald, 119).  Tom is infuriated, and he tells everyone that they are going into town.  Once in town, they decide to go up to a suite in the Plaza, where matters only get worse.  Gatsby has the nerve to confront Tom about his wife.  (Bad idea, old sport.)  As if he isn't already crazy enough, Tom explodes and goes off on Gatsby.  He says that Daisy does love him, and no one can understand their relationship.  I was so shocked when Daisy defended Tom!  News flash, Daisy: your husband is crazy, and everyone hates him.  Just earlier in the afternoon, she was telling Gatsby how much she loved him.  Make up your mind, Daisy!

After leaving the hotel, Nick, Tom, and Jordan notice that someone has been struck and killed by a car.  A man named Michaelis informs them that Myrtle Wilson is the victim.  It was a hit and run accident, so the scene is especially hectic.  Nick quickly connects the dots and discovers that Gatsby and Daisy were the ones that hit her.  After leaving the tragic scene, Nick returns to the Buchanan's house.  Gatsby tells Nick what happened.  Daisy was the one driving, but Gatsby says that he is going to take the blame.  I would say that this chapter offered a lot to take in!  I think that Gatsby will come forth and confess to the crime for Daisy.  This will probably land him in jail.  I also am predicting that Daisy and Tom are going to be fine again.  This is because Daisy was acting completely normal while talking and eating with him in her room after the accident.  I am not a big fan of Daisy Buchanan anymore!

P.S.  I love Nick Carraway's sense of humor!  "Angry as I was, as we all were, I was tempted to laugh whenever he opened his mouth.  The transition from libertine to prig was so complete" (Fitzgerald, 130).  This was Nick's description of witnessing Tom's crazy outbreak.  I thought this quote was really clever and funny!

The Great Gatsby (Blog 11)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

In chapter 6, Nick goes to Gatsby's house one evening after not seeing him for weeks.  When he gets there, he sees Tom Buchanan and Mr. and Mrs. Sloane.  Gatsby tells Tom that he knows his wife, which creates an awkward situation.  Tom seems concerned after learning about this.  "'I wonder where in the devil he met Daisy.  By God, I may be old-fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me.  They meet all kinds of crazy fish'" (Fitzgerald, 103).  The following Saturday, Gatsby holds a party at his house.  Unfortunately, Daisy brings Tom with her.  Tom apparently did not trust Daisy to come to the party on her own.  "Perhaps his presence gave the evening its peculiar quality of oppressiveness-it stands out in my memory from Gatsby's other parties that summer" (Fitzgerald, 104).  Tom's presence at the party made it seem different from Gatsby's other parties, according to Nick.  Nick had a premonition that something bad could happen because of this.  I feel like Daisy acted a little bit different around Gatsby at this party.  She just seems like she is afraid of Tom (and I can't blame her).  However, she does get a short amount of time with just Gatsby.  "Then they sauntered over to my house and sat on the steps for half an hour, while at her request I remained watchfully in the garden" (Fitzgerald, 105).  Daisy wanted to spend time with Gatsby alone; however, she feared her husband's reaction.  She had Nick keep an eye out to make sure Tom didn't see them.  Nick realizes that Daisy has not enjoyed herself at all at this party, besides the 30 minutes she had with Gatsby.  Later on in the evening, Nick chats with Gatsby after the Buchanan couple has left.  Gatsby is very upset to notice that Daisy didn't seem to enjoy herself.  "He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say 'I never loved you'" (Fitzgerald, 109).  I hope that Daisy does build up the courage to end her marriage with Tom; however, she is so afraid of him that it is hard to predict whether or not she will.  Also, Tom just annoys me and I cannot stand him at all.  Daisy was right...she was crazy to marry Tom Buchanan.

The Great Gatsby (Blog 10)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

What is it about Mr. Jay Gatsby that
motivates people to make up so many
rumors about him?

Jay Gatsby seems to have a ton of rumors made up about him.  Early on in the novel, Nick was informed that Gatsby was rumored to be a murderer.  Another rumor about him was that he was a foreigner.  When chapter 6 opens, a newspaper reporter shows up at Gatsby's door to interview him.  Gatsby, caught off guard, has no clue why this man is at his home.  In my opinion, the most recent rumor about Gatsby sounds completely ridiculous.  "Contemporary legends such as the "underground pipe-line to Canada" attached themselves to him, and there was one persistent story that he didn't live in a house at all, but in a boat that looked like a house and was moved secretly up and down the Long Island shore" (Fitzgerald, 97).  I don't really understand what makes Gatsby so susceptible to rumors.  Is it because he doesn't try to defend himself when he learns of them?  Is it because he is shy and doesn't bother to bring attention to himself?  I don't really understand it, but I am curious to see if any of the rumors mentioned so far end up being true.  I also am wondering if Gatsby will build up enough courage to defend himself against all of these rumors.  Unlike many other wealthy people, I feel like Mr. Gatsby tries to remain more quiet.  Because he keeps to himself more than others, I think that people prefer to make up rumors about him since he probably won't defend himself.

The Great Gatsby (Blog 9)

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

In the second half of chapter 5, Gatsby takes Daisy and Nick to his estate to give Daisy a tour.  I don't think that he necessarily was showing off for her.  Daisy is extremely impressed by Gatsby's belongings.  I thought it was sweet how glad Gatsby was to see Daisy again.  "He hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes.  Sometimes, too, he stared around at his possessions in a dazed way, as though in her actual and astounding presence none of it was any longer real" (Fitzgerald, 91).  I liked this part because Gatsby was so intrigued by Daisy's reactions to his belongings that he even started to admire all of his possessions.  Seeing Daisy interested in all of his belongings must have given Gatsby great satisfaction.  Gatsby eventually brings his friends to his bedroom, where he shows them all of his beautiful clothes.  "Suddenly, with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily" (Fitzgerald, 92).  She tells Gatsby that she has never seen shirts so beautiful.  I believe that Daisy was overwhelmed with emotions already.  She was experiencing great joy to see Gatsby again, and she was now trying to take in all that he was showing her in his mansion.  Later, Gatsby takes them downstairs to have Mr. Klipspringer play them a song on the piano.  Soon, Gatsby realizes that his presence is no longer recognized; he decides to head back over to his house for the night.  Overall, Gatsby and Daisy clearly had a successful reunion.

The green light on Daisy Buchanan's dock represented
the distance that once separated them.  However, Gatsby cannot
see it through the rain the night they are together again.  This
is because there is no longer any distance between them.

One element of this chapter that I really liked was when Nick explained the symbolism of the green light at the end of the Buchanan's dock.  I honestly probably would have never even thought of this if Nick hadn't explained it to the readers.  "Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever.  Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her" (Fitzgerald, 93).  Before he reunited with Daisy, Gatsby could always see the green light on the dock.  It represented the distance between them.  The night that they are together, it is raining heavily when Gatsby looks out towards the dock.  Because of the rain, he is unable to see the green light.  This is symbolic of how no distance separates the two anymore.  Daisy is with Gatsby now.