Lovely Literature

"He had reached an age where death no longer has the quality of ghastly surprise, and when he looked around him now for thefirst 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 awed pride. " (168) Our perceptions of people after they die tend to be skewed in many directions. Some people end up hating people more after they die, but many people tend to focus on how great the person was, even if they were...well...terrible. Gatsby's dad, now granted he was his dad so that changes the perspective even more, was in complete awe of what Gatsby had made with his life. He always knew that his son would reach great heights, because that's what parents do. They think of the best possible situations for their children and when disaster strikes, it's the other person's fault or the other person is "a madman." Parents are really good at that though, no matter how mean or rude their children were to them. Gatsby completely cut ties with his parents, yet his dad was so proud of him for everything he became. He also didn't question how Gatsby became so rich, so he ignored that fact that there were possibilities of illegalities in the way his son got his money. He also ignored that there were no people at his funeral even though he was apparently so well liked and so popular with his parties. Death skews everything and throws it out of proportion, especially with our relationships and views on others.

"Through this twilight universe, Daisy began to move again with the season; suddenly she was again keeping half a dozen dates a day with half a dozen men, and drowsing asleep at dawn with the beads and chiffon of an evening dress tangled among dying orchids on the flood beside her bed." (151) The motif and symbol of death resounds in this work but in a subtle way for the most part until the end of the novel. This quote is embedded in the story that covers the majority of chapter 8 when Gatsby tells Nick more of his life story, focusing on the times when he met Daisy and was trying to keep her to himself. This quote tells when Daisy began to stop waiting for Gatsby because he was still poor, he was at Oxford for a few months, and apparently she cannot wait for her "true love" for six months to get back home. She began to drift back into her old habits and eventually found Tom Buchanan to marry. She told Gatsby in a letter while he was still at Oxford, and that one of the reasons she was marrying Tom was because he was somewhat of high stature in society and he was wealthy enough to keep her secure and give her what ever she wants. Back to the symbol of death, this quote speaks of the dying orchids on the floor when she fell asleep. The orchids are a reminder of the short-lived "loves" that she had that came and went as quickly as the flowers bloomed and died in her household. I feel like Daisy never really had "love" with any of these men, not even Tom nor Gatsby because she could never be satisfied. In the end, Gatsby, her longest standing orchid, died too without so much as her showing up to give her condolences.

"Myrtle Wilson's body, wrapped in a blanket, and then in another blanket, as though she suffered from a chill in the hot night, lay on a work-table by the wall, and Tom, with his back to us, was bending over it, motionless." (138) At this point, Myrtle has been killed because she ran out in front of a yellow car which so happened to be Gatsby's car. Previously, Tom had been driving the car and told George that it was his car, so at first George suspected him until Tom told him that it was really Jay Gatsby who the car belonged to and he didn't even stop to see if Myrtle was okay when he ran her over. I believe Tom was really just nervous because he didn't want George finding out about his affair with Myrtle. He wanted it to remain mysterious who the man was that she was having an affair with because he was a coward. I think he was afraid that if George found out then he would kill Tom...because...well he ends up killing Gatsby. And people do crazy things for love. I find it interesting that Tom was so upset over Myrtle's death because I don't think he truly cared about her like he thought he did because men who hit their wives or mistresses...that is just shady to me. I don't feel like a man should ever, ever hit a woman who he claims he loves because if he loves her, he would never want to physically harm her. I think Tom is so shocked and upset because he feels like he just lost his wife and his mistress so he is really striking out when he thought his life was progressing perfectly. Tom is a man of pleasure and self-satisfaction, so once his satisfaction was dwindling, he had no where to run to but right back home.

"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." (119) At first I thought the climax of the novel was when Daisy and Gatsby met each other again for the first time in five years, but then when I came upon this part, I quickly changed my mind. The moment that Daisy commented on how "cool" Gatsby always looked, even in the most heated of situations, it dawned on Tom that the wool had been pulled over his eyes, so to speak, about Daisy and Gatsby's relationship. They obviously were lovers, and he was getting beat at his own game. When Tom realized that he could be losing his wife, he nearly went crazy at the thought and immediately tried to pin something on Gatsby that would drive him away from his wife and his family. This part of the novel is basically when all hell breaks loose and all the secrets come out because shortly after Tom realizes Daisy's affair, George realizes Myrtle's affair, and the plot continually thickens. The events spiral down from here and the scandals become well known. The question is, who will Daisy pick? Her former lover who has recently acquired enough wealth to be considered a millionaire, or her safe husband who cheats on her yet still offers her financial security and safety? I'm glad I'm not Daisy...

"So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end." (98) This quote has an element of foreshadowing to it because it brings up the point that there could be an ending to Gatsby's life within the story, which actually ends up happening! The second half of the book as we divided it up begins with Gatsby slowing unveiling his previous life before he became rich and famous in upper class America at that time. He still is able to maintain his air of mystery though because we never actually find out his exact line of work, which makes it seem like he is into or has been into some shady business. Not to mention the fact that he is good friends with Meyer Wolfsheim who is notorious for having controlled the World Series scandal in 1919. Gatsby has such an intriguing character because he is reserved and taciturn in the first half of the novel and then begins to come out of his shell more with Nick as his friend. Gatsby, in the end, is just suffering from a lost love that he never truly got back because he died before Daisy and his relationship could have been decided. He spent five years building up his wealth and his prominence to win back Daisy, when in the end, he died alone and remained alone in his mansion and at his funeral.

Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
'Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
-Thomas Parke D'Invilliers

This quote shows up on the title page of the book and it intrigued me. This kind of sets the theme for the rest of the book because it speaks of people always wanting more and especially lover's wanting something that looks or seems to be impressive. It shows how the characters in this book are very attached to their material items and have a problem with giving them up. If they see something they like such as a "gold hat" or something that interests them, they must have them. They must have the things that interest or entertain them the most. They seem to believe their sophistication stems from the size of their paycheck, or rather, their husband's paycheck. This poem seems to emulate the feeling in the air of the wealthy because they just want more and more. Eventually they are going to get to rock bottom because no matter how much they get, they are never going to be satisfied because material items cannot replace physical people or the feeling of love.

"And I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy." (page 49)

This is a paradox and a quote from Jordan Baker to Nick Carraday when they are at Gatsby's party. Carraday was specifically invited by Gatsby and he is searching for him to meet him. I find this quote interesting because at a first read I was thinking why would a larger party be more intimate? But a large party would be intimate if there were only a select few people that one would want to be around because people are so engrossed with their little groups that they wouldn't bother others. On the other hand, smaller parties are somewhat more private if the people aren't trying to be away from anyone at the actual party. Jordan seems to drop hints often about being alone with Carraday or something of the like. Even Daisy says that she will "arrange a marriage" between the two of them at some point. They seem to have a budding love that is starting out very slowly but when Jordan and Nick go out so she can explain what Gatsby would like, they begin to forget about their friends and focus more on each other. I love this book so far!!! :]]

"They drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together." (page 6)

This quote embodies much of the wealthy society of the '20s because they were all sort of lost souls. They were searching around for something that they didn't have but they weren't finding it because they basically had everything they needed material wise. Yeah, they would take expensive vacations around the world and own multiple houses, but they could never really find what they needed. For instance, Daisy seems to be very happy on the outside or on the first impression, but as we get to see Daisy more in the story, we see that she is upset with her life and her husband. We can see that her husband is cheating on her but she doesn't know what to do about it because without him she would be a social outcast and would not have any fortune to her name. These people were like lost, diamond-clad souls who would wander around looking for adventure, or something to spend their money on. Gatsby I think is still one of those souls as he is searching for his love or someone to be his lover, but until then he throws parties hoping to meet her and then stands outside to watch the night sky when the party comes to an end.

"The younger of the two was a stranger to me, She was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall. If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it-- indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in." (page 8)

Ahh characterization...the backbone of literary analysis, in my personal opinion of course.

Nick Carraday
Carraday is the protagonist and narrator of the story who is the sense of realism because he is not focused solely on riches and getting richer. He lives in a simple house in the midst of mansions [i.e. Gatsby's and Daisy's mansions] and he lives in a part of New York, though somehwat "less fashionable" as he put it, that is centered around fame and luxury. He is an intelligent man who graduated from Yale and now feels the calling to learn about bonds in NY much to his family's chagrin. He ends up being a matchmaker between Gatsby and Daisy by chapter five, and he seems to have found a love for himself in Jordan Baker.


Jay Gatsby
Gatsby is the most mysterious character so far because he is so famous in the wealthy world yet no one actually knows him. Everyone assumes these stories about him, like he "once killed a man" or he is "actually a criminal," when in reality, he was a man from North Dakota who didn't fit in with his family and decided to get away. From there he plunged himself into his new identity and his dream...he went from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, and began to make a name for himself. We do know that he was and is desperately in love with the beautiful Daisy Buchanan who he met many years ago when he was in the armed forces.


Daisy Buchanan
Daisy is the cousin of Carraday who is married to Tom Buchanan. Tom is basically...a cheating scumbag who has had a mistress for many years, who might I add is also married and cheating on her husband. The sad part is, Daisy knows of his adultery and yet she refuses to divorces him because "she is religious" according to Tom's mistress's sister. Daisy is the kind of woman who is beautiful yet focused on social status and luxuries. She believes because she has had experiences and has traveled much that she should be happy with everything. On the other hand, she is is miserable and seems to be looking for a way out. Finding her former love I think is going to help her get there.

Jordan Baker
Jordan Baker is another interesting character who is somewhat mysterious. She is a famous athlete and friend of both Gatsby and Daisy. She was not well acquainted with Gatsby though until Carraday came into her life and she realized they were neighbors. Jordan has begun to be a love interest for Carraday, and something about her makes me like her. I hope things work out :]

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages you've had. " (page 1)

This quote starts off The Great Gatsby with an immediate theme and tone. The protagonist and narrator, Nick Carraday, is told this quote by his father. As the first couple paragraphs continue on, we find out that our narrator believes his father to have been quite snobbish but still had great advice every once in a while and this is some of that advice. He taught Nick how to listen and reserve all judgments, but mostly to be a gentleman in a world full of people who are rich and poor. One of the themes of The Great Gatsby definitely revolves around the lifestyles of the rich and famous [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-jC3H_8Dk4 <-- yeah that's a clever little Good Charlotte video Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous :]. The story takes place back in the "Roaring '20s" when the rich were richer than ever and the poor weren't getting anywhere. Leading up to the Great Depression, this story focuses on people like Carraday, his cousin Daisy, and of course the infamous Jay Gatsby who seem to have no problems because they are born from money and basically made of money. As I am currently only halfway through the book, I am curious to see more action take place and see how their social statuses are going to evade their lives.