Lovely Literature

"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...

The ill-fated question that faces every hero: To jump or not to jump?

It can arise in any situation.
---Jack and Rose in the Titanic literally contemplating jumping off the boat.
---Princess Jasmine choosing whether or not to jump onto the magic carpet with Aladdin.
---Batman jumping multiple times to save the citizens of Gotham City.
---O'Brien choosing not to jump or run away from his fear.

Oh dear. The quote I chose for the beginning of this entry is exploding with rhetorical questions, as is the rest of the page. O'Brien literally goes through his entire life [past,present, and future] before he decides to stay on the boat.

When Berdahl takes O'Brien out fishing, he knows what he is doing. He is willingly giving O'Brien the chance to run away from everything he is afraid of. I believe that Berdahl knows what decision will be made. He knows that O'Brien is too strong to run away from the things that scare him. Most of all, he is afraid to disappoint.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the biggest turning point, not only in this novel, but in Tim O'Brien's life. He had the obvious choice. He could have gotten out so easily, but he faced his fear and faked his courage until it was real. Once again, my hero Elroy Berdahl, saves the day :]