Showing posts with label paradox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paradox. Show all posts

The Great Gatsby 4

"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!!! :]]

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Much Madness is divinest Sense by Emily Dickinson

Another crazy Emily Dickinson poem. Seriously...you'd think we had read half of her anthology by now! :]

I like her though. I know I've said something similar to this in my earlier blogs, but her craziness is intriguing. At the same time, she drives me insane when I can't figure out what she is talking about. I'm just going to post the entire poem on here because it's not terribly long.

"Much madness is divinest sense
To such a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness
'T is the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent-- and you are sane.
Demur-- you're straightaway dangerous,
And handled with a Chain. "

Everything she writes has so much meaning but it really takes a lot of concentration to delve into it. The central theme in this poem is conformity is sane which is actually mad, so madness constitutes true sanity. Yeah, that doesn't exactly make sense when I read that back to myself, but after I keep reading it I can make sense of it. Talk about the ultimate paradox! This poem basically turns the meaning of the words sane and madness around from what we have always known. According to Dickinson, madness is best because nonconformity and madness go hand in hand. Dickinson was obviously a nonconformist and she seems to believe that conforming is completely insane, so the majority is wrong. I like her individualism and how she believes in the power to the minority. Maybe some poeple see her as crazy and depressed or something, but she gives us a great stance on thinking about life.

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