From chapters 1-4, select a passage that focuses on / reveals something about one of the novel's major characters (Nick, Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, Jordan or Myrtle). This passage can be narration, dialogue, whatever (but it must have something interesting to analyze / discuss).
Type and cite the passage, and then analyze the heck out of it with a focus on what it indicates / reveals about the character you've chosen. Look not only at the passage as a whole, but also at its details (phrasing / word choices).
Be sure to sign your name and not to repeat a passage that has already been analyzed.
"It'll show you how I've gotten to feel about – things. Well, she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where. I woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling, and asked the nurse right away if it was a boy or a girl. She told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept. 'All right,' I said, 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool – that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.'"(16-17)
ReplyDeleteWithin the first twenty pages of the novel, Fitzgerald introduces the characters Daisy and Tom Buchanan, along with Daisy’s cousin Nick. Instantly it is stated that both Tom and Daisy come from family money and eventually Fitzgerald explains that the two were married at a young age. Prior to engaging in conversation at dinner, Nick is under the impression that Daisy and Tom are happily married with a beautiful daughter; however, we shortly learn that this is not the case. In this passage, Daisy expresses how lonely and saddened she is in her marriage. Nick has found out that not only does Tom have a mistress in New York, but he also was not present for the birth of their child. Daisy stating that she hopes her daughter will be a “beautiful little fool” demonstrates her insecurities and unhappiness in her marriage. While she does not want her daughter to be a fool literally, she figuratively believes that this is the only way she can protect her from the misfortunes in life. Fitzgerald characterizes Daisy as a beautiful and free-spirited woman who from the looks of it appears to have it all; yet, upon looking deeper one can infer that Daisy is the far from far-spirited. She attempts to put up a wall, demonstrating that she is confident, when in reality she is insecure and saddened by what her life has become. By expressing her feelings to Nick, who she has not seen in years, Fitzgerald provides insight into just how lonely Daisy is. The lack of connection between Daisy and Tom clearly exemplifies the distant relationship that defines their marriage.
“‘You see I think everything’s terrible anyhow,’ she went on in a convinced way. ‘Everybody thinks so-the most advanced people. And I know. I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.’ Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Tom’s , and she laughed with thrilling scorn”(17).
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Daisy Buchanan is expressing to Nick how unhappy she is. She has what to most people, seems like the most grand life: an extremely wealthy husband, a young daughter, and a beautiful home. According to Daisy, ‘the most advanced people’ have also come to the same realization as her, which from her stance, supports her feelings and thoughts towards her world. She has ‘been everywhere and seen everything’ and yet she is still unhappy. She has traveled to many places and gone on many adventures and in the midst of all of it, she couldn't find anything good. When she tells Nick that ‘everything’s terrible’ she says it in such a way that she believes that so strongly and no one can convince her otherwise. As Daisy says this ‘her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way,’ as if she was challenging Nick to disagree with her. In result of Daisy being this unhappy, she has become restless, and seems to want to experience something that will make her change her outlook on the world she lives in.
-Shannon Furgal
“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced-or seemed to face- the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey” (48).
ReplyDeleteNick’s description of Gatsby’s smile reveals that Gatsby is a genuine person who only sees the best in people. From this point of view, Gatsby is seen as a saint-like person. The idea that his smile faced the whole “external” world suggests that Gatsby is separate from others. He is perhaps at a higher level of knowledge and virtue. The word “you” is put in italics to emphasize the intimidation and honor that Nick feels upon being looked at by Gatsby. Additionally, the fact that Gatsby is described as “eternal”, “rare”, someone that is crossed “four or five times in life”, and seems to face the “whole external world” grants him a godly power. With these phrases, Nick depicts him as a Christ figure, insinuating ultimate goodness. From this passage, the reader begins to understand why Nick would call Gatsby “the Great Gatsby”.
However, Gatsby’s demeanor is described as respectful in the way that he understands people “just as far” as they wish to be understood, indicating that he does not question the possibility of hidden flaws. He perceives only the impression that his acquaintances “hoped to convey”, which could be a deceiving impression. This observation, along with the fact that Gatsby throws parties for people who do not care for him, reveals disinterest in the morality of others. Gatsby’s action of ignoring sin suggests that he is desperate for companionship. If so, the reader may assume that Gatsby has had an emotionally damaging experience in his past. Also, the idea that Gatsby’s excessive kindness is simply a façade to make friends raises the question of whether or not he should be trusted. The use of dashes in the passage represents the complex thinking that Nick is doing as he analyses Gatsby. The dashes reveal Nick’s struggle to understand Gatsby, portraying Gatsby as a character with obscure motives.
Victoria Lagasse
"Mrs. Wilson changed her costume some time before, and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-colored chiffon... With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change. The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur. Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment..." (30-31)
ReplyDeleteThis passage showed the rapid change of Myrtle from being in the valley of ashes and then the rich New York lifestyle. Being in New York changes her personality, making her almost seem stuck up and snobby and acting the way that a rich person should act. While she is actually from the valley and her personality is more grave and not lively. As Myrtle progressively changes her clothes to more of a richer style, her personality changes along with it and she becomes more rambunctious and spends Tom Buchanan's money to get fancier clothes and so her personality ends up even more obnoxious, (if that's even possible).
Gabby Adams
“I glanced back once. A wafer of a moon was shining over Gatsby’s house, making the night fine as before, and surviving the laughter and the sound of his still glowing garden. A sudden emptiness seemed to flow now from the windows and the great doors, endowing with complete isolation the figure of the host, who stood on the porch, his hand up in a formal gesture of farewell” (55)
ReplyDeleteAs Nick is leaving from the party, he glances back over his shoulder and catches a glimpse of Gatsby. The moon highlights the giant house, which is now quiet and empty. Where just a little while ago there was a loud, hectic, party full of chaos, now the moon illuminates the calmness. Along with the silence and emptiness, is the houses host, Gatsby, who is isolated and standing still, slowly and nonchalantly waving a farewell to Nick. This description captures a side of Gatsby’s personality and also draws a huge parallel between Gatsby and his home. Gatsby, alone, has a very mysterious and isolated yet big and popular reputation amongst everyone like his big yet empty and isolated home. However, when he throws these huge parties, Gatsby and his home are surrounded by people, and his social and outgoing side is brought out. Gatsby is also known for his extremely nice and large house, so his home is a very important part of his characterization and development in the novel.
-Rachel White (p.1)
"... I first met Tom Buchanan's mistress. The fact that he had one was insisted upon wherever he was known. His acquaintances resented the fact that he turned up in popular restaurants with her and, leaving her at a table, sauntered about, chatting with whomsoever he knew"(24).
ReplyDeleteNick decides to join Tom on his way to meet his "mistress" which according to Myrtle is known by almost all. The definition of mistress of course is a woman having a extramarital relationship usually with a married man clearly showing that Tom is cheating on Daisy. This relationship between Tom and Mrs. Wilson reveals not only Tom's true character but also gives insight to Daisy. Tom is clearly a man who does not seem to appreciate everything that he his life, including his money, beautiful wife, and luxurious lifestyle he is able to live. Its almost as if with all he has he cannot be completely satisfied and therefore cheats on his wife. Along with this he brings his mistress to "popular restaurants" meaning he does not care if anyone knows about this affair that he has. He leaves Mrs. Wilson with his wealthy friends to talk to while he does other tasks and doesn't have a worry in the world that his secretive relationship with Mrs. Wilson will be known by many. This also can help reveal some characteristics about Daisy. Since Tom's secret woman becomes well-known to many Daisy gets wind of it and does nothing about it. She realizes that Tom has this secret relationship and keeps her hands off instead of talk about it with Tom. She leaves it as it is and goes on with her life. At one point when Nick is over she has a firm talking to Tom about it but nothing severe occurs. After her dispute with Tom she talks to Nick in a secluded area in a very heavy and serious tone. Although she does not say it directly she is clearly extremely lonely and abandoned especially since Tom is with another woman while also with Daisy. This relationship between Tom and his mistress brings about a lot of characterization throughout the novel to further advance each characters personality and views.
-Tim Lellman
"This is a valley of ashes — a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air"(23).
ReplyDeletePrior to visiting the Wilsons, Nick Carraway describes the Valley of Ashes which is located half way between West Egg and New York. The relevance of using the word “Valley” and “Ashes” in the same phrase contrasts the green, hilly, and positive thoughts associated with the word valley and the polluted, industrial, and poor thoughts associated with the word ashes. By depicting the Valley of Ashes as a fantastic and almost unreal place instead of the horrible hell hole it actually is, it becomes romanticized and all the suffering people within the valley become ignored and forgotten about. The imagery of “men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air" paints the realistic reality of the horrible conditions these impoverished people are living in inside the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes symbolizes the plight of the poor who live among the horrible living conditions and dirty ashes just as George Wilson and his wife do. Along with the plight of the poor, the Valley of Ashes also represents the social decay that results from the selfish rich citizens having no regard for anyone but themselves and only indulging in their own pleasure not what’s best for their community.
-Ian Kosovsky
Good discussion of the setting, but it's unclear how this response is character analysis...(see the prompt).
Delete"I was confused and a little disgusted as I drove away. It seemed to me that the thing for Daisy to do was to rush out of the house, child in arms- but apparently there was no such intentions in her head. As for Tom, the fact that he 'had some woman in New York' was really less surprising than that he had been depressed by a book" (20).
ReplyDeleteThis passage clearly illustrates the social awkwardness that Nick felt in the presence of the Buchanans. Though he comes from a wealthy family, he is clearly not used to the wealth of the Buchanans and their lifestyle that goes with it. Nick is reflecting on his experiences of the night and attempts to make sense of their life choices and attitude.To Nick it would make sense for Daisy to leave Tom after discovering that he is having an affair and is both "confused" on why she doesn't and "disgusted" with the fact that she stays. In relation to Tom he is "confused" on why he would be having an affair and is "disgusted" that he is. These feelings emphasize Nick's detachment from the upper class society.
-Rachel English
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"I told that boy about the ice." Myrtle raised her eyebrows in despair at the shiftlessness of the lower orders. "These people! You have to keep after them all the time" (69)
ReplyDeleteIn the first chapters of the book, the themes of social class and wealth constantly reoccur. The social classes intorduced are the rich people that come from family money, the middle class or new money, and the lower working class. The passage above suggests that Myrtle is insecure about her social class especially around a man like Tom Buchanan who comes from a very wealthy blood line. She speaks about the lower as if they are uneducated and worthless.When she is talking about the ice boy she explains that the lower class must always be looked after. Although Myrtle talks about the lower class negatively, it is most likely her way of compensating for being a part of the working class. She may try to seem like she married into a lower class, but in reality she is no where near being a part of the wealthy upper class. Perhaps her attrction to Tom stems from how rich he is. If she has been married to a man of the working class she may be willing to settle for a snobby and abusive man as long as he has money. This passage also shows a connection between Myrtle and Gatsby. Both characters are trying to go from rags to riches. Gatsby has myseteriouly accomplished acquiring wealth while Myrtle is trying to by becoming involved with Tom.
-Shelby Leland
"Catherine leaned close to me and whispered in my ear:
ReplyDelete'Neither of them can stand the person they're married to.'
'Can't they?'
'Can't stand them.' She looked at Myrtle and then at Tom. 'What I say is , why go on living with them if they can't stand them? If I was them I'd get a divorce and get married to each other right away.'
'Doesn't she like Wilson either?'
The answer to this was unexpected. It came from Myrtle, who had overheard the question, and it was violent and obscene.
'You see,' cried Catherine triumphantly. She lowered her voice again. 'It's really his wife that's keeping them apart. She's a Catholic, and they don't believe in divorce.'
Daisy was not a Catholic, and I was a little shocked at the elaborateness of the lie. (33).
This passage reveals a lot about some characters that were revealed in the start of the novel, and also about the novel overall. Myrtle is clearly naïve to a certain degree, she believes Tom’s reasons for not divorcing Daisy, though it has been brought up in conversation. Catherine stated that the affair continuing without any action with their spouses was because of Daisy, which probably meant that Myrtle would have wanted to divorce Wilson and Tom refused the idea. A lot of deception and cheating going on in the novel is also revealed through this passage, not only Tom cheating on Daisy despite their otherwise perfect life, but the way he plays Myrtle also. She believes Tom would divorce Daisy if he could, and Tom keeps Myrtle wrapped around his finger. It wasn’t atypical during the 1920’s for a rich man to have a mistress on the side and therefore this shows the time period well.
The passage also reveals characteristics about Nick and his surprise to learning all of these things about his cousin and her husband. Before his dinner with them, he had thought they had a happy extravagant life. It was then showed to him Daisy’s unhappiness and Tom’s affair, from Jordan Baker. His last comment in the passage shows how different he is from Tom and Daisy. Besides having only a substantial amount of money, it shows he didn’t live among such deception before. He is only “a little shocked,” at Tom’s lies of hating being married to Daisy. Nevertheless, he didn’t even want to meet Myrtle, but Tom insisted.
Sophie Parente
"He wants to know," continued Jordan, "if you'll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come over."
ReplyDelete"The modesty of the demand shook me. He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths--so that he could 'come over' some afternoon to a stranger's garden" (78).
Gatsby is revealed to have had a romantic relationship with Daisy Buchanan before her marriage to Tom. Jordan tells Nick that they fell in love while Gatsby was still a lieutenant in the military. They slowly faded away from each other when Gatsby left for the war, leading to her eventual marriage to Tom. Due to Gatsby's misfortune, he was forced to lose the one woman he ever loved and cared for. He thinks about her every day,wondering what could have been if everything had went his way.
Gatsby is perceived as a perfect human being with no visible faults in character or possessions. However, he is revealed to be an envious man with intent to destroy the sacred bonds of marriage. Granted, those bonds have already been broken by Daisy's husband, Tom. Tom's relationship with Myrtle Wilson in New York consumed his vows to be true to his wife. Gatsby's obsessive thoughts surrounding Daisy finally eats him up to the point that he requests an "accidental" encounter with her through the help of Nick. Nick was told to invite Daisy over to his place for afternoon tea, to which Gatsby would arrive shortly after by Jordan. When Nick learns of the fact that Gatsby bought his mansion at West Egg solely to be close to Daisy, he was flabbergasted. He ponders if in fact this was his plan all along or if it was thought of on a whim. Nick believes it to be a well-thought-out plan due to the amount of time Gatsby took to come forth with this request, five years. Despite his opinion on the subject, Nick reluctantly agrees to hold this "accidental" encounter for the moment. Whether or not Nick follows through with Gatsby's unethical request remains to be seen, but it is sure to play a key role in his growing relationship with Gatsby and his withstanding one with Daisy.
-Danny Gagne
"We waited for her down the road and out of sight. It was a few days before the fourth of July, and a gray scrawny Italian child was setting torpedoes in a row along the railroad track.
ReplyDelete"Terrible place isn't it," said Tom, exchanging a frown with Doctor Eckleburg.
"Awful."
"It does her good to get away."
"Doesn't her husband object?"
"Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive."
So Tom Buchanan and his girl and I went up together to New York---or not quite together, for Mrs. Wilson sat discreetly in another car. Tom deferred that much to the sensibilities of those East Eggers who might be on the train." (26).
Tom Buchanan is presented in The Great Gatsby as an extremely intimidating person with a cruel body. This passage perfectly captures an unsympathetic personality that compliments his unforgiving and strong stature. The scene takes place while Nick and Tom are waiting to take Tom's mistress to a party. While waiting for his date, Tom criticizes the area in which his mistress lives. He does this to support his wrongdoings by acting like he is saving her from a depressed area. In reality he is cheating on his own wife and he is taking the wife of another man whenever he feels like going out partying. He totally disregards the sacred bond of matrimony and doesn't feel any remorse for his actions. Rather than recognizing his wrong doings, he believes that it is all right for him to have an affair with his mistress, Myrtle, because he is bringing her away from this "terrible place" and this "dumb" man. There is a bit of irony shown in this passage, as well, in that he has no problem with his wife knowing that he cheats on her, but he is very self-conscience when it comes to his reputation amongst the other East Eggers. While Nick and Tom are waiting for Myrtle to arrive, they are "down the road and out of sight" so that people don't wonder who they are waiting for. Also, while they are heading to the party in New York, Ms. Wilson rides in another car separate from them so that people don't notice Tom and her together. This shows that Tom is worried about what others will think despite feeling that he saving this girl from a "dumb" man and a "terrible" place. It shows that, deep down, Tom knows that what he is doing is not right, but, as long as the public doesn't know about it, he doesn't mind. Many of the characters that Nick encounters throughout the book he finds to be unmoral and Tom is a perfect example. He takes advantage of other people's ignorance like Mr. Wilson's, and uses it to his own benefit disregarding whether what he is doing if fair or moral.
-Evan Nelson
“Jordan Baker instinctively avoided clever, shrewd men, and now I saw that this was because she felt safer on a plane where any divergence from a code would be thought impossible. She was incredibly dishonest. She wasn’t able to endure being at a disadvantage and, given this unwillingness, I suppose she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young in order to keep that cool, insolent smile turned to the world and yet satisfy the demands of her hard, jaunty body,” (58).
ReplyDeleteIn this passage Nick expresses his opinions and judgements about Jordan. Nick caught Jordan in a lie when she denied leaving the convertible top open, and he recalled a story that he heard about her cheating to win her first golf match. These two unethical actions lead him to classify her as a dishonest and deceptive girl. This impression of her leads the reader wondering what other subterfuges she has taken part in, and whether or not she is hiding more secrets. She is characterized as a shady and secretive girl, who clearly can not be trusted. Nick states that she has a lot of self confidence and likes to come off as unflawed which is the reasoning behind her deceptive actions.
This passage is also ironic due to what Nick said on the very first page of the book. He claimed, “ I’m inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not few veteran bores.” He explains that he is a non judgmental person, which in reality is not the case due to his criticizing of Jordan, along with many other characters in the book. He calls Jordan out for being dishonest and acts like he knows everything about her. At this point in the story he does not know her very well, yet he comes up with theories and opinions based off of rumors and stories he has heard. He is judging her and acting the exact opposite from who he originally said he was. Due to the dishonest actions from Jordan’s past she comes off as a shady and deceptive character; yet at the same, time Nick is ironically acting hypocritical because of his judging despite his claim that he is a judge free person.
Dana Lidsky
“…I thought I’d never seen a girl so mad about her husband. If he left the room for a minute she’d look around uneasily, and say: “Where’s Tom gone?” and wear the most abstracted expression until she saw him coming in the door.” (76-77)
ReplyDeleteJordan explains to Nick that after Tom and Daisy got married, she was very in love with him, almost too much. Before her marriage, she was distraught, most likely over Gatsby and not being able to be with him. But this sudden change shows an acceptance. The reader is unsure what the letter said, but can assume it from Gatsby. Whatever it was, Daisy seems to have accepted it and moved on. In her married life, she throws herself 100% at Tom and loving him. She uses him as a distraction from any real feelings she may still have for Gatsby. By focusing all her attention on Tom, she cannot mourn the loss of her relationship with Gatsby. The fact that she has a “abstracted expression” shows that she is contemplating him and her own feelings. Maybe when he is away, she loses her distraction and starts to think about all the complex emotions she feels. But the minute he returns, she returns to her own avoidance. It’s an interesting relationship as she does not seem to love him nor him love her in the summer that Nick explains. Something must have happened between the time Jordan explained and the time Nick is explaining. Daisy is a complex girl with some obvious secrets that Nick, and the reader, is slowly starting to discover as Gatsby tries to win his girl back and
Gilly Moore
"He looked at me sideways--and I knew why Jordan Baker had believed he was lying. He hurried the phrase 'educated at Oxford,' or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it has bothered him before. And with this doubt his whole statement fell to pieces, and I wondered if there wasn't something a little sinister about him, after all."(65)
ReplyDeleteUp until Nick's ride into lunch with Gatsby, Gatsby had been portrayed as a mysterious but kind gentleman. But there were many stories told that suggested Gatsby was anything from a German spy to a bootlegger. When Gatsby tried to discredit these stories by telling Nick his supposed past, he actually ends up possibly doing the opposite. Using words like "hurried", "swallowed", and "choked on", Fitzgerald emphasizes the uncertainty with which Gatsby talks about his past. In Nick's previous conversations with him, Gatsby had maintained very formal, nearly perfect, speech. But only when attptimg to discuss his past with Nick, Gatsby begins stumbling over his own words. This sets off alarm bells for Nick, and possibly for the reader, and Nick wonders if he believes what Gatsby is telling him. Nick says, "his whole statement fell to pieces" because of the way he spoke. With these possible lies from Gatsby and possibly true stories that Nick heard from others, Fitzgerald brings to light what could be another, darker side to the man known as Gatsby.
"Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my scorn--Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away. This responsiveness had nothing to do with that flabby impressionability which is dignified under the name of "creative temperament"-- it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which is not likely I shall ever find again" (2).
ReplyDeleteNick starts the novel saying that his reserved judgement has limit, and that is those people who have an unparalleled wealth. However, the Great Gatsby is the one man who is excluded in his scorn. This says a lot for a character who the reader has yet to even meet, it is only page two after all. Anyway, Nick continues to describe Gatsby as a type of perfect personality, "gorgeous" as he calls it. A "heightened sensitivity" that lets him feel anything in life and be able to live it his way. Nick nearly portrays Gatsby as a larger than life character who is on the same scale of earthquakes and other life altering phenomena.
Trent Jones
"I lived at West Egg, the – well, the least fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them. My house was at the very tip of the egg, only fifty yards from the Sound, and squeezed between two huge places that rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season. The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard … My own house was an eyesore, but it was a small eyesore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires—all for eighty dollars a month."(14)
ReplyDeleteNick comes off in the story in with two completely different ways. He has connections with East Egg people due to his Yale education, and seems to fit the role of an East Egg person. Nick is brought into an uncomfortable situation while at dinner with Tom and Daisey, and their argument displays how hose of money can live in more lies.
This quote talks about where Nick reisides, an "eyesore" of a house In West Egg. The house was in between two mansions and forgotten about for that reason.
Nick confused me at the beginning of the novel, as his financial stuatus is up in the air. He comes off as a person of wealth, amc hangs around with those of wealth, but is confident and proud when telling his audience about the house he got the great bargain on. Also, he is the poor living between the two rich, one of who is Gatsby, who at some points he bashes on, while other times he admires him.
“Some time toward midnight Tom Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson stood face to face discussing in impassioned voices, whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisy’s name. ‘Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson. “I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai –” Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” (20.7% on ebook)
ReplyDeleteThis passage is obviously depictive of Tom Buchanan’s aggressive nature. Previously in the novel Nick mentioned that he remembers Tom to be strong and aggressive from their college days, and apparently his habits have not changed. If Tom treats his mistress this way, it is not unreasonable to infer that he probably treats Daisy in a similar fashion, if not worse. This domestic conflict may be a piece of foreshadow that hints at Daisy leaving Tom for Gatsby since we later learn of their history as lovers.
Irony is also present here, as seen by Tom hitting Mrs. Wilson for mentioning his wife Daisy, presumably in order to lessen the reminder that he is married and shouldn’t be cheating, even though both parties are outright admitting that they are already bound by vows to others. From Tom’s violent and excessive reaction, he probably knows that what he is doing is wrong but can’t bring himself to face it. He seems to be in a state of denial, unlike Mrs. Wilson who doesn’t seemed to be bothered by this immoral endeavor in the least.
Since Tom is actively cheating on Daisy, it is obvious that they’re not in a mutually loving relationship. This gives Nick a lot of power, for he could easily tell Daisy about Tom cheating and probably set her up with Gatsby like they had been before, or he could remain silent in support of Tom. It seems to me that Nick’s personal choices will have an enormous impact on the plot development of this novel.
From the interaction between Tom and Mrs. Wilson, their relationship seems very tenuous. They are an argumentative pair, and Mrs. Wilson’s provocation and Tom’s physical response signal that their fling will quickly collapse. This volatility seems likely to become a theme associated with Tom.
“The only completely stationary object in the room was an enormous couch on which two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon. They were both in white, and there dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house, I must have stood for a few moments listening to the whip and snap of the curtains and the groan of a picture on the wall. Then there was a boom as Tom Buchanan shut the rear windows and the caught wind dies out about the room, and the curtains and the rugs and the two young women ballooned slowly to the floor” (8)
ReplyDeleteThis passage shows a distinct change in mood once Tom Buchanan enters the room, furthering his description in the previous pages. In the pages before, Tome Buchanan is described as sturdy, arrogant, dominant, aggressive, powerful, and capable of great leverage and abuse. The beginning of this passage gives a light airy description that seems to represent freedom and purity in many ways. This is because of the use of the color white signifying purity and the description of constant movement and animation of objects from the wind. However, once Tom Buchanan enters the scene there is a distinct change in mood. It goes from freedom and purity to death and being captured/ chained down. This reiterates Tom Buchanan’s description because it describes many of the previously stated adjectives used to describe Tom Buchanan. Tom in this passage darkens the mood when he shut the rear windows with a “boom”, which represents his violent nature. The mood is then darkened further because the wind does not simply go away, but it “dies out of the room” making it seem as though his presence in the room is deadly. Finally, the mood is darkened when the two young women, rugs, and curtains “balloon to the floor”. This makes it seem as though Tom is scary or gives reason for the women and even the inanimate objects such as rugs and curtains to flinch and calm down as if not to anger him.
- Bits Sangiorgi
"I was bridesmaid. I came into her room half an hour before the bridal dinner, and found her lying on her bed as lovely as the June night in her flowered dress — and as drunk as a monkey. She had a bottle of Sauterne in one hand and a letter in the other.
ReplyDelete''Gratulate me,' she muttered. 'Never had a drink before, but oh how I do enjoy it.'
'What’s the matter, Daisy?'
I was scared, I can tell you; I’d never seen a girl like that before.
'Here, deares’.' She groped around in a waste-basket she had with her on the bed and pulled out the string of pearls. 'Take ’em down-stairs and give ’em back to whoever they belong to. Tell ’em all Daisy’s change’ her mine. Say: ‘Daisy’s change’ her mine!’.'
She began to cry — she cried and cried. I rushed out and found her mother’s maid, and we locked the door and got her into a cold bath. She wouldn’t let go of the letter. She took it into the tub with her and squeezed it up into a wet ball, and only let me leave it in the soap-dish when she saw that it was coming to pieces like snow." (76)
In this passage Fitzgerald takes the readers to the day of Daisy's wedding through Jordan Baker's point of view. This night is a pivotal moment in the story for Daisy in character development. This passage, the recollection by Jordan, comes during this built up meeting between Jordan and Nick about Gatsby. The timing is very important. In this passage we see a stark contrast in imagery right from the beginning. Daisy was "lying on her bed as lovely as the June night in her flowered dress" and "as drunk as a monkey." This is very odd behavior for Daisy as she "Never had a drink before." Obviously drunk, the only indication of a catalyst for this turn of events is the "letter in the other" hand. Daisy is an absolute wreck which Fitzgerald describes her movements as groping around. On that night, Daisy "began to cry — she cried and cried." The reason being she did not want to marry Tom. She was so passionate about this that the helplessness of her situation drove her to her current disarray. But all through this crisis, Jordan recalled "She wouldn't let go of the letter." This letter, clearly the cause of Daisy's sudden change of heart, and its contents are never revealed. Daisy made sure to stay in the tub until she saw "that it was coming to pieces like snow." It being the letter. Because of the timing of Jordan's recollection and the topic of the conversation supposedly being Jay Gatsby it is heavily implied that the letter was in fact from said man. The later revelations of the extent of Gatsby's affection for Daisy seem to couple with this night. Daisy just might love Gatsby just as much as he does her. It can be assumed by the sudden change of heart from Daisy to stop the wedding that the letter had asked her to wait. This further explains and gives reason to Daisy's discontent in her marriage with Tom Buchanan. So much emotional strife in these few sentences adds a lot of depth to her character. It reveals the lost love Daisy had for Gatsby. It exemplifies the contrast in 'enthusiasm' in Daisy's relations with Tom and Gatsby. It also shows a bit about how Daisy deals with her major problems, hitting the booze. Her true feeling are definitely shown in a rare moment of weakness.
-James Junker
“For a while I lost sight of Jordan Baker, and then in midsummer I found her again. At first I was flattered to go places with her, because she was a golf champion, and everyone knew her name. Then it was something more. It wasn’t actually love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity. The bored haughty face that she turned to the world concealed something most affectations conceal something eventually, even though they don’t in the beginning…” (57)
ReplyDeleteIn this passage Nick talks about how there is something with Jordan that he is fond of. He goes on to say that he does not love her but has feelings for her (implied as tender curiosity). Due to Jordan being a professional golfer, he gets a lot of attention while with her; something that Nick enjoys and something that Nick enjoys about Jordan. It shows that there is something very likeable about Jordan and that Jordan is indeed a likeable and well known person. Also in the passage it explains a “face that she turned to the world concealed”, implying that she hides things from others and it can sometimes be found in her facial expressions. This makes Nick sort of want her more because she is so curious, also leading back to the “tender curiosity” he has for her. As he begins to realize she has been hiding things and lying about certain conversations and events such as the convertible with the top down, or her cheating in her first big match. The secrecy and slyness of Jordan is what makes her character and what Nick is so curious and interested by, leading to the fact that even though Nick does not say it directly he is attracted to Jordan in some way
-Dakota Picard