Chapter 2 Pages 23-38
Chapter two begins with the description of a valley of ashes, that is overseen by "the eyes" of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. Nick and Tom take a train that goes along the West and East eggs, and the valley of ashes, Tom brings Nick to George Wilson after one of the stops. George's wife is Tom's mistress. Tom takes his mistress, Myrtle, and Nick to New York City where he has a party with Myrtle's sister, Catherine and the McKees. Myrtle continues sayings Daisy's name, and Tom breaks her nose. Nick leaves and take an early train back to Long Island.
George Wilson
"He was a blond, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome. When he saw us a damp gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes." (Page 25 Fitzgerald)
-Owner of a run-down auto shop
-A dreamer
George is a character who will represent those who get taken advantage of. His wife is having an affair, and it seems like he always lets her have her way. George's business is failing and just let's people use him. He can not get ahead in life because others are pushing him down.
"But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead , from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existant nose." (Page 24 Fitzgerald) I chose this as a meaningful quote since it shows the power this billboard figure as over the entire valley. It is a God like figure who watches over everyone, but the billboard is faded. Which gives me the impression, that this valley as been acting as if no one is watching them, and that they will do anything they want. These people not caring about what the higher up think just shows the feeling at the times of the roaring twenties.
http://gregdavisgreatgatsby.blogspot.com/
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Great Gatsby-Chapter One-Greg Davis
Chapter 1-Pages 1-21
The book opens with the narrator, Nick, explaining lessons learned from his father, primarily judging other people. In "the summer of twenty-two" Nick moved to New York on "the West Egg" to pursue his work in bonds. On the island he lives next door to the Gatsby's mansion. Nick knows many people from going to Yale and is invited to have dinner with his cousin Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan. At the party we are introduced to Jordan, a Golfer. After the party, Daisy and Tom want Nick to ask Jordan out on a date, but Nick goes home. When Nick returns to his house, he sees Gatsby out on a dock, and Gatsby disappears.
Tom Buchanan: "He had changed since his New Haven years. Now he was sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body-he seemed to fill those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing, and you could see a great pack of muscle shifting when his shoulder moved under his thin coat. It was a body capable of enormous leverage-cruel body." (Page 7-Fitzgerald)
-Powerful
-Cruel Body
-Hulking
Tom's role in this book has been to play a character full of testosterone and represents the class of wealthy, connected, and arrogant of the world. Everything he does is so he can have more power than everyone. In the first chapter we see that he has a lover in New York, this clearly shows that he can not appreciate his wife. Tom seems like a person who is a hypocrite, who does things without thinking of the consequences, and abuses others.
"Whenever you fell like criticizing anyone," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." I enjoyed this quote especially since it goes back to the saying of, "try walking a mile in my shoes". The quote exemplifies Nick's status, that he has been a man of the world, with many experiences that many people have not gone through. Also, it shows the importance of others to be aware of what some people are going through before they judge them.
The book opens with the narrator, Nick, explaining lessons learned from his father, primarily judging other people. In "the summer of twenty-two" Nick moved to New York on "the West Egg" to pursue his work in bonds. On the island he lives next door to the Gatsby's mansion. Nick knows many people from going to Yale and is invited to have dinner with his cousin Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan. At the party we are introduced to Jordan, a Golfer. After the party, Daisy and Tom want Nick to ask Jordan out on a date, but Nick goes home. When Nick returns to his house, he sees Gatsby out on a dock, and Gatsby disappears.
Tom Buchanan: "He had changed since his New Haven years. Now he was sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body-he seemed to fill those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing, and you could see a great pack of muscle shifting when his shoulder moved under his thin coat. It was a body capable of enormous leverage-cruel body." (Page 7-Fitzgerald)
-Powerful
-Cruel Body
-Hulking
Tom's role in this book has been to play a character full of testosterone and represents the class of wealthy, connected, and arrogant of the world. Everything he does is so he can have more power than everyone. In the first chapter we see that he has a lover in New York, this clearly shows that he can not appreciate his wife. Tom seems like a person who is a hypocrite, who does things without thinking of the consequences, and abuses others.
"Whenever you fell like criticizing anyone," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." I enjoyed this quote especially since it goes back to the saying of, "try walking a mile in my shoes". The quote exemplifies Nick's status, that he has been a man of the world, with many experiences that many people have not gone through. Also, it shows the importance of others to be aware of what some people are going through before they judge them.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)