02 Feb 2009 [ Prev | Next ]

Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Chapters 1-4

We don't need to read The Great Gatsby to have an opinion on materialism (or gender roles, or the psychological health.

We do need to read The Great Gatsby in order to have an opinion on whether the materialism (or the gender politics, or the psychological detachment) causes the emptiness that the characters experience, or whether the materialism (or the restrictive gender roles, or the psychological imbalance) is presented as a side-effect of living a meaningless life.

And we'd need to read The Great Gastsby in order to determine whether economics, gender, or psychology (or something else) is a productive way to probe the literary work for deeper meaning.

The course asks you to present opinions about the works themselves, and to quote words from the works themselves (rather than events from your own life, or open, unanswerable questions) as supporting evidence.


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My quote was
"...I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands." (38)
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MatthewHenderson/2009/01/i_was_standing_beside_his.html

For some reason I am missing the button to be able to create an entry on my weblog. Therefore I am putting my comment directly on here:


The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“‘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 as the elaborateness of the lie.” Page 38



My question is if two people that are married cannot understand each other so much, then why stay married to one another? Tom could have Mrs. Wilson instead of staying with Daisy. Why lie about something unless there is a reason?
My conclusion: money and image. Let’s face it, from what it sounds like Mrs. Wilson is not exactly in the same social stature as Tom and, well, Daisy just so happens to be. To be with Mrs. Wilson would ruin the image that is so sweetly set up by the “old money” stereotype. Wealth marries wealth and poor marries poor.

"I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known."

-Nick Carraway (conclusion of chapter 3: pg 66 [although I'm using an edition that might have different pagination])

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ChristopherDufalla/2009/01/honest_peoplehard_for_gatsby_t.html

"In my younger years and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.

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

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AnnamarieHouston/2009/01/fitzgerald_the_great_gatsby.html

My write entry button is now working my work can now be viewed properly:


http://blogs.setonhill.edu/NikitaMcClellan/2009/01/the_great_gatsby_by_f_scott_fi.html

I commented on the four chapters separately, so the link to my blog is above.

"They're a rotten crowd," I shouted across the lawn, "You're worth the whole damn bunch put together."

I've always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end. First he nodded politely, and then his face broke into that radiant and understanding smile, as if we'd been in ecstatic cahoots on that fact all the time.

Page 155

"...I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear"

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