Native Son Post #1

When Bigger is finally alone in his own room in the Dalton house, he finally had a sense of freedom. He now has his own space and place to call his own, unlike his old home where he had to live in a small uncomfortable, cold, and dirty room with three other people. It finally seems like Bigger is somewhat happy. He talks about, “bringing Bessie here some night,” “not have to sleep with Buddy,” and “to drink in peace.” (59) Bigger finally realizes all the pleasures you can have when you are given choice and more freedom. Where as before he had to listen to his mom tell him to do everything, drink where blacks were supposed to drink, and “polish his nightstick in the movie theater.” (30) With something as simple as a room with heat and a nice, soft, and clean bed, Bigger has had a big positive mood swing. (PP 59) He feels his new job will help him get more material things like a new watch too. (PP59) Bigger seems like he is glad he took the job, but he still scared of the white people, especially the girl. (59)

I don’t think Bigger is “selling-out” because he still has the choice to leave the job or not. In my opinion, you have to take the best situation you get, even though that may sound selfish, sometimes at that point in time there isn’t a better option. I think this is the first time in Bigger’s life where he is away from home and away from his mom, and now he must take in on his own responsibility. Even though Bigger is 20 years old, he still acts and thinks like a child and he needs to grow up, this my be the experience he needs to do that. I don’t think Bigger is surrendering to the white man, I think he is just trying to best for him and his family. Really that’s all that matters, I know bigger wants to follow his dreams, but he has to wake up and realize life isn’t all milk and cookies, and that the world is corrupt and sucks for everyone, but you have to deal with it. But it is also possible to see him as a “sell out” in the way where he is being extremely selfish and is more thinking about himself than his friends and family. For instance he cares more about getting a new watch than helping out his family and friends that are on hard times. (PP59) So I can see it both ways, but I think Bigger is more selfish than a “sell out” and he is only trying to better himself.

Faulkner Speech Response

In Faulkner’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, he calls on young writers of today to write about the major conflicts of society to show the issues of our humanity. He explains that many young writers shy away from the problems of the human heart in society. Faulkner emphasizes and shows in “That Evening Sun,” that we as humanity must write about our moral problems, showing the contrast of past and present to help change our views and actions of today. For example in the “That Evening Sun,” Faulkner shows the problems of segregation, prejudices, and racism in society, through the dialogue of Nancy, Jesus, and the young children and through the description of the characters. In this story Faulkner shows the real side of the South of this time period and gives criticism of the Protestant aristocracy and white supremacy of the era. This idea of writing about the true issues of society and revealing the truth that is right in front of our faces is what Faulkner is calling on young writers to do.

With the use of Faulkner’s description of Nancy in “That Evening Sun, he allows the reader to see the immoral issues of the early 1900s in the South. Throughout the story Faulkner shows the agonies of the human heart or blacks through Nancy’s emotions and actions. Nancy was described as a very distraught and depressed character, which was continually taken advantage of. Nancy has no control of her situation and that is what Faulkner is trying to emphasis in the story, the lack control blacks have on their lives during this era. For instance, Nancy is having Mr. Stovall’s baby, but he will not help her even when she continually asks, “When you going to pay me white man?” She even gets so distressed with going to jail, losing her husband, and not getting help from her baby’s daddy that she continually sings in a blues-like manor and even goes as far to try to kill herself. Nancy only believes, “she ain’t nothing but a nigger.” Faulkner shows through his writing that society must be pretty corrupt if a young girl thinks nothing of herself, has no control of her life, and tries to kill herself all because of her skin color. This is a perfect example of what Faulkner calls us to do in his speech; he wants the young writers of today to show the true emotions of our societal problems, that it may cause a change to future generations.

Faulkner also shows the societal problems of this era through the repetition of dialogue between Nancy and the young children in the story to emphasis how society can corrupt an innocent young child to become immoral. Throughout the story there is a repetition between the boys dialogue of, “I ain’t a nigger” or “You scardier than a nigger.” Faulkner tries to show through Quentin, Caddy, and Jason who are relatively young, that society corrupts the mind of what are innocent kids. The kids in the story don’t even know what a “nigger” is, but they know they don’t want to act or be one. This is an example of Faulkner showing the conflict of the human heart and how it innocently affects the next generations without people even recognizing it. Also with the repetition of blacks having no control of their life shows the immoral acts of the period. For example Jesus says” I can’t hang a round white man’s kitchen. But white man can hang around mine,” again shows that the societal issues that blacks have no control of their rights. Faulkner shows that young writers must write about things that are worth writing about that show the blood, sweat, and tears of our societal issues today. What Faulkner is calling on young writers of the future is similar to many other famous activists call on us do. These famous leaders want us to show through our actions and writing about the problems of society and conflict of the human heart. A influential leader once said, “The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict… If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control.” (MLK) Like MLK, Faulkner calls on us to write something meaningful that shows the courage, honor, pity, compassion, pride, and sacrifice of society.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Page # 163-180

Chapter Summary
In this chapter it describes the struggle Nick goes through to help Gatsby have a respectable funeral, but in the end Gatsby lived lonely and died lonely because no one went to his funeral. Daisy wouldn’t even call about Gatsby and Wolfsheim Gatsby’s only friend besides Nick refuses to go for business and personal reasons. The only important people to attend the funeral were Nick, Gatsby’s father, and surprisingly Owl Eyes. After Gatsby’s death Nick is a changed man and he decides to break up with Jordan and move out of West Egg. Later in the chapter he also meets Tom and refuses to shake his hand or even tell him the truth about Myrtle’s death, the sight of Tom disgusts him. In the end Nick goes back to Gatsby house and reminisces about Gatsby and talks bout how the dream is over.

Character Analysis:
Nick Carraway

Quote:
“Look here old sport, you’ve got to get somebody for me. You’ve got to try harder. I can’t go through this alone.” (Nick’s mind 165)


Description:
Nick is a young, kind, and educated man who doesn’t seem as corrupt or fake as the other characters in the novel. He also is a pretty successful young man working for a bond company and living in a comfortable house in West Egg next to Gatsby. He seems like a trustworthy narrator, except in my opinion when he talks about Gatsby because he is bias for the reason that he sees Gatsby as his friend. In my opinion the first time Nick tells the truth about his truly feelings about Gatsby is in chapter 8 when he says, “They’re a rotten crowd. You worth the whole dame bunch put together…I’ve always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I have ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end.” (Nick 154) Nick liked Gatsby so much that I felt like he was untrustworthy narrator when talk about how Gatsby until chapter 8, where he tells his true thoughts. Jordan also agrees with me when she says, “It was careless for me to make such a wrong guess. I thought you were a rather honest person, straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride.” (Jordan 177) Nick was a true friend and kind person, but I don’t think he was as a trustworthy person as he seemed like he was earlier in the book. Nick best quality in the novel is that he is a true friend and we can see in chapter 9 when he did everything in his power for Gatsby to not die alone. Nick was an untrustworthy narrator because he was a good friend and put Gatsby before everything, showing that he is a truly caring person.

Character Role in Novel:
Nick’s role in the novel is to give the reader a trustworthy person to tell the corrupt lives of these people that live in West and East Egg. He is also important because he helps unfold the plot of the story and Gatsby’s past. Nick is important to novel because if you compare him to other characters in the book, it helps to show the characterization of other characters too. Nick is more of the innocent, quite character as to many of the characters in the novel are flashy, fake, loud, or corrupt.


Meaningful Quote:
“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” (Wolfsheim 172)

Significance:
This quote really troubled me because I agree with both sides. I do think it is more important to be a better friend when they alive than dead like Wolfsheim, but it is also good to honor and pay respects to them when they die like Nick. This quote really got me thinking about the true meaning of friendship or love, that if is about being together or is about truly caring for the person. Personally I don’t think funerals are as important as being a good friend when they are alive. I understand Nick is trying to let Gatsby die without being lonely, but what really matters was how he lived, not how he was buried. But I do understand where Nick is coming from because he doesn’t his friend to have lost everything and die alone. I think this quote is important because it also helps you really see the difference between the corrupt characters and Nick. The comparison ultimately shows that only Nick and his father cared for Gatsby and it seemed that Gatsby ignored these two the most.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Page # 147-162

Chapter Summary
Tom is very worried about Gatsby and goes over to his house to tell him he should leave town for a while until Myrtle’s death blows over, but Gatsby refuses because he wants to hear Daisy’s response on who she will choose. Then Gatsby tells Nick about his true past about Daisy, the war, Oxford, and about how he lost his love. Then Nick goes to work even though he doesn’t want to and Gatsby decides to take a dip in a pool that he never uses. At work Nick is very distracted and only thinks about Gatsby and won’t even go on a date with a Jordan. Mr. Wilson gets really sick minded and he begins to look for the killer with the yellow car and he finally finds out Gatsby owns it, then in last part of the chapter Wilson kills Gatsby in the pool and then kills himself.

Character Analysis:
George Wilson

Quote:
“He was a blonde spiritless man, anemic, and faintly handsome. When he saw us damp a gleam of hope sprang into his light blue eyes.” (Nick 25)
“God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!…God sees everything.” (159-160 George Wilson)

Description:
He is Myrtle’s husband who owns an auto shop and in the last 2 chapters he begins to suspect that Myrtle is having an affair, which makes him both physically and mentally sick. For example George used to be a kind and good worker, but after his wife’s death his whole demeanor changed and, “George Wilson (became) sick in his own office-really sick, pale as his own pale hair and shaking all over.” (136) When Myrtle dies he becomes extremely mentally ill and is set on finding her killer. Before George became insane over his wife’s death he was a honest loving husband and a good, kind worker. Once he found out about his wife’s affair and later her death it changed the man completely giving him a “deranged grief” (164).


Character Role in Novel
George Wilson’s role in the novel is to show the contrast of innocent and sinful characters. We see the contrast between Tom and him, which helps us understand the characterization Fitzgerald is trying to convey. George also shows the effects other characters can have on others when they do wrong and that one lie and sin can lead to a big problem and sadness. Also George especially depends the plot in the story. We also see the transformation a person has, when something truly terrible happens to them. George Wilson is one of the main parts in climax of the novel because he kills Gatsby, one of the main characters, and then kills himself.


Meaningful Quote:
“God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!…God sees everything.” (159-160 George Wilson)

Significance:
This quote is significant because no matter what you do even if you can get away from getting in trouble, only you and God will know about what you did. If you want to live a life full of lies like Gatsby, Tom, or Myrtle than that is your decision, but it is important to think about if you are doing the right thing and who you can hurt in the process. Tom hurts Daisy, Myrtle makes George go insane after her death, and Gatsby becomes obsessed with Daisy, which partially leads to his death. It is important to know that usually a little white lie catches up with you and we see many times in the novel with Tom, Myrtle, and especially Gatsby. This quote is significant because it tells you that cheating and lying may be fun or an easy way out, but it is not the right thing to do and only you and God know it, which you will have to live with.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Page # 113-145

Chapter Summary:

Gatsby changes his normal routine of parties on he weekend and also fires his old servants for new ones so they won’t gossip about him and Daisy being together. Tom, Nick, Daisy, Gatsby, and Jordan all have lunch and drinks on the hottest day of the year at Daisy’s house and Tom begins suspect something more between Gatsby and Daisy fairly quick. Also Gatsby and Nick meet Daisy’s girl for the first time there. Gatsby and Daisy aren’t that sneaky about their love and then the straight shooter that Tom is, puts two and two together about his wife and Gatsby, so to try to diverge the situation, he persists about Daisy’s earlier suggestion to go to town, but they end up going to a hotel instead. Tom insults, confronts, and questions Gatsby about his past, which results in some answers about his job, family, schooling, and Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship being revealed. Then they all leave the hotel angered and there was accident on the road, where we later learn that Daisy hit Myrtle in Gatsby’s car and the chapter ends with Gatsby waiting outside Daisy’s house in the bushes making sure she gets to sleep safe.

Character Analysis: Pammy (Daisy Buchanan’s Daughter)

Quote: “How do you like your mother’s friends?” Daisy turned her head so that she faced Gatsby. “Do think they are pretty?” (Daisy 117)

“Where’s Daddy?” (Pammy 117)

Best Qualities:

She is a shy young girl who wears a white virgin dress. She seems very innocent, and too young to understand the situation. Her best qualities are that, “She doesn’t look like her father…She looks like me. She’s got my hair and my shape of the face.” (Daisy 117) Since she resembles her mother’s beauty, she must be a very pretty young girl who in the future can easily marry a rich man from East Egg like her mother. Her problem is she seems naive and not very disrespectful to the guests, but she is under odd circumstances when she enters the room and she is only a child, so she may have an excuse.

Character Role in Novel:

The child may play a larger role later in the novel deepening the plot of the love between Gatsby and Daisy. When Gatsby met Pammy, “he kept looking at the child with surprise. I don’t think he ever really believed in its existence before.” (Nick 117) In think later in the story when Daisy has to decide between Tom or Gatsby this will be a factor in her decision. Gatsby wants Daisy to forget the last 5 years of her life and just run away with him, but how is a mother going to run away from her own child? Gatsby still hasn’t had the realization that the girl exists and he believes that nothing has happened in the last 5 years for Daisy. Also it is weird though that Daisy is very distant from her child and it seems the nurse that cares for her has a closer relationship to Pammy than her own mother. (117) I think Daisy doesn’t care for Pammy because she is all about the show and has little emotion, or maybe she doesn’t love the child because it is the daughter of Tom. Either way Pammy will deepen the plot and make the decision for Daisy harder in the end of the book in deciding who will she go with.

Meaningful Quote: “On the green Sound, stagnant in the heat, one small sail crawled slowly toward the fresher sea. Gatsby’s eyes followed it momentarily; he raised his hand and pointed across the bay.” (Nick 118)

Significance:

I think this passage is significant because the sail crawling slowly toward the “fresher sea,” represents Gatsby future. I interpreted the lonely white sail is Gatsby and it is gradually moving to “fresher” sea, like Gatsby will have to do if Daisy goes with him or is she stays with Tom. I think the “one” sail is foreshadowing that Daisy will stay with Tom and lonely Gatsby must gradually move on and finally have a “fresher” start after 5 years of slowly “crawling” and waiting. This quote stands out to me because like many things in life you must always learn to move on. Even little things can be hard to break in your routine, but I realized that it is important to always look for a fresh outlook on life, even if you’re up or down. Gatsby’s problem is he is reminiscing too much on the past when he should be thinking about the future. I have learned that when you think about the past it makes you sick or sad, so it is better to move on set sail and start new everyday.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Page # 97-111

Chapter Summary

In this chapter we begin to learn a little about Gatsby’s past. Gatsby past is very different than what he told Nick earlier, his parents were poor farmers, he changed his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, and he did not come from a rich fortune from the West. We learn that he worked as an assistant for Dan Cody on his yacht and that Gatsby. Also as Cody’s friend, he did not rightful get his share of Dan Cody’s will. Nick goes to see Gatsby at his house after a couple weeks of absence and he is surprised to see Tom there with the Sloans, Gatsby seemed very nervous around Tom. The next Saturday Daisy and Tom finally come to one of Gatsby’s weekend parties and Daisy and Gatsby dance and have some private time together. We find out that Gatsby is an emotional lover and Daisy is a physical lover. Tom also begins to suspect Gatsby as a fraud. In the last part of the chapter Nick and Gatsby have a strong talk about Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship and Gatsby tells Nick that emotions are what important to him in the their love and all he wants Daisy to do is forget her last 5 years and leave Tom, but Nick argues that it will be hard for her to do that.

Character Analysis:

James Gatz

Quote:

“I suppose he had the name ready for a long time, even then. His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people-his imagination had never really accepted his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg Long island sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.” (Nick 98)

Description:  Jay Gatz is Gatsby true self and past. It is almost like he is alter ego, and the Gatsby side has fully taken over his true self Jay Gatz. Jay is a normal boy who came from a poor farming family, who felt like he was a nobody, so he decided to change his whole life and start new with a new name James Gatsby. Jay Gatz best quality is the probably the truth and caring for others like his family, unlike James Gatsby who lies throughout his whole life and only cares for Daisy, but instead sees her more as property for a sense of status than as an equal. Usually when people change their whole outlook on life it is usually for the better, but not in this case where when Jay changes he becomes more lonely, greedy, and sad than before.

Character Role in Novel

The Jay Gatz ego in Gatsby is a good dichotomy to help the reader understand how Gatsby has changed over the past 5 years. He is not the same simple young boy he used to be, now he is a cheating, lying, and conniving rich young man, who presents himself as a quiet innocent lover and also that he completely deleted his past including his true self Jay Gatz. The role of Jay Gatz is to strongly show through change the differences on how Gatsby has transformed his whole lifestyle and outlook on life. Gatsby has deleted his whole past, but it is important to see later on in the plot if that was the right decision or not for Gatsby to make.

Meaningful Quote:

“It is variably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expanded your own powers of adjustment.” (Nick 104)

Significance:

This quote is significant because it is always hard to look at something through another person eyes and not feel new emotions. It is similar to the old saying “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.” The importance of this quote is to show that is vital for a person to look at different perspectives in life and not only their own. In this passage Nick began to become accustomed to Gatsby parties and the West Egg lifestyle, but once he looked through Daisy’s eyes he got a whole new perspective. I need to learn to look through others perspectives and it help me to understand situations a lot more like Nick. It could even help me to stop being judgmental and also help me to make better decisions under hard circumstances.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Page # 81-111

Chapter Summary

Nick comes home from his date he had with Jordan in the end of the last chapter and Gatsby comes up to Nick’s house in his car asking him to go out with him, but his main intention is to ask him to invite him and Daisy to tea, almost like a blind date. Nick agrees and Gatsby thanks him and in return asks if he wants a special job, but Nick refuses because it seems scandalous. Daisy finally comes over and at first it is very awkward and quiet between the two, but once Nick leaves the house and leaves them alone, they begin to fall in love and talk more. After when Nick returned Gatsby invited them to his house so he could show off all his great stuff in his big house to impress Daisy. Daisy is shocked by his house, servants, things, etc and thinks very highly of Gatsby and begins to build a big image of him and his life-style.

Character Analysis: Dan Cody

Quote:

“A large phonograph of an elderly man in yachting costume attracted me, hung on the wall over his desk… He’s dead now. He used to be my best friend years ago.” (Nick and Gatsby 93)

Best Qualities:

There is not a lot known about Dan Cody so far because when Nick talked about him to Gatsby, he tried to shy away from the subject just saying the minimum information. We know he is a man much older than Gatsby and he must be fairly rich because he is on a yacht. His best quality is probably the extensiveness of his wealth, shown through him owning a yacht in that time period.

Character Role in Novel:

His role in the novel is to give some back-story to Gatsby, even if there is only a little given. It is a possibility that Gatsby got all his wealth from this rich yachting tycoon. Also Gatsby describes him as his dead best friend, maybe that is why Gatsby is so exclusive and quiet now because he is said he lost all his close family and friends. Even with the little information we receive about Dan Cody, it helps us to characterize Gatsby more as being truly lonely and sad. Also we know Gatsby isn’t lying that Cody is his friend because why else would he hang the picture over his desk. This is first person we see in the novel that Gatsby somewhat cares about besides Daisy. Dan Cody is important insight to Gatsby personality, past, and emotions.

Meaningful Quote:

“One thing’s sure and nothing’s surer, The rich get richer and the poor get---children.”

Significance:

In think this part from a short song in this chapter is important because it is era-less saying. Throughout history you always see a strong division and vast separation in classes of rich and poor. Not very often do you see a strong middle class like the U.S. Like the old saying goes, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” is timeless. This idea frustrates me so much; the rich don’t care about the poor and will step on anyone to stay rich and all the poor want to do is become rich. No one is ever content with what they have.  Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to be poor, but society will also have rich and poor because of greed. We see this greed in all the characters in the novel except in Nick and a little in Tom, but the rest are greedy, show offs, and always want more. This may have a deeper meaning later on in the novel with Nick's lack of greed.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Page # 61-80

Chapter Summary

At the beginning of this chapter Nick describes and lists all the people that go to Gatsby’s weekend parties in the summer, showing the extent of the wealth, family, and lifestyle, which was interesting to see the people who went and how they act. After Nick goes out to lunch with Gatsby and they talk about Gatsby’s past. At first Nick does not fully believe him because Gatsby said he is from a dead family from the Midwest in San Francisco, that he won multiple medals in WWI from many different countries, and he still challenges if that Gatsby went to Oxford like Jordan said he didn’t. After lunch Gatsby takes him to go see Wolfshiem, the person who supposedly rigged the 1919 World Series with the White Sox. Then Nick goes to see Jordan for lunch and she tells him that Gatsby loves Daisy and they devise a plan to help them see each other again.

Character Analysis: Daisy

Quote: “her low, thrilling voice. It was kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again. Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who cared for her difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered “Listen,” a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour.“ (Nick 9)

Best Qualities: Daisy’s best qualities are that she is a beautiful, kind, and faithful woman. She has a lovely voice and bright face that mad you gay. Also even though Daisy knows Tom is cheating on her, she stays faithful and respectful to her vows and marriage even though she may not like what Tom is doing. She seems like the nicest person when Nick goes over to lunch with her in the first chapter always asking if he needs something. She behaves this way to hide her true feelings inside. Even though how happy Daisy may seem on the outside, she is very sad being with Tom as a married couple on the inside. She dislikes Tom having a repeated affair with Myrtle and it seems she doesn’t love Tom. We learn in this chapter that Gatsby and Daisy loved each other when Jay was in the army, but when he went to war Daisy married Tom unhappily. Daisy is a good person in a bad situation.

Character Role in Novel: Daisy’s role in the novel is the main plot of Daisy and Gatsby hidden and long lost love. She is the character that you can feel sorry for and some readers may relate to her situation. Daisy is also a character that is very misunderstood, which all readers can relate to in real life. The climax of the story will be probably whether she decides to go and love with Gatsby or stay faithful with Tom. Daisy and Gatsby are the main problem in the book and it makes the reader feel sorry for them and builds up the plot to the climax.

Meaningful Quote: This city seen from Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world. (Nick 68)

Significance: Thins quote reminds me a lot of the American Dream and it represents the heart of NY, the place to start for many immigrants for their American Dream. I like the way he didn’t describe the Statue of Liberty or a melting pot for this idea of the American Dream, but instead he uses the Queensboro Bridge. Fitzgerald describes it as leading to a mystery of promise, which really captured me; I thought that was an interesting way to describe it. This quote doesn’t even have to be about the American Dream, but it can just be your dreams in general and you don’t know what lies ahead, which is the great mystery and beauty of it in the world. 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Page # 39-59

Chapter Summary

In this chapter Nick is awkwardly and formally invited to Gatsby party via a letter from a butler. Nick goes to the party and feels really awkward because he doesn’t know anyone and he it seems he can’t find Gatsby. Then Nick begins to tag along with Jordan and have some fun and he meets new people. Then Jordan is asked by a butler to see Gatsby and then when she returns, she tells Nick she has something surprising to tell him over lunch that she learned from her hour talk with Gatsby. Then Nick finally meets Gatsby without knowing it and he had a weird first impression for him, but it was fine nonetheless. As Nick was leaving everyone was piss drunk and he makes a comparison to the sober Gatsby on his green balcony to the rest of East Eggers.

Character Analysis: Gatsby

Quote: “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 you favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you that had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.” (Nick 48)

Best Qualities: He is a smart and kind person. He even gave a woman a new dress when she ripped her last one at a party in his house. He is extremely intelligent with a large library of books and he talks very professional almost like a modern day politician. He is also completely different than the other wealthy people from East Egg, he is very respectable, doesn’t drink, and has not gossiped so far in the story; he is usually the one being gossiped about. He awkwardly presents himself like in the quote above, he is a quiet, but he almost has a interesting personality to his quiet and polite attitude.

Character Role in Novel:

Gatsby is the main mystery in the novel so far and he is building up the plot. Nick has a great curiosity of Gatsby and his past. Also Gatsby builds up the characterization of the other characters through comparisons of others and Gatsby. We also see the plot deepening with Jordan and Gatsby and Nick and Jordan, it will be interesting to see who gets the girl in the end.

Meaningful Quote:

Every one suspects him of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine. I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known. (Nick 59)

Significance:

This quote is meaningful to me because I feel like I am similar to Nick in many ways, or at least the similar to Nick more than the other characters. Even though I may present myself sometimes as loud, I am usually a quiet person like Nick and like to observe more than I say. Also like Nick I am usually an honest straight shooter, a strongly disapprove of gossiping and dishonesty. The two things I hate most in the world is cockiness and dishonesty, which we see again and again with the East Eggers. I relate to Nick’s character because I sometimes feel the same way that everyone is dishonesty and untrustworthy. It’s like what my father always says, “You can’t trust anyone anymore, and sometimes I don’t even trust myself.” 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Page # 23-38

Chapter Summary:

In this chapter Tom and Nick go on a train ride together and one day Tom orders Nick to follow him, and meet his mistress. Nick follows and they end up at the Wilson’s house and Nick meets Tom’s adulteress, Myrtle, and her husband, Wilson. They talk and later leave to have a lunch with Catherine, Myrtle’s sister, and the McKees. (neighbors) While at the meal they talk about the McKee’s photography, gossip, etc, small talk mostly, while they are all getting drunk. Lastly at the end of the chapter Myrtle begins to talk badly about Daisy and she gets a broken nose from Tom, this may show that Tom does care somewhat for Daisy.

Character Analysis:

Quote: among various other physical accomplishments had been a one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven-a national figure in a way, one of those men that reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterwards savors of anticlimax. (Nick 6)

Best Qualities: Tom is described as big, strong, and to the point character. He doesn’t seem to take crap from anyone even with Myrtle and Daisy and he solves his problems on his own. At first it seems he doesn’t have a sense of love or loyalty for Daisy, but what he does for her when Myrtle makes fun of her showed he cared for her or maybe that he was more drunk than Myrtle. Nick described Tom as an accomplished man, but a man with “limited excellence” meaning his high point in life is over from sports and he already had his climax, so his life is more boring. I think that is why he has an affair with Myrtle because of his anticlimactic lifestyle after he reached 21 years of age is over.

Character Role in Novel:

I think Tom’s role in the novel is to be the villain of the story or the character that builds up the plot and climax bringing it to a twist. He is repeatedly described as demanding and whenever he says something it as described as decisively (28), intently (26), insisted(ly) (24), and etc, showing he always has to get his way. Also he is a very violent character shown through how he broke Myrtle’s nose.  Tom’s role in the novel is to help show how to be a bad husband and to build up a stronger plot in the story.

 Meaningful Quote: but each time I tried to go I become entangled in some wild, strident argument which pulled me back, as if with ropes, into my chair. (Nick 35)

Significance: This quotes is a great example of the amount of power and control that information, talking, and gossiping can hold over people. Even a person like Nick who doesn’t like to gossip or talk about others’ business is tempted and drawn into the interesting stories, fighting, fun, and struggles. I think I am similar to Nick, where to an extent I try to be kind of quiet and private, but sometimes the temptation of gossiping is too hard to resist.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Page # 1-21

Chapter Summary

The story starts with a young narrator name Nick describing his early life of college. Moving to NY for a job working in bonds, and talks briefly about his father. Then he begins to describe the segregation-like divide of New York between the East Egg and West Egg, while including the little information he knows about his rich neighbor, Gatsby. Later in the chapter he goes to his college friend, James Buchanan’s house for a dinner, where he sees his cousin (Daisy), her husband (Tom), and Jordan Baker. Nick feels very awkward and unfit at the dinner. When he finally goes home he sees Gatsby outside his mansion, mysteriously standing in the darkness of the night alone and then he disappears.

Character Analysis: Jordan Baker

Quote: “Don’t talk. I want to hear what happens…You mean to say you don’t know?...I thought everyone knew. (Baker p14-15)

Best Qualities: Miss Baker is a beautiful young mistress, who is a famous athlete that plays in many tournaments (sport so far unknown). Nick thought of Miss Baker as very beautiful young lady. “I liked looking at her. She is a slender, small-breasted girl, who is always standing up straight as if she were a cadet. She carries her chin high and she has a charming, yet discontented, face.” (Nick p11) She seems well brought up into money and stuck up. She is quiet, but has a snotty feel to the way she acts.

Character Role in Novel: She is possibly a future partner for Nick or may lead him into some troubles. I think she may lead Nick into some trouble because of the snotty attitude she has throughout the chapter. For example when Nick came in from the balcony and the door slammed, Miss Baker reacted, “If she saw (Nick) out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it. I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in.” (Nick 8) We can see in this passage that Nick likes her, but she seems very tricky and sneaky. Also we see that she is a very gossipy person when alone with Nick at the table, when she says, “Don’t talk. I want to hear what happens.” (Baker 14) This shows that this nosiness might hurt Nick later on in the book.

Meaningful Quote: “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had.”…communicated in a reserved way (Nick’s Father 1)

Significance: This quote stands out to me because it reminds of my dad a lot. He always taught me to keep my mouth shut because you never know the circumstances other people are in, and you have no right to pass judgment on others. Also my dad is a reserved person too like Nick’s father and was always pretty quiet about how he presented himself to others, but he was never shy to give advice.