Tuesday, February 1, 2011

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.

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