Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Gatsby: chs 4 and 5

Sorry I will miss your discussion today. I am at home feeling yucky. Fishbowl it up in my absence and, if you prefer the quieter route today, use this post or a hand-written response to express your thinking throughout the course of the discussion.

59 comments:

  1. Gatsby and Daisy are representative of what a relationship should be because they were in love before Gatsby had money and wealth. Daisy doesn't care about wealth or money and she has always seemed bored with her wealth. Gatsby only earned all this money to impress Daisy and he never cared what happened at these parties.

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  2. Austin-I actually disagree with your assessment. Daisy left Gatsby in the dust because he had no money and she didnt want to wait for him to become wealthy. Now, he tries to impress her with these huge parties, as well as looks, when he insists Nick cut his lawyn, he is trying to keep up a certain appearance to keep her interested.

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  3. Although it seems that Daisy's and Gatsby's relation is built on true love instead of wealth, Gatsby does take Daisy on a tour through his house to display his wealth. Is this display of wealth an intention to draw Daisy in closer?

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  4. Austin Long- I agree with you that Daisy did not care about money. Daisy is used to having a lot of money so I don't think Gastby should flaunt his money towards Daisy. They probably do love each other, but with Daisy married to Tom and Gastby all alone it is hard for them to see each other.

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  5. Kaeli- I agree with you. I believe part of the reason Daisy is with Tom is because he is wealthy. Gatsby feels he needs to flaunt his money and materials in order for her to notice him.

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  6. Grant-
    Most likely. Like Ben said, Fitzgerald probably represents himself as Gatsby, therefore when Fitzgerald wanted to marry his wife, he could only marry her when he was finally famous/rich. So it is the idea of a name or power or fame. So in the books context, the display of wealth is an intention to draw Daisy in closer because when he shows her his expensive silk shirts, she cries into them.

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  7. Okay what character from this chapter most represents Gatsby? Daisy- wanting to constantly be in the spotlight, Nick- the one who doesn't have money, but just associates with rich people, Gatsby- throwing huge parties that shows off his wealth, Tom -because he has to have everything, the prettiest wife, most lavish house....

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  8. Kaeli - I agree with you. I think Daisy and Gatsby were truly in love five years ago, but realized that she wanted/needed a financially comfortable life. When Gatsby left for the war, she finally took the initiative to become more "practical" and married someone more wealthy, Tom. Gatsby knows this and now that he has so much wealth, he is taking every advantage to display this new wealth to Daisy, in hopes of winning her back.

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  9. Kaeli~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The reason that Daisy went for Tom was because her family wanted a wealthy offspring and Gatsby was too far away for her to see him and she thought he was dead

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  10. I think that Daisy was initially attracted to wealth, but wealth hasn't given her true happiness. Now she is thinking about reconnecting with Gatsby, perhaps bbecause she hopes to rekindle what they had before she left him- a relationship not based on money.

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  11. Opps sorry I meant Fitzgerald not Gatsby in my question. So, what character most resembles Fitzgerald?

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  12. How do the two couples compare? Tom and his mistress and Gatsby and Daisy. How do their affairs compare and contrast to each other and to the relationships between the married couples?

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  13. Alex-I think that Gatsby most represents Fitzgerald.

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  14. Kelsey-I thikn Gatsby absolutely created his wealth for Daisy. He bought a house perfect for watching Daisy's house from, it seems as if he has been planning this meeting since the day they broke up in the first place. I think he realized that the only way he could ever have Daisy back was to have enough money to promise her a secure life, and so he set off to make the money he needed.

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  15. Alexandria~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I Think that Gatsby is most representative of Gatsby because everything he does is Gatsby. The one who is most representative of FITZGERALD however is Tom because he wants the wealth, the girl, the good life, and he was never satisfied with his achievements.

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  16. Alex-I think that Fitzgerald represents everyone in this chapter in different ways. He liked to party through a big part of his life, but he also was okay in the spotlight, but overall he seems to be like Gastby the most because he knows all the rich people and he throws the parties that everyone likes to go to.

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  17. Brian- Do you think Daisy will find happiness from wealth? Because it doesn't seem like she's willing to give all of that wealth anytime soon. Sure, she likes Gatsby and having an affair with him, but when it comes down to it I don't think she'll be willing to give up all of that money and fame that comes along with being married to Tom.

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  18. @Kailyn-- Well Tom has a history of being unfaithful, and his has an air of doing it because he can, he is just seeing a woman he met at a gas station. But Gatsby and Daisy are different. They were together, and Gatsby has not stopped loving her ever, while Daisy regrets leaving Gatsby for Tom.

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  19. Alex-
    I'm assuming when you said "Gatsby" in the first part, you meant Fitzgerald; I think Gatsby is the one who most represents Fitzgerald in this chapter becuase he is trying to get back the women he lost due to the fact that he did not have a "sufficent amount of money" at the time, and what tells me this is Gatsby's showing-off and display of his wealth to Daisy when she finally sees him again when he is wealthy.

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  20. Kaeli-Did they ever break up? or did Daisy simply find someone else to suit her practical desires while Gatsby was away?

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  21. Alex- Although I do believe that Fitzgerald is represented by Gatsby, as far as the money goes and the parties, along with the fact that he started getting the women he wanted once he gained money. However, there is a possibility that he is Tom because he had a fairly uneseccary affair.

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  22. Alex-
    I think Gatsby embodies Fitzgerald totally. As Paige said in the circle, Fitzgerald said "rich girls don't marry poor boys", and he shows this through Gatsby being poor and in love but not able to get married; then rich and single tyring to win back his old love. Daisy was Gatsby's "golden girl", like Zelda was Fitzgerald's.

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  23. Brian- Very true, every author writes alittle of themself in each character that they create, but who is the most like Fitzgerald?

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  24. Kailyn- I believe that Tom's and Mrs. Wilson's relationship is more for the thrill of something new and tabooed. However, Daisy and Gatsby seem to have more of a loving relationship. Gatsby seemed to have really loved her five years ago because he spent the majority of the preceding years earning money to show off for daisy. I'm wondering if he lives like he lives FOR daisy?

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  25. Which character will be more successful in the long run? Happiest? Saddest? And Worst-off?

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  26. Alex- I think you could argue that different parts of Fitzgerald can be seen in all of the characters. However, I think Tom's character most resembles Fitzgerald. Like Tom, Fitzgerald was never satisfied. Both of them strive for the lavish lifestyle of parties and women and will not stop until they achieve their goals.

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  27. Brian, but it seems to me that everyone and every relationship is just putting on a face and has no true substance, to me this makes all the relationships identical in being and different only in name.

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  28. Kelsey-That's a good point. I don't think there was ever an actual moment where they had a conversation and decided to break up, I think that when he left, Daisy took the opportunity to do what made sense for her and her family. I think that whenever Gatsby got the news that she had moved on, he was on a mission to win her back.

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  29. NickM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I applaud your statement. It states everything I was trying to state earlier I just couldn't find a way to put it into words. :-D

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  30. Alex-I think that Gastby is most like Fitzgerald. He likes to throw parties for everyone to come and just to be seen there shows how you are high up in society as Fitzgerald began to be when his works were published. Fitzgerald liked to hang out with other famous authors and he enjoyed parties with others.

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  31. Austin-
    Nick will be the most successful because he isn't involved in any relationships (although i think he is in love with daisy) and he is an observer. He stays out of things and learns which will help him be most successful in the long run.

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  32. Nick,
    I agree that Gatsby has a true emotional base for Daisy, but a relationship needs two. Does daisy truly love Gatsby?

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  33. Sarah- Then do you think that unlike Fitzgerald, Gatsby will get a happy ending and end up with Daisy or the same fate that Fitzgerald had with his golden girl, Gatsby won't get Daisy?

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  34. Kelsey - I don't think they necessarily broke up, they just sort of drifted off. But she definitely wasn't just finding someone else to suit her desires while he was away. Otherwise, she would not have gotten married and would have found Gatsby when he returned.

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  35. Kelsey C.-
    Relating Fitzgerald's life to Gatsby's life, I somewhat do believe that Gatsby did accumulate wealth for the sole purpose of getting back together with Daisy. After accumulating his wealth, Gatsby seems alone and missing something still, as seen at this parties when he is alone and looking off to his guests. Maybe he is really yearning for Daisy, and waiting for her to realize he is now wealthy.

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  36. Austin-
    when you say more successful in the long run... what do you mean by more successful in what long run?
    Now happy is relative... so is every other emotion that you have listed like saddest and worst off. Daisy, for example, was happy when the main character met her on the first day at her house and she was sad when she saw Gatsby again. Gatsby was never really happy. It's always possible to fake a smile and pretend to be happy. It is also possible to fake a smile.
    So can you clarify your question a little bit more?

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  37. Why did Gatsby move to West Egg, rather than East Egg? After all, he could certainly afford East Egg and it would be closer to Daisy. So then why West Egg?

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  38. Just a thought: How does the narrator relate to all that we are discussing...For example, the superficial relationship, the external fantacism...Do you think he may represent another side to the culture of Modernism? or possibly, regarding Alex's question, an alternate face of Fitzgerald?

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  39. Elaine~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I mean has the best chance of being wealthy later. Has the best business. Will be able to sustain themselves whether they are happy or not.

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  40. Kailynw- I think Gatsby does truly love Daisy. He gets a house that is right across the river from Daisy so then he can see her, he made money so then he can be in the same circles as Daisy, he is willing to endure wierd/awkward moments just so then he can be with her. It's almost like Gatsby has change completely just so then he can be with Daisy.

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  41. Melissa- So hen do you believe that Daisy truly loves Tom?

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  42. Austin-
    I think Gatsby will be the most satisfied in the long run, not because of his money, but because he used money to draw in his true love, Daisy. However, Daisy my not be so happy in the long run (unless she is truly in love with Gatsby) because it seems as though she is looking at Gatsby only because he has money.

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  43. Kelsey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He moved there because he was afraid of what would happen between them and yet he still wanted to be close to her.

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  44. Kelsey-as the narrator remarks in Chapter Five, I wonder if Gatsby chose this close-but not too close location so that he could remain subsisting upon his fantasies. He captures his view through the green light on Daisy's dock: "Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever."

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  45. Kailyn-
    I honestly don't know yet if Daisy loves Gatsby because we haven't read enough but in the book on page 86 it says she was uncomfortable sitting on the couch alone with Gatsby at first but then she holds on to his arm at Gatsby's house so i think she may start falling for him even tho she is taken aback by his image and swagger.

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  46. Austin-
    Like Nick said, Nick would probably have the best chance of "survival" through this chaotic love circle and drama. He is the observer.He just watches and learns. I wouldn't necessarily say he will have the best chance of being wealthy later. He just stays out of the mess but is there to observe it.

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  47. Alex- I completly agree but just because Gatsby loves Daisy, doesn't mean that she will love him. I feel that inorder for a realtionship to be successful love has to be mutual.

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  48. Alex-
    I think that Gatsby will end up like Fitzgerald because there is just so many obstacles in the way of their relationship. One would be that Daisy is already married, thats a given. But they havent seen each other for more than five years. People change over time (i.e. Gatsby and his wealth), so I believe that they think that things are the same way it was when they were first together. I don't think it will last.

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  49. Kelsey - No, I don't think Daisy loves Tom. It seems like after Gatsby left, she moped around constantly until she found a man that would make her "happy", wealth-wise. Especially now, with Tom's affair, I don't think Daisy loves Tom.

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  50. Nick,

    You have a point. However, looking at her history it seems that her marriage to Tom was evident that at least as a child she was not in a lasting love of Gatsby.

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  51. Austin-I think Nick will have the best chance of survival in life. He is buildilng a business, making friends, and starting a new life. The other people in this story all have huge problems in their lives, and are unable to have stable relationships with the people around them. Nick seems to have the best head on his shoulders.

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  52. To what extent does money positively affect true love/a relationship? Negatively?

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  53. Mary Catherine- As to my question I was just wondering whether Fitzgerald would be kinder to his characters, maybe to make life seem a little less realistic. Or if he would want to prove a point and show the reality of everything and the struggles he had; Fitzgerald knew he was going to be big, so The Great Gatsby would be seem by most people. So is he trying to make a point?

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  54. How does the developing relationship between Jordan Baker and Nick (the narrator) paralell that of Gatsby and Daisy? After all, Jordan and Nick are the two people who really connect all the characters. They would be the central couple here.With Nick's lack of wealth terminate his relationship with Jordan as it did with Daisy and Gatsby?

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  55. Back to the relationship question. If Nick ended up in a relationship with Jordan, would it be a happy relationship, a relationship based on wealth, or a doomed relationship?

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  56. Kailyn - Does Gatsby love the actual Daisy, or the Daisy he's dreamed about for five years? (look on page 95)

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  57. Kelsey, I think Tom somehow satisfies Daisy's longing for external success: she typified the "golden girl's" life and married into money--but I wonder at her true capability for love. Could she truly ever love Gatsby?

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  58. Grant-
    Money can positively affect a relationship in buying stuff. Stuff wouldn't keep a relationship together. More or less, it would affect a relationship negatively because money is a symbol of greed.

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  59. Kailyn
    good point, perhaps she didn't love Gatsby then but now perhaps thinks she made a mistake. We can't be sure yet though.

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