1. Warming up by reflecting on your tribute memoirs
2. Getting into character and examining the reality you have created for yourself
- Watch the Ted Talk: "What Reality Are You Creating for Yourself?"
- Discuss the following questions in character and type your thoughts in your in-class brainstorming Google doc:
- What do you fear?
- What lies do you tell yourself?
- How do you embellish your truth and write your own fictions?
- What reality are you creating for yourself?
- How is this self-constructed reality harming you (and others)?
- To transition into fishbowl: Post a Level 1, 2, or 3 question about the reality your character has created for himself or herself.
3. Enjoying a fishbowl discussion of The Great Gatsby, Chapter 6
4. Wrapping up: Which pattern is central to your understanding of/your connection to The Great Gatsby?
HW:
1. Remember that all make-up work regarding Chapters 5 and 6 is due by the end of the day on Friday.
2. Also, the end of 12 weeks is April 7--the Friday after you get back from spring break. All non-Gatsby make-up work (grammar quizzes, revised work, etc) is due by that Friday.
3. If you are all caught up in American Literature, you have my full permission to take the next week off from this class.
Gatsby:
ReplyDelete1) Not being with Daisy
2) She won't like me or we will never meet
3) By constantly avoiding her and hope she stumbles upon me at my parties
4) A reality where Daisy will like my very nice home and parties
5) It may be harming me to obsesses over Daisy. Maybe Daisy by dragging her into this and forcing to potentially love me.
In the mind of Tom, I fear people who are better than me, I lie to myself saying that I am a good person, I write my own fiction through the actions that I do, I create the reality that I can do whatever I want with no consequences, this reality will catch up to me one day whether it is the police, or losing someone I care about.
ReplyDeleteDaisy fears unfamiliarity.
ReplyDeleteDaisy tells herself that everything will be okay.
Daisy writes her owm fictions of people she hasn't seen in a long time.
Daisy creates a positive reality for herself.
Daisy's reality tricks others into thinking she's someone different.
I am Gatsby.
ReplyDeleteI fear being disliked.
I tell myself the lie that I am great.
I write my own fictions by telling false stories of my past and living with a false confidence.
The reality I have created for myself is an extravagant one. I live a lavish life with lots of stories of my past.
My self constructed reality is harming my relationship with Daisy as well as my relationship with the guests at my parties.
Level 2 Question:
Why does Gatsby lie about his past?
Gatsby: I fear loneliness, I tell myself that hosting parties will help me meet someone, I create a reality in which Daisy is my only option, I harm myself by trying to repeat the past.
ReplyDeleteBeing Gatsby:
ReplyDeleteWhat do you fear? I fear losing Daisy, and her not being everything that I made her out to be in my imagination
What lies do you tell yourself? That I can create the past, because I want the past back, and for things to be the way they were
How do you embellish your truth and write your own fictions? I made up an idealistic Daisy in my mind for years, and some of the things I love about her might be fiction
What reality are you creating for yourself? A false one, where Daisy is perfect and I will have a perfect life with her
How is this self-constructed reality harming you (and others)? It is making my world a false reality, and it is changing the way that I'm living my life
Gatsby-
ReplyDeleteLoosing Daisy again
that the past can be repeated
I idealize Daisy and tell myself that she never loved Tom
A world with Daisy as my wife
This harms me because I can't see Daisy for who she is now.
As Nick I fear Gatsby,
ReplyDeleteI tell myself that Gatsby is a good guy but i dont know if i believe that.
I am creating a reality in Gatsbys shadow.
The Self-Constructed reality harms me in the way that i am trying to live to be more than i am.
Daisy:
ReplyDeleteI fear of being alone
I tell myself that everything will be alright
I make myself believe that my relationship with Tom is fine when I know that it won't last
I live in the reality that I wall always have a rich life and will need for nothing
My self constructed reality is harming me because I find myself more lonely everyday
As Gatsby I fear the truth and I tell myself lies to help cover the truth of my past up. I've created a false reality where I am like the overseer and no one will question becsue I have blinded them with my wealth and greatness I live in now.
ReplyDeleteGatsby
ReplyDelete1.Things never being the same with Daisy
2. Daisy has to leave Tom
3.Lieing about my past
4. Successful person from birth
5. Deep into lies and has become my life
Gatsby
ReplyDelete1. I would say that I fear people knowing about my true past life and who I am as a person.
2. I tell myself the lies of my past life and am starting to believe them.
3. I embellish my truth by trying to push them to the way back by throwing these huge parties and I throw my own fictions by believing the questions others have about myself.
4. I am creating a reality that could end any second due to the endless questionability about myself.
5. This self constructed reality is harming myself because once something big gets out, theres no turning back.
I fear the thought of being alone
ReplyDeleteI tell myself the lie of my name
I am creating a fake reality where I can be whoever I really want
I write my own fictions by telling people a fake story so no one must know who I really am
I am harming myself by escaping who I really am
In the mind of Daisy
ReplyDeleteI fear Tom.
I tell myself that Tom doesn't love me.
I tell Tom that I love him and that he is the only one I want to be with.
I am creating that it is ok to have 2 affairs with a guy that I married when the other guy was at war.
I am harming myself because Gatsby is doing stuff that I would normally not do.
As Gatsby, I fear not being with Daisy. I tell myself that the relationship that Tom and Daisy have is nothing compared to what we have. I tell myself that she loves me and not him. The reality I make for myself is one where me and Daisy spend the rest of out lives together. This reality is harming me because I need her in my life and if she doesn't love me that would tear me apart. Is Jay afraid of Tom?
ReplyDeleteIn the mind of Gatsby, I tell myself that I am in love with Daisy. I think that because I want to relive the past. I think/tell myself that the past can be repeated, but is it a reality or a lie?
ReplyDeleteGatsby
ReplyDelete------------
What lies do you tell yourself?
I tell myself that I am a good honest person.
How do you embellish your truth and write your own fictions?
I embellish the truth by keeping myself busy and living in New York. Also I chase after Daisy, so I don´t have to think about who I really am.
What reality are you creating for yourself?
I am creating a reality of politeness and happiness. A giver to all of society.
As Gatsby:
ReplyDeleteWhat do you fear?
I fear that people will find out the truth behind my history.
What lies do you tell yourself?
That no one will ever find out anything about how I got to the point where I am today.
How do you embellish your truth and write your own fictions?
I have parties and tell people about lies to make myself seem better than I am.
What reality are you creating for yourself?
I am making myself seem like the perfect man. I have a perfect house and I live a perfect life.
How is this self-constructed reality harming you (and others)?
IT is causing others to thinks I have a great life that is better.
Gatsby fear losing the illusion that he has surrounded himself in, he also fears people knowing the truth about where he came from and that he wasn't always a great man. Gatsby tells himself that he is fine by himself when in reality the only thing he wants is Daisy. Gatsby writes his own fiction by being a high roller, and throwing extravagant parties to please those around him. Gatsby is harming others by putting them in positions that they don't necessarily want to be in, such as Nicks tea party.
ReplyDeleteI AM DAISY:
ReplyDeleteI fear living an unfulfilled lifestyle
I tell myself that Tom is the way to happiness, even though he is terrible
Is Gatsby a better man than Tom?
ReplyDeleteI think that as the book goes on, Gatsby is showing himself to be a worse man than Nick. Nick is an honest man who has a simple life, I see that Gatsby likes to show off his wealth.
DeleteIn Tom's Perspective
ReplyDeleteI fear in not being in control over the people in my life. I fear other people like Gatsby coming into my life and taking the people from my life.
I tell myself it's ok to have a mistress because I'm rich and I can do what I want.
I believe that my relationship with Daisy is good enough.
I am creating a reality where I have power and control over anyone in my life, including my wife, mistress and friends.
This self-constructed reality is harming me because I might lose my wife soon.
How does Nick feel about Tom?
ReplyDeleteI think Nick is just kind of being Tom's buddy to please him, he knows Tom isn't the best guy but they are old acquaintances so he isn't going to cut him out.
DeleteI think Nick sticks with his first impression of Tom. He doesn´t like Tom much, because of the party where Nick got drunk for the second time in his life. And he knows Tom isn´t an honest person. But, he´s coming to the realization that nobody in New York is very honest so relatively, Tom is becoming less of a bad person to Nick.
DeleteIn the mind of Gatsby:
ReplyDeleteI fear that money will not be able to buy me happiness
I tell myself that I can recreate the past.
I embellish my truth and write my own fictions through Daisy. I believe that my true self is shown through Daisy.
Self-constructed reality is harming me because I keep on dreaming instead of taking action.
What is the reasoning behind Gatsby lying about everything for so long?
ReplyDeleteMaybe to keep a respectable image of himself.
DeleteHe could have thought that daisy would never pop up in his life again and could cover up his past. But now that daisy has come into his life his past starts to reveal itself.
DeleteI think it has just become a way of life for Gatsby. He doesn´t know any other way.
DeleteI agree with what Chris said, but I also think it is to impress Daisy. We see a couple times in this chapter about how Gatsby's purpose is to be with Daisy.
DeleteI think its because if he does tell people they will look at him a lot different and this way he doesn't look so elegant.
Delete"A few days later he took him to Duluth and bought him a blue coat, six pairs of whit duck trousers and a yachting cap"(Page 100). What do all these colors represent?
ReplyDeleteTo answer Alex's question from the inner circle: If they saw that he used to be poor, it would change his reputation, because the rich people do not like the poor people back then, and they might see him as a poor person no matter how wealthy he got
ReplyDeleteWhy does Gatsby have to become a wealthy man, why does he have such a change in heart?
ReplyDeleteCould it all be for Daisy?
DeleteMaybe Cody's wealthy lifestyle rubbed off onto Gatsby/
DeleteHe became addicted to the lifestyle of Cody, and when his mistress denied him his inheritance, maybe that triggered him and he knew that he had to pursue making that money, and a lot more.
DeleteI think he felt ripped off by Dan Cody, so he just wants to work up to where he would be if he got Dan Cody´s inheritance. But now, Gatsby has become addicted to a rich lifestyle.
DeleteWhy does Gatsby want to hide his hard work? Why wouldn't he take credit for his accomplishments?
ReplyDeleteI think he just wants to establish he has old money
DeleteI think its because if a lot of people know it might end badly for him while he is trying to get Daisy. He want to show Daisy that he just inherited all the money and not show her how hard he had to work.
DeleteMost of it is a lie or illegal, so in order to keep the ¨pure and polite¨ reputation he has built for himself, he needs to distance himself from the ¨dirty¨ work he does.
DeleteI think it's more that that he doesn't feel the need to share his past. He seems to be super quiet and he doesn't talk to many people and when he does, he speaks lies about his past life.
ReplyDeleteNick is writing the story after knowing about Gatsby's past, yet he still doesn't include the real source of his fortune...
ReplyDeleteWhy is Gatsby so worried about his self image? Why does he lie/ stay so mysterious about his life?
ReplyDeleteI think he may be trying to impress Daisy any way he can
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree with Blake. I feel like he wants to impress everyone but especially Daisy.
DeleteI think that Gatsby wants to be like all the other old money families because they are respected and that's something he never got.
DeleteI think he is trying to impress Daisy but again we are watching Gatsby though someone who is mostly observing him then actually having conversations with him. Nick probably also can't ask Gatsby all the questions that he wants to.
DeleteDoes Gatsby's past embarrass him?
ReplyDeleteIt is either that or he is afraid and scared of what he had become and never wants to do that again.
DeleteI think it does. He didn't get all of his money the way he has been telling people so I think if he told the truth, the judgmental people at his parties would make fun of him. Gatsby is also in the public eye. We see this in this chapter because of how many people want to interview him. Think of celebrities in real life and how much they lie.
DeleteMaybe he's just scared that if he tells people the truth, it would ruin the whole persona of "The Great Gatsby"
ReplyDeleteUsing ideals from this book, does wealth really give you confidence?
ReplyDeleteClearly not, seeing as Gatsby has almost none. I think he thought it would but he is disappointed that wealth didn't satisfy him, he needs love.
DeleteI agree with Garret. I feel like he feels like he is missing something and he needs something else.
DeleteI agree with garret because if he had confidence he would have gone after daisy but instead he just watched her from a distance to scared to confront her.
Delete"...So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tunning-fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete." What about kissing Daisy changed Gatsby, what did he become?
ReplyDeletePg. 111
DeleteFrom that moment he was in love with her and he continues to love her even five years later. Could it be that he 'feels' married to her?
DeleteIt seems more that Gatsby is old money from inheritance and that maybe the other old money people don't respect him due to his questionable persona
ReplyDeleteDaisy was just so surprised when she heard the name Gatsby so like what really happened to him and do you think Daisy knows some stuff that we don't know?
ReplyDeleteYeah I though about that too. Like what happened the last time they had seen each other?
DeleteAre wealth and class the same thing?
ReplyDeleteWealth: Valuable possessions (physical)
DeleteClass: belonging to a category (imaginary/subjective)
------------------
I think with wealth comes a higher social class (Complementary), but I don´t think they are the same thing.
I think it depends, but no. I think that if you are wealthy, but not someone that comes from wealth, then people consider you in a lower class than someone that has the same amount of money as you, but they came from it and aren't new to the money.
DeleteMost of the time yes. But sometimes people are better off than others but treat money like they aren't as wealthy.
DeleteI feel like Gatsby is definitely into some sketchy illegal stuff and that's why he won't tell just anyone about his pst and even if he tells you about his past. You never really know if he's telling the truth or not.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Jay Gatsby is different than James Gatz?
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby sounds more formal
DeleteJay Gatsby sounds more professional and more like a fancy name.
DeleteWhy does Jay feel like he can open up to Nick? He told him the truth but not the whole truth about his past.
ReplyDeleteI believe it's because he's the only one that understands Gatsby.
DeleteI think its because he needs someone to talk to because he hasn't had anybody and he feels like Nick can help him get what he wants.
DeleteWealth definitely doesn't lead to complete happiness in life because some of the happiest people do what they love and make little to no money but they still live life to the fullest and smile a lot more than Jay Gatsby does.
ReplyDeletei agree with william i dont like how on a page in the book he kind of talks around the way he made his cash
ReplyDeletedoes money really equal happinesS?
ReplyDeleteI think money can buy happiness.
DeleteI thinks that money can get rid of many problems that take away our happiness. Money can bring a peace of mind about being financially stable, but to be truly happy, you need more that money.
DeleteNo I think that money can buy fun things but they are not as fun unless you know you have worked really hard for it.
DeleteGatsby creates a world around making Daisy happy, and when he brings her in she doesn't enjoy it, why is this?
ReplyDeleteDoes the American dream exist in this book or is it just a fantasy?
ReplyDeleteIt's there but it doesn't seem to be very important to the plot.
DeleteI see a couple people saying that the way Gatsby is lying about his past makes him a bad man; However, in real life, lots of people idolize celebrities who lie about their past and it is not a big deal. Why is Gatsby lying about his past so wrong?
ReplyDeleteI don't think what he is doing is that wrong but it seems to be more shocking than anything else
DeleteThe big picture answer to your question is that it makes Gatsby unreliable, because of the lies its become very hard to trust him.
DeleteI think they're saying its bad because he might've done something terrible to achieve his wealth. Less mad about the lying and more just confused and scared maybe?
DeleteOn page 99, Fitzgerald writes, "He stayed there two weeks..." Why would Gatsby be embarrassed about coming from nothing to something?
ReplyDeleteWhy does Daisy surround herself in a reality where her and Tom are happy together?
ReplyDeleteWhy is Daisy so afraid of being alone?
ReplyDeleteI think Daisy is not really sure how to handle herself on her own. She gets lonely easily and she's also insecure so she feels like she needs a man to make her feel good.
DeleteI think Daisy is afraid of being alone and craves having someone with her showing her the way all the time. Why do a lot of people fear being alone? How do people view the world differently when they are alone versus when they are around others?
ReplyDeleteWill Gatsby ever give up on daisy?
ReplyDeleteGatsby has this false reality where he believes he has outgrown his reputation and everyone has a high level of respect for him. How do you think this is hurting him?
ReplyDeleteMichael Sullivan
How does Gatsby try to create the past and how will it affect those around him?
ReplyDeleteDoes Gatsby's reality help or harm him and the people surrounding him? why?
ReplyDeleteOverall I think he is hurting himself even though he has all this money, his reality will be the death of him whether that's literally or figuratively.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Gatsby looking for? What would truly make him happy?
ReplyDeleteWhy does Gatsby lie about his past?
ReplyDeleteMaybe he doesn't want to be looked down on because of his background and how he made his money. I also don't think he lied I think it was other people making up how they saw Gatsby.
DeleteI think he lies to appear more charming than he actually is
DeleteGatsby has created a false reality between him and Daisy, he has lied about them just happening to run into each other and has bought a house near her just to see her again. Do you think that this will work out or will this all just blow up in Gatsby's face in the end?
ReplyDeleteWill gatsby's fake reality ruin his reputation? Or will this charade carry on?
ReplyDeleteHow will Gatsby's obsession with Daisy affect her life with Tom and also with her daughter, And also in the end who will Daisy choose, Tom or Gatsby?
ReplyDeleteWhy does daisy think she is someone different?
ReplyDeleteHow long is Gatsby going to go for Daisy?
ReplyDeleteWhy is gatsby so worried about people liking him and having friends, I think that comes naturally and he seems to be trying to hard.
ReplyDeleteOne of his biggest fears is loneliness which is a big reason why Gatsby holds all of his parties. So he needs to fix his bad reputation and replace it with friendliness. He also throws the parties to attract Daisy
DeleteMichael Sullivan
Is loneliness our biggest fear as people?
ReplyDeleteI think in the sense of all the characters, yes. They all in a way are trying to fill this loneliness, Gatsby with parties, Tom with his Mistress, Nick with Jordan, Daisy with Tom
DeleteI think loneliness is a lot of peoples biggest fears because I feel like without people you love and family you experience a sort of emptiness and when you feel empty inside you feel like you truly can't be happy.
DeleteWhat is Nick’s attitude towards other character and their actions? Does he have a perspective of them that is different from reality?
ReplyDeleteHow does Gatsby's "love" for Daisy effect what he fears?
ReplyDeleteWhy does Gatsby isolate himself?
ReplyDeleteDoes Gatsby believe that wealth will make a difference in his love life
ReplyDeleteI think he thinks that wealth will make him more attractable
DeleteI think that clearly he thinks that because he wanted to show off his house to Daisy when they all had tea together.
DeleteHow does feeling invincible set us up for failure?
ReplyDeleteFeeling invincible makes you think that you can do anything, and you won't be effected, so when you do end up effected, and realize you aren't invincible you see that like you have failed.
DeleteWe feel untouchable and that's when we are the most vulnerable for failure
DeleteHow does Gatsby truly feel about Daisy
ReplyDeleteI think he really cares about her and wants her to be his.
DeleteI think that Gatsby truly loves her.
Deleteon page 113, "It was when curiosity about Gatsby was at its highest that the lights in his house failed to go on one Saturday night." Has Gatsby left the reality that every Saturday night he is gonna throw a party?
ReplyDeleteYes--I think Gatsby threw the parties to attract moths to the flame, so to speak. Since he has now caught his highly-prized butterfly, there's no need to keep throwing the parties.
DeleteHe was throwing the parties to hope that one day Daisy would show up, so know that he has reconnected, the parties will stop happening. How are other people going to react when he stops throwing these parties?
DeleteIs Jay Gatsby happier than James Gatz would have been?
ReplyDeleteI think he is because Gatsby has made a reality for himself that seems perfect and luxurious and unlike his old life being James Gatz.
DeleteI think he is happier as Jay Gatsby because he got to create his own life in a way.
DeleteI think they are the same, Jay Gatsby's wealth doesn't make him happier but James Gatz's poorness doesn't suit his life either
DeleteI genuinely do not think so because Gatsby did work sort of for the high life but I think he wouldn't have to hide behind some crazy persona if to be happy,
DeleteI agree with Julia. It seems like he created a new identity so it would be easier for him to create his own life
DeleteI think it is possible that Gatsby could be just as unhappy as he use to be.
DeleteI think that he is happier because he seems to live his life in a different way but at the same time it seems to have some similarities.
DeleteI agree with Aidan and Julia, I think since he changed his name he did it to be happier, and an easier life for him.
DeleteI agree with Julia James Gatz was destined to live his life as a poor farmer, but when he changed his identity he was able to have a new start
DeleteI think that Jay Gatz is happier then James Gatz would have been because by changing his name he changed his whole life around. Before he was a janitor and college dropout and now he's very wealthy and successful.
DeleteOn page 109 it says "He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she would go to Tom and say "I never loved you."" Is it selfish for Gatsby to ask this of Daisy? Do you think she will agree?
ReplyDeleteI think it is very selfish for him to ask this of Daisy, he is trying to use Daisy to show Tom that he is better than him.
DeleteI agree with Julia I think that he is just honestly just doing this for himself
DeleteIn the chapter it says, "Except for the half hour she'd been alone with Gatsby she wasn't having a good time", what is it about Gatsby that makes Daisy genuinely happy? It seems like she's always pretending to be happy when she's with anyone else.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Daisy even knows what happiness is. When you feign happiness for too long, perhaps you lose your ability to feel it.
DeleteI feel like Daisy doesn't really like all of the parties. maybe she doesn't want to just be expected to show up to the parties maybe she likes alone time with him because then they can talk and get to know each other after a while of being apart and maybe daisy just wanted to be alone with him and that's why she didn't go to the parties.
DeleteI agree with Allie I think that over all the way Gatsby thinks about fun and how he understands things is on the opposite side of how Daisy does and I think that maybe that it why they get along so well because she isn't at competition with her as he is with all others that he ever meets or talks to.
DeleteWhy does Gatsby want to hide his hard work? Why wouldn't he take credit for his accomplishments?
ReplyDeleteI think he hides a lot about himself. And I think it's mainly because he doesn't want people getting involved in his life unless it's one of the few people he chooses. And I think that's why him and nick have gotten to know each other, because gatsby trusts him
DeleteI think that as into the money and being able to have nice things Gatsby might not feel the need tell everyone. he has also created an image for himself that is hard to go back and say hey I lied to all of you
DeleteI think Gatsby might like staying a mystery to many people.
DeleteI think that as Jay Gatsby he has completely separated himself from James Gatz, and the character that he has created for himself as Gatsby is a person who comes from a long history of affluence, he doesn't want to acknowledge the path he has taken to Gatsby because it connects back to Gatz.
DeleteOn page 109, Gatsby explains that he feels far away from Daisy. Is he finally realizing that she is not the same person that she used to be? Will Gatsby be able to adjust to who Daisy has turned into, or will he try to change her back into who she used to be?
ReplyDeleteI think he will probably try and change her to how she used to be but quickly realize he can't so h will learn to accept her now.
DeleteI think he will try make everything go back to how it was before and that he will soon learn that you cant just go back in time and that he has to except who she is now if he really loves her.
DeleteWhy do you think Jay Gatsby change his name to James Gatz? What is the difference between these two people?
ReplyDeleteI think that Gatsby thought that if he changed his name he could change his life around and reinvent himself.
DeleteOn page 109 Gatsby is talking to Nick about Daisy not having a good tie and he says "I feel far away from her." What does he mean by this?
ReplyDeleteI think he can't reconcile the Daisy that never actually was (the Daisy of his colossal dreams) with the Daisy who is sitting in front of him. He felt more connected to the green light because he could make that out to be whatever he wanted to be.
DeleteI think Gatsby is just trying so hard to get Daisy to love him and be with him and she isn't responding the way he hoped which is freaking him out and making him feel "far from her".
DeleteOn page 110 it says "Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. "Why of course you can!"
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't Nick think they couldn't repeat it?
So much has changed since they were together, and everything is so much more complicated then it used to be, people have changed.
Deleteon page 108 it says " After all, in very casualness of Gatsby's party there were romantic possibilities total absent from her world". Do you think that Gatsby' parties tend to bring happiness over all or some type of sadness or awkwardness?
ReplyDeleteOn page 110 Nick says "He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand," about Gatsby. Why is Gatsby so obsessed with Daisy and their past together?
ReplyDeleteI think that he is trying to create this fantasy because when they were together it was everything he wanted. I think that Gatsby might soon realize that it can never be the way it was before though.
DeleteIn what ways are the author and Gatsby the same?
ReplyDeleteI think they are so much the same. Zelda his wife is just like daisy she was loved by many guys and they all wanted her. Fitzgerald was also in the war and then came back and then found Zelda. Do you think this is like a memoir in the background of his life?
Deletethey both don't want to follow after their fathers who they view as failures, they both lost someone they loved, they are both new money, they both had to work for their money, they both have a dream girl they are chasing until they get her heart, they are both successful, and they both had giant parties
DeleteOn page 98 Fitzgerald writes, "The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself." Is the persona of Jay Gatsby any more real to James Gatz than the character Jay Gatsby is to F. Scott Fitzgerald?
ReplyDeleteOn page 132, Nick states that "He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was" Do you think that the reality Gatsby lives in creates him to desire the past so much? And is it a healthy coping method?
ReplyDeleteMichael Sullivan
I think that this is a very unhealthy coping method because there is no way that him and Daisy can ever be exactly the way that they used to be.
DeleteDo you think Gatsby enjoys Nick and how close they're getting or is he just using him to get to Daisy?
ReplyDeleteHe is using Nick to get to Daisy, but I think that he also sees Nick as a friend, or at least someone he can talk to.
DeleteI think Gatsby enjoys Nick but I don't think Nick really wants to be a part of Gatsby's elaborate life after he's been told a lot of lies about how Gatsby got to where he is now.
DeleteI think he is definitely using him to get to daisy. I think Gatsby wants to also look like he is nice to others by getting others to cut his grass and inviting him personally to his parties and stuff like that.
DeleteTo me it seems that Gatsby is using Nick, it is hard to tell if Gatsby actually likes Nick in any way.
DeleteI agree with Lauren but he does not know what to offer Nick so only one side is getting benefitted from their relationship.
DeleteMichael Sullivan
I agree with Lauren, I think that Gatsby wants to be friends with Nick but Nick is more hesitant to be friends with him because almost everything he has been told about him is a lie.
DeleteI personally think that Gatsby genuinely enjoys having a friend like Nick at first I would have definitely argued that he's just using Nick for Daisy, but as the book goes on I totally see those two having a strong friendship. I think that Gatsby is a very lonely man and him and Nick kind of both have a relaxed personality like for example neither of them really like to party and drink. I also think that Gatsby is mentoring Nick and helping him in a way.
DeleteOn page 104 Daisy tells Nick "If you want to kiss me any time during the evening, Nick, just let me know and I'll be glad to arrange it for you". If you were Nick in this situation, what would you do?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deleterun far away and never come back.
Deletein all seriousness id be worried and make sure she was okay and would continue to be okay
I think Cody made Gatsby feel as if money could get you whatever you wanted.
ReplyDeleteChapter Six stirred up a lot of questions for me. “James Gatz…” (98) . Why would Gatsby lie about his own name? He seems to connect names to the past. For instance, his name reminds him of a low time in his life. Daisy reminds him of an incredible time in his life. Gatsby reminds him of who he wants to be. However, how can Gatsby live a life of lies? His lies must catch up to him at one point. Did Gatsby kill Cody for his money? Is Gatsby trying to act like Cody by "taking in" Nick?
ReplyDeleteLater in the book, Nick and Gatsby are talking about Daisy and Gatsby says “‘It’s hard to make her understand’” (109). What is hard to make her understand? Is he trying to tell Daisy that he is still in love with her? Is Gatsby trying to tell her that he is a rich boy instead of a poor boy? Is Gatsby trying to tell Daisy the truth about himself and what he came from?
On the last page of the chapter Gatsby says “‘Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!’” (110). Why does Gatsby want to repeat the past? What is so special about his past? I think Fitzgerald is trying to show us that there is more tot he story then anyone knows. Gatsby is a character that has a huge past and does not want anyone to know about it. Gatsby is mysterious and wants to stay that way.
A lot about Gatsby is learned from Chapter 6, for instance his real name and where is money came from to where he's from. Gatsby was a drop out of college and went on to work at a camp for a summer. Here he met Dan Cody who ended up hiring him as a personal assistant. He takes care of Mr. Cody when he gets very drunk and Gatsby tells himself he won't drink, thus the reason he doesn't drink at his parties. Gatsby's original name was James Gatz, however, when he worked for Dan on his yacht he gave him the name Jay Gatsby. I think Gatsby chooses to go by this name because after working on the yacht he starts a new life in a way. He commits himself to becoming successful and rich yet as James Gatz he was a college dropout and janitor for a while. By changing his name he is leaving the past behind to renew himself. The tension starts to build between Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby so it will be interesting to see where that will go. Also, Gatsby invited Daisy to a party in which Tom arrived with her. It was unlike many of Gatsby's parties and Daisy left without having a good time. What will happen with Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby as the book carries on?
ReplyDeleteIf Gatsby does have a heroes journey, would this be the turning point in his life??
The conflict between Tom and Gatsby grows as both of them spend time watching and observing the other. Who will be the first to unleash on the other, or will it ever?
Also how can Tom get mad at Daisy when he has cheated so many times before? weird.
Chapter 6 describes how Jay Gatsby came about, I questioned if Gatsby created this life for himself because he was not happy as James Gatz? Did this person spring from the desire to get Daisy?
ReplyDelete“ or perhaps I had merely grown used to it, grown to accept west egg as a world complete in itself, with it's own standards and it's own great figures, second to nothing because it had no consciousness of being so, and now i was looking at it again, through daisy’s eyes. It is invariably saddening to look through new eyes at things upon which you have expended your own powers of adjustment.” (C6 110-111) This passage is Nick talking about how he has grown used to west egg. I wondered if this was indicating a change in Nick? is he now like all the others in west egg?