Artistic Choices: April 11 or 12, 2017

Focus: How do the director's artistic choices affect your interpretation of The Great Gatsby?

1. Warming up with one directorial choice and how it's affected your interpretation of characters, settings, symbols, and/or themes from The Great Gatsby

Ex: In Fitzgerald's novel, when Daisy sees Gatsby's mansions for the first time and he shows her his wardrobe, Fitzgerald offers no explanation for Daisy' sudden crying. She simply says, "It makes me sad because I've never seen such--such beautiful shirts before."

But in the film version, the dialogue goes like this:

Jay Gatsby: [Daisy cries after Gatsby showers her with fancy shirts] What is it? Daisy, Daisy darling, what is it?

Daisy Buchanan: It... it makes me sad.

Jay Gatsby: Why?

Daisy Buchanan: Because...

Nick Carraway: [narrating] Five lost years struggled on Daisy's lips, but all she could manage was...

Jay Gatsby: Why?

Daisy Buchanan: [laughs] Because I've never seen such beautiful shirts before.

The big difference here is that Lurhmann (the director) includes a voiceover from Nick explaining that she's crying over the five lost years, not the shirts. In the original novel, there's a stronger possibility that her sadness is shallow rather than tragic as she appears to be crying over Gatsby's material possessions. Luhrmann, on the other hand, portrays Daisy as a more complex, empathetic character.

2. Viewing the film version of Chapters 6 and 7 in The Great Gatsby, keeping an eye and ear out for Luhrmann's artistic choices


HW:
1. Please read and blog on Chapter 8 by this Friday, which is when our next fishbowl will take place. You will have some reading time on Thursday.

2. Double check with your partner to make sure your Monday's timed writing is complete.

3. Click HERE for a detailed view of this week's bell schedule.