Well, I can't say I didn't see most of the events that took place coming. And yet, it still came as a shock. I didn't realize how attached I'd become to Gatsby. When Nick described how unloved and already-forgotten Gastby was, it broke my heart. On the plus side, though, Nick earned a lot of respect from me in the end, with the way he stood up for Gatsby and took care of everything.
If you put me in a teleporter into the 20s, I would hate it. I wouldn't be able to handle the people, how fake and selfish they are. The lies, deciet, etc. They put so much focus on "The American Dream" but it's really just a hoax. I mean, look what happened to Gatsby: He chased his idea of the American Dream and it was ultimately his demise.
I can't quite put my finger on what I got out of this book. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but I did learn a lot. More than anything, this novel reinforced the notion that consuming your life around materialism is not a good idea, because people can always lose everything material they have. However, if you center your life around your intelligence, real bonds with people, etc., you can never truly lose everything. The only person who has the power to take that away from you is yourself.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
First Response to The Great Gatsby
Well, up until now, nothing very interesting has happened. However, at least we all know why Gatsby is so extravagant-- it's all part of his plan to get Daisy back. He obviously wants to show her what she's missing by being with Tom.
Honestly, I'm not a fan of Nick. He's boring, and comes across as apathetic. It's almost as if he's just a medium for information, there, but not very consciously-present. I get that this is to show how people thought in the 20s, but it's made the book incredibly boring for me thus far.
I don't know what to think about Daisy and Jordan. Jordan is a compulsive liar, which annoys me more than anything, and yet, there's something appealing about her character. I can't put my finger on is. However, there is a sense that she may be a lesbian, just by Fitzgerald's description of her and how she doesn't date men often. I also get the feeling that Nick might have a thing for Gatsby, but I can't tell whether or not he just admires him or if he really does have a romantic interest. Nick goes on a date with Jordan at the end of this section, and it appears that he has strong feelings for her, but I wonder if he's just fascinated by her and is mistaking it for love? We'll find out.
Honestly, I'm not a fan of Nick. He's boring, and comes across as apathetic. It's almost as if he's just a medium for information, there, but not very consciously-present. I get that this is to show how people thought in the 20s, but it's made the book incredibly boring for me thus far.
I don't know what to think about Daisy and Jordan. Jordan is a compulsive liar, which annoys me more than anything, and yet, there's something appealing about her character. I can't put my finger on is. However, there is a sense that she may be a lesbian, just by Fitzgerald's description of her and how she doesn't date men often. I also get the feeling that Nick might have a thing for Gatsby, but I can't tell whether or not he just admires him or if he really does have a romantic interest. Nick goes on a date with Jordan at the end of this section, and it appears that he has strong feelings for her, but I wonder if he's just fascinated by her and is mistaking it for love? We'll find out.
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