"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

The short story, “Interpreter of Maladies,” written by Jhumpa Lahiri creates an interesting conflict between the two main characters. It is through the story that the reader learns both Mrs. Das, and American woman with an Indian background, and Mr. Kapasi, an Indian tour guide and interpreter, are terribly unhappy with their marriages. This causes both characters to create the conflict of the story. Mrs. Das admits her infidelity to Mr. Kapasi, while Mr. Kapasi lusts after Mrs. Das even though he does not know here. Mr. Kapasi’s infatuation with Mrs. Das causes conflict, as he is already married, yet she is causing him to think of throwing that all away. Furthermore, Mr. Kapasi even begins to create a world where he and Mrs. Das are in fact together and happy. The problem with this feeling of Mr. Kapasi’s is that Mrs. Das is really not everything he had hoped for; rather she is selfish and uncaring towards her husband and children. Mrs. Das may interest Kapasi with the questions and inquiries she makes, but her attitude is not one Kapasi would wish upon himself or his own family. In the end, this conflict of feelings is resolved as Mr. Kapasi discovers the real Mrs. Das. A paper that he had written his address on for Mrs. Das, the paper that Kapasi was basing their future on, was blown away in the wind, yet Mrs. Das did not notice nor care enough to check. This proved that Mrs. Das’ priorities were not in the place Mr. Kapasi would like them, and she became less appealing through this turn of events. It is the final minutes that he spends with the Das family where Kapasi gets his true feelings towards the family as they hustle around, flustered, with no appreciation for the Indian culture.

 

"Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes

While reading “Dream Deferred,” a poem by Langston Hughes, I became caught up on a certain line. That line was “Or does it explode?” (Hughes). That question is, strangely enough, an answer to a previously posed question about what ensues when a dream is deferred. Usually, when one puts off a dream or does not act upon it, it is usually forgotten about and never put into action. When I first read this poem, I assumed this first opinion after assuming that that last line meant that the poem would disappear or be destroyed, as those are the verbs I usually associate with explode. However, as I pondered that phrase once again, I began to grasp that the word “explode” might not have a negative connotation in this poem and to Hughes after all. When a metaphorical explosion occurs, it can also mean that they have taken off, or in other words, gathered lots of attention. Perhaps, in this poem, that is what Hughes was attempting to relate to his readers. All similes in the poem involve unpleasant or disgusting prospects, yet explosion leaves room for a more open, positive interpretation. Hughes very well might be telling his readers that if a dream gets pushed out of the way and set on the back burner, it is not always destined for doom. Rather, that burner can heat a dream up until it explodes and carries with it a great impact.

 

"Mr. Z" by M. Carl Holman

After reading “Mr. Z,” a poem by M. Carl Holman, I took from it the message that the character of the poem was making a fruitless attempt to escape his past. Throughout the entirety of the work, it appears as though the unnamed character, assumed to be Mr. Z, is working to try and remove any traces of his past. I determined that Mr. Z was likely biracial, yet rather than embracing both of his cultures, he tried to erase one culture and completely change his life into that of an Anglo-Saxon. The author describes how the character transformed himself in order to conform to what others thought was proper or correct. His habits changed, his spouse changed and even his eating habits changed, as the story states, “his palate shrunk from cornbread, yams, and collards,” (Holman). However, they key word in my discovered message is fruitless. Even though Mr. Z followed all the rules and tried to be like the others, his endeavors were unsuccessful. Furthermore, as he drifted farther and farther away from his true background, he drifted away from any background at all. He was able to pursue a life free from ethnic boundaries, yet in death, he was once again grouped with the people he wanted to get so far away from. The closing line of the poem is “one of the most distinguished members of his race,” (Holman), so even though Mr. Z spent his life trying to reshape his past, he was unsuccessful and fell back into racial categorization.

"Hazel Tells LaVerne" by Katharyn Howd Machan

“Hazel Tells LaVerne,” a poem written by author Katharyn Howd Machan, cleverly creates an image of a working woman, living in the lower social class and economic class. They author illustrates this sense of a lower class citizen through various techniques and observations. As the poem is written in a grammatically incorrect way, the vernacular of the character in question is revealed. Although this does not always old true, misspelled and slurred words oftentimes form the idea of a lower class citizen who was never educated properly. It is through this that the author adds a personality and background to the character without coming straight out and stating the facts. Furthermore, the prospect of a lower economic class citizen shines through the occupation of the speaker. It appears that she is a cleaning lady in a hotel, which does not pay much. All of these clues and hints allow the reader to understand that the speaker is probably a poorer citizen, especially when the poem begins to stretch the truth with the appearance of a frog prince. When the speaker is told that kissing the frog will make her dreams come true, she states and then repeats later, “me a princess,” (Machan). The way she states that line is as though she feels something so far from her reach now could not become fathomable by kissing a silly frog. It is this unfortunate feeling that oftentimes invades the worlds of those struggling to get by every day, as men and women, like the woman in “Hazel Tells LaVerne,” see a future any different from their current situation unreachable.

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

After reading “Everyday Use,” a short story by author Alice Walker, one character in particular that caught my attention was Dee, the speaker’ daughter. In my opinion, Dee is the epitome of a round character. Throughout the few pages of the story, she reveals a personality of confidence, ambition, and even cruelty. As a child, Dee was always very pretty and popular, yet her attitude pushed away true friends. Those who paid attention to her were mesmerized by her persona and wanted to imitate her, yet this constant desire to be someone they are not led to nervousness about others’ perceptions and attitudes towards them. As written by Walker, “impressed with her [Dee], they worshipped the well-turned phrase,” (Walker, 176). This constant attention seems to have fed Dee’s confidence immensely. Furthermore, Dee also displays ambition. Obviously she has, as the speaker called it, “made it” (Walker, 173), meaning that she has overcome her background and setbacks in order to create a name for herself. It is very likely that the constant confidence boosters provided by her childhood friends allowed Dee to embody this characteristic, and Dee’s ambitious personality no doubt aided her in her quest for a distinguished future. However, as confidence and ambition can oftentimes have positive aspects, one characteristic Dee shows throughout the short story is cruelty. The author writes background information into her story about a house fire and Dee’s little sister getting burned, but Dee is described as feeling happiness at that time. Dee “had hated that house so much. I used to think she hated Maggie, too,” (Walker, 175). Whether she liked it or not, Dee and her family lost their home, and her nonchalant attitude towards that loss evokes a sense of cruelty. Furthermore, Dee’s sister Maggie was badly burned in the fire, yet Dee only thinks of the positives of losing her home. This story shaped Dee into the round character that she is as it formed and enhanced her various personality traits.

"That all interpretations of a poem are equally valid is a critical heresy." -Laurence Perrine

After reading “The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry,” an article by Laurence Perrine, I was able to take away from it specific information that will certainly help guide my study of poetry this year. When we were asked to interpret the untitled poem by Emily Dickinson, “The Sick Rose” by William Blake, and “An Army Corps on the March” by Walt Whitman and “The Night-March” by Herman Melville, I will admit that my interpretations were not what Perrine claims to be “correct.” The interpretation of Dickinson’s poem as a field of flowers made perfect sense to me, and I thought that that was the correct interpretation. However, after reading Perrine’s thoughts on the subject, I see his point in why the meadow description is, in fact, incorrect. Perrine claims and I now support that “a correct interpretation, if the poem is a successful one, must be able to account satisfactorily for any detail,” (Perrine, 1), yet the meadow interpretation does not explain every detail without assumption. If an interpreter leaves certain details unexplained and makes certain suppositions about a poem, they are, in a way, adding meaning to the work that the author did not intend to be present. Although I thought that the wharf in the poem described the garden perfectly well, I now see that the statement “the wharf is still” caused me to make assumptions. I explained that there was a wind in the garden that stopped, causing the flowers to stop swaying in the wind. However, Dickinson never mentions any detail that could represent wind, invalidating my description. If an interpreter leaves certain details unexplained and makes certain assumptions about a poem, they are, in a way, adding meaning to the work that the author did not intend to be present. Because of Perrine’s explanation on this topic, I can, in any poem I interpret this year, confirm that my understanding of the work does not contradict what is said in the poem and does not take any liberties by adding details or allowing for assumptions.

Furthermore, Perrine points out to the readers of his article that “even a symbol does not have unlimited meaning,” (Perrine, 5). Many written works contain a plethora of symbols that add an element of mystery to their story, yet these symbols do not always represent what the reader interprets them to signify. This year, I must make sure that my understanding of a symbol reflects both the organization in the way a poem is written and the characteristics of each symbol. In Blake’s poem about a rose and a worm, I cannot correctly assume that the rose represents darkness and the worm represents sunlight because of the characteristics and descriptions in the poem regarding each symbol. Blake seems to describe the rose as a helpless victim through phrases such as “does thy life destroy” and “he has found thy bed of crimson joy,” and darkness, a typically dangerous and terrifying character, creates the sense of a predator rather than a victim. Likewise, an assumption that the worm represents sunlight would also be incorrect because of the details surrounding the symbolic worm. Blake’s description of the worm as invisible, flying at night, and destructive does not allow for a pleasant interpretation, one such as sunlight. The worm rather must represent an evil, dark, or possessive entity in order to comply with the author’s portrayal. In the future as I interpret other poems, I can pay more attention to the symbols present and the details surrounding them to ensure that my interpretations are not far-fetched or inapplicable. This article explained to me that every symbol cannot mean anything the reader wishes it to, and I can make certain that my interpretations are justified.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 169-180

F. Scott Fitzgerald

In the concluding pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, it seems as though each character’s true nature and personality came to light. Unfortunately, in my opinion, most of their final chances to redeem themselves passed by without action, and they allowed their story to end on a sour note. Although I believe that Fitzgerald did write a captivating, interesting novel, I am always confused why books like The Great Gatsby go down in history as the most famous, or cleverest. Personally I find them depressing and draining. I really was enjoying this novel, I was laughing and finding it interesting, but alas, it seems as though the author felt that the happiness just could not continue until the end. Both this novel and The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton ended on similar notes, and after reading both of them, I feel as though the authors are trying to get across the point that no story has a happy ending. Whether speaking of Wharton’s Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden or of Fitzgerald’s Gatsby, Carraway, and the Buchanans, it seems as though they are trying to prove that in life, we just have to accept that happy endings are rare, or even nonexistent. When the novel took a pessimistic turn, it became not the interesting book it had been, but rather a tedious chore to read. While I was reading, I felt as though the last couple of chapters were void of any emotion, happy or not. All the color that had filled the pages was gone, and nothing was left except bleakness and gray. Character Nick Carraway removes even the last sense of emotion, even if it was written in anger, when “on the white steps an obscene word, scrawled by some boy with a piece of brick, stood out clearly in the moonlight, and I erased it,” (Fitzgerald, 180). Although I am aware that there is a lot of depression and sadness in the world, I have still not lost hope for happy endings, and I hope that these writers’ perceptions are proven wrong.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 157-168

Myrtle Wilson

After reading these pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, my previously proclaimed hopes that this novel would not follow the same path as The House of Mirth were unfortunately crushed. Just as Lily Bart died alone and without many friends, the great Gatsby of Fitzgerald’s imagination also met his end without love, and without friends. Lily began to have problems when she went after what was unattainable, and the same unfortunate thing happened to Jay Gatsby. His everlasting hope that Daisy Buchanan would leave her husband was destroyed, and he died heartbroken, leaving a legacy filled with scandal. Although I did find Gatsby arrogant and insufferable at certain points in the novel, I also do not believe that he deserved what happened to him. The murder of Mrs. Myrtle Wilson was put in his hands in order to protect Daisy, but not only did it lead to his demise, he also never received the love and care of Daisy. In fact, all of those who took advantage of him never repaid him in any way. Once they were done enjoying his parties and alcohol, once Gatsby had nothing left to offer them, they drifted off into the wind. This also happened to the beautiful, troubled Lily Bart. All those who called themselves her “friends” were really taking advantage of her beauty and money, but when that was gone, so was their friendship. Only Lawrence Selden cared about Lily until the end. Similarly, the only person who never tried to deceive Gatsby, who never lied to him, and who never mistreated him was Nick Carraway. He states, “I found myself of Gatsby’s side, and alone,” (Fitzgerald, 164). Although Carraway did not completely agree with all of Gatsby’s actions and choices, he did care about him, which is more than any other character could say.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 145-156

In my opinion, these pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, mark the downfall of character Daisy Buchanan. All throughout the novel, I had liked the character of Daisy as I believed she was one of the few, honest people in the story. She always had something funny to say, and I had always hoped that she would be the character to turn out alright. However, after the intense encounter with her husband Tom and Gatsby, I lost all respect for her. It seems as though at this point, when all had gone to chaos and been revealed, she gave up and chose the easy way out. Daisy disregarded the fact that she had cheated on her husband, and she chose instead to fill the shoes of the victim, the one who was hurt in the end. She completely abandoned the man she loved, Jay Gatsby, because of his indiscretions and sketchy business dealings, but she refused to see that she had done the same thing. Daisy chose the direction that would cause her the least amount of trouble in the end and that would ensure that she would be well taken care of for the rest of her life. Yet, through that decision, she broke the heart of the one man who truly cared for and loved her. Gatsby was the one who stood outside her house for hours, making sure that Tom treated her well and hoping that she would join him, but she never showed up. Gatsby returned home the next morning, dejected and depressed with no words other than “nothing happened,” (Fitzgerald, 147). Tom Buchanan would never have waited outside for Daisy, never would have sacrificed his time in order to make sure that nothing hurt her, and yet Daisy chose the man that had cheated on her over the one who had never stopped loving her.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 133-144

The falling action of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby crashes through the pages at this point in the novel. With the drama of the Buchanan’s unfaithfulness still in the air, the action that gets the ball rolling down the hill to the end of the story is the death of Mrs. Myrtle Wilson. As I had predicted earlier, Wilson does have a great effect on the result of the story. Because of her death, scandal now surrounds Gatsby and Daisy, as they were in the car that took her life. Myrtle’s husband, George Wilson, basically falls into a state of madness where all reasonable thought is blocked out by the idea of avenging his wife. Furthermore, the relationship between characters Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway is shot to pieces during these events. The stress of the evening’s events and the horror of the unknown breaks them apart beyond repair, ending any hope of a continued relationship. It is at this point that Carraway also loses faith in Gatsby, even though he was the one person who tried to stay his friend throughout the entire book. Not thinking about the fact that he just killed a woman, Gatsby is only concerned that no one saw that he and Daisy were the passengers of the car that killed Mrs. Wilson. The characters’ lack of concern or responsibility for their own actions drove me crazy during this novel, and Gatsby’s insensitivity towards the death of Wilson sent Carraway over the edge. He claimed, “I disliked him [Gatsby] so much by this time that I didn’t find it necessary to tell him he was wrong,” (Fitzgerald, 143). The fact that Gatsby had upset Nick so much that he refused to tell him a piece of information that could possibly get him in trouble proves that he had crossed a line, even for caring Nick.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 121-132

It is among these pages F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, where the climax occurs. Chaos breaks loose in the triangle between Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan, when Gatsby abruptly announces to Tom, “Your wife doesn’t love you…She’s never loved you. She loves me,” (Fitzgerald, 130). It is at this point that any hope of civilized discussion and understanding fizzles. Definitely the most dramatic and attention-drawing point in the novel, this encounter fulfills the role of the climax as the point of highest tension and uncertainty. At this point, I have no idea what is going to result from Gatsby’s confession. Daisy claims that she is going to leave Tom, but at this point I do not really know if she means it. Daisy is kind of a pushover, and it would not surprise me if she were to back down and choose the safe route by staying with Tom. Personally, I believe that Gatsby loves Daisy much more and would take much better care of her than Tom, who Daisy knows had an affair, but I think she is scared of the unknown. Fitzgerald writes that Daisy claims she never loved Tom, but that she says it “with perceptible reluctance,” (Fitzgerald, 132). The idea that she is reluctant to deny her love of Tom makes me wonder whether she truly does mean what she is saying, or whether she is just playing along and following Gatsby’s lead because she is scared. In these intense moments where all feeling comes out, I am not really sure what the future holds for these three characters.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 109-120

After reading this portion of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, a question Daisy Buchanan asks stuck with me as I continued to read. “‘What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon?’ cried Daisy, ‘and the day after that, and the next thirty years?’” (Fitzgerald, 118). Although Daisy is actually complaining that the hot summer sun leaves them with nothing to do, this question made me think about both the characters’ lives and my own life. With the affairs that both Daisy and her husband are having with other people, who knows whether their marriage will last through the afternoon, let alone for thirty more years! The couple has created so much confusion and drama in their relationship that nothing holds certain for them anymore, and yes, Daisy does have reason to be worried. For character Jay Gatsby, he is relying completely on the hope that Daisy will leave Tom Buchanan, her husband, in order to be with him, but Daisy very well might change her mind, and then where will Gatsby be? He has no close friends or family except for Nick Carraway, and Nick does not even support Gatsby all of the time. All of the uncertainty surrounding one afternoon for the characters of The Great Gatsby made me think about all of the things in my life that are uncertain. Quite honestly, not one person knows whether they are going to wake up tomorrow, whether they will ever go back to school, or ever go out to dinner again. I do not know whether my parents will come home from work one day, or whether the storm brewing miles away will change my life forever. Obviously, nothing is certain. However, as none of these happenings are under our control, we must sit back and live life, as we cannot predict the future, nor can we change the past and our decisions that constantly shape our lives.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 97-108

Nick Carraway

These pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, made me aware of something that I had not really realized until this point. Throughout the entire book, narrator Nick Carraway has been describing the wild, fantastic parties of the great and mysterious Jay Gatsby. All of Long Island, plus many people from other areas of New York flock to the Gatsby Mansion to have a great time and enjoy the entertainment. However, I have just determined that unfortunately, most of the people attending the parties are just taking advantage of Gatsby. Even more disappointing is the concept that these party-goers know they are mistreating Gatsby, yet they just do not seem to care. As mentioned earlier, the majority of the attendants never see Gatsby during the party, as they have just come for the free alcohol and extravagant performances rather than for the company of a friend. Furthermore, it is mentioned that half of those who join in the parties have not even received an invitation, yet they come regardless of that fact. If any of these people really cared at all about their host, he would be sought out during his get-togethers and would be thanked for the great evening he provided. It upsets me that these people are so shallow that they would take advantage of another just for a fun evening, and especially that they do not see a problem with doing it. They make no attempt to get to know him, regardless of the number of parties they have attended, and if this says anything about the rich and powerful of the twenties decade, I am glad that I do not have to cooperate with people so inconsiderate and selfish. It is Carraway that actually puts together that others visit Gatsby only for the benefits, stating, “he [Gatsby] would be uneasy anyhow until he had given them something, realizing in a vague way that that was all they had cane for,” (Fitzgerald, 100). At some point, I believe Gatsby is going to realize what is going on, stop the parties, and then his guests will begin to realize how much they actually did appreciate him.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 85-96

Jay Gatsby

Lawrence Selden

After reading these pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, I noticed a comparison between Jay Gatsby of this novel and Lawrence Selden of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth. It is among these pages that the reader discovers Gatsby’s infatuation with and love for Daisy Buchanan, a woman who he cannot exactly have because of her marriage to Tom Buchanan. This is similar to the predicament of Selden. Although he is in love with Miss Lily Bart, Lily is looking for a husband of higher social status and wealth and does not consider Selden a possibility, regardless of her feelings towards him. In other words, both men have reciprocated feelings towards women that they are unable to act on. Because of these feelings, they both experience feelings of loneliness and sadness that for once, they cannot get what they want. Gatsby has avoided Daisy for years, only to find out that she really does still care for him but she cannot do anything about it. Nick even describes that during her meeting Gatsby, Daisy’s face “told only of her unexpected joy,” (Fitzgerald, 89). Selden has a similar predicament, as he has to walk around with the knowledge that Lily does in fact love him, she just refuses to stoop to his level. However, I only can hope that the comparisons and similarities between these two men and these two novels end here. In The House of Mirth, Lily’s constant hope and struggle for something more prestigious leads to her downfall, and I do not want a similar thing to happen to Daisy if she gets caught up between her husband and Gatsby. There is always that possibility, and if Daisy were to ever face scandal, it could cause her the same problems that Lily Bart came to know in The House of Mirth.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 73-84

Meyer Wolfsheim

Pages seventy-three through eighty-four of The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, introduce the reader to a topic that could eventually have a negative effect on certain characters. It is here that Jay Gatsby begins to talk about how he makes a living, but in my opinion, his dealings and business appear to be rather sketchy. Although the author never comes right out and explains the details of Gatsby’s so called business, the lack of details given causes me to believe that it is something that very well might be skirting the edge of legal. Even after he is asked, Gatsby edges around actually coming straight out and saying what his profession is, and this reluctance to tell of certain details makes both me and character Nick Carraway wary of it. He speaks of the business as being “on the side” and states that “it happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing,” (Fitzgerald, 83). These descriptions do not bode well for the possibility of the business being legitimate, and they leave way to much room for the prospect of illegal activity. Furthermore, a man Gatsby does business with, Meyer Wolfsheim, is known for his indiscretions and ability to avoid punishment. Wolfsheim is a well-known gambler who apparently fixed the World Series and has avoided jail because, in the words of Jay Gatsby, “They can’t get him, old sport. He’s a smart man,” (Fitzgerald, 73). However, even if Wolfsheim has been able to stay out of the line of fire for now, he is bound to run into a predicament at some point, and at that point he could easily drag down Gatsby and even Nick Carraway with him. Although Carraway seems to want to avoid the vague and mysterious business, the prospect of gaining inordinate amounts of money oftentimes hooks the fish in the end, and involvement in anything illegal could bring him down. I can only hope that my assumptions are incorrect, and that I have just looked too far into Gatsby’s words.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 61-72

After reading these pages of The Great Gatsby, authored by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a name that I had not read for a while once again popped up. That name belongs to Mrs. Myrtle Wilson. Although she has proven to be a minor character so far, Mrs. Wilson has already had a major impact on the story, and I believe she will continue to have a huge impact on the future events that occur. Wilson is the mistress of Tom Buchanan, a wealthy man married to the lovely Daisy Buchanan. Not only is Wilson disrespecting Tom’s marriage to Daisy through her affair with Buchanan, she is also disrespecting her own, as she is also married. Furthermore, it seems as though Daisy knows something of Tom’s indiscretions, as previously in the novel Jordan Baker stated, “I thought everybody knew,” (Fitzgerald, 15) in regard to the affair. However, because of her knowledge, Daisy might have an increased want for revenge on her husband and his mistress, and her own judgment in any decisions she has to make later on in the novel might be affected by this. If Daisy has lost faith in her husband, it would not be difficult for her to try and get back at him, and even more unnecessary drama could begin to boil over. Also, things could take a turn for the worse if Tom would decide to leave Daisy because of Myrtle. If this were to happen, not only would scandal tarnish the reputations of Tom and Myrtle, but Daisy would also be stuck in the crossfire. She most likely has no income and relies on Tom’s work, so if she were left behind suddenly, Daisy could easily find herself in a dangerous situation. Fitzgerald cleverly makes an example of the importance of minor characters and the effect they can have on a story through Myrtle Wilson.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 49-60

The Dishonest Jordan Baker

After reading these pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the story of the Miss Jordan Baker begins to develop. Nick Carraway, the main character, forms an interest in the professional golfer, eventually realizing that he likes her a little more than he thought. However, just as scandal surrounds Mr. Gatsby, Jordan Baker also falls prey to it. Accused of cheating in a golf match, Carraway discloses that she also has lied while he was with her. I had previously liked Jordan and thought she seemed like an intelligent, clever girl, yet the scandals beginning to appear about her make me question my previous assessment of character. Carraway even goes as far to claim that “she was incurably dishonest,” (Fitzgerald, 58). Although I know that possibly, I am getting a little too caught up in the story, I really do like Carraway, and I do not want to see him fall in love with Jordan if her dishonesty is going to continue. If she lies in her profession, who knows what else she might lie about, and I do not want Nick to fall into a predicament because of her dishonesty. Furthermore, the Carraway concludes that “Jordan Baker instinctively avoided clever, shrewd men,” (Fitzgerald, 57) which could possibly be because they discover her indiscretions too quickly, maybe even calling her out on them. Yet, Jordan does seem to like Nick Carraway, and he does not seem to be the pushover type. Although Carraway does not seem to mind her dishonesty, I would be wary of anyone who does not seem to care about misleading others. Jordan Baker proves to be another mysteriously developing round character in this novel, and I would not be surprised if the scandals regarding her life and that of her friend Gatsby continue to shape the novel and the characters that interact with them.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 37-48



A Party at Gatsby's Mansion

As more and more mysteries, suspicions, and gossip about the great Mr. Gatsby emerge throughout these pages, the reader is finally introduced to the man himself. However, F. Scott Fitzgerald ensures that the life of the title character of his novel, The Great Gatsby, still remains a guarded secret. This has made me curious over the reason for the secrecy, which I am sure was also the author’s intention. Gatsby throws grand parties that everyone and anyone attends, yet he is rarely seen during them. Why is he so elusive? It seems as though he is a decent person, but the fact that not one person seems to know his true past is confusing. Rumors drift around that he might have killed someone or that he is from a prominent family in Germany, yet although Gatsby must know about the misconceptions regarding his person, he does not set anyone straight. I, if being accused of murder by others, would make a very important point of proving them wrong about such an inhumane act, but Gatsby does not seem to care or worry about the speculations surrounding him. Furthermore, when main character Nick Carraway finally meets the mysterious man, he does not really know whether to believe what he is told. It seems that Gatsby has spread many stories about himself to various members of the community, but because of his mystery, many are skeptical about him. To me, Gatsby is best described with the same words Carraway uses to describe Gatsby’s extravagant parties, “significant, elemental, and profound,” (Fitzgerald, 47). My final question is why, out of all the people that have to be living in Long Island, does all the controversy surround one specific person? I am sure, however, that the elemental significance of Gatsby will be sure to unfold as the novel continues.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 25-36

Pages twenty-five through thirty-six of F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, brought to my attention a concept that I also noticed in Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth. That concept is the complete disregard for the boundaries and commitment of marriage. Several characters in The House of Mirth had frequent, long-term affairs with other characters, regardless of their marital status. Once again, the characters of The Great Gatsby fall prey to temptation and partake in their own affairs. Tom Buchanan, a wealthy, married man living in Long Island, has his own mistress, Myrtle Wilson, who is also married! Tom is even well-acquainted with, maybe even friends with his mistress’ husband. The unaffected way in which these characters deceive each other and treat each other wrongly just is not right. Tom only puts up with Mr. Wilson because of Myrtle, and he even goes as far to get amusement out of his indiscretions, stating that Mr. Wilson “thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He’s so dumb he doesn’t know he’s alive,” (Fitzgerald, 26). Although I completely disagree with the affairs that seem to be so common in these late 1800’s, early 1900’s novels, the aspect of them that probably bothers me the most is the affect they can have of the faithful husband or wife. For those who have done nothing wrong, they seem to go through life unaware of the fact that their closest friends and confidants are secretly betraying them. Occasionally, these characters even are aware that some other man or woman is more important to their spouse than they are. The prominence of affairs in historical literature of this time gives me cause to believe that this was normal behavior during the Roaring Twenties, and that unfortunately makes me think a little less of what seemed to be such a successful decade in our country’s history.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 13-24

Daisy Buchanan

Pages thirteen through twenty-four of The Great Gatsby introduced me to an element that, no offense to author F. Scott Fitzgerald, I never expected to see in a novel written over seventy-five years ago. That element is humor. Truthfully, I expected reading this book to be an unpleasant experience, but I actually found myself laughing from time to time! Main character Nick Carraway’s witty personality got a smile out of me more than once during these chapters, and his distant relative Daisy Buchanan also was a source of amusement. Although I found the other novel this summer, Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, interesting, it lacked the humor that I have found so far in The Great Gatsby and became rather dull and boring at times because of it. I believe that, whether he intended it or not, Fitzgerald’s clever humor added to the popularity of his book and the legacy it has left behind. For example, in answer to a question about whether he wanted to hear about the butler’s nose while having dinner at the Buchanan’s house, Carraway sarcastically replies, “That’s the reason I came over tonight,” (Fitzgerald, 13). Also, Daisy Buchanan adds her own comedic elements to the novel through her entertaining and ridiculous exaggerations and suggestions, including the prospect of arranging a marriage between Carraway and one of her friends. I have found that the humor present in the book has sparked my interest and kept me interested, which was most likely the intention of the author. Taking place in the 1920’s, a prosperous and exciting time in American history, it is likely that humor did play a large part in the people of that decade. When money is not a problem and families are not struggling to get by every day, humor and laughter replace the stress that usually comes with poverty. By incorporating this element into his novel, not only did Fitzgerald portray the Roaring Twenties with accuracy, he also captured the reader’s attention and drew them into the setting and time period of his story.

The Great Gatsby: Pages 1-12

King Midas

While reading pages one through twelve of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, I came across an allusion that seems to portray a major topic and factor in the book. Main character Nick Carraway describes how, as a young man, he bought certain books regarding topics such as banking and investments with the hope that they would “unfold the shining secrets that only Midas and Morgan and Maecenas knew,” (Fitzgerald, 4). These three men have been preserved in history because of their desire for wealth and their ability to attain it. Although I have only read a small portion of The Great Gatsby, I have already determined that wealth is going to be a prominent topic in the novel. Nick Carraway speaks of the fashionable mansions and affluent families of East and West Egg, Long Island, and the importance of proving one’s wealth. For example, Carraway’s small house is considered an eyesore by the others of the area just because it was not of excessive size and cost. When Carraway partakes in an evening with his former friends, the Buchanans, their obsession over money becomes evident. From Tom’s unconcealed comments about the beauty and extravagance of his home to the lavish descriptions of it, the importance of wealth in the early 1920’s emerges further. However, as myths and stories of historical characters such as Midas come to mind, I wonder whether wealth will lead to downfall in this novel just as it did for King Midas. Oftentimes, wealth can lead to a sense of invincibility and power, two feelings that Tom Buchanan already experiences slightly due to his enormous build and past as a football player. Furthermore, Gatsby, the wealthy title character of the novel, still remains mysterious in his influence on the story. As I continue to read, I am curious to see whether wealth will lead to a positive end, or whether the gold touch of Midas will break men down once again.