The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

Take the first 5-7 minutes of this free write to type your initial impressions of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  Then, in a new paragraph take 5-7 minutes to generate and type at least five questions you have about the novel, with at least two of those questions being specific to a passage in the book.  Be sure to include page numbers where appropriate.  Make your questions as specific as possible to reveal what you have understood about the novel thus far.

My initial impressions of The Great Gatsby were that first of all, it was going to be difficult to understand. A lot of the words were words I haven't even seen before, so I know that I will have to circle words I don't understand and look them up. I think that though this story will be more difficult to understand and while it will take longer for me to read that it will be an interesting story. This story is going to be a lot about the connections between the different characters and their social events, which makes for an interesting story. My first impression that the story would include more social gatherings was in Chapter II, when Tom and Nick go to a party, which ends in Tom breaking Myrtle's nose. I think that the story has already begun with an interesting plot and story, and hope that it will continue. 

1. Why are Tom and Daisy interested in, as well as trying to influence Nick, into forming a relationship between Miss Baker and Nick? Tom hints some more to Nick on pages 18-19, "Her family is one aunt about a thousand years old. Besides, Nick's going to look after her, aren't you, Nick? She's going to spend lots of weekends out here this summer. I think the home influence will be very good for her."

2. Why doesn't anyone tell Daisy about Tom's lover? On page 15, Miss Baker is talking to Nick, "Why--" she said hesitantly, "Tom's got some woman in New York." Daisy's friend, Miss Baker, and cousin, Nick, are both now informed of Tom's other woman, yet no one tells Daisy.

3. What is the purpose of the Valley of Ashes between West Egg and New York?

4. Why are people afraid of Gatsby? On page 32, a woman talking to Nick at the party says, "I'm scared of him. I'd hate to have him get anything on me."

5. Why does Tom get so angry when Daisy is brought up? On page 37, Tom breaks Mrs. Wilson's nose because she is chanting Daisy.

Respectability

THEMES: appearance vs. reality

IMAGERY: hands, nature, darkness vs. light, railroads/trains, streets/pathways, seasons, eyes

CONNECTION TO THEME: Men represent innocence while women represent evil and maliciousness in Wash Williams’ comparison of men vs. women in the Respectability.

TEST: Whenever a man is brought into the story, he is brought in to show the maliciousness and evil of a woman. The first time this is shown is on page 121, when describing people’s reaction to the monkey, “…men turn away with an air of disgust, and women linger for a moment, trying perhaps to remember which one of their male acquaintances the thing in some faint way resembles.” This quote is used to show the maliciousness in women, while the men will just let it go. A quote on page 122 further illustrates Wash’s bias towards men over women, “First of all, he hated women. ‘Bitches,’ he called them. His feeling toward men was somewhat different. He pitied them. ‘Does not every man let his life be managed for him by some bitch or another?’ he asked.” This quote shows that Wash is basing his hate for men off men’s innocence and unknowingness of women. In other words, women are the reason men don’t succeed. Backing this up is a quote on page 124, “They (women) are sent to prevent men making the world worth wile.” Wash believes that all men, except him, are foolish when it comes to women. This is shown on page 127, when Wash visits his ex-wife’s home, who had cheated on him, “I thought that if she came in and just touched me with her hand I would perhaps faint away. I ached to forgive and forget.” This quote from before Wash’s hatred towards women and pity for men shows the innocence and foolishness a man displays after the malicious and evil acts of a woman.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The railroad represents the characters understanding of each other.

TEST: When the railroads are brought up in the story, it is always during times when characters are getting a better understanding of one another. The first time they are brought up is when George and Wash go to talk on page 123, “Down the railroad they went and sat on a pile of decaying railroad ties beside the tracks. It was then that the operator told the young reporter his story of hate.” This quote shows how the railroad represent the times of understanding and connection between the characters, as the night before, George and Belle Carpenter had walked by the railroad tracks as well.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The monkey in the story represents Wash, and the way he is seen in the town.

TEST: When the monkey is first brought up on page 121, he is described as “a huge, grotesque kind of monkey, a creature with ugly, sagging, hairless skin below his eyes and a bright purple underbody. This monkey is a true monster.” Further down the page on 121, Wash Williams is described as, “the ugliest thing in town. His girth was immense, his neck thin, his legs feeble. He was dirty.” The physical appearances are just one way that the monkey represents Wash. Back at the top of page 121, they talk about the townspeople’s reaction to the monkey, “Children stopping before the cage are fascinated, men turn away with an air of disgust, and women linger for a moment…” This represents how the town views Wash Williams. The first quote that shows this is on page 124, when Wash and George are talking, “Half frightened and yet fascinated by the light burning in the eyes of the hideous old man, George Willard listened, afire with curiosity.” This quote showing George’s, not yet a man, reaction to Wash is similar to the reaction of children to the monkey.

Mother

THEMES: miscommunication

IMAGERY: hands, light vs. dark, windows, streets, trees

CONNECTION TO THEME: The hands in the story “Mother” represent the communication between the characters.

TEST: Hands in the story represent the communication between Elizabeth and her family. An example of this is when the story is talking about Elizabeth Willard walking with the men on page 46, “On the side streets in the village, in the darkness under the trees, they took hold of her hand…” This quote represents the communication between Elizabeth and Tom, as well last the other men that used to understand her. Hands are also used to symbolize communication between Tom and George on page 44, “In the light that streamed out of the door he stood with the knob in his hand and talked.” This quote was the beginning to his talk to George working harder. Another time this is shown is when Elizabeth is looking out of her window at the baker and the cat on page 41, “At the back door of his shop appeared Abner Groff with a stick or an empty milk bottle in his hand.” This is the first time that anger is shown with hands.