Due: Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Read the first half or so of Chapter 7 (first 13 pages, up to Myrtle looking out the window and mistaking Jordan Baker for Tom's wife). Then, look closely at the Key Terms and Elements of Analysis and Key Terms and Elements of Literary Analysis in the Humanities Core Curriculum Guide (pages 7-9). Focus on one of the terms and describe Fitzgerald's use of that term in an analytical paragraph about one passage in the reading. For example, you might write about Fitzgerald's use of metaphor and simile when he has Gatsby say, "[Daisy's] voice is full of money."
I chose the scene when Tom Buchanan is trying to push his wife into the vehicle he is going to drive and Daisy is refusing. (pg.121) From this scene, Tom and Daisy's characters and personalities are unveiled. (characterization)
ReplyDeleteIn a particular sentence, Tom said, "Come on, Daisy...I'll take you in this circus wagon." Tom has never been so authoritative over Daisy since he was not pretty attracted to her. On the first chapter, he even cut Daisy's cordial sentences toward Nick with his trivial sentences about business stuff. ("Tom Buchanan, who had been hovering restlessly about the room, stopped and rested his hand on my shoulder.) However, Tom Buchanan, the man of pride, was affronted when he instinctively sensed the love relationship between his wife Daisy and Jay Gatsby. Since then, he became mad. He did not want his wife to be cheating on him for a "swindler" (as he said) because that means that he is not as attractive or worth as Gatsby. In addition, he was even trying to lower Mr.Gatsby's status by calling his vehicle "circus wagon."
Daisy, in response, said, "You take Nick and Jordan. We'll follow you in the coupe." She was not viewed quite happy about her marriage from the beginning. So I thought she was just trying to spend more time with Gatsby. Of course, she might have wanted to spend more time with her former lover. However, it is later proved in this chapter that she also loved Tom. ("Even alone I can't say I never loved Tom.") In conclusion, Daisy might want to test her own husband as well as to spend time with Gatsby.
I chose a part from the beginning of this chapter where Gatsby and Nick are going to the Buchanans' house. A passage from this shows very good dictation and imagery. It says that,
ReplyDelete"... Through the hall of the Buchanans' house blew a faint wind, carrying the sound of the telephone bell out to Gatsby and me as we waited at the door."
This shows wonderful imagery because you can almost feel the distance from them to the phone and the way in which the sound resonates through the building. He also uses describers in this sentence that further specify the way Fitzgerald (or Nick) want you to feel. He uses his words in such a way to make you feel like you are there.
I chose the part where Gatsby and Nick have entered the salon. The hotness of the day sombers down the tone slightly making it difficult to do much action because of the heat. "We can't move", Daisy says to the gentlemen when they first enter. The tone is light hearted and a bit humorous until Tom enters creating a tenser atmosphere."Mr.Gatsby, he put out his broad, flat hand with well concealed delight". Tom makes it quite uncomfortable for everyone in the room and thats why daisy is quick to shoo him away and occupy him with something else. The tone automatically shifts as Tom leaves. Daisy even gets up from her state of comfort to kiss gatsby and tell him she loves him. "As he left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down, kissing him on the mouth." (I found this part so sincere, im sure gabby at least will agree with me). This back and forth tone that sets up the atmosphere of the section continues as the group goes in to town. Thing that involve tom create an uptight or melancholy tone and things that involve gatsby/daisy are light and safe.
ReplyDeleteFitzgerald uses characterization to further define Tom's qualities. With his wealth, power, and mistress, Tom is identified as a strong, confident person. However, this character is questioned when he acts in an controlling and insecure way. When Daisy asks the group, which included Gatsby, to go to town with her, Tom interrupts abruptly, "I'm perfectly willing to go to town. Come on-we're all going to town." His hands were "trembling with his effort at self control." This can be seen as Tom's anger, but it can also be viewed as his insecurity. Tom does not like having his possession, Daisy, taken away from his rival Gatsby. He does not have as much confidence or masculine qualities. In Daisy's language, Tom is not "cool." Tom uses his controlling image to hide his insecure side.
ReplyDeleteI have decided to focuse on Fitzgerald's use of imagery in the passage on page 118 when they visit Tom Buchanan's house and Fitzgerald explains what it looks like outside. "Our eyes lifted over the rose-beds and the hot lawn and the weedy refeuse of the dog-days along shore. Slowly the white wings of the boat moved against the blue cool limit of the sky. Ahead lay the scalloped ocean and the abounding blessing isles." This description is very strong and easy to imagine. The rose-beds must have been rather large since their eyes lifted over them. The cliche of 'dog-days' is used in this paragraph that gives the aura of the outside of the house a calm tone. The use of the noun scallop as a verb lets the imagination stretch beyond. It makes me question: how is an ocean neccesarilly scalloped?
ReplyDeleteThis is beautifully written.
"There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind, and as we drove away Tom was feeling the hot whips of panic." I think this is a great characterization through the use of simile ("the hot whips of panic"). It's almost as if Fitzgerald is saying that Tom is submissive to the consequences of his actions and that he is finally being held responsible for it. "There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind," is evidence that, if Nick is to be trusted, Tom is a very flat character for his "simple mind."
ReplyDeleteI have decided to focus on imagery as well. On page 114, the last paragraph, when Fitzgerald is explaining to us about the hot day, the particular image of the woman really stood out for me. The words that Fitzgerald chooses to use are very descriptive and intriguing. The particular description of the newspaper "dampening under her fingers," really gave me a clear image of the hot, congested scene. Also the sound of the pocket book "slapping" to the floor provided me with a clear sound in my head. Fitzgerald definitely has a way with words and he is very picky when he chooses how to write or describe a scene. This just makes the book a lot more interesting to read and follow along with.
ReplyDeleteI chose the part at Daisy's and Tom's house: As he left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down, kissing him on the mouth. “You know I love you,” she murmured.“You forget there’s a lady present,” said Jordan. Daisy looked around doubtfully. “You kiss Nick too.” I think that this part shows foreshadowing to what will happen later on in chapter 7. I see this passage as foreshadowing, because it's the first time that we see Daisy so open about her love for Gatsby, so maybe it shows that she is ready to confront Tom about it, because after all he has a mistress. Also, it brings back into our minds the idea of Nick and Jordan being together, since Nick hasn't mentioned her in a while. This passage shows a very different image from the "p-paralyzed with happiness" Daisy we know, and it is almost like Fitzgerald is giving us an idea of how Daisy used to be when she was the young, popular, beautiful girl she was.
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ReplyDeleteI chose the part where Tom,Nick and Gatsby goes outside to the veranda and look out over the shore. I found a personification in the part where it says, "...one small sail crawled slowly toward the fresher sea." This is a personifiction because a said canno crawl toward anywhere. It has to be carried by a boat which just floats or goes in the water but not crawl.Also, Fitzgerald uses very good imagery by saying, "Slowly white wings of the boat moved against the blue cool limit of the sky." This discription of the boat moving provided a very clear image to me. This imagery gave me the image of the boat with a sail as white and free as wings, sailing with the blue cool looking sky over it.
ReplyDeleteI chose a quote from page 115 of my edition. " My commutation ticket came back to me with dark stains from his hands. That any one should care in this heat whose flushed lips he kissed, whose head made damp the pajama pocket over his hear!" I think that this is imagery because it shows us That it is so hot out that the people on the train have no shame in doing things that make them feel less hot.
ReplyDelete"The coupe flashed by us with a flurry of dust and the flash of a waving hand."
ReplyDeleteThis sentence presents an ironic tone. Wilson, Tom, Jordan and Nick are all mired in an awkward situation, and Gatsby and Daisy zoom by. From the choice of diction--"flurry" and "a waving hand"--we can infer that the two lovers are having a wonderful time. Also, the brevity of the sentence cutting through the main scene creates the sensation of zooming by, and increases Nick's wistful tone--he really wishes he weren't there. In the flash, we can only imagine what is going on in the coupe--what happiness, what wonderful fantasy.
So we see here that a lot can be derived from one sentence.
Fitzgerald uses hyperbole, tone to form a imagery that is hot but also elegant. When he was on the train to visit Tom and Daisy, he exaggerated the temperature by saying that the day was broiling. This hypebole gives me a sense how hot it is. Then when he sescribes the woman next to him, although the woman was sweating he describes her in a very pretty tone.He says that the women was perspired delicately. The really elegant tone he uses to describe the woman gives me the image that is hot but also very uncomfortable.
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