The Great Gatsby: Irony

There are a few cases of dramatic irony in this book, of course there's going to be with all of the secret affairs going on, but one comes to mind for me. Dramatic irony is irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play. So basically, the reader knows what is going on, but the character has no idea. This is apparent when George Wilson and Tom think that Gatsby drove over George's wife in his car. However, we as readers know that Daisy was the one driving and Gatsby took the blame because he loved her so much and didn't want her to get in trouble. pg.151: "Was Daisy driving?" "Yes, but of course I'll say I was."

The Great Gatsby: Resolution of the Story

"After Gatsby's death the East haunted me like that... I decided to come back home." (pg.176)

This book, with all of the affairs and back stories that characters find out throughout the story, has a lot of conflict and rising action. However, with how long it takes to build this all up, it abruptly comes to a halt when Gatsby is shot by George Wilson. Daisy and Gatsby's affar is obviously over, Daisy runs back to Tom, and all of their problems are magically solved. Also, with everyone thinking Myrtle's murderer is dead, all of that drama is gone now too. This story seemed to revolve around Nick and his observations of Gatsby, and with him gone, Nick moves back home.

The Great Gatsby: Billboard

Out of the many symbols in this book, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are vey important. Although this doctor is never introudced into the story as a character, the eyes seem to be watching at key points in the novel. "Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night." (pg. 167). This billboard was over the valley of ashes that Nick mentions in the story. This to me seems like the eyes of God looking down on the morally barren society of America. Everyone has a dream, but will do whatever it takes to get that dream. Gatsby got his money by questionable ways, and Tom has affairs with a woman in New York City. There are plenty of dreams to be had in America, but also many temptations.

The Great Gatsby: Dying

This ending kind of really surprised me. I did not expect the store owner's wife, Myrtle, to be hit by a car and killed. It is understanding that Gatsby took the blame for it because of how in love he is with Daisy. (pg.151 "Was Daisy driving?" "Yes, but of course I'll say I was.") And after George Wilson comes to kill Gatsby, Daisy just disappears and her and Tom even move. THEN they don't even go to Gatsby's funeral. The only thing I can gather from this is that Daisy only enjoys money, and since Gatsby was dead and couldn't give her anymore, she just left him in the past and stayed with Tom.

The Great Gatsby: American Theme

This book symbolizes the idea of the America Dream. This dream has made immigrants flock to our shores for centuries, hoping to capture the perfect life that they want. People believe that having money will solve all of our problems. However, Gatsby had money galore and never truly achieved happiness. He spent his life chasing Daisy, from before the war, to trying to win her back from Tom later on. He lived in West Egg, the place of lavish houses and elegant parties, but never truly seemed to fit in, in my opinion. He threw parties for people to come drink but never drank himself, never danced with the guests, but watched them from above. I think Gatsby wanted others to be happy, and the only way he would have ever been happy was if Daisy loved him back. Even earlier on in his life, he changed him name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby to pursue a new life. When Nick talked to Mr. Gatz, Jay's father, he said this: "He come out to see me two years ago and bought me the house I live in now... He knew he had a big future in front of him. And ever since he made a success he was very generous with me." pg.181. This just is another example of how when he didn't even have a lot of money, he still bought his dad a house so that his dad would be happy.

The Great Gatsby: Symbols

"I glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock."

Now granted I had to look up a more detailed meaning than what I gathered from reading, there are many symbols placed in this book. One important symbol is the green light. This certain green light stands at the end of Daisy's dock in East Egg. "He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way." (pg.25) In my opinion, this green light symbolized Gatsby's hope that one day he will be reunited with Daisy. Nick sees him stretching his arms out towards the far away dock, hoping that he can reach Daisy soon enough. He hopes that his dreams of their love will one day become reality again, and we find out that he solely moved to West Egg to be near her.

The Great Gatsby: My Opinion

Going into this book I wasn't sure of how much I would like it. I tend to prefer books set in the modern time, and usually even the future. However, I really enjoy this book so far (and that's saying a lot for a book we had to read!). I particularly like the way Fitzgerald presents characters. Like I said in my other post, he doesn't beat around the bush and describes them directly. Another thing I have enjoyed is the stlye of writing. He puts the book in the point of view of Nick, and not Gatsby. This presents the events in a different way and we see the love affair of Gatsby from a different view. This book is set in the rich part of Long Island, where everyone, besides Nick, has a giant home, throws elegant parties, and can afford almost anything they desire. This is a unique look into the 1920's and so far I have really enjoyed this book.

The Great Gatsby: Setting

"It was a matter of chance that I should have rented a house in one of the strangest communities in North America. It was on that slender riotous island which extends itself due east of New York and where there are, among other natural curiosities, two unusual formations of land. Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay." (pg.9) Nick, though he works in downtown New York City, lives in West Egg, the less fashionable of the two. Even though East Egg and West Egg are separated by only a bay, they are completely different. West Egg is the place where the newly wealthy decided to settle down, surrounded by fellow millionaires who are not nearly as conservative as the East Egg. Appearances are key in East Egg, and we find that out from the marriage of Daisy and Tom. They appear to be fine, but he supposedly has a woman in the city and we find out about her feelings for Gatsby. West Egg seems to be filled with flashy people, wealth, and lavish parties.

The Great Gatsby: Characterization

This book is set in the 1920's, a time where being fancy and proper was key. People cared about how they looked, and let everyone know it (at least this is what I've found true from movies and this book). When characterizing people in this book, Fitzgerald goes headfirst and right at it. He doesn't really beat around the bush as to what people are like. When describing Nick's cousing Daisy, he says, "I looked back at my cousin who began to ask me questions in her low, thrilling voice. It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again. Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passonate mouth." (pg.13-14) He goes on to say that there was excitement found in her voice, and people didn't forget it. Fitzgerald presents characters in a way that I enjoy. He characterizes the people in the story straight up, so you don't have to make connections as much as normal and you can enjoy the story without having to guess who the people really are.

The Great Gatsby: Shroud of Mystery, Presented from the Eyes of Nick Carraway

In the book, The Great Gatsby, the protagonist of the novel, Jay Gatsby, isn't even introduced with dialogue until Chapter 3. Throughout the first two chapters, Gatsby is referenced and mentioned as the mysterious neighbor who lives in the almost unrealistic mansion. On pg. 26, Nick sees his neighbor outside in the dark, not really knowing what he is doing. "When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness." This sort of mystery and intrigue presents the main character in a different way than I thought before reading this book. I though Fitzgerald would present Gatsby in the first chapter, but instead he puts the point of view from Nick Carraway. This spin on things makes me interested to keep reading because I like the change of pace from the protagonist being the narrator.

Poor Creature

I found myself sympathizing with the creature the most in this book. Sure Walton isolated himself from his friends with his studies, and Victor played God and watched two of his loved ones die, but nobody knows the troubles that the Creature has seen (little Louis Armstrong reference there). All the creature wanted to do was care. On page 35 he reached out like an infant to embrace his "father". He spent a year observing the DeLaceys and taking care of them by bringing them wood, only to be shunned and cast away when Mr. DeLacey finally sees the revolting mess that the creature is. With a face that only a mother could love, and a father that couldn't even love him, the creature lived a lonely, sad life that could've been avoided if people learned to love based on the stuff on the inside, rather than appearances.

Final Battle

At the beginning of this novel, Victor is chasing the creature around the north pole. Throughout the story there is so much build up and action and plot that the book leads you to believe there is going to be a final, big, climactic fight to end the book between Victor and the Creature. However, this novel, to my disappointment, comes to a screeching halt and abruptly ends without any grand frontation. The monster, on the last page, talks about how he knows Frankenstein was out to get him. "And yet cherished a desire of revenge against me, it would be better satiated in my life than in my destruction. But it was not so; thou didst seek my extinction." (pg. 166) He even knows at the end that there should have been a final battle, but did not happen to the reader's dismay. The monster then leaves on his funeral pile, burning to ashes.

Actual Guilt

Ok, at most points in the novel, besides the ending, I recognize that Victor definitely expresses guilt towards creating the monster. The creature asks him to make another creature, a female one, so that he is not totally alone and isolated from the world. While Victor was thinking about this, he says, "Had I a right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations?" (page 121). He admits that what he did was wrong, and he should not make more people suffer, especially after what happened to Justine and William.

Guilty or Destined?

Throughout this novel there is also a recurring sense of guilit coming from Victor. When he is first talking to Walton he mentions that he is guilty for creating the creature and shouldn't have in the first place. However, as time goes on and he hears the creature's story, he feels less guilty. I think that he had a sense that this was his purpose in life. On pg. 161, he mentions, "in a fit of enthusiastic madness I created a rational creature." And also, "Think not, Walton, that in the last moments of my existence I feel that burning hatred, and ardent desire of devenge, I once expressed." I think he realized this was an extraordinary feat that he accomplished, and he accepted his guilt and moved on from it rather than dwelling on it.

Nature vs. Nurture

In this novel, nature vs. nurture is a recurring theme. Throughout the book, there are examples that support both of these. After the creature was created, the reader automatically associates it with being vile, evil, and a wretched being. We make this connection because of the way Victor reacted.  A popular quote that I reference is when Victor says the monster reached out, "Seemingly" to detain him. (pg. 35). The creature confesses to Victor that humanity made him into the monster he is today. In my opinion, the creature was not evil to begin with, and the world and the people that ridiculed him turned him into a monster.

Horrible Monster or Misjudged Creature?

When Frankenstein has been included or shown in movies and television shows, the normal creature we see is one ravaging the town and being chased by pitchforks. In this story, it is created and Victor assumes that it is evil and wishes to do him harm. "One hand was stretched out, SEEMINGLY to detain me, but I escaped." (pg. 35). From the beginning of his life, the creature has gotten a wrong reputation and has been misjudged. To me it seemed like he was a babbling baby reaching out to its parent, and Victor thought that the creature was going to attack him. On pg. 69, the creature explains this to him by saying, "I was benevolent; my sould glowed with love for humanity." He goes on to explain that the world and its misjudgements based on appearance have made him turn into the monster that Victor thought he was from the beginning.

Diction

Again touching on the fact that the whereabouts of the creature are at this point unkown in the story, the creature returns with excellent diction and knowledge of the world. Examples of this supreme vocabulary for a two year old are: "I was beneveolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone?" and, "Shall I not then hate them who abhor me?"(both pg. 69). Mary Shelley uses this change in diction to make us question how intelligent the creature really is. From what it looks like, it is not the babbling, roaming monster that is depicted in most cartoons and movies that we have seen.

Bible Allusions

At this point in the story we do not know what the creature was up to the past two years, we only know what Victor has been doing. When we meet up with the creature again he displays excellent vocabulary and was very well-spoken. He learned words from observing a family, and learned what actions produce what emotions. We do not know how he became so knowledgable of the world yet. On page 69, the monster even makes an allusion to the Bible. "I ought to be thy Adam but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed." I don't know what he has been doing for two years, but I hardly think that it has been in college courses learning Theology.

A Warning

When Walton goes to the North Pole, he is looking to harness the energy of the magnetic poles and also find a safe passageway. He is looking to do something that no one has ever done, and also can be considered controversial. He is trying to make new steps in the world and sees no consequences that could come from doing so. However, when he meets Victor, Victor seems to regret what he has done. He created life and instantly regretted doing so. He tells Walton, "But now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." (pg. 35). He obviously regrets what he has done, and tries to warn Walton of what  dangers could come from his quest.

Motif

Through the use of motfis, an author can stress a certain point, and make the reader connect certain events. In Frankenstein, there is a certain motif that deals with when Victor is describing the creature, or when he sees it. When Victor is describing the creature, or a stranger that we find out is actually the creature, he describes it with the phrase: "gigantic stature." This makes the reader connect that this stranger is not a human, and identify it as the creature that Victor created.

Suicidal? There's help for that!

Throughout the play, we find out that Willy is just not stable. Whether it be a mental condition, or just years of being delusional, Willy is just not all there in the head. The title: "Death of a Salesman" is itself an allusion to the end of the play. At the end, Willy commits suicide and leaves his delusional self behind. This is not the first time that this has happened, however. Onstage, there is a garden hose. This is a constant reminder to the audience of Willy's past attempts at suicide.

Abandonment

The theme of abandonment is prevalent in this play. As mentioned previously in my last post, Willy's father leaves him and Ben when they were very young. Also, Ben leaves Willy to move to Alaska. This seems like it would be something to stop Willy from abandoning his family, but nevertheless the cycle continues by Willy leaving his family constantly for work. In the end of the play, Willy sort of abandons his family completely by committing suicide. His father ran away from his problems and left his family to deal with it, and now so did Willy by completely removing himself from the situation.

Ol' Willy

The main character in Death of a Salesman is named Willy Loman. Throughout his life, he is the "low man", hence the name, even though he works a lot for his family and tries to seem like a role model for his sons. It is referenced that his dad wasn't around much, and that he wants to be there for his kids. However, this contradicts with the fact that Willy is always out of town for work. He tries to provide but is so delusional that he can't, and he is backed up by his eagerly supportive wife, Linda.

Reflective Essay

Iago, the Deceiver

           The play Othello, written by William Shakespeare, presents many timeless themes. These themes include love, passion, jealousy, and many more. The theme that is most universal and timeless is the theme of deception. Throughout the history of American entertainment and literature, this common theme of deception of others appears quite often. This theme can be traced to many novels, movies, and songs from our culture. A novel that this connects to is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Also, this theme can be traced to the song “The Pretender”, sung by the Foo fighters. These are just two examples of American culture that have been influenced by the universal theme of deception.

            In Othello, deception is the cause of the majority of the drama and conflict that appear in the book. Much of this drama is caused by the mastermind, Iago. He controls people by using cunning and wit, and gets them to perform his dirty work. All of his plans revolve around the common theme of helping himself out, no matter what it takes. His main target in the play is Othello, the Moor. By utilizing jealousy, he controls Othello and his temper to get him to believe that his beloved wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him with Othello’s general Cassio.

 A song that connects to this plot of Othello is “The Pretender” by the Foo Fighters. The reason that this song connects to Othello is because it is about someone being lied to and they eventually realize it and try to fight back and rebel against their "puppet master", or the one controlling them. This happens in the play when Roderigo realizes that Iago’s been lying to him. He tries to fight back with questions, but Iago turns them around and subdues Roderigo’s suspicion. The lyrics that are relevant to this theme of deception are: "What if I say I'm not like the others? What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?", "In time or so I'm told, I'm just another soul for sale", and "Keep you in the dark you know they all pretend." These lines are talking about someone only being used for a bigger plan that they are just a pawn in.  The pretender in the play Othello is Iago. He uses people like Roderigo in his schemes and exploits them for his personal gain.

            Along with deception in schemes, deception also appears in the aspect of love. Othello is worried that Desdemona is cheating on him and he becomes jealous. Iago convinced him to believe this through the use of deception. The plan of him talking to Cassio in front of Othello was brilliant. He convinced Othello that they were talking about Desdemona, but they were talking about Cassio’s woman, Bianca. This theme of deception in love can be used in different ways. In The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, Katniss Everdeen is forced into an arena and pitted against twenty-three other people in a fight for survival, last man standing game. In order to win and come out on top, Katniss is thrust into a plan of deceiving the  Capitol, the city controlling these games, into believing that her and Peeta Mellark are madly in love and will do anything to save each other in these games. She uses deception to appeal to the masses of people that watch the Hunger Games and their fights for survival. Suzanne Collins uses deception very interestingly in this book. She makes the characters use it for the benefit of others and not just for themselves like Iago in Othello.

            The themes of deception and cunning have appeared throughout American entertainment history.  The fact that it relates to a novel written in 2008, and a rock song written in 2007, proves that this is a timeless theme. Deception has been used in a number of plays, books, movies, and songs to get the point across of jealousy and personal gain. Shakespeare utilized this theme very well and it appeared in many of his plays.

http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBjQ9tuuTJQ

The Pretender

 In the play "Othello", there is a common theme of deception. Throughout the play Iago is controlling people through lies and promises that are eventually going to help him out in the end, or so he thinks. That is why I chose the song "The Pretender" by the Foo Fighters. This song is about someone being lied to and they eventually realize it and try to fight back and rebel against their "puppet master", or the one controlling them. A couple of lines that I found to be relevant to this theme of deception are: "What if I say I'm not like the others? What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?", "In time or so I'm told, I'm just another soul for sale", and "Keep you in the dark you know they all pretend."
 These lyrics from the song just further expand on Iago's controlling nature and how he keeps Roderigo in the dark on the subjects and betrays him eventually. This song especially applies to Roderigo because he is Iago's pawn and he tries sticking up for himself ("What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?) but through lies Iago tricks him again.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-pretender-lyrics-foo-fighters.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBjQ9tuuTJQ