The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
And now we have the pleasure of meeting Tom Buchanan's mistress...yippee. Sarcasm is one of my favorite things:) I find it very rude that Tom has the guts to take the woman, who is not his wife, out to dinner where other people see him and out places with his friends. It is a slap in the face to his real wife, Daisy. Come to find out Tom's mistress, Myrtle, is the wife of Mr. George B. Wilson who owns a car garage in a dusty place. So, they're both cheating! and they have their own place in the city together. There is too much going wrong right now.
Tom and Myrtle sure know how to throw a raging banger, though. I know this because Nick says, "I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon" (Fitzgerald 29). He went to the party where I think there was a bunch of weirdoes. Everyone just seemed so odd. The McKee's, a duo of an "artistic" photographer and his wife, who's "...shrill, languid, handsome, and horrible" (Fitzgerald 30). They fascinate me and I feel they live in some strange reality. Then there is Myrtle's sister, Catherine. Shocker! She too, knows Gatsby. Sister Catherine seems to know all about Myrtle's love life. She informs Nick that they both hate the person their married too and that Daisy is Catholic which keeps Tom from getting a divorce (lie). Then, we find out that Tom and Myrtle have a fight and Tom hits Myrtle in the nose. Craziness.
Im sure Nick went to bed that night thinking "what in the world did I just go through?? Do people like this really exist?"...and the answer is, YES.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Great Gatsby 2
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Nick is off to see "two old friends whom I(he) scarcely knew at all" (Fitzgerald 6). The Buchanans, Tom and Daisy, are a peculiar couple. I get the sense that they have a lot of issues. It is at their house that Nick first meets the pro golfer, Jordan Baker. I have a feeling they are going to like each other and what a surprise! she knows Gatsby. Who would have thought? Everyone seems to know him. I am beginning to feel out of the loop for not knowing who this character is...
The dinner at the Buchanans' reminds me of a dinner with my friends, no real thread of conversation, just a bunch of nonsense comments floating around. Also they don't really seem to have an agenda, dinner will happen when it happens. There is a different sort of tension, however, between these people--Specifically the Buchanans. Apparently, Tom is cheating on Daisy. He wasn't even there for the birth of his own child. I read this interesting quote that Daisy is saying about her little girl which says, "I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be In this world, a beautiful little fool" (Fitzgerald 17). I had no idea what this could mean. So, naturally, I looked it up. Apparently, she is being somewhat sardonic in the sense that she doesn't like her eras standards in that a girl will be better off being beautiful and somewhat stupid. Also, it could be referring to her being a fool and marrying Tom, who is now cheating on her.
Nick is off to see "two old friends whom I(he) scarcely knew at all" (Fitzgerald 6). The Buchanans, Tom and Daisy, are a peculiar couple. I get the sense that they have a lot of issues. It is at their house that Nick first meets the pro golfer, Jordan Baker. I have a feeling they are going to like each other and what a surprise! she knows Gatsby. Who would have thought? Everyone seems to know him. I am beginning to feel out of the loop for not knowing who this character is...
The dinner at the Buchanans' reminds me of a dinner with my friends, no real thread of conversation, just a bunch of nonsense comments floating around. Also they don't really seem to have an agenda, dinner will happen when it happens. There is a different sort of tension, however, between these people--Specifically the Buchanans. Apparently, Tom is cheating on Daisy. He wasn't even there for the birth of his own child. I read this interesting quote that Daisy is saying about her little girl which says, "I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be In this world, a beautiful little fool" (Fitzgerald 17). I had no idea what this could mean. So, naturally, I looked it up. Apparently, she is being somewhat sardonic in the sense that she doesn't like her eras standards in that a girl will be better off being beautiful and somewhat stupid. Also, it could be referring to her being a fool and marrying Tom, who is now cheating on her.
Great Gatsby 1
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The book begins with the narrator, Nick Caraway telling us about some advice his dad gave him. The advice was "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had" (Fitzgerald 1). This sort of suggests that he had a good upbringing with money and love. This is some advice my father would give to me too. Nicks father seems like my dad because he always tells me to never judge anyone. Also, in the beginning, I feel this sort of suspense for what is to come. He is describing this person, Gatsby, who's life he has "unaffected scorn for" but still has some gorgeous aspect to it.
He just so happens to live next door to this great character who is both mysterious and fantastic all at the same time. I get the feeling of foreshadowing with the fact that "It was a matter of chance..." that he would have rented a house "...in one of the strangest communities in North America" (Fitzgerald 4). The book would not be interesting if he was in a boring neighborhood. This is why I have a feeling of suspense and want to see why the community is so interesting and who this Gatsby fellow is.
The book begins with the narrator, Nick Caraway telling us about some advice his dad gave him. The advice was "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had" (Fitzgerald 1). This sort of suggests that he had a good upbringing with money and love. This is some advice my father would give to me too. Nicks father seems like my dad because he always tells me to never judge anyone. Also, in the beginning, I feel this sort of suspense for what is to come. He is describing this person, Gatsby, who's life he has "unaffected scorn for" but still has some gorgeous aspect to it.
He just so happens to live next door to this great character who is both mysterious and fantastic all at the same time. I get the feeling of foreshadowing with the fact that "It was a matter of chance..." that he would have rented a house "...in one of the strangest communities in North America" (Fitzgerald 4). The book would not be interesting if he was in a boring neighborhood. This is why I have a feeling of suspense and want to see why the community is so interesting and who this Gatsby fellow is.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton is now drawing to an end. A huge change has overcome Lily and she has adapted all throughout the story very well. I was most proud of her when I saw that she was wanting to take the money she gets from her Aunt's death and put it toward starting up her own business. She would then use the money made over a period of time to pay back her debts to Trenor. I thought it was very smart and clever of her to be thinking this way.
She is then surprised by Mr. Rosedale. All she has to do in order for him to marry her is "...the sole condition of a reconciliation with Mrs. Dorset" (Wharton 244). She was very slowly beginning to like Mr. Rosedale more and more. If it meant all her troubles were to go away and she would have plenty of future love and security, I don't know why Lily doesn't just marry Mr. Rosedale. I think she should just suck it up and apologize to Mrs. Dorset. She could use Mr. Rosedale and all his kindness. I hope to see Lily make better decisions toward the end of the book.
She is then surprised by Mr. Rosedale. All she has to do in order for him to marry her is "...the sole condition of a reconciliation with Mrs. Dorset" (Wharton 244). She was very slowly beginning to like Mr. Rosedale more and more. If it meant all her troubles were to go away and she would have plenty of future love and security, I don't know why Lily doesn't just marry Mr. Rosedale. I think she should just suck it up and apologize to Mrs. Dorset. She could use Mr. Rosedale and all his kindness. I hope to see Lily make better decisions toward the end of the book.
In The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Miss Lily Bart has shown a change in her life. She now is a secretary for Mrs. Hatch and lives with her. She is making her own money. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for Lily to go from never doing anything to having to work and make her own money.
Lily now has a completely different life with different schedules and friends. The details of Mrs. Hatch's life seemed very strange to Lily because "Mrs. Hatch and her friends seemed to float together outside the bounds of time and space. No definite hours were kept; no fixed obligations existed: night and day flowed into one another in a blur of confused and retarded engagements..." (Wharton 223). Lily and her former friends had packed schedules with numerous ordered activities. This life is completely different.
I can say that about a year ago, I started working at my first job. I am a hostess at Shallos Restaurant and it was pretty different going from having all the time in the world, to having to plan out everything around my work schedule. I made many sacrifices including missing all but two of our Friday night football games. It definitely was difficult, but the reward, the money, was completely worth it in the end.
Lily now has a completely different life with different schedules and friends. The details of Mrs. Hatch's life seemed very strange to Lily because "Mrs. Hatch and her friends seemed to float together outside the bounds of time and space. No definite hours were kept; no fixed obligations existed: night and day flowed into one another in a blur of confused and retarded engagements..." (Wharton 223). Lily and her former friends had packed schedules with numerous ordered activities. This life is completely different.
I can say that about a year ago, I started working at my first job. I am a hostess at Shallos Restaurant and it was pretty different going from having all the time in the world, to having to plan out everything around my work schedule. I made many sacrifices including missing all but two of our Friday night football games. It definitely was difficult, but the reward, the money, was completely worth it in the end.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Edith Wharton has done it again. In The House of Mirth, there is a metaphor that I absolutely love. It reads, "The light projected on the situation by Mrs. Fisher had the cheerless distinctness of a winter dawn. It outlined the facts with a cold precision unmodified by shade or color, and refracted, as it were, from the blank walls of the surrounding limitations: she had opened windows from which no sky was ever visible" (Wharton 204).
I love the imagery I get from this excerpt. It's so vivid and I feel as though I can actually see what is going on. I just love it so much. It is saying she "opened the window", so to speak, and shed light on the situation. Lily had never even thought about marrying anyone else to get Bertha off her back. And Mrs. Fisher gave Lily a sort of guided epiphany with this thought.
I love the imagery I get from this excerpt. It's so vivid and I feel as though I can actually see what is going on. I just love it so much. It is saying she "opened the window", so to speak, and shed light on the situation. Lily had never even thought about marrying anyone else to get Bertha off her back. And Mrs. Fisher gave Lily a sort of guided epiphany with this thought.
Now I am starting to feel very bad for Miss Lily Bart. In The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, Lily finally tells Rosedale that she will marry him. Mrs. Fisher suggested Sim Rosedale to Lily as someone she could possibly marry. Of course, I want her to marry Selden, but that won't happen. She began to actually consider it and I don't like that.
Lily is starting to be brutally honest. Lily says to Mr. Rosedale, "I am desperate--I'm at the end of my tether. I want to be free, and you can free me. I know you can. You don't want to keep me bound fast in hell do you?" (Wharton 197). She's coming in a new way. I believe Lily is still changing from what I predicted earlier on in the book. I wanted her to become a better person, and she slowly is becoming one.
Mr. Rosedale, however, says that he won't marry her. He doesn't want to lose his social status by marrying a woman with such rumors about her. He wants to just be "friends" which, if someone ever said this to me, I would smack him right in the face. It's rude and something Lily certainly doesn't need at this point in her life right now.
Lily is starting to be brutally honest. Lily says to Mr. Rosedale, "I am desperate--I'm at the end of my tether. I want to be free, and you can free me. I know you can. You don't want to keep me bound fast in hell do you?" (Wharton 197). She's coming in a new way. I believe Lily is still changing from what I predicted earlier on in the book. I wanted her to become a better person, and she slowly is becoming one.
Mr. Rosedale, however, says that he won't marry her. He doesn't want to lose his social status by marrying a woman with such rumors about her. He wants to just be "friends" which, if someone ever said this to me, I would smack him right in the face. It's rude and something Lily certainly doesn't need at this point in her life right now.
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