:Valerie’s Blog

“Jimmy always liked it better down East. He rose up to his position in the East”

We see that Gatsbys father had an enormous respect for Gatsby, but Gatsby seemed to be, in a sense, oblivious to this. Most sons want to be successful to please their parents, especially their father, but Gatsby was completely intrinsically motivated. We learn from his dad that he made schedules and goals for his life and seemed to follow them, and that’s he he ‘rose up to his position’. What exactly Gatsby did, we’re still unaware, but that isn’t even important at this point.

“Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind? He was always great for that. He told me I eat like a hog once, and I beat him for it.”

Reading this chapter, how could you not think that Gatsby was a great guy. It seems almost unfair that hardly any who used him for his exiting parties would neglect to come to his funeral. We even get the pathetic and peculiar response from Meyer Wolfsheim that he is tied up in some very important business and cannot get involved with Gatsbys death now. Gatsby is almost back to where he was before his own self improvement. He has money, although that’s worthless when he is dead, but doesn’t have any friends. Those parties were thrown in hopes Daisy would come to one, and not in the attempt to get friends, as we see from Gatsby not even talking to anyone at the parties. I would think though, that if one were to go to his house every week, then they should at a minimum pay him respect and at the very least attend his funeral.

“I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all—Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life”

If anything, I would have to disagree with Nick here, I don’t see that it was all of these Westerners that possesed some deficiency, but just Nick and Jordan. I do think that this deficiency was a good thing, Nick lacked the motivation which led all of them to cheat on their spouses. Nick endures their distasteful behavior, but emerges in a better place then those who lived with constant tension.

“And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning——

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”

Was it ultimetly Gatsbys fault that he didn’t get Daisy? Was he just too late? He was constanly improving upon himself, but there was more than just Tom standing between the two of them.

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“He wouldn’t consider it. He couldn’t possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do. He was clutching at some last hope and I couldn’t bear to shake him free” (148).

Gatsby could not possibly leave Daisy even though he knows that he has no chance with her at this point. She was his whole life and all he wanted to do was to relieve their past relationship. His expectations of her were always exceedingly high, there was no practical way that she would leave Tom, especially because Tom wouldn’t leave her. When he was with Myrtle, Tom gave the unreasonable, false, excuse that he couldn’t divorce Daisy because of her religion, which wasn’t even the case. At this point in their relationship, Tom was preparing to go back to his life with Daisy, at least temporarily, because Myrtle was being forced to move west with Mr. Wilson. We do know that Myrtle isn’t Toms only lover that he has besides Daisy, but as of right now there doesn’t seem to be anyone else. It is possible that Tom is done what that business on the side, as he does have severe feelings for his own wife- seen when he punches Myrtle for mentioning Daisys name. This quote is from when Nick is watching Gatsby watch over Daisy in fear that Tom will hurt her, and Nick cannot crush Gatsbys last hope for anything between them, even if there’s no possibliliy now. Nick also says to Gatsby when he leaves him for the last time the next morning,  

“‘They’re a rotten crowd,’ I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.’ I’ve always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from begining to end” (154).

If there’s anyone who knows the secrets of these wealthy East and West Eggers, it’s Nick. He’s been a witness to all of their potentially horrible crimes against their spouces, but has also seen the happiness that they exhib when they are with their (ther) significant other. Here’s the top 10 signs that your spouce is cheating on you, but I don’t think that that is the problem that the groups are having. Daisy knows that Tom has someone in the city, practically everyone does, but we never seem to really see how she feels about that. She doesn’t seem upset, she just accepts it and scolds Tom for talking on the phone as opposed to being with those who are haivng dinner at their house. Mr. Wilson definetly suspects that Myrtle is up to no good, expecially after the day that Tom punched her, and he decides to fix this by going out west. I think that this is a viable choice for the Wilsons because Myrtle isn’t the type to initiate an affair, but things happened with Tom because he was so forward and forceful in a way.

Nick has intentionally made himself an outsider here, maybe to distance himself from the crime, maybe to make us pity him and see he doesn’t fit in, but I think it’s because he knows that these people are indeed “a rotten crowd” and doesn’t want to be involved with a lack or morals anymore. It disgusts him, even if he has put up with it for all this time, and it’s time for Nick to get out.

“I thanked him for his hospitality. We were always thanking him for that- I and the others” (154)

Gatsbys death is a sad thing, but will anyone really miss him? He seems to be a forgotten soul who throws parties and is a source of entertainment, but doesn’t have a significant value to anyone, except possibly Daisy. But we’ll never know.

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“’Her voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood it before. It was full of money – that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it…High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl…” (120).

Gatsby sees Daisy as beautiful, even in the way she speaks. She is charming, to both Gatsby and Tom, and it is a charm that never dies. Even if Tom has, or had, Myrtle, he still loves Daisy and is visibly upset at Gatsby for disrupting their perfect home life and their marriage, even though he has done the same thing. Gatsby cannot stop loving Daisy either, and she has been the object of his affection for more than five years, even though she has been absent for most of it. The jingle of Daisys voice is just one more beautiful womenly thing about her. It is a word that signifies that she is carefree and without worries. Again, the phrase, the king’s daughter, the golden girl, emphasizes that Daisy has no worries and has everything set for her.

Daisy and Gatsby are different in the sense that although they are both extremely wealthy, and at that point that is not something worth admiring another over, but how they obtained their money warrents different responses. This is an article comparing new and old money, the two types of contrasting money that Gatsby and Daisy have. Gatsby has made his own money, and is a huge success in West Egg, but is looked down upon by many of the East Eggers, including Tom. It is unfortunate that those who have worked hard for success are seen as worse than those who do nothing to earn money, but that is how society worked then.

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“The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself” (98).

Gatsby had his new name ready for a long time, according to Nick. He refused to believe his poor farming parents were really his parents, and even from the beginning sought to be better than he was. This is a self inspired American Dream, to do better than your parents and to continue to imporve upon your condition. Gatsby takes his second opportunity at freedom with Dan Cody. He first fails at educating himself because he is embarrassed by his job as a janitor. Gatsby cannot stoop to something lower than he wants to achieve more. He assumes that wealth will come to him, and it did to an extent when Cody dies, but then Katz ends up getting the $25,000. This experience with Cody was good for Gatsby in many respects, he learned to appriciate the value of alcohol and the extreme effects it can have as well as motivating him to go out and make his own wealth.

The new, wealthy Gatsby is the greatest thing ever, in his mind. Ishmael also calls Moby Dick platonic, as is Gatsbys image of his created self. As the white whale is all that Ahab can love because of its effects on him, Gatsby loves himself to an unhealthy degree. He lacks manners, and uses his smile to his advantage, but often gets lucky, especially with not meeting Tom for a long time (100-1).

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“A phrase began to beat in my ears with a sort of heady excitement: ‘There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired” (79).

This quote confused me, as did the song, the Sheik of Araby. At first reading of the lyrics to the song, I thought it was describing how great Gatsby was, that he had all the women worshiping him, which didn’t seem to be true. The only thing I could gain from the song is that Gatsby may knwo what love is all about because he hasn’t lost his love for Daisy over all this time without her. To me, although Gatsby is more alive because he has a method to his madness of staring into the sea and throwing parties, he still seems like an observer.

Gatsby has been watching and hoping for Daisy for years, and it’s questionable if he will be able to pull it together when he’s around her and his dream comes true. Gatsby gets whatever he wants with his money, even getting away from the policeman without a problem from the Christmas card, but now will daisy take him?Even at the time of the wedding daisy was obsessed with Gatsby, getting and holding on to a letter from him right before the wedding, but she, unlike Tom, has remained faithful, so what does this mean for Gatsby?

This article compares those who have money to those who are not rich, and what it takes to make them happy. Richer people, like Gatsby, have higher expectations, because they can and are used to getting their wants fulfilled, so it takes more to make them happy. It also says that relationships prevail in happiness over money, and they are more important and can become the focus of ones life.

I’m the Sheik of Araby,
Your love belongs to me.
At night when you’re asleep
Into your tent I’ll creep.

And the stars that shine above,
Will light our way to love.
You’ll roam this land with me,
I’m the Sheik of Araby.

Oh, I’m the Sheik of Araby
And all the women worship me.
You should see them follow me around. Not bad.
Even wives of all the other sheiks,
They beg to kiss my rosy cheeks
And that ain’t bad — in fact, that’s good, I’ve found. I’m a cad!
When I lay down to sleep
I’m counting girls instead of sheep
From my harem I can’t scare ‘em out. Why should I?
They’re beauties from all races,
And some have pretty faces.
I’m the Sheik who knows what love is all about.

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I found yet another quote that has stuck in my mind since last reading The Great Gatsby, making me seriously consider it as The Great American Novel. Not only is it an enjoyable book to read, but it really represents the people, especially the elite class. Rereading the description of Gatsbys party, and that he stayed away from the activity and refrained from drinking, his intentions seem to be obvious. He’s not just throwing these parties for the people who already have enough fun to enjoy, but he’s looking for someone in particular.

“He smiled understandingly- much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It face- or seemed to face- the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with irrestible predjudice in your faver. It understood you as you would like to belive in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey. Precisely at that point it vanished- and I was looking at an elegant young roughneck, a year or two over thrity, whose elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd. Sometime before he introduced himself I’d got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care” (48).

Rosecliff Mansion, one of the many in Rhode Island is where The Great Gatsby movie was filmed. It is now a location where many couples choose to get married because of the heartshaped staircase and the white and red colors.  You can also view the mansion here with the lawn lit up at night for a party. This mansion is not nearly as gaudy as the others found in Newport, and is also diffferent because it has a view over the water as well as a large lawn to host parties, both of which are crucial features for Gatsby to obtain his greatest desires in his life.

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Toms got courage. Although he tries to be sneaky with him and his secret lover sitting in different trains, immediately after he helps her onto the platform and they go buy a puppy. Even the method in which he tells  Myrtle to meet him and take the train is just so adventurous and confident. He goes into her husbands shop and does whatever he wants, completely mocking Wilson, whom I feel pity for, and stealing his wife from under his nose. I cannot believe that Tom would share his secret, which is well known anyway, with Nick, his wifes cousin.

Catherine leaned close to me and whispered in my ear: “Neither of them can stand the person they’re married to.”

“Can’t they?”

“Can’t stand them.” She looked at Myrtle and then at Tom. “What I say is, why go on living with them if they can’t stand them? If I was them I’d get a divorce and get married to each other right away.”…

“You see?” cried Catherine triumphantly. She lowered her voice again. “It’s really his wife that’s keeping them apart. She’s a Catholic and they don’t believe in divorce” (33).

Nick again portrays himself as an outsider at the party they all attend. He says it’s the second time he’s gotten drunk and we end up just almost seeing the whole thing from a camera watching down. He’s kind of uncomfortablein the situation with married people obviously cheating on their husbands/wives. Neither Tom nor Myrtle feels any remorse at their situation, and this is what seems to interest Nick most. He is perplexed as to why the two don’t get divorced and marry eachother, but it is just seen as too much of a hassle. They struggle to achieve what they want once they have made a mistake.

This link goes to an article about the results of cheating in sports, but it can be carried over into what Tom and Myrtle are doing. What good do shortcuts do for you in sports in the long run? And what good does deceit do for you now? If you’re going to do something, go all out and get that divorce and go where you need to go to be happy. http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/is-cheating-good-for-sports/?scp=8&sq=cheated%20on%20husband%20OR%20wife&st=cse

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” ‘All right,’ I said, ‘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.’ ” (17)

Since I read this book the first time, this quote has really stuck out in my mind. This is Daisy talking about her 3 year old child and what she hopes she would become to her cousin, Nick. Daisy knows that a girl with beauty may not do as well in the world, but will be happier in the long run. Daisy is not a fool and knows what is going on, about Tom’s girl in the city, and just has intelligence in general. This is not what most women strive for in society, and those who obtain it are not always the happiest just because it’s not what other want and is thus less expected. A girl who is a fool is better off and will be happier because she can be ignorant, as powerful as knowledge is.  

Looks seem to be everything in the world, and races will always prevail, according to Tom.

”This fellow has worked out the whole thing. It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things.”(13).

Obama is the man who has disproved that the other races, namely African-Americans, are not a race to be controlled or looked otu for, but can control others too, not necessarily in a bad way. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=obama&st=cse 

Obama has been elected by the people of the counrty as a person to lead everyone. He is a race that is actually becoming more of a dominant race, and does have control of things, but he is capable.

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