Thursday, April 2, 2015

Fishbowl #4: The Great Gatsby, chapters 7-9

Let's have one last great discussion of The Great Gatsby!  First, a couple of reminders of what I'm looking for in your writing in addition to just having had posted 5 good ideas/ questions.

1.  Be sure to carefully proofread your ideas.

2.  Use the thread feature to indicate to whom you're replying.  If you're beginning a new line of thinking or questioning, use the general post feature.

3.  For each comment you make or question you ask, contextualize or support your thinking with text.  Be sure, too, that you introduce the relevance of that comment to your thinking, thoughtfully incorporating your passage into your ideas versus throwing out the quote & leaving it to your audience to infer why you're using it.  Please cite these quotes as well.

Here are a few good examples of posts from last class that did an excellent job meeting these requirements:

Here's a great question from Kenny:  "On page 105 'I've never met so many celebrities,' Daisy exclaimed. 'I liked that man - what was his name?- The sort of blue nose.' Gatsby identified him, adding that he was a small producer.(Fitzgerald 105) Do you think Gatsby invited famous people intending to impress Daisy?"

A another from Darby:  "On page 98 it talks about Gatsby changing and 're-inventing' himself. It says, 'So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.' So my question is, what was Gatsby's true motivation in going through with this."

And one more from Mason:  "On page 109 Gatsby says,'And she doesn't understand,' he said. 'She used to be able to understand. We'd sit for hours.....' Gatsby seems to hint that Daisy has changed. If you agree that Daisy has changed, in what ways do you think she has?"

Happy posting!

46 comments:

  1. On page 167 Gatsby's father came back for the funeral. Why is the first we have heard of his father? Did they ever talk?

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    1. Gatsby made all his money, and came from a rather poor environment compared to those he surrounds himself with, so maybe he was embarrassed of him.

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    2. Based on this question I would say that they weren't very close other wise in some point in the book he would have been mentioned

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    3. He said earlier on in the text that he was basically ashamed of his family because he came from a poor family and brought himself up basically without them. So I take it that they weren't very close in the first place otherwise he wouldn't have been so ashamed of his family.

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    4. Gatsby focused his life on Daisy. He used his money to get a house across from hers and he held parties to get her attention. I think Gatsby threw away his past life, including family and friends, all for Daisy.

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  2. Gatsby says to Daisy on pg 138, ”I told you what's been going on,” said Gatsby. "Going on for five years-and you didn't know." What really is Gatsby trying to say about tom?

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    1. I think he is trying to make tom feel stupid because if this has been going on for years he would be dumb to not find out.

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  3. How do you think daisy feels knowing she is the one who hit Myrtle, yet Gatsby was the one who got killed?

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    1. She probably should feel incredibly guilty, because this wouldn't of happened if she had owned up to it.

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    2. I honestly am not sure she even cared that much in the end. On page 165, Nick talks about his waiting for a trace of anyone to come Gatsby's house. "...just as I was sure there'd be a wire from Daisy before noon..." She was completely off the radar right after Gatsby died and instead of staying to mourn the man she "loved", she fled with Tom Buchanan.

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    3. Fitzgerald doesn't tell us much about Daisy after Gatsby gets killed. I think he wants us to interpret the situation with Daisy leaving that part of her life behind. Gatsby brought her happiness/love and money but he also brought her agony with her relationship with Tom. I think Daisy felt shame about the whole situation but she wanted to put it in the past. The past had to "die".

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    4. I think that Daisy is not a very good person for letting all of this happen. On page 147 Gatsby says "'Nothing happened,' he said wanly. 'I waited, and about four o'clock she came to the window and stood there for a minute and then turned out the light.'" After all of these events Daisy just goes back to her old life and attempts to forget all that has happened.

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  4. On page 150, when Gatsby kind of describes his feelings about Daisy loving Gatsby back. he says, "I can't describe to you how surprised I was to find out I loved her, old sport. I even hoped for a while she'd throw me over, but she didn't, because she was in love with me too." In this quote we kind of see Gatsby hop from being excited and giddy about the fact that Daisy loved him back. But then when he mentions that he wished that she would've "thrown him over" I take that as his fear of rejection and how the change in time apart took that toll on his emotions for Daisy. My question is, what do think this moment in time says about Gatsby and who he really is? Do you think he is insecure? Or just has a fear of being rejected?

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    1. I get the feeling that he just wanted an answer from her, not along the lines that he wanted to be rejected by her or anything like that. His heart was aching at that time, and he just wanted answers to his long lasting question. If he knew she would say no, then he knew it wasn't meant to be, and that he could finally settle with his life instead of chasing her for what would seem like forever. With her at least rejecting he would have an answer from her, and that's just all he really wanted from her.

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    2. I think Gatsby is very insecure and throughout the book he shows how he seems to have no confidence in himself. At his parties he never talks to any of his guests, other then his few friends here and there. I also believe Gatsby has a lot to hide from his past which makes him insecure and afraid to get too close to anyone. He was close with Nick and Daisy but never on a level where he would tell them his whole life story.

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  5. Do you think Daisy experiences any other emotions than guilt due to the fact that she was driving the car and Gatsby is the one who got killed?

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    1. Yes i think she is also sad because the man she loved is now dead

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    2. I don't think Daisy seems much guilt because she seems throughout the book very selfish and only wants to benefit herself. Daisy and Tom also left right after Gatsby was killed and didn't tell anyone they left. This proves she has no guilt because she left in a hurry after his murder and didn't even go to his funeral.

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  6. How do you explain Gatsby’s remark that Daisy’s love for Tom was insignificant because it was just “personal”?

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    1. Gatsby is doing anything he can to get Daisy. He will insult Daisy's husband to get Daisy back. He believes what he says and he wants Daisy and Tom to realize it is true.

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  7. On page 169 Nick is calling people to see if they will come to Gatsby's funeral. One of the recipients on the phone said, "'Well the fact is - the truth of the matter is that I'm staying with some people up there in Greenwich, and they rather expect me to be with them tomorrow. In fact, there's a sort of picnic or something'" (Fitzgerald 169). I get the impression that this person is making an excuse to not go to Gatsby's funeral. What would be the real reason to not go to the funeral? Did this person really know Gatsby?

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    1. Later he talks about how he left a pair of shoes at Gatsby's. So i think he wants it to seem like he cares because he just wants his shoes back.

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    2. No he doesn't. Most of the people he invited to his parties did not actually know him. He doesn't care enough to want to go to his funeral.

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  8. why are people ignoring Gatsby's funeral, why aren't they going?, because on page 109 klipspringer says, "i'm staying with some people up here in Greenwich, and they rather expect me to be with them tomorrow." people are just coming up with excuses.

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    1. I was confused with this too. I don't think many people knew Gatsby. They did not know his past, and they did not want to get involved with whatever happened... the murder, the people involved, ect. Maybe these people think they have better things to do. In their eyes, now that Gatsby is dead he is not as extravagant or important.

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  9. On page 130, after Tom starts yelling, it says " Flushed with his impassioned gibberish, he saw himself standing alone on the last barrier of civilization" What is this mean?

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    1. I think this passage captures the essence of darkness in this book and that even though you may appear to have people standing beside you, but when it really comes down to it all you have is yourself.

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  10. On page 166 Meyer Wofsheim's letter states "Let me know about the funeral etc do not know his family at all." Why do you think Nick cant get any of Gatsby's friends or many family members to attend Gatsby's funeral?

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    1. I feel like as Gatsby got his money he pushed his family away because he came from a poor family. He also did not have many close friends that knew anything about him

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    2. Even though Gatsby was a well know person I feel like not that many people knew him personally.

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    3. I think it is becuase of his arrogance. The whole time I read all I knew about Gatsby was his money and so did everyone else. He never made a difference in anyone elses lifes and he used money to avoid problems. Also, I think money is what got him into the debacle

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  11. What is ironic about Gatsby watching the window for a signal to make sure that Tom is not abusing Daisy? Could he really obsessed and jealous?

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  12. On page 173 Nick finds one of Gatsby's daily to do lists from his childhood. One of the things on this list is "Study needed inventions.......... 7.00-9.00" Why do you think Gatsby would need to study this?

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  13. on page 168 it describes Gatsby's father's reaction, "his mouth ajar, his face flushed slightly, his eyes leaking isolated and unpunctual tears." If his father cares that much about him, then why doesn't gatsby include anything about his father while telling stories to nick?

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    1. I think his tears are a result of him looking back and wishing he had been a better father. He regrets their distance and wish he could of done more.

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    2. I feel Gatsby doesnt talk about his father much because he feel ashamed to have grown up so poor it is almost like he is embarrassed to been poor

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  14. On page 179 Nick states "Gatsby's house was still empty when I left-the grass on his lawn had grown as long as mine." Why do you think the author included this line? What was he trying to show?

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    1. I think this little symbol of the grass growing long is important to show that the damage has been done and that especially in this crucial time in history there is only so many people that will actually stand by you.

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  15. "You know I love you' she murmured"(Fitzgerald pg 123). What is the theme of this quote? is it doubt? Does Gatsby doubt her love for him?

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  17. Why does Gatsby stop throwing parties?

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    1. because he got what he wanted. He was throwing parties hoping Daisy would come to one of those parties. why throw parties since he already found daisy?

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  18. Do you think the reason no one came to Gatsby's funeral was because he was murdered and people didn't want to get mixed up with a murder? Page 171 Mr. Wolfshiem says " I can't do it--I can't get mixed up in it." (Referring to Gatsby's Funeral)

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  19. on page 144 and 145, it talks about daisy and tom, " he was talking intently across the table at her and in his earnestness his hand had fallen upon and covered her own. once in a while she looked up at him and nodded in agreement." This is a very suspicions part, do you guys think this part provides clue to where tom and daisy disappeared at the end of the book, did they have everything planned out from early on?

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  20. On page 164 Nick has found out that Daisy and Tom have left and left no address or number. “ left no address.” “no” “ say when they’d be back.” “no” “ any idea where they are? how I could reach them?” Why would Tom and Daisy take off? Do think Daisy would have stayed if it wasn’t for Tom?

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  21. Why do you think that Gatsby is so sure that Daisy never loved Tom? On page 152 he states "I don't think she ever loved him,"

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