Post by mrsanderson on Sept 9, 2013 19:10:47 GMT
Extra notes from class this week:
Chapter One
Characters
Nick and Gatsby
In chapter one, we meet our narrator, Nick. He seems fairly straight-laced and moral. He describes Gatsby, a man he knew once. He says that Gatsby 'represented everything for which I had an unaffected scorn' but that 'there was something gorgeous about him' and that 'Gatsby turned out all right in the end'. Nick acknowledges that Gatsby's past adversely affected him, and says 'it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust that floated in the wake of his dreams'. He seems to imply that Gatsby's dreams are based on things that have happened in his past, and that these things are damaging ('foul dust'). Nick is an outsider, so he can comment on the people and happenings around him. He begins to tell his story, saying that he moved East to work in bonds. He moves into a small house, next door to a hugely rich man (who we later learn is Gatsby). When he visits Tom and Daisy, who live across the bay, he is polite with them, but is overwhelmed by their wealth. At then end of the chapter, he observes Gatsby, his next door neighbour reaching out across the bay, seemingly towards a green light flashing at the end of Tom and Daisy's dock. Gatsby is trembling.
Tom and Daisy
Tom and Daisy (and, to a certain extent, Jordan Baker) represent the upper classes - the aristocracy - in the novel. They are ridiculously rich, and live their life floating here and there 'wherever people were rich together'. Tom is arrogant, and powerful, and Daisy (Nick's distant cousin) describes him as 'hulking' which makes him angry. She describes how he hurt her finger. Tom tries to engage the company in chat about a book he has been reading, called 'The Rise of the Colored Empires'. He does this to seem intelligent, well-read and articulate, but the racism he displays actually shows how 'backwards' the upper classes are, and how much they seem to slow down progress. We learn that he has a mistress, and that Daisy knows about it. We also learn that Daisy has a little girl. Daisy acknowledges that this might stop her from achieving anything beyond being a trophy - 'I hope she'll be a fool. That's the best thing a girl can be in this world - a beautiful little fool.' Daisy herself seems to feel as though other people see her in this way. When Jordan Baker mentions Gatsby to Nick, Daisy responds 'Gatsby? What Gatsby?' implying that she knows him, or has heard the name before.
Setting
We are also introduced to the setting in the first chapter; broadly speaking, the novel is set in New York, a bustling city, full of culture, a melting-pot of races and classes. The characters live in West Egg and East Egg, on Long Island Sound. The two 'Eggs' are separated by a courtesy bay. In between West Egg and New York is the Valley of Ashes - a grey, dull, shadowy place where industrial ash is dumped. This is where George and Myrtle live, and generally where people go to be forgotten. The Valley of Ashes is overlooked by a giant billboard, advertising an oculist named Dr TJ Eckleburg. His eyes symbolise the eyes of God, and represent the idea that the people of New York have replaced God with hedonism and material things.
Gatsby's house (on West Egg) is 'a factual representation of a hotel de ville in Normandy', with 'a thin beard of raw ivy'. Gatsby's house imitates old, inherited wealth, but is an obvious copy ('imitation'). There is ivy as a disguise - but this has failed. It is an obviously new, 'thin' beard.
On the other hand, Tom and Daisy's house (East Egg) is a 'red and white Georgian colonial mansion' - so it really is an old, inherited mansion. It is worth more because it demonstrates that they are 'above' others in terms of class. It is described as having a 'frosted wedding cake of a ceiling' - every detail is beautiful, and there is lots of white - this will be very important in the novel!
Symbols
The green light - Gatsby reaches for this at the end of the first chapter. He does not know he is being observed by Nick. As we discussed, this light will come to represent Gatsby's dream, but for now we see it as something unusual - Gatsby can never grasp this light. It is intangible and distant. It is also green - the colour of jealousy and of money.
Chapter 2 tomorrow!
Chapter One
Characters
Nick and Gatsby
In chapter one, we meet our narrator, Nick. He seems fairly straight-laced and moral. He describes Gatsby, a man he knew once. He says that Gatsby 'represented everything for which I had an unaffected scorn' but that 'there was something gorgeous about him' and that 'Gatsby turned out all right in the end'. Nick acknowledges that Gatsby's past adversely affected him, and says 'it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust that floated in the wake of his dreams'. He seems to imply that Gatsby's dreams are based on things that have happened in his past, and that these things are damaging ('foul dust'). Nick is an outsider, so he can comment on the people and happenings around him. He begins to tell his story, saying that he moved East to work in bonds. He moves into a small house, next door to a hugely rich man (who we later learn is Gatsby). When he visits Tom and Daisy, who live across the bay, he is polite with them, but is overwhelmed by their wealth. At then end of the chapter, he observes Gatsby, his next door neighbour reaching out across the bay, seemingly towards a green light flashing at the end of Tom and Daisy's dock. Gatsby is trembling.
Tom and Daisy
Tom and Daisy (and, to a certain extent, Jordan Baker) represent the upper classes - the aristocracy - in the novel. They are ridiculously rich, and live their life floating here and there 'wherever people were rich together'. Tom is arrogant, and powerful, and Daisy (Nick's distant cousin) describes him as 'hulking' which makes him angry. She describes how he hurt her finger. Tom tries to engage the company in chat about a book he has been reading, called 'The Rise of the Colored Empires'. He does this to seem intelligent, well-read and articulate, but the racism he displays actually shows how 'backwards' the upper classes are, and how much they seem to slow down progress. We learn that he has a mistress, and that Daisy knows about it. We also learn that Daisy has a little girl. Daisy acknowledges that this might stop her from achieving anything beyond being a trophy - 'I hope she'll be a fool. That's the best thing a girl can be in this world - a beautiful little fool.' Daisy herself seems to feel as though other people see her in this way. When Jordan Baker mentions Gatsby to Nick, Daisy responds 'Gatsby? What Gatsby?' implying that she knows him, or has heard the name before.
Setting
We are also introduced to the setting in the first chapter; broadly speaking, the novel is set in New York, a bustling city, full of culture, a melting-pot of races and classes. The characters live in West Egg and East Egg, on Long Island Sound. The two 'Eggs' are separated by a courtesy bay. In between West Egg and New York is the Valley of Ashes - a grey, dull, shadowy place where industrial ash is dumped. This is where George and Myrtle live, and generally where people go to be forgotten. The Valley of Ashes is overlooked by a giant billboard, advertising an oculist named Dr TJ Eckleburg. His eyes symbolise the eyes of God, and represent the idea that the people of New York have replaced God with hedonism and material things.
Gatsby's house (on West Egg) is 'a factual representation of a hotel de ville in Normandy', with 'a thin beard of raw ivy'. Gatsby's house imitates old, inherited wealth, but is an obvious copy ('imitation'). There is ivy as a disguise - but this has failed. It is an obviously new, 'thin' beard.
On the other hand, Tom and Daisy's house (East Egg) is a 'red and white Georgian colonial mansion' - so it really is an old, inherited mansion. It is worth more because it demonstrates that they are 'above' others in terms of class. It is described as having a 'frosted wedding cake of a ceiling' - every detail is beautiful, and there is lots of white - this will be very important in the novel!
Symbols
The green light - Gatsby reaches for this at the end of the first chapter. He does not know he is being observed by Nick. As we discussed, this light will come to represent Gatsby's dream, but for now we see it as something unusual - Gatsby can never grasp this light. It is intangible and distant. It is also green - the colour of jealousy and of money.
Chapter 2 tomorrow!
