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On the first page, he states "people haven't had the advantages that you've had" whagt kind of advantages has he had? Where does it tell us?
ReplyDeleteAndy, his advantages are most likely in the economical side. He was probably rased more closely to the rich and had the schooling and other economical advadages ascosiated with that type of life.
ReplyDeletewell, he went to a good university didn't he? thats one advantage. he had a better preperation for life than others. it says that at the beginning of the book. the first page I think.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Gatsby will use Nick's influence in east egg to help gain people for his parties?
ReplyDeletehe also has a good sum of money that he inherited. thats two.
ReplyDeleteI think Nick tries really hard to have people trust him, but he hasn't presented himself as a person to trust on a deep level. It seems like he tries hard not to judge though so I think that he is a reliable narrator at this point of the story.
ReplyDeleteNick goes to great lengths to establish himself as someone to trust. Personally it feels like an oddly specific denial, like, "Oh I'm so trustful, I definitely don't lie about anything..." Which just doesn't sound right. So personally I don't think he's all that reliable. The very first few pages of the book are all him trying to make himself seem like you can trust him. So honestly that makes me a bit wary, but as for now you have to trust him.
ReplyDeleteEarl, yes he will. But first he needs to make friends with Nick. After that happens i think that he will figure out that Nick has East Egg influence to start recruting Old money to his party's.
ReplyDeleteasticka- i dont think it ever tells us what his advantages are but i think it is money because of how his whole family is in the bonds business
ReplyDeleteasticka-I think that he has schooling and a house to live in. Some people don't have any of that and he lives his life so that he lives with a purpose in life. His dad probably came up living in a poor house maybe and took full advantage of what he had.
ReplyDeleteCortez, You bring a valid point, but are economical advantages better to have or is it better to have friends at the parties that he throws?
ReplyDeleteI think that Gatsby is living in the west egg because he is a "new" rich and he didn't inherit the money from his family.
ReplyDeleteI think that Nick is not reliable because he thinks he has the upper hand in West Egg because he has advantages like going to Yale and having connections to East Egg. Also, he envy's Mr. Gatsby even though he doesnt know him. At this point in time he has not lied to us so he is a reliable narrator. I think he is a nosey guy that is determined to uncover the mystery of Mr. Gatsby and hopefully throughout the book he will because the reader is also interested. What is Mr. Gatsby hiding?
ReplyDeleteasticka:
ReplyDeleteOn page 7 his family is described. They were 'well to do' people and prominant in the society. His father financed his first year of college and some people may not have had a family that had enough to support them.
gatsby will probably use nick for parties. he will use nicks influence to gain popularity with the people and climb to the top of the social pyramid.
ReplyDeleteWhat role do you think Daisy and Her Husband will play in the story?
ReplyDeleteasticka-
ReplyDeleteI believe that Gatsby has been provided with riches witch is the greatest advantage over people because it seems like in the story that with riches comes happiness, relaxation, and power over people. I believe this tell's us that through gatsby the narrator is portreying that with money comes power.
Earl i think that Gatsby will definitely use Nick's connections to gain people for his parties. i think that because Gatsby is new money he didn't grow up around those people so he doesn't have those connections and Nick is not like the rich yet he still grew up with them. Do you think that they will work together through out the story to achieve each of their goals or just use each other with out really being friends?
ReplyDeleteThey probably befriend Gatsby so they can drink party and not have to pay for it.
ReplyDeleteEarl- I do believe Gatsby will use Nicks influence in the east egg to be invited to his parties. There is no one that would be invited in the west egg to his parties and he has to throw parties because he is rich. Gatsby will go to parties in the east egg and tell them about his house and parties he will host.
ReplyDeleteAndy, its always good to have freinds at the parties you throw. But how do i throw a party if i have no money? The economical advatige will lead him to throw parties that will atract people he will want to be friends with.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think everybody on the east egg has bad morals ,but I do think many of the people do.
ReplyDeleteIf Nick has so much money then why does he live in a smaller and cheaper house then the ones around him?
ReplyDeleteDakota G. IS the new rich more desirable than the old rich? because if you had inherited money, then there would be a place for your name, people would know you and your family.But is the new rich more desireable because you can find a way to have fortune?
ReplyDeleteFrom our background information we know that Gatsby is a "new rich" and he made his money himself. Do you think that Gatsby views his wealth as a burden because he feels so alienated from the "old" riches and the poor?
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Daisy is disillusioned with life? On page 17 she talks about when her baby was born, she said, "'All right. 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.'
ReplyDelete"You see, I think everything is terrible anyhow," she went on in a convinced way. "Everybody thinks so- the most advanced people. And I know. I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything."
Do you think she's implying that advanced people are cynical? And what do you think she means by advanced?
EmilyK2012:
ReplyDeleteThat is probably a big part of the story. He is rich but i'm guessing he wants more out of life and his friends.
On page 2 Nick says "i wanted the world to be uniform...i wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart. only Gatsby...was exempt from my reaction" what do you think this is predicting?
ReplyDeleteCory-
ReplyDeleteI believe that Daisy and her Husband are going to be one of the windows that Nick has into east egg, and he will try to use his connection to them to get a foothold into their society and also Gastby will follow.
I don't think that both sides have the same morals. The East egg was home to the people of high wealth and it was common for them to hold big parties. The West egg seems to hold onto their newly obtained wealth and not show it off as much.
ReplyDeleteDo you think as the book progresses that Nick will become more like the east side people?
ReplyDeleteI do think his morals will change as well. As for him moving I agree that it would be difficult to move to a new place from living a lifestyle he did and having to change it basically when he moved to New york.
ReplyDeleteTom and Daisy are an interesting couple. They demonstrate the different morals that the East Egg hold. Just because they have the money and popularity they think anything goes. Tom thinks that having another girl will not effect his relationship with Daisy but it will tear them apart. He says that she is from New York and when Nick moved to New York everything changed. New York represents a life of change and multiple people and multiple different opportunities. Now they live in the "Egg" and he needs to prepare himself for a different life style.
ReplyDeleteWillie, just because the morals that you were raised up in are different than someone else's then does that mean they have no morals. When you think about the rich morals are compleatly different than the morals of middle class people. Just because the gap is so big, doesn't mean that they have no morals.
ReplyDeleteKatie:
ReplyDeleteDaisy is living two lives. one where everything is beautiful and her husband loves her. The other shows her alone and broken. She wears rose colored glasses so she can play the perfect life.
And i think advanced people are those who are the most modern, the most informed, the 'in' popular people.
Emily-
ReplyDeleteI assume that Gatsby will use Nick more than Nick uses Gatsby they'll will both use eachother to gain noteriety but I feel like Gatsby will gain from the relationship and later in the story it might even spark tension
Katie, i think that Daisy means that the "advanced people" or the rich people just kind of put up an appearance, and since nobody is really real they are all "terrible" i also think that she is saying that money doesn't really make her happy. i think she is saying that she has had every opportunity that money can offer and yet she is still not happy, instead she has become cynical.
ReplyDeleteDaisy states "I've been everywhere and seen everyting... Sophisticated- God, I'm sophisticated!" through this quote do you think the people that live in east egg truely believe that they are higher than everyone living below them?
ReplyDeleteDakota G- I definitely agree. You can see that in the fact that Tom is having an affair and Daisy just thinks life is boring even though she has so much money and can do almost anything. She's done everything but she just wants more. She doesn't know when to stop. And Tom is a racist, which is just terrible.
ReplyDeleteWillie- i do think that nick will become more like the east side people because i think the people on the west side all want to make it to the east because it sounds better
ReplyDeleteKatie,
ReplyDeleteI feel like even though Daisy seems extremely cynical and depressed in saying that she hopes her little girl will be a beautiful little fool, she probably meant the best for her child. Ignorance is bliss I think she doesn't want her baby to be burdened by sorrowful information that doesn't directly relate to her life.
Grace-
ReplyDeleteI think Gatsby knows he has wealth but since he had to work his way up to his current status he doesn't have the experience like the Buchanans do where they have been rich and have always known life to be that way. So I think that Gatsby has a tendency to be seclusive instead of part of the 'Old Money" crowd, due to his experiences
Why do you think Gatsby is such a mysterious character?
ReplyDeleteGatsby is probably a man who leads two lives like Daisy. His rich partying, and then the real one who we havent met yet.
ReplyDeleteWillie, as the book progress i think that Nick will figure out that he doesn't fit with the East Egg. He is not rich and didn't inharite a huge mansion on the East side. He will figure out that he is a middle class dude that doesn't really care for the rich.
ReplyDeleteWillie-
ReplyDeleteI think that as the book progresses Nick won't turn into one of the east egg people, he doesn't fit in he isn't like them he doesn't have old money and that's what fuels the lives of the east egg people.
Do you think that with Nick living around all the "old" money will change the way that he views life?
ReplyDeleteFitzgerald went to the Army like Nick, They both went to prestigious colleges, and they both seem to have many rich friends. On the second page when Nick is reflecting about that destroyed Gatsby I think this is Fitzgerald trying to tell us what destroyed him.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Nick will ever persue Jordan Romantically like Daisy and Tom wanted?
ReplyDeleteWillie-
ReplyDeleteI predict that as the story goes on that Nick will slowly transition over the the east egg peoples ways and customs and slowly but surely begin to start acting and talking like the people of east egg.
Earl-
ReplyDeleteSo your saying that Nick will simulate him self into the East Egg scene and Gatsby uses him to get into that crowd.?
I like the comment Jacob made about Gatsby and Nick becoming rivals like F.Scott and Hemmingway.
ReplyDeleteseanf:
ReplyDeleteGatsby is a something in the story that will Change Nicks life. Something about him is connected to Nick. Maybe thats why he is drawn to him.
sean- I think Gatsby has something to hide that people might not know about yet. Later in the book we might find out, he seems not to have any friends especially anyone in the west egg.
ReplyDeleteSean i think that Gatsby is so mysterious because the narrator doesn't know him yet. I think that as the narrator gets to know him we will too also i think that he is mysterious because he doesn't want people to know how he got his money or where he came from.
ReplyDeleteSean, I think that Gatsby is so secretive becaue F. Scott Fitzgerald was kind of a mysterious person, and maybe he wanted to portray this characteristic into some of his writings. Gatsby has no real friends, so when he parties, he just sits awkwardly in the corner, just like Fitzgerald.
ReplyDeleteEarl-
ReplyDeleteI don't know where Nick might take Jordan but it seems that she's not getting a choice in the matter but she also doesn't seem like she's even at all interested in Nick and he seems to notice that.
Laura- that was really poignant. :D She does live a double life, and at this point in the book she seems like a victim of life. Her husband doesn't love her, she has all this money but she feels like she's already done everything there is to do. At this point in time she just seems like a sad, cynical character. She reminds me of Judy in Winter Dreams because she's fading.
ReplyDeletewillie-
ReplyDeleteI agree. It show one more of many similarities between F. scott Fitzgerald and his stories.
Sean, there is no real info about Gatsby. If there is no info about him then it makes him mysterious.
ReplyDeleteI think Nick will go after Jordan. From how it is written it seems to be set up that way.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the way Gatsby obtained his money was through alcohol because not only is this story taking place during the prohibition, but also i believe that the author Fitzgerald is portraying his drinking problem through the mystery behind how Gatsby gained his riches.
ReplyDeleteHis view of Tom had to have changed after finding out about the affair. He must have lost respect for him and will probably never think of him the same since it is his cousin like they said.
ReplyDeleteWhy was Gatsby so against being seen? When will we finally meet him? Will there be a twist about his personality? Since he's found in the darkness always, what does that represent? Is there some sort of "darkness" hidden inside of him?
ReplyDeleteGrace- I do agree that she probably meant the best, but she even realizes it's a terribly cynical thing to say. She realizes how bad her life has gotten at this point.
ReplyDeletelaura- i agree because based off of fitzgeralds own life he went after the good looking rich girl so i think nick will too.
ReplyDeleteCortez
ReplyDeleteI think as the book progresses we will find out more about Gatsby.
Cory-
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming that yes he'll try to get into the lives of the "East egg" people, and Gatsby will kind of slink along, and with this Gatsby too will place himself in their social circle and he will host parties with these people and Nick will be there as well "assimalating into the lives of East Egg
Katie:
ReplyDeleteWoa. i hadn't even made that connection between Judy and Daisy! they are so alike, their husbands are fooling around and they are left to look after the kids and fade.
I think that Gatsby is a very mysterious character and that is why that Nick doesn't agree with everything he does but he still admires him as a person. He seems like He hasn't made a final judgment of Gatsby and he's trying to stay open minded.
ReplyDeleteasticka-
ReplyDeleteIt seems like both Gatsby and Fitzgerald were sitting in the corner in the later years of their lives. Dont get me wrong but Gatsby has to be at least early thirties if not late thirties, because he had to spend the time to get his money. But it does seem that they both have that characteristic to their lives.
I think that Nick looks up to Gatsby as a person but he doesn't like what type of man he became and the lifestyle that destroyed him.
ReplyDeleteWilli, i think you may be right.
ReplyDeleteDo you predict that as the story goes on that Gatsby will begin to form himself into Fitzgerald's image and take the same path that Fitzgerald took and lose all of his money to drinking and abusive behaviors?
ReplyDeleteWillie, what did you think when we found out that nick was marrating? is he a lousy narrater of is he trustworthy?
ReplyDeleteWhat Nate said is very true, But is there a reason to maybe why he is judgemental even after what his dad was telling him?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of the color red in this chapter?
ReplyDeleteLaura-
ReplyDeleteI agree that Nick will, probably go after Jordan because it seems that when they were together at Nick's friends house, they sort of connected with each other.
On page 1 it say’s “ Just remember that all the people in this world have not had the same advantages that you have had”. Do you think that Nicks dad inherited the family wealth or had to work to earn it?
ReplyDeleteBrooke- I definitely think there's something dark and hidden about Gatsby, something that we can't see until we really know more about him. He's very mysterious, but we do know that Gatsby is a really great man in Nick's opinion.
ReplyDeleteOn that same line, what do you think is the "foul dust" that will "[prey] on Gatsby?"
Emily2012:
ReplyDeletePage 2 is probably predicting that the future will not be uniform as Nick wants. He may almost acheive it, but then lose it.
Cory P, i doesn't take long to make a lot of money. He could have made it really fast due to the Prohabition. He could have made his money really quickly that way. For all we know he could be tweenty five or so .
ReplyDeleteWhy would Nick want the future to be so uniform?
ReplyDeleteI think the main point of the first chapter is to show the different point of views while the characters are introduced. When we first meet Nick, he introduced himself as someone that had so many advantages and he didnt judge but as we get to see the story through his eyes, our view changes about him. Then we meet Tom and Daisy and we get very little insight about them or their relationship. Also, Mr. Gatsby is a mysterious man and we cannot see his perspective yet. Each person has their own past and he have yet to learn more.
ReplyDeleteWhat advantages do you think Nick has had in his past? "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone... just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
ReplyDeletePersonally I think Nick and Jordan are going to get into a relationship, but I don't think it's going to work out. She's a part of the East Egg and he's a part of the West Egg. Typically I don't think those relationships will work out.
ReplyDeleteEmilyK2012-
ReplyDeleteRed is use sometimes as a color of anger. and doesn't Nick dislike Gatsby a lot? Red could represent Nick's feelings for Gatsby.
Emily2012
ReplyDeleteRed probably signifies pain. Daisy's pain in losing her husbands love, and maybe Nicks uncomfortableness at witnessing that.
Cortez-
ReplyDeleteTrue and there is the fact about his money being made illegally but still it seems that even with the mysterious air he seems that he's older than Nick and he seems like he's what closer to thirty?
Nicks dad probably earned his money. Rags to riches bro. But it doesn't mean that his faimly is really rich. You and me have advatages due to our faimly's wealth compaired to an impoverished inercity faimly.
ReplyDeleteGrace- i think that nicks advantages were how he got his wealth. After the first chapter nick does not say anything about struggling to get to were he is now
ReplyDeleteGrace, There are definatly advantages that nick has had, but we dont know what they are because Nick himself is a pretty shady character.
ReplyDeleteGrace- Nick has the advantage of coming from a family which has been "prominent, well-to-do people in this Middle Western city for three generations." His parents paid for his college, and most of his family is in the bond business as is he. So he comes from pretty old money. (But he lives in the West Egg. What's up with that?)
ReplyDeleteWillie- I believe that Nick has to earn his living because his dad was trying to tell him a message and make Nick grow up strong and Humble.
ReplyDeleteRe i think that Nick wants the future to be uniform because it think that it is foreshadowing that there is going to be a lot of drama surrounding this story and i think that as the narrator about to tell this story i think that Nick is simply realizing that it would have been better if none of it had ever happened if everyone could be the same then things would have turned out better.
ReplyDeleteSean F-
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Nick also looks up to Gatsby as well at hating him but I think we need more information about Gatsby before we can make any leads on the color scheme.
CoryP, your right. Gatsby is mysterious and the book does make him seam older than Nick. Nick is most likely in his mid tweentys and Gatsby would prabably be older that him. But if he really was in his thirtys and he has a ton of money, wouldn't he be married by now?
ReplyDeleteSean- Nick actually really likes Gatsby. It says on page two that "Only Gatsby... was exempt from my reaction," after having stated that he didn't want to look into the hearts of men anymore. Gatsby has, "some sort of heightened sensitivity to the promise of life."
ReplyDeleteOver all, the first chapter was very interesting and thought provoking. There was many different events and conversations that were included that make you wonder what will happen next. What does the book represent? You almost wish you could jump into the eyes of everyone else to see what they think of Nick as well. How are all these people going to connect together?
ReplyDeleteI dont think Jordan really cares that tom is having an affair. She's just into it for the dramatic gossip.
ReplyDeleteTyler I would have to disagree with you because I believe that Nick is a humble man and would not share his difficulties in life. Also that he probably is proud how he earned his living and that he doesn't want to be stubborn to other people about it.
ReplyDeleteI dont think that anything in this chapter really affected nick much, you can tell that he is a man that observes things and kind of lays back and watches them happen
ReplyDeleteeverything so far seems to be pretty average for a rich high class society, the gossip that gose around the afair the nice houses and the envy of the guy with the biggest house there seems to be no problems so far
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Dasiy has any clue about her husbands afair if she dose then she is very good at hiding it i dont know why but i kind of get the feeling that she knows but enjoys the gossip about her and the little bit of attention she gets from it
ReplyDeleteI want to know what nick means when he say that his tolarance has a limit, obviously just about ever person dose but what happend that took him there and in this chapter i dont really think they touched that or even hinted at it, you saw the first of what he was talking about when he said that people like to confess to him things when miss Baker told him about the affair but i think it is safe to say that it was just gossip that didn't bother him much
ReplyDeletei dont think that nick trust any of the people we met so far. it seems like he is nervous to let them trust him too
ReplyDeleteTo Jacob's question about Nick being a reliable narrator I do think he is one. Even though he has less money than the rest of the people living around him, he doesn't seem to let it affect him in a negative way. He seems to be amazed by what Gatsby has accomplished, not jealous.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Gatsby live on West Egg?
I believe that Gatsby lives here because it is more welcoming than East Egg. On East Egg you are looked down upon for not inheriting money, in Gatsby's case he did not inherit his money, rather he earned it himself which is acceptable on West Egg.
To Nate's question about there being similarities between the characters in the book and Fitzgerald there are several such as the war-"I participated in that delayed Teutonic migration known as the war." drinking, parties, and the affairs.
How does Nick view Tom after learning about his affair?
It seems that Nick looks down upon Tom even though he stated earlier in the book that he tries not to judge people, it is difficult to do when the one being cheated on is his cousin. Even though he looks at Tom differently he also sees Daisy in a different light. He realizes that Daisy will never leave Tom no matter what he does to her because she knows that without Tom the way of life she has created will vanish.
What role does Tom and Daisy play in the story?
I believe that they play the role of Fitzgerald's friends from his youth. They are always throwing parties and drinking and always concentrating on having as much fun as possible.
1. Why did Nick live in West Egg as opposed to East Egg?
ReplyDeletePerhaps Nick knew the reputation of West Egg having low morals and he didn't want to be held to high standards. He could travel to East Egg for parties but still have little expected of his morals so he could have the best of both worlds.
2. Are there similarities between Fitzgerald and the character in the book, Nick?
If anything, I think the way Nick lives is how Fitzgerald wishes he would have lived. Fitzgerald wanted to be rich just as Nick wants to be better than he is. He wants more money and more friends.
3. Why does Nick admire Gatsby even though he is the epitome of what Nick scorns about New York?
Maybe Nick admired the way others looked upon Gatsy and saw it as something he wanted for himself so instead of scorning at Gatsby he idolized him. Or perhaps it was the mysterious way Gatsby had about him, Nick wanted to learn about his life.
4. Why were the two Eggs so different in some ways?
Over time reputations probably began to form for the two different Eggs and people designated where they moved in according to these reputations.
5. What is the difference between West Egg and East Egg?
The East Egg is a more conserved, aristocratic neighborhood. It's residence are held to higher moral expectation than the West Egg, which has more flashy, immoral residences.
Andy
ReplyDeleteHe had advantages in that he went to Oxford which shows that he has had an advantage that many people don't get!
Earl
ReplyDeleteI believe that it doesn't actually matter who he knows or acts, if he throws a party people will show up.
Re M.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the reason he wants the future to be so uniform is so that no one is necessarily "better" because of the money they inherited but that they are recognized for the work they have done.
Grace
ReplyDeleteI feel like nick hasn't really had advantages in having family money but rather having a will to learn and to do something important in life.
Sean
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is that nick hates Gatsby I think it is that he finds him rather annoying but will later come to think of him as a friend.
1. Is their a motif representing west egg and east egg? I believe that there is some type of symbolism between west egg and east egg. they both seem to have two different personalities. West Egg represent the newly rich, which is where the narrator lives. It is a more modern place where people don't follow the same elegant rules like in the past. They seem to not be as well mannered and have a lack of taste. In contrast, East egg, where Daisy and Tom live, is old fashioned and elegant. It is conservative and tasteful. To me this seems like a wide range on the political spectrum.
ReplyDelete2. What does the green lantern at the end of Gatsby's dock represent?
I think that the green lantern represents some type of longing or hope. Green seems like a dimming color. its not bright, but it isnt dull, its just fading. He has a hope for something that still exists but it slowly dying. Maybe he tried to buy himself happiness with his giant mansion and accessories, and there is yet something still missing inside of him.
3. Is it socially accepted on the est egg to have an affair? is marriage a title or a relationship?
I personally think that Daisy is not too upset that Tom is having an affair, because if she was upset, she would eave him. I think their is a title of wealth when two people are married on the east egg. They know that they are not truley in love but to keep their title they must stay married. i don't think that Tom and Daisy have sincere respect for each other.
4. Will a relationship develop between Jordan and the narrator?
I don't think a relationship will develop between the two because I think it is very forced. She seems like she is hiding something and it wouldn't surprise me if she already had a husband. She seems very boring and bland, and in contrast the narrator seems more emotionally attached and sincere. The two just don't seem to line up.
5. How did nick ( the narrator) end up on the west egg? Nick says that he has ties to the people on east egg, unlike the new rich living in west egg. So how did he end up in a small house on west egg?