The Great Gatsby Journal 8

George Angelopoulos 4˚

1. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 9, Pg. 163-180

2. Gatsby’s murder is surrounded by gossip, journalists, and reporters. His former “friends” did not attend his funeral, including Tom and Daisy. Former servants, Nick, Gatsby’s father, and Owl Eyes attend. Nick decides to move back to the Midwest, and infers that the East had a horrible affect on everyone’s actions. Nick walks through Gatsby’s mansion on his last night, and reminisces. Nick comments that Gatsby’s dream was just like what the American Dream has become: empty, with no foundation. He says that people have to wake up before their hearts are broken, like Gatsby’s was.

3.            a. Henry C. Gatz

            b. “He had reached an age where death no longer has the quality of ghastly surprise, and when he looked around him now for the first time and saw the height and splendor of the hall and the great rooms opening out from it into other rooms, his grief began to be mixed with an awed pride.” (168)

            c. Henry Gatz is a good and proud father. He wanted the best for Gatsby, and only wanted him to be happy. Henry hasn’t seen the success that his son has achieved, and is really just left in awe. He still carries around a picture of him, and keeps him in is heart always. He truly is a great, loving, and protecting father, who is shocked that his son was killed. The life that Gatsby led after he left his home, was a fair mystery to Henry. This is the first time that he could admire his son’s life, and celebrate his accomplishments.

            d. Henry represents a different side of Gatsby. He symbolizes the Gatsby before his life in West Egg. The innocence, sincerity, and love of love that Gatsby had is shown through Henry. The amount of corruption that society had on Gatsby is really evident when comparing the two men. There is also a contrast between inner and outer wealth. Henry had inner wealth, while Gatsby could only chase for inner wealth. The chase for outer wealth has dominated Gatsby’s life so much, that he had no room for inner wealth. Henry represents a success of the American Dream, and the success of happiness.

4. “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.” (180) The Great Gatsby has been based on the pursuit of individual dreams and the pursuit of the American Dream. Dreams must be sacrificed for, but we cant be destroyed d by the pursuit of our dreams. Nick learned something very powerful from Gatsby: optimism. Gatsby looked to his future and his dreams with all of the hope in the world. He kept his eyes on the green light on the other side of the lake. He encourages us to do the same, to dream, to hope, and to believe we can achieve. Gatsby’s failure shouldn’t be a warning, rather an inspiration to achieve our dreams. 

The Great Gatsby Journal 8

George Angelopoulos 4˚

1. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 8, Pg. 147-162

2. After not sleeping, Nick goes over to Gatsby to see what happened. Gatsby explains that he waited at the Buchanans until 4 in the mourning, but nothing happened. He goes on to explain that he fell head over heels in love with Daisy when they first met, but during his absence, she married Tom. After the accident that killed Myrtle, George was frantic to find her murderer. He goes to Tom, and Tom points him to Gatsby. George shows up, shoots Gatsby in the pool, and kills himself after. Nick rushes back, and feels remorse because Gatsby was so dead inside.

3.             a. Michaelis

            b. “He didn’t like to go into the garage, because the work bench was stained where the body had been lying, so he moved uncomfortably around the office-he knew every object in it before morning-and from time to time sat down beside Wilson trying to keep him more quiet. “ (157)

            c. Michaelis is a Greek coffee shop owner. He is honest, fair, and has the best intentions. He really does care for his neighbor, Wilson, and only wants to see the best for him. He carries a certain amount of innocence and isolation because he does not live in the internally dead West or East Egg. He has a relatively small role in the story, but represents a faction of people that are wealthy, just not in the sense of East or West Egg.

            d. Michaelis means well, but his actions led to the turmoil found in this chapter. He tries to comfort Wilson, by reminding him he has things in his life he can rely on, like religion, to help get him through this difficult time. This simple piece of advice cascades into a great disillusion of reality. Wilson has been destroyed internally ever since he found out his wife was cheating on him. This means that Tom is partially responsible for his actions. This, coupled with the death of Myrtle leaves him shattered. He loved Myrtle, but still felt resentment for her cheating on him. He truly believes that the driver of the car was Myrtle’s lover. This causes him to believe that it is God’s will to find the driver, and bring him to justice. This inner struggle, and inner death causes him to kill Gatsby and himself.

4. “’They’re a rotten crowd,’ I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.’” (154) The Great Gatsby was been surrounded for a struggle for inner and outer wealth. Gatsby spent the first half of his life chasing after monetary wealth. It took him a while to discover that all he ever wanted was interior wealth, all he wanted was Daisy. Love and happiness turn out to be more valuable than money. Characters, Gatsby especially, have tried to put a value on themselves. Due to the society which they live in, they have been set equal to how they look and what they have. This notion has domination Gatsby’s, Daisy’s, Myrtle’s, and Tom’s lives. Nick reminds Gatsby, in his final words to him, that Gatsby is worth something. He doesn’t need his dream fulfilled, wealth, or notoriety; all he needs is to be comfortable and happy with himself. 

The Great Gatsby Journal 7

George Angelopoulos 4˚

1. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 7: Pg. 113-145

2. Gatsby ceases his parties, since the only reason he had them was to lure in Daisy. One day, Nick, Gatsby, and Jordan go to the Buchanan’s house, where Daisy and Gatsby’s feelings become noticeable to Tom. They all decide to take a trip to New York, and stop at George Wilson’s Garage for gas. George has discovered that his wife is cheating on him, but does not know with whom. Tom initiates a fight with Gatsby, by questioning his ways, his history, and his relationship with Daisy. Daisy is leaning towards Tom, since he is winning the argument. Tom sends Gatsby and Daisy off to prove that Gatsby cannot do any damage to their relationship. As they drive away, Daisy accidently hits, and kills Myrtle. Gatsby will gladly take the blame for her, and just wants to protect Daisy. Tom and Daisy settle their differences, and Gatsby is left in solitude.

3.             a. Nick Carraway

            b. “I’d be damned if I’d go in; I’d had enough of all of them for one day, and suddenly that included Jordan too.” (142)

            c. Nick is a reserved person, who withholds outward judgment, which gives other characters a sense of ease. He is, by any measure, a good guy. His heart is in the right place, but he is also a bit naïve. He gets entangled with these love triangles, affairs, and schemes because he does not know how to say no. He is new to West Egg, and fairly new to these type of social issues, which entails him to a certain amount of innocence. Since his exposure to the corruption of East and West Egg, he has been divided internally. One part of him is the tolerant Mid-Westerner, and the other part of him is a person who is sick of the problems of the rich, and just wants to be able to live for himself, and not for the whims of others.

            d. Nick’s role in this novel is one of unity. He is the character that has some sort of connection with most of the other characters, which ties the story and the plot together. He is the cousin of Daisy, neighbors with Gatsby, romantically involved with Jordan, and the go to guy when there is a problem or a plot twist. Gatsby uses Nick to re-kindle the relationship with Daisy, which really is the source of the many of the problems in this novel. Although his intentions are good, Nick’s actions and his help cause plenty of drama and turmoil. Since he is a character so involved with the plot and other characters, he makes the perfect narrator.

4. “’Was Daisy Driving?’ ‘Yes,’ he said after a moment, ‘but of course I’ll say I was.’” (143) No matter what one’s dream is, sacrifices must be made. Gatsby moved, changed his life style, and is about to take the blame for something he didn’t do because of his dream for Daisy. He loves her, obsesses about her, and is willing to do anything to get her. What one is willing to do for his or her dream is a true indicator for how strong that dream is. This drive and passion is usually found in the pursuit towards internal wealth, not external wealth. Even though most of the characters in this novel are rich, none of them are happy. This is a reflection of the American Dream. The Dream cannot be based in monetary value, rather in the principles that are the foundation of one’s morals. The strength to sacrifice is found deep in the soul, not in one’s pocket book. 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 6 Journal

George Angelopoulos 4˚

1. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 6, Pg. 97-111

2. Nick finally reveals the origins of the “great” Gatsby. Gatsby was born as James Gatz in North Dakota who didn’t even finish two weeks of college. He latter worked as a fisher, where he met the rich Dan Cody. Dan invited James, who gave himself the name Jay Gatsby, onboard as his personal assistant. Gatsby would watch out for him when he was drunk. Gatsby’s experience with Cody inspired him to stay away from alcohol, and inspired him to become as rich and powerful as Dan was. Back to the story line, Tom becomes suspicious of Gatsby. He goes over to Gatsby’s mansion for drinks, and of course his legendary parties. Gatsby wants Daisy the way she was in the past, but Nick reminds him he can’t have the same thing twice.

3.             a. Dan Cody

            b. “Cody was fifty years old then, a product of the Nevada silver field, of the Yukon, of every rush for metal since seventy-five. The transactions in Montana copper that made him many times a millionaire found him physically robust but on the verge of soft-mindedness, and, suspecting this, and infinite number of women tried to separate him from his money.” (99)

            c. Dan Cody was the bigger than life character, the “Gatsby” of his time. His wealth and social power were evident wherever he went. He treated women as annoyances because all they wanted was his money. He resorted to alcohol often, and relied on Gatsby to protect him, and to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid. His big physical description reflected how he lived his life, big and over the top. He was kindhearted though, and did give Gatsby a job, and even money in his will, although Gatsby never received the money.

            d. Dan Cody is the inspiration for the character of Gatsby. He is what Gatsby aspired to be, his role model, and really dictated Gatsby’s actions. Because of Dan, Gatsby became obsessed with the materialistic aspect of life, and failed to strive to be emotionally rich. This focus on one thing, money, caused Gatsby’s other aspects of life to fail, such as love. Although Dan was the inspiration for the wealth of Gatsby, he did little else. His abuse of alcohol, did however scare Gatsby away from the drink. Even the picture of Dan in Gatsby’s bedroom is big, symbolizing his bigger than life attitude. Dan caused a chain reaction that has turned Gatsby into what he is.

4. “The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.” (98) Being able to re-write one’s identity and destiny is a key foundation for the American Dream. Just like Houdini, Gatz changed his whole image because he wasn’t happy with James Gatz. He wanted to become the “great” Jay Gatsby. This pursuit is much more noble than the pursuit for wealth. The American Dream, both then and now, is divided between materialism and idealism. This struggle between outer and inner wealth plays on the fact that most people aren’t happy no matter what they have. Gatsby thought he would be happy with wealth, but felt a hole in his heart for Daisy, and now that he is getting Daisy back, he wishes their relationship could be romantically like it was before Tom. There really is a never finished goal, which exists in Gatsby’s soul. The ability to change does not translate into the ability to be happy. 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 5 Journal

George Angelopoulos 4˚

1. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 5, Pg. 81-96

2. After arriving home from a date with Jordan, Nick gets bombarded by Gatsby, who tries everything to convince Nick to set up the date with Daisy. Nick effortlessly agrees, and invites Daisy over for tee. It is raining when Daisy arrives, and Gatsby enters to meet her. At first their meeting is not successful, but after a while they warm up, and have a great time. Gatsby invites Daisy and Nick back to his mansion to admire his various possessions, and instructs Klipspringer to play a song on the piano, when Nick decides to give leave, and give them some privacy.

3.             a. Daisy Buchanan

            b. “The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain. I had to follow the sound of it for a moment, up and down, with my ear alone, before any words came through. A damp streak of hair lay like a dash of blue paint across her cheek, and her hand was wet with glistening drops as I took it to help her from the car.” (85)

            c. Daisy is a person of great beauty and desire. Her presence brings everyone to her. Despite her outward appearance and happiness, she is sad inside. She has a whole left by the absence of love. Her husband, Tom, doesn’t care for her, and she doesn’t really care for him either. Her life has been dominated by a lie, the lie of her marriage, happiness, and love. She has tried to fill this hole with material objects and “friends” for her social status, but it doesn’t seem to work. This emptiness drives her to re-kindle the relationship with Gatsby.

            d. Daisy is the object of desire and passion for Gatsby. Daisy has dominated Gatsby’s life for the past couple of years, and has dictated his every action, including moving to his current mansion. Gatsby holds Daisy on a high pedestal, so high, that she may not be able to fulfill his desires. His original love for her has developed into a love for the idea of her. Gatsby has let his imagination fill in the blanks, which is really just setting himself up for disappointment. Daisy has become corrupt by Tom, and his life style. She didn’t become truly emotional with Gatsby until she saw all of his processions. This corruption, this disappointment will remind Gatsby of the reality of life, and hopefully ground him to the real world, instead of this wild goose chase for love.

4. “Americans, while occasionally willing to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry.” (88) The American Dream has always been one of passion and desire. This challenge to achieve one’s dreams is a key factor for all characters in this novel. Tom tries to achieve the most wealth, Daisy tries to find love, Gatsby wants to have Daisy, and Nick tries to find himself. These individual pursuits dictate the actions and decisions of every character. Like Fitzgerald says, we are willing to sacrifice, but we are never willing to give up our dreams. This sentiment is why Gatsby bought a mansion across the bay. Gatsby invites Daisy over to restart their relationship because he will never give up. This passion to chase one’s dream is not only a key theme in this chapter and novel, but in America itself. This quote stood out for me because it so beautifully summarized the American Dream. The dream is not always achieved, but constantly fought for, just as Gatsby never gave up on Daisy, we must never give up on our dreams.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 4 Journal

George Angelopoulos 4˚

1. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 4, Pg. 61-80

2. This chapter opens with Nick describing the various parties that Gatsby holds, as well as the rich and powerful people that attend. One day, Gatsby takes Nick out to lunch to exchange stories. Nick doesn’t believe most of Gatsby’s stories, but he does have some proof. They have lunch with Mayor Wolfshiem, a corrupt character who is involved in many shady deals. It is finally revealed that Gatsby is in love with Daisy, and hopes that Nick can arrange a meeting between the two of the.

3.            a. Mayor Wolfsheim

            b. “A small, flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril. After a moment I discovered his tiny eyes in the half-darkness.” (69)

            c. Mayor Wolfsheim is a very shady character. He is short, has a big nose, and has small, beady eyes. His physical characteristics alone portray a sly, deceiving, and selfish person. He is alleged to have rigged the 1919 World Series, as well as participating in illegal activities. He is very opportunistic, and cares a lot about money. He wants everything, including being the life of the party. He is eccentric and sentimental, although a bit cold to Nick.

            d. Gatsby, so far, has been portrayed as the ultimate character, as someone who emulates class, wealth, and elegance. However, no one really knows the true story about Gatsby, where he came from, and what his intentions are. Mayor Wolfsheim’s purpose is to shed a different light on Gatsby, and to raise some questions. Nick has some suspicions that Gatsby earned his wealth through Mayor Wolfsheim and illegal activities. Every character, even the best, has both good and bad within them. The true mark of good character is which side one picks to be influenced by.

4. “There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tires.” (79) This sentiment provides both optimist and an urge for life and living life. Life is an opportunity to live, love, laugh, and create. There are those who sit by the sidelines, and watch life pass by, and there are those who take life for themselves. Gatsby sat by the sidelines, and lost Daisy in the process. All the money in the world couldn’t remedy that, however he does have the ability to change his future. That is why he lives at West Egg, and that is why he is trying to arrange to see Daisy once more. Nick can learn from Gatsby’s fervor, and apply the same principles to his life.  

The Great Gatsby Chapter 3 Journal

George Angelopoulos 4˚

1. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 3, Pg. 39-59

2. Gatsby invites Nick to one of his famous parties. Nick attends, and is overcome by the luxury and money necessary to host such a party. Nick bumps in to Jordan and her friend Lucille who tries to guess who Gatsby is. Through conversation, Nick meets Gatsby, and discovers they served together in the army. Nick continues to explain his life outside of parties, including: working in New York City, taking long walks, meeting girls, and even dating Jordan.

3.            a. Jay Gatsby

            b. “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 faced-or seemed to face the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in you favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you that had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.” (48)

            c. Gatsby is a character who has the “it” factor. He is young, but has a lot of money. He is very generous with his money by hosting many parties, and inviting the entire neighborhood. He makes other people feel like they belong, like they have purpose, and like they are important in some way. Although he hosts many parties, he is not the most social person in the story. He often stands from afar, and admires the life of the world. People flock to him, yet his is shrouded in mystery. Even those who come to these parties do not really know him and his story.

            d. Gatsby’s role, so far, has been one of mystery. Everyone wants to know who he is and why he is here. He has a certain optimism, life, and generosity that other rich characters haven’t had so far. He represents someone who is both alive on the outside and the inside. Since Gatsby and Nick both served together in the army, they share this special type of connection. This connection will probably help Nick not only make a relationship with Gatsby, but also learn from him as well. Gatsby will also reveal other characters. His passion with Daisy will also tear apart the system that Tom created, revealing Tom’s inner “death.”

4. “Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.” (59) This quote struck me because it is an over simplification of the human mind. This quote also challenged me to think of what my top virtue would be. To try to sum up my beliefs into a simple virtue is very challenging, however this technique can be applied to some of the characters in the novel. Certain characters like Tom or Myrtle have specific goals for themselves that are quite apparent. Nick labeled himself, and in doing so, he challenges the reader to try to accurately label the other characters in the story. These labels can hint at certain decisions, and even future events.  This also provides a form of a hunt to try to find these labels, and figure out what they mean.