The first few chapters of The Great Gatsby show Fitzgerald's depth of characterization.
Select one of the following main characters and identify two passages from the text that develop the character in two different ways (ex. one a physical description, one on the character's possessions or one of what the character says, one of what is said about the character).
Please do not repeat passages that have been chosen, provide page numbers, and analyze the passages you choose.
Characters: Nick, Tom, Daisy, Gatsby, Jordan, Myrtle
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”, Jay Gatsby is introduces having an heir of mystery. We don’t know why he has an abundant amount of wealth aside from hearsay among people that don’t know him personally. In fact, the majority of attendees at the party have never seen Gatsby before. Speculation says that he’s fought in World War I defending Germany or even that he’s killed someone. When Nick first meets Gatsby, he becomes overwhelmed with admiration: “He had 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 your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself” (48). Immediately Nick feels this sense of security, as if this complete stranger with a rare smile makes him feel wholesome. Throughout the section, Nick continually remarks Gatsby’s smile as something comforting, heightening the reader’s apprehension of his mysterious qualities. Aside from Gatsby’s physical appearance being a mystery, the suspension is amplified as his party is being described: “I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited” (41). The fact that strangers were coming to this gathering is abstruse, yet people were enamored with someone they didn’t even know. Nick himself doesn’t even know what Gatsby looks like until they meet by chance. I think that Gatsby is fundamentally inexplicable and the first sections help establish his character as multi-layered.
ReplyDeleteYay! Excellent insights Alyssa!
DeleteUpon first meeting Myrtle in the garage that she and her husband live above, it is apparent that she is a tricksy girl who tends to her desires above all else. When Tom and Nick enter the garage Myrtle bosses her husband into the next room to retreive chairs. "Get some chairs, why don't you, so somebody can sit down" (26). Myrtle's ordering her husband around shows how little she cares for him. Also, the lack of a question mark in the sentance makes her statement sound like less of a request, and more of an emotionless command. After leaving the garage, Tom, Nick, and Myrtle are driving through the city to the apartment. Myrtle spots a dog vendor and instantly desires to have one for herself. "I want to get one of those dogs. I want to get one for the apartment" (27). She is described as having said this earnestly. Her serious tone reflects her demanding attitude with which she controls the men in her life. The picture painted thus far depicts a demanding Myrtle who is prone to trickery and deceit.
ReplyDeleteConnor
The first time Tom Buchanan is mentioned is during Nick's monologue at the beginning of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". He is described as being a very wealthy man who spent and squandered his fortune both in College and out "..Even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach- but now he'd left Chicago and come East in a fashion that rather took your breath away; for instance, he'd brought down a string of polo ponies from Lake Forest. It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that"(Pg6). In his own description of himself he refers to his more negative perspectives "Civilization's going to pieces," broke out Tom violently. "I've gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things…"(Pg12). It also seems that Tom may have a violent nature hidden under the wealth and pessimistic attitude and I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the reason Tom and Daisy moved was to escape the consequences of Toms violent outbursts.
ReplyDelete-Ben Feinberg
Like my fellow colleague Ben Feinberg said, Tom Buchanan turns out to be a wealthy and arrogant man. When I started reading Nick's description of Tom Buchanan in "The Great Gatsby", I noticed that Tom was a prominent man that was both rich with money and physical health. "Now he was a sturdy, straw haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining, arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward" (11). Clearly, even in Tom's 30's, he is still a very healthy and successful man. He was even a star on his football team in New Haven. Tom Buchanan also demonstrates signs of superiority when talking to Nick. '"Now, don't think my opinion on these matters is final," he seemed to say, "just because I'm stronger and more of a man than your are"'(11-12). Tom's egocentric way of thinking proves that he thinks that everyone is unworthy of him. Tom is also selfish and does what he needs to get what he wants. Most of all, he seeks control of his life and control of others.
ReplyDelete-Tadas Buivydas
In "The Great Gatsby" F. Scott Fitzgerald develops Jay Gatsby through vivid descriptions from the narrator, Nick, and fluctuant rumors that whisper between the opulent men and women. It is inevitable throughout the beginning of this book that no one knows much about this mysterious Gatsby. The rumors increase at his extravagant party, "'Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once' A thrill passed over all of us. The three Mr. Mumbles bent forward and listened eagerly. 'I don’t think it was so much that… its more that he was a German spy during the war" (44). The lack of evidence in these rumors prove that many people do not know where he has come from, or how he has become so rich, however they enjoy creating rumors as though it is a game in their lifestyle. His extravagant parties every weekend is what he is only known for, and he seems to enjoy watching the guests confusion as they attend and also excitement. However from the very beginning of the novel his peculiarity is revealed, "Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life" (2). This shows Nicks eternal fondness for Gatsby. He explains that Gatsby is different from the rest of the rich men and women that attend his parties, however he represented the lifestyle that they lived, although he now scorns the rich. Nick describes Gatsby as a man full of life, hope, and personality.
ReplyDeleteLike Emma said, Fitzgerald develops the characters of the Great Gatsby through the eyes and thoughts of the narrator, Nick. One character that I found particularly interesting was Jordan. At one point in chapter three, Nick claims that he thinks he has fallen in love with her, despite only have known each other for a few weeks. I am curious to see if their relationship will continue to strengthen throughout the novel. Nick's description of Jordan teaches us a wealth of information regarding Jordan's physical makeup as well as her personality within the first three chapters. "She was a slender, small-breasted girl, with an erect carriage, which she accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet. Her gray sun-strained eyes looked back at me with polite reciprocal curiosity out of a wan, charming, discontented face. It occurred to me now that I had seen her, or a picture of her, somewhere before" (11). Here, Jordan is described as a bit boyish in the manner in which she carries herself. Because this book takes place in the twenties, it can be inferred that Jordan is the embodiment of the "new woman." She plays sports, she is a little more wild, and she appears a bit cynical in later passages. She is also described as dishonest, as she once cheated in one of her golf games. "At first, I was flattered to go places with her, because she was a golf champion, and everyone knew her name. Then it was something more. I wasnt actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity...and one day I found out what it was...At her first big golf tournament there was a row that nearly reached the newspapers- a suggestion that she had moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round" (57). In this passage, the reader is exposed to Jordan's true nature. She is sneaky and a bit deceptive, however at the same time, she is also kind, which makes men around her quite confused. She also claims that she avoids clever men, because she does not like being at a disadvantage. This too, represents the idea of the "new woman", who has intelligence as well as some power over men.
ReplyDelete-Steph Madigan
Great ideas about Jordan as a "new woman."
DeleteAs I was reading I started to get more and more interested in the character Jay Gatsby. LIke Alyssa and Emma I also noted a lot of passages from the party. They caught my eye and made me sort of suspicious about him. They author F. Scott Fitzgerald does a great job in these first chapters describing him as a mysterious man. He is quiet and stays out of the way at his own parties, however, he owns this extravagant house and car and hosts these giant get togethers. On page 48 it says, "Sometime before he introduced himself I got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care. Almost at the moment when Mr.Gatsby identified himself, a butler hurried towards him with the information that Chicago was calling him on the wire. He excused himself with a small bow that included each of us in turn." For some reason this passage caught my eye. The way that the narrator tells that he was picking his words with "care" seemed very suspicious. I thought of him trying not to say something or holding his thoughts back. Also at the end of that passage he says that Gatsby made sure that he let each person know he was leaving to go take a phone call. I don't know why exactly, but it seems like a small contradiction between him being quiet and sly at his parties. He wants all eyes to know he is leaving. On page 50 it says, "The nature of Mr. Tostoff's composition eluded me, because just as it began my eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes." This is another way that the author makes him mysterious. He is watching his party. Seeing each person and approving of them. I think it is a little strange also that he might not even know these people very well, however, he is watching and observing them. I liked the way that the author and narrator gave us this feeling of a cliff hanger with him. It keeps me thinking and wanting to learn more. I like the book a lot so far!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen the beautiful Daisy is first introduced her discernible personality is seen as charming and witty. Beneath her flirtatious comments and "little laugh" lies a manipulative and malicious attitude. She is engagingly impudent and entertainingly giddy making her dangerously irresistible. "I've heard it is said that Daisy’s murmur was only to make people lean towards her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming" (9). When Daisy speaks, she has a way of gripping the listener so that all they can hear is her voice. In this quote, Nick is mindful of Daisy's charms, but is so mesmerized by her allure that it doesn't alarm him. "Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth – but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered 'Listen,' a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour" (9). This passage describes Daisy's physical appearance and her intriguing voice. These qualities are ones that make her popular with the men. She is enchantingly beautiful and her voice is full of promises.
ReplyDelete-Carl Lindgren
In his novel, "The Great Gatsby" F. Scott Fitzgerald develops the dishonest character of Jordan Baker through the narration of Nick. As Nick thinks about Jordan more often, he reviels to the reader, "When we were on a house party together up in Warwick, she left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down, and then lied about it-" (62). This shows that Jordan is disrespectful, as someone was nice enough to let her borrow their car, and she thanks them by not taking care of it with respect and leaving it "in the rain with the top down. She also demonstrated her dishonesty here as she decides in the end to lie about it. Nick then states, "At her first big golf tournament there was a row that nearly reached the newspapers-a suggestion that she had moved her ball from a bad lie in the semi-final round," (62). Jordan continues to express her dishonesty as she chooses to break the etiquette of golf, moving "her ball from a bad lie". Doing this, she is not only cheating herself, but is cheating others as well because she is being unfair to the other competitors. These two actions of Jordan Baker illustrate how F. Scott Fitzgerald gives her a dishonest personality.
ReplyDeleteKorey D
whoops I didn't see Stephs post until after I posted this.
DeleteNick Carraway makes reference in the very beginning of the first chapter to a conversation he had with his father, in which he was told "whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in the world haven't had the opportunities you've had". Nick obviously took this advice to heart, and his narrations, which feature judgement-free criticism, prove to be extremely telling. His descriptions of the Buchanans are particularly biting. However, while his thoughts on Tom Buchanan tend to be pretty consistent, his opinion of Daisy is not always clear. As soon as Daisy is introduced, her physical descriptions are nothing short of enchanting. He notes her "sad, lovely face with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth" and "an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found it difficult to forget" (9). Immediately, Daisy is associated with all things bright, carefree, and exciting (even her name, Daisy, alludes to her flowery disposition), but underneath this praise there seems to be an underlying level of contempt. All throughout the Buchanans dinner party, Nick hints at Daisy's tendencies toward frivolity and emptyheadedness by describing her irrational excitement at sharing the Butler's secret and her discussions of future social outings (the discussions that made him feel "uncivilized"). However, Daisy is given yet another layer when she confides in Nick after dinner that she feels "pretty cynical about everything" and that she's "been everywhere and seen everything and done everything" and she knows its terrible (17). This sentiment, layered over her previous carefree exterior, gives her an aura of pretentiousness, which Nick alludes to through descriptions of the "insincerity" in what she said and the "smirk upon her lovely face". Not only is this evidence of his contempt, but it also gives the reader a different side of Daisy to consider. It is also an example of Nick's judgement-free criticism of everyone around him, which prove to be very telling and very interesting because it is not always evident who is supposed to be the "bad guy" and who is supposed to be the "good guy". It is totally left up to the interpretation of the reader which is what I think makes F. Scott Fitzgerald such a good characterize-er and what allows Nick to be cynical without being tiresome.
ReplyDeleteI love the insight into Daisy's layers and what Nick's ability to recognize them implies about him.
DeleteIn "The Great Gatsby", F. Scott Fitzgerald uses specific wording and setence structure to further the development of his characters. Fitzgerald's characterization of Nick Carraway stuck out to me. One quote that really furthered Carraways character was "whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in the world haven't had the opportunities you've had" (1)1 To me, This passage really stuck out to me because it made an understanding of the lower class and the idea of him not necissarly being completely part of "that" world. Another passage that stuck out to me was a conversation between Carraway and Tom Buchanan. ""what are you doing, Nick?" "I'm a bond man" "with who?" I told him. "Never heard of them," he remarked decisivley. This annoyed me." (10) This passage continues the development of Carrway because it continues to show his distain of certain upper class members.
ReplyDeleteHI MS COPPENS. Okay so i know Lia and I have one of the same quotes but I actually did this last night at 5:00pm on my Kindle and it didn't publish so technically i was the first to use that quote. The only reason i came on the blog post today was because i wanted to see if you had commented on my post. SO upon relizing it did not post i quickly racked my brain for what i had wrote last night. So sorry, -Holly Alessi
In these first few chapters, I found that the character that interested me the most was Nick Callaway. At first his thoughts and reflections about his summer were quite boring but I soon grew to love them. The immense amount of detail he put into each description that he saw was extremely powerful. the first passage i found that described his character perfectly was on page 5. "I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them. my house was at the very tip of the egg, only fifty yards from the Sound, and squeezed between two huge places that rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season." This quote was a perfect example of how Nick was a very desciptive and understanding person. In these chapters we learn that he has been brought up to be a very accepting person and non judgemntal. As any human would, he does judge in his head yet he never publicly criticizes others and the things they have. This description of the WEst Egg optimized how he was as a person. He does not brag about how he lives in a lavish home and he also does not harp on the fact that his fellow neighbors were once poor people and have poor taste. He only really describes that they have worked hard to be where they are now. The second quite i found came on page 35. "Yet high over the city our line of yellow windows must have contributed their share of human secrecy to the casual watcher in the darkening streets, and I was him too, looking up and wondering. I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life." This quote is not an obvious description of CAllaway but an insight to his beliefs on a deeper level. Here begins to connect himself and compare his life to those around him. He explains how he watches the night move and how he is experiencing all walks of life. As he does this however, the judgment of an average person is not present in his thoughts and his pure and honest view on his surroundings creates a refreshing characterizon for the rest of the story.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald uses vivid descriptions on one of the main charcaters, beautiful Daisy. She is married to Tom but Nick has a fasination for her as well and she has a fasination for him too. She comes off as a shy girl but, "...then she laughed, an absurd, charming little laugh, and I laughed too and came forward into the room." (8). she uses her beautiful voice and cute laugh to lern the men in. She seems to be popular among them because her actions."...she laughed again, as if she had said something very witty, and held my hand for a moment, looking into my face, promising that there was no one in the world she so much wanted to see."(9) She acts like an angel around him but I have a werid feeling that she isnt acting like who she really is. She also uses her shutter in her persuasive voice to attract the men she is around. Fitzgerald does a great job with showing her actions through her words which helps define her as a character.
ReplyDelete-Lindsay B
When reading the first 3 chapters of the Great Gatsby, I was particularly intruiged with Myrtle Wilson. I found that she perfectly represented a "wannabe" in their society - trying so hard to gain social status, but making a fool out of herself during the process. It was smart of Fitzgerald to include a scene with Myrtle around her husband right before she goes off with Tom, the man she is cheating with. Through these two scenes the reader was able to gain insight on her personality through the interactions with different people. In the passage in her apartment, Fitzgerald exposes us to many details hinting that her attempts at class and poise come off as unorganized and rehearsed. "The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it, so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles." The decor of the room, although tapestried furniture and elaborate paintings are something you might find in a wealthy home, is described as cramped and forced. Myrtle is trying to make this apartment in the Valley of Ashes into something that it isn't. One of the most humorous parts in this scene was when Myrtle was discussing her dress with Mrs. McKee, "It's just a crazy old thing," she said "I just slip it on sometimes when I Don't care what I look like". Reading this as a teenage girl, I immediately picked up on the false modesty of Myrtle, and how she was fishing for compliments by pretending the dress was nothing to her. Fitzgerald, through Myrtle's dialogue and actions, is able to characterize his character as a wannabe social climber, who when with Tom, thinks she is a lady of society. I find her actions comical and am interested to see what she does next.
ReplyDeleteexcellent insights into her character!
DeleteIn "The Great Gatsby", F.Scott Fitzgerald uses mystery and rumor mills to catalyze the development of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is presented as a very mysterious character and very little facts are revealed about his personal life, with almost all information delivered through Nick’s thoughts and the accounts from the other wealthy inhabitants of the area. However, one of the greatest developments towards Gatsby’s mystique at the onset of the novel is his actions on page 20, “…he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone — he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward — and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away…”(20). This action of him randomly stretching his arms towards what is seemingly nothing causes a great deal of confusion about the character and his mental sanity. It seeds the question of whether he is just coo coo for coco puffs, or if he is trying to embrace something that is just beyond his reach.
ReplyDeleteAnother development about Gatsby’s character that is quickly established is his seemingly indifference towards his wealth. He allows strangers of all kinds to freely attend his party and even use many of his assets. A great example of this is on page 43, “…when I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, and he asked me my name and address — inside of a week I got a package from Croirier’s with a new evening gown in it… It was gas blue with lavender beads. Two hundred and sixty-five dollars. …“He doesn’t want any trouble with ANYbody.””(43).
At first this kind of action could show him as being very generous and nice towards others. However, as the character said in the story, it could also be hinting at Gatsby having a dark past and not wanting to upset anybody and have them digging around in his business. Jay Gatsby is established as a very mysterious character with a very sketchy background, and far from a flat character.
funny! and great points about his sanity and the mystery of his past.
DeleteWithin the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby, Daisy is perceived as somewhat childish and naives. Daisy is a relatively careless woman with different angles on situations. “I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool....You see, I think everything's terrible anyhow....And I know. I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.”(16) Daisy brings up an unordinary wish that her daughter will not have to face the negative in life. Daisy outlook on the situation is for her daughters best interest, but still unrealistic. She most likely brings up with thought because she has familiarity with fools in her life, and does not want that for her daughter. Nicks description of his cousin Daisy illustrates her actions as uncommon, considering her age and place in society. “Daisy took her face in her hands as if feeling its lovely shape and her eyes moved gradually out into the velvet dusk. I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her, so I asked what I thought would be some sedative questions about her little girl. (16) Nick is watching her act the charade of her self-love. Nicks description reveals Daisy’s very open about her emotions and feeling expressing herself in such a way shows how she does not have enough care for a filter in front of guest. Daisy constantly wants to bring up her own life and prized possession of her daughter towards her guest. Nicky acknowledges that she is greatly proud of her daughter and delivers questions that she wants to hear. Daisy being caught up in her own life and trying to look at the best of situations is slightly unrealistic which leads her to be perceived as somewhat immature to both Nick and the reader.
ReplyDeleteFrom the first three chapters in the book, Tom seems like a stubborn character who always gets his way. In chapter two, Tom forces Nick into a somewhat awkward situation; He takes Nick to meet his "girl" (in other words: his mistress). "I went up to New York with Tom on the train one afternoon and when we stopped by the ashheaps he jumped to his feet and, taking hold of my elbow, literally forced me from the car. 'We're getting off,' he insisted. 'I want you to meet my girl.'" (24). By doing this, it is obvious that Tom does not take other's feelings into consideration when it comes to his own needs. Nick must have felt awkward meeting Tom's mistress when he is supposed to be happily married to Nick's cousin. This is also shown on page 37 when he is in conversation with Myrtle. "Some time toward midnight Tom Buchanan and Mrs.Wilson stood face to face, discussing in impassioned voices whether Mrs.Wilson had any right to mention Daisy's name... Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand." In this quick action, Tom is instantly characterized as forceful, disrespectful, and dangerous. Also, the physical description of Tom describes him as arrogant and agressive. "Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body... It was a body capable of enormous leverage- a cruel body" (7). This harsh, yet accurate, description of Tom explains his personality perfectly. From this description, it seems as if Tom is going to be a flat character who expells as much anger and damage on others as he can.
ReplyDeleteexcellent point abotu Tom not caring who he makes feel unconfortable...
DeleteGatsby is not a social man, he throws parties but enjoys making small talk and watching them have their fun. I believe this is because he is like nick and has trauma from the war or somthing that keeps him from enjoying life. in one instance at his party the narrator (Nick) says "Because just as my eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes. His tanned skin was draw attractivlely tight on his face and his short hair looked as though it were trimmed every day. I could see nothing sinister about him. I wonder if the fact he was not drinking helped to set him off from his guests, for it seemed to me that he grew more correct as the hillarity increased." p.50 this passage shows how he likes to observe the people and i gives him pleasure in their pleasure. in the show breaking bad a charachter is forced to kill a man. after this he throws a non stop party tossing money in the air, making people fight over it. even when people were tired he told them to keep it going. to me it may not be far out to think that he has these parties because he feels lonely or his past haunts him to the poin where he needs company. this also shows when Nick says "A sudden empriness now seemed to flow from the windows and the great doors, endowing with complete isolatiom the figure of the host, who stood on the porch, his hand up in a formal gesture of farewell." like the House of Usher I think Gatsbys house represents him. it is grand and beautiful but at many times empty. that is why he fills it with parties and life, because he dosnt feel alive on his own.
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