In the Comments section below, please post a response of at least one full paragraph (min. 5 sentences). Your assignment is twofold: 1) you are to demonstrate a clear understanding of the text by attempting to summarize the text's argument as precisely as possible, and 2) you are to use your comment to ask the text (or ask your peers) at least one thoughtful question.
Remember: your comment can respond directly to other students' posts on this text. The goal of this forum is to offer an opportunity for intelligent dialogue related to the works we are studying in class. Respectful debate is always welcome.
The beginning chapter of the Great Gatsby is basically the narrator, Nick, Carraway, supplying the reader with information about himself and the other important characters in the book. We are introduced to Daisy and Tom and Jordan Baker, a famous golfer who intrigues Nick. Gatsby is also introduced as a handsome young man who mysteriously looks at a green light at the end of the book. Nick also introduces the fact that the people who live in West Egg are new money and East Egg have old money. The people in West Egg are more flashy about their money than the people in East Egg. My questions are, does Nick express an interest to become old money and what do people think the green light Gatsby is pointing at is?
ReplyDeleteNick Carraway narrates from the perspective of a wealthy young man building a life for himself. He is friends with Tom Buchanan, who married his cousin, Daisy, and Nick is invited to Tom and Daisy's for dinner. A girl, Jordan Baker, is temporarily staying with the Buchanan's, and dinner is awkward, as Tom's mistress calls during the meal. Everyone seems to be aware of what is going on between Tom and Daisy, but no one will confront the issue. At the end of the chapter, Nick leaves Tom's and goes back to his home, where his neighbor, Gatsby, is standing in his own yard (in view from Nick's house) and reaching up toward a green light. Readers are left wondering, what is the significance of the light?
ReplyDeleteNick Carraway explains how he lives in West Egg, which is not as nice as the property across the water called East Egg. As he is eating dinner with his second cousin, Daisy, and her husband Tom Buchanan, he starts to realize the trouble in their marriage. Miss Baker, who lived with the Buchanans, helped to explain that the telephone call interupting dinner was from Tom's "woman in New York." This, plus the fact that Tom has not even seen his own three year old child, is an obvious problem. On his way back from dinner, Nick sees Gatsby, his neighbor, reaching for a green light, but when Nick looked again, Gatsby had disappeared. My question is, why did Gatsby come outside to look at a green light and then immediately disappear?
ReplyDeleteThe first chapter sets up the story by introducing us to some of the characters, and some of the plot. It sounds like everyone in West Egg wants so desperately to live in East Egg and people in East Egg are not satisfied with thatt. This clearly shows the greediness of civilization, especially of Americans. Today in class we discussed that the green light could represent land or money, or both. I also believe that the green light could represent jealousy or envy, as it seems to be one of the main themes of the book. My question is, if not money, what can satisfy the people in this book? For example Tom Buchanan has all the money he could want, two lovers, and yet he is still not satisfied. What causes this dissatisfaction?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt. Everyone in this book so far seems to be looking for happines and contentment in things like sex, wealth, and land. It's almost like the East Egg people WANT the West to envy them. But they know they have the West's envy but they are still dissatisfied. Everyone so far is turning out to be fake and untrustworthy. Tom is cheating on his wife, but she sortof knows about it and the lover sortof knows about the wife. I think the typical Christian answer to youe question Matt, is that they dont have God, which is obviously true. My question is since these people's morals seem to be twisted, does religoin really matter to them?
ReplyDeleteI think religion does not matter to them. They idolize worldly things. They obviously do not care about anything, but the material things. They are looking for happiness in the wrong places. They will never be content with what they have. They will always want more. The thing that got me thinking in this chapter was the fact that Tom would cheat on his wife. Why would he do such a thing? Why would the mistress make herself known? Why does she come to dinner?
ReplyDeleteTest (Dr. C)
ReplyDeleteMatt, I think you may be onto something here. When you say that they seem to be missing something in their lives, you are right. Even though Tom has money and two women, he is still discontent. As Kelly and Alex also pointed out, religion is something they lack, but I don't think that is what Fitzgerald is pointing towards. I think that Fitzgerald may be saying that what the characters are missing is love. Jumping ahead slightly, in the second chapter, one of the characters says of Tom and Myrtle that "neither one of them are happy" or in love with their spouses. Tom is searching for a meaningful relationship - one that he dreamed about as a child perhaps. As Nick pointed out in the first chapter, Tom seems to be searching for a lost memory. If that is the case, apparently his current marriage isn't the "perfect marriage" that he had always hoped for, and since old money gets what they want, Tom has a woman in New York. My question is, why does Daisy seem to get excited when Jordan mentions Gatsby's name?
ReplyDeleteThis introductory chapter introduces us to the lives of Tom and his neighbors on Long Island. There seems to be alot of drama going on, and the book seems to demonstrate a general lack of morals so far. Tom is seeking after the "perfect life," and apparently sees his marriage as unperfect. Tom's neighbor, Gatsby, is seen stretching his arms out toward a green light, which hints at his mysterious personality. Is there something special about the green light? Hopefully we will find out more about Gatsby as the book progresses.
ReplyDeleteThe first chapter seems to be like the American Dream. Nick works so hard and he lives on West Egg, but there is always something better, East Egg. The American Dream tells you to work really hard and then you will become something, but if you’re not old money you can’t live on East Egg. So you can never get to the highest level unless you start there. Nick wants more than he has got from working hard. Also like the American Dream, it turns into something different. Instead of just working hard, people end up becoming greedy and wanting more money. So the material things and the money become more important.
ReplyDeleteMike I think you made some really good points, in that neither Tom nor his mistress are happy with their spouses. I also think that along with this, daisy is not happy being with Tom. So to answer your question about why daisy gets happy when she hears gatsby's name, could be beacause she is in love with him. She obviously has nothing in common with Tom, because he is a big muscular jock, whereas she is more interested in things like "the longest day of the year. My question is if daisy has a thing for gatsby, then is it daisy that gatsby had his arms open to, instead of the light?
ReplyDeleteThe first chapter of the Great Gatsby is both an introduction to the characters and to the overall theme of the book. It begins with the narrator, Nick Carraway, meeting the other main characters and learning about their various points of discontent. This dissatisfaction was the result of these main characters missing the past. This is illustrated in many ways throughout the first chapter, though a prime example is Tom, Daisy's husband. We discussed in class about how he longs for the past and this longing manifests itself in an affair he is having with the woman who calls him over the phone. Do you think this longing for something in the past and the impossibility of reaching it could be a main theme of the book?
ReplyDeleteThe first chapter of this book is through the main character's (Nick Carraway) point of view. He talks about his origin in the mid-west and describes his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan. Daisy and Tom both wish they could relive their pasts and, respectively, see the longest day of the year, and be an idol to girls/play football. Nick also introduces Gatsby as a well-educated, handsome man. After this, Nick describes the setting of the book which is Long Island, NY, in two areas called East and West Egg. The West Egg area is the name given to the “New Money” rich people, and East Egg is where the “Old Money” people live. At the end of the chapter, Nick wants to talk to Gatsby, but sees him in one of his special moments reaching out to a green light that’s on East Egg. Nick lets him be and Gatsby vanishes.
ReplyDeleteMy question is; why do the “Old Money” people disregard Gatsby even though he is well-educated and sophisticated, but throws wild parties every once in a while?
Matt, I think you were right when you brought up the fact that the characters in the book were infected with greed and dissatisfaction. Tom and Daisy, who have everything; looks, money, and a beautiful home, do not have a happy home life. Tom has a mistress, which shows that he is not content with what he has, and is not happy. When Gatsby reaches for the green light at the end of chapter one, the green light could symbolize money or Gatsby’s dream and hope for the future. Gatsby obviously desires to have more than he does, and is dissatisfied with what he has.
ReplyDeleteThe first chapter of the Great Gatsby seems to set up an unhappy start for most of the characters. Almost all of them are not satisfied with their lifestyles, even though most of them are very wealthy. I agree with what Molly said in that Gatsby is trying to reach for the green like and perhaps that green stands for even more money. Gatsby is wealthy but he is considered "new money". Tom and Daisy are considered "old money". But even with "old money" neither of them are satisfied. Tom isn't satisfied with his marriage and Daisy is almost non existent besides her voice. My question is why do the "old money" folks bash Gatsby for being young and reckless? Are they threatened by him?
ReplyDeleteThe difference in what seems to be represented in the East Egg and the West Egg are rather drastic. It seems that the East Egg where the “new money” people live represents the young, stupid, and lucky. They are privileged to have the lifestyle they live, but seriously lack self-control, manners, and most of all wisdom. If I lived on the West Egg, I too would probably disregard and complain about them. I could be wrong, and maybe all rich people are snooty and ridiculous, but why is money such a corrupting force?
ReplyDeleteIn the first chapter of the Great Gatsby we are introduced to the main characters including Nick Carroway. In the first fiew pages we learn of Nick and his past at Yale and involvement in World War I and of some more background information. We are also introduced to the characters Tom and Daisy who are married, and to Jordan Baker who is staying with the Buchanans. We also alearn from the rather uncomfortable dinner of the situation/ tension inbetween Tom and Daisy's marriage when Tom's mistress calls. We are also introduced to a mysterious green light towards the end of the chapter when Nick seeS Gatsby look at a green light.My question is what does the green light mean and how does it relate to Gatsby's character?
ReplyDeleteChapter 1 sets up the basis of the story. Nick Caraway is a person who lives on one of longislands two "eggs". West egg, the one that he lives on, is the area where the lower social class lives. next to him lives a rich person by the name of Gatsby. As of now not much is known about Gatsby or who he is, other then he appears to be incredibly rich. Also in this chapter we learn about Jordan Baker. I think that she will be important later on and will have some relation with nick later on in thebook
ReplyDeleteThe first chapter of this book is focused on introducing the charachters and their situations. Nick Caraway seems to focus on what kind of people his peirs are when he describes them. I find it intresting how everyone is focused so much on money. Not only if they have money but how long they've had it. Also they seemed to be focused on their connections with other people. My question is why are they so focused on their money?
ReplyDelete