Welcome to our blog. Comment on chapters as you read them. Gatsby is commonly considered the greatest American novel of the past hundred years or so; you can read it romantically or religiously, you can read it a la Freud or a la Marx, you can read it with an eye to race and eugenics or with an eye to suburbs and car culture, you can read it as being about class, about technology, about love (straight or gay, of course), and about dreams. Gatsby is the great novel of nearly everything--but especially of youth. It is ironic, it is heartfelt, it is simple and sophisticated at once, and almost everyone likes it. It is also an extraordinarily virtuosic prose performance. The book is written at a pitch of non-stop brilliance that has never been equaled. Enjoy.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Chapter 1
What do you think so far?
One thing that's going on is Fitzgerald's casually flashy writing. Check out the way he creates, in the most offhand way, in a phrase, surreally heightened impressions. What's your favorite turn of phrase?
I suppose this one... Page 11 "Tom compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another square." The first chapter was read by me with confusion and so far I find his writing like anyone else's.
Well, that's not a bad thing, really! I like your example, Gabriel: not only the sharp simile, but the perfect verb: Tom COMPELLED me! That makes me laugh--and I don't think I ever noticed it before. The book is amazingly rich--full of apt little phrases.
I realized that in this book, so far at least, I have had very strong images of all the places Nick describes, and the feeling of them. I like the unusual metaphor and it seems to give an intense impression of how what is happening in the story creates how the narrator sees the places he goes to. Perhaps this isn't the best example, but I loved the line, "At 158th Street the cab stopped at one slice in a long white cake of apartment-houses" (28).
I was interested in how the novel started with a loose, abstract reflection, then gradually but efficiently narrowed its focus to delve into the minute details of individual scenes. I feel like it gives the reader a really solid starting point; although we don't know Nick very well yet, we know enough about him and the situation to feel comfortable with the book very quickly. I also really love his writing style; I felt like I got a very good sense of the setting and the overall feeling of the scenes; the mood was conveyed really well, and there was also an intense yet almost effortless focus on the individual sentences. I really liked his description of the wind filled room and the women on the couch, and Nick's remark that "Among the broken fragments of the last five minutes at table I remember the candles being lit again, pointlessly..." Even Fitzgerald's description of the living room was interesting ("the crimson room bloomed with light").
I was interested to read the part about the dinner party because in situations like those, people's personalities are often revealed. I also liked how the book started off with drama (Tom getting a call from his lover), even though of course it's sad.
Oh, and I wanted to add that my favorite phrase from this chapter was: "The wind had blown off, leaving a loud, bright night, with wings beating in the trees and a persistent organ sound as the full bellows of the earth blew the frogs full of life." This is very descriptive but not too much. There are great sensory details, like sight and sound with unexpected words- organ, bellow...
So far I have enjoyed the elaborate descriptions that Fitzgerald gives of other characters. I find it interesting that he often has Nick compare himself to the other characters. This makes Nick feel inferior, physically and emotionally. I think that this characteristic of Nick will be interesting to follow as the novel moves forward. Henry
The most intriguing part of this chapter for me was the very end when we see Gatsby for the first time. "nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness" (21). This passage is very vague and leaves the reader wondering who Gatsby is and what his role in the story will be.
My favorite phrase from the chapter was Nick's description of his surprise at finding out that Tom had read and thought about a book, on page 20: "Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart." -Catherine Marris
I like this passage for the weirdness of the description: "They are not perfect ovals-like the egg in the Columbus story, they are both crushed flat at the contact end-but their physical resemblance must be a source of perpetual confusion to the gulls that fly overhead. To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size." p.5
At first, I had a fairly negative reaction to the opening of the novel. Nick's pompous attitude and mindless details about his life bored me. However, as the novel progressed and the plot thickened, I became intrigued with the sheer mysteriousness of Gatsby. Who is this guy? How does he relate to Nick, Tom, Daisy, and the other characters? Why does Fitzgerald conceal his identity and biography to his audience? What role will he play throughout the rest of the novel? I suppose only time will tell...
My favorite passage was this description of Tom's house: "The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house. A breeze blew through the room, blew curtains in at one end and out the other like pale flags, twisting them up toward the frosted wedding-cake of the ceiling, and then rippled over the wine colored rug, making a shadow on it as wind does on the sea."
I really like Fitzgerald's word choice because they give a very recognizable image and feel. One example is when he describes Gatsby as someone who did not have "that flabby impressionability" or "creative temperament." The word "flabby" caught me off hand, but I can almost imagine the cliche of a pathetic, shriveled, and overly sensitive "creative" person.
I like the part at the end of the chapter: "I decided to call to him. Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner, and that would do for an introduction. But I didn't call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone." In this passage as well as several others, Fitzgerald takes us into the mind of Nick, and I think that this will make the book more interesting as we go on reading it.
I like how well Fitzgerald depicts the initial awkwardness between Nick and Miss Baker. First he writes "If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it--indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in." He then writes later "Again a sort of apology rose to my lips." I really like the Nick's recurring idea of feeling like he should say sorry for doing nothing but be in Miss Baker's presence. To me this really shows the mood and awkwardness in the room.
Nick's description of Tom seems particularly apt when he says that Tom "would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game." Perhaps this is a twisted portrayal on Nick's part, but Nick seems much more sophisticated and interesting than Tom, the richer man.
I really enjoy the book so far. Myrtle is my favorite character to figure out because she puts up with a lot in her not so secret affair with Tom. I think Nick will become a huge I influence in Daisy's love life to come. I hope that she gets out of her marriage and finds happiness in the over the top Gatsby.
I find it interesting that Nick seems to have a sort of respect for Mr. Gatsby, despite he and his lifestyle being against the principles that Nick describes at the beginning of the book, another example of Nick's contradictions.
I enjoy the mysterious quality that Nick gives Gatsby at the end of Chapter 1, while we as the readers know that Gatsby represents "everything that he scorns." Nick thinks this way because he assumes Gatsby is simply another opulent, arrogant, successful man in New York. However, with the interesting, ghost-like qualities that are given to Gatsby by Nick, there must be more to Gatsby than meets the eye. Why does Nick swear hes sees Gatsby is "trembling?" -- Rohan
After reading chapter 2, I couldn't help but think back to the opening two pages in which Nick claims that he only passes judgment on the rich. That may be believable in the first chapter as he is very cynical of the behavior of Daisy and Tom (who are rich). However, the idea completely falls apart in the second chapter - he is SO judgmental towards Myrtle, Catherine and the McKees, none of whom are by any means rich. So much for being a trustworthy narrator..
Going off of Matt's comment, I like Fitzgerald's style of writing. He gives a lot of detail about the characters, but never directly says anyone's (not even Nick's) feelings. These details set the stage for the tone and emotions that are implied.
It's interesting how none of the characters who we've met so far seem appealing...Daisy feels very controlling and perhaps obsessive, Tom just seems like a jerk, and Miss Baker seems self-absorbed. Nick seems to be the only average person who we have met so far. Will this change?
My favorite turn of phrase was "Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart."
the adjectives he uses in general are creative and catches the reader's attention
I like it where he writes, "For a moment the last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face; her voice compelled me forward breathlessly as I listened- then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk."
The imagery here is vivid but soft, and even though it's a sort of sad moment, I see it as this soft, calm point in the chapter.
I suppose this one...
ReplyDeletePage 11
"Tom compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another square."
The first chapter was read by me with confusion and so far I find his writing like anyone else's.
Well, that's not a bad thing, really! I like your example, Gabriel: not only the sharp simile, but the perfect verb: Tom COMPELLED me! That makes me laugh--and I don't think I ever noticed it before. The book is amazingly rich--full of apt little phrases.
ReplyDeleteI realized that in this book, so far at least, I have had very strong images of all the places Nick describes, and the feeling of them. I like the unusual metaphor and it seems to give an intense impression of how what is happening in the story creates how the narrator sees the places he goes to. Perhaps this isn't the best example, but I loved the line, "At 158th Street the cab stopped at one slice in a long white cake of apartment-houses" (28).
ReplyDeleteI was interested in how the novel started with a loose, abstract reflection, then gradually but efficiently narrowed its focus to delve into the minute details of individual scenes. I feel like it gives the reader a really solid starting point; although we don't know Nick very well yet, we know enough about him and the situation to feel comfortable with the book very quickly. I also really love his writing style; I felt like I got a very good sense of the setting and the overall feeling of the scenes; the mood was conveyed really well, and there was also an intense yet almost effortless focus on the individual sentences. I really liked his description of the wind filled room and the women on the couch, and Nick's remark that "Among the broken fragments of the last five minutes at table I remember the candles being lit again, pointlessly..." Even Fitzgerald's description of the living room was interesting ("the crimson room bloomed with light").
ReplyDeleteI was interested to read the part about the dinner party because in situations like those, people's personalities are often revealed. I also liked how the book started off with drama (Tom getting a call from his lover), even though of course it's sad.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I wanted to add that my favorite phrase from this chapter was:
ReplyDelete"The wind had blown off, leaving a loud, bright night, with wings beating in the trees and a persistent organ sound as the full bellows of the earth blew the frogs full of life." This is very descriptive but not too much. There are great sensory details, like sight and sound with unexpected words- organ, bellow...
So far I have enjoyed the elaborate descriptions that Fitzgerald gives of other characters. I find it interesting that he often has Nick compare himself to the other characters. This makes Nick feel inferior, physically and emotionally. I think that this characteristic of Nick will be interesting to follow as the novel moves forward.
ReplyDeleteHenry
The most intriguing part of this chapter for me was the very end when we see Gatsby for the first time. "nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness" (21). This passage is very vague and leaves the reader wondering who Gatsby is and what his role in the story will be.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite phrase from the chapter was Nick's description of his surprise at finding out that Tom had read and thought about a book, on page 20:
ReplyDelete"Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart."
-Catherine Marris
I like this passage for the weirdness of the description:
ReplyDelete"They are not perfect ovals-like the egg in the Columbus story, they are both crushed flat at the contact end-but their physical resemblance must be a source of perpetual confusion to the gulls that fly overhead. To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size." p.5
-Benny
At first, I had a fairly negative reaction to the opening of the novel. Nick's pompous attitude and mindless details about his life bored me. However, as the novel progressed and the plot thickened, I became intrigued with the sheer mysteriousness of Gatsby. Who is this guy? How does he relate to Nick, Tom, Daisy, and the other characters? Why does Fitzgerald conceal his identity and biography to his audience? What role will he play throughout the rest of the novel? I suppose only time will tell...
ReplyDeleteMy favorite passage was this description of Tom's house:
ReplyDelete"The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house. A breeze blew through the room, blew curtains in at one end and out the other like pale flags, twisting them up toward the frosted wedding-cake of the ceiling, and then rippled over the wine colored rug, making a shadow on it as wind does on the sea."
I really like Fitzgerald's word choice because they give a very recognizable image and feel.
ReplyDeleteOne example is when he describes Gatsby as someone who did not have "that flabby impressionability" or "creative temperament." The word "flabby" caught me off hand, but I can almost imagine the cliche of a pathetic, shriveled, and overly sensitive "creative" person.
I like the part at the end of the chapter: "I decided to call to him. Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner, and that would do for an introduction. But I didn't call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone." In this passage as well as several others, Fitzgerald takes us into the mind of Nick, and I think that this will make the book more interesting as we go on reading it.
ReplyDelete-Sydney
I first noticed that there was a lot of body language. This plays into the idea that there is a lot more going on under the surface.
ReplyDeleteI like how well Fitzgerald depicts the initial awkwardness between Nick and Miss Baker. First he writes "If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it--indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in." He then writes later "Again a sort of apology rose to my lips." I really like the Nick's recurring idea of feeling like he should say sorry for doing nothing but be in Miss Baker's presence. To me this really shows the mood and awkwardness in the room.
ReplyDelete-Matthew
Nick's description of Tom seems particularly apt when he says that Tom "would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game." Perhaps this is a twisted portrayal on Nick's part, but Nick seems much more sophisticated and interesting than Tom, the richer man.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the book so far. Myrtle is my favorite character to figure out because she puts up with a lot in her not so secret affair with Tom. I think Nick will become a huge I influence in Daisy's love life to come. I hope that she gets out of her marriage and finds happiness in the over the top Gatsby.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that Nick seems to have a sort of respect for Mr. Gatsby, despite he and his lifestyle being against the principles that Nick describes at the beginning of the book, another example of Nick's contradictions.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the mysterious quality that Nick gives Gatsby at the end of Chapter 1, while we as the readers know that Gatsby represents "everything that he scorns." Nick thinks this way because he assumes Gatsby is simply another opulent, arrogant, successful man in New York. However, with the interesting, ghost-like qualities that are given to Gatsby by Nick, there must be more to Gatsby than meets the eye. Why does Nick swear hes sees Gatsby is "trembling?" -- Rohan
ReplyDeleteThe quietness of this chapter is a stark contrast to the rowdiness in the second chapter. We certainly see two different sides of Tom
ReplyDeleteDan M
After reading chapter 2, I couldn't help but think back to the opening two pages in which Nick claims that he only passes judgment on the rich. That may be believable in the first chapter as he is very cynical of the behavior of Daisy and Tom (who are rich). However, the idea completely falls apart in the second chapter - he is SO judgmental towards Myrtle, Catherine and the McKees, none of whom are by any means rich. So much for being a trustworthy narrator..
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Matt's comment, I like Fitzgerald's style of writing. He gives a lot of detail about the characters, but never directly says anyone's (not even Nick's) feelings. These details set the stage for the tone and emotions that are implied.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how none of the characters who we've met so far seem appealing...Daisy feels very controlling and perhaps obsessive, Tom just seems like a jerk, and Miss Baker seems self-absorbed. Nick seems to be the only average person who we have met so far. Will this change?
ReplyDelete-Elena
My favorite turn of phrase was "Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart."
ReplyDeletethe adjectives he uses in general are creative and catches the reader's attention
Andrew Chan
I like it where he writes, "For a moment the last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face; her voice compelled me forward breathlessly as I listened- then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret, like children leaving a pleasant street at dusk."
ReplyDeleteThe imagery here is vivid but soft, and even though it's a sort of sad moment, I see it as this soft, calm point in the chapter.