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.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Chapter 5
Funny and touching scenes! What did you like? What didn't you understand? What were your reactions? Is the architecture of the book becoming clear?
I think that as the book progresses, we're seeing more and more of Gatsby's humanity. At the beginning, we only got a mere mention of him in which Nick described him as admirable and extremely unique. As the story line develops, Gatsby is slowly developing into a real character, starting as a rumored enigma, then becoming a real person with a supposed background, and finally a human being with faults and insecurities, which are suddenly bared in his meeting with Daisy. I feel like Gatsby has many layers of personality and guardedness (although I'm not sure he's really conscious of creating these layers or of their existence), and this book is about Nick slowly becoming privy to more and more of his life and character, which perhaps makes it a bit of a love story, if not in the traditional romantic sense.
This is pretty specific, but I loved the passage starting on page 92 (the last paragraph) and continuing on to page 93, about the green light that Gatsby had always looked for to mark Daisy's dock, and her presence. Nick muses that "[Gatsby's] count of enchanted objects had diminished by one", because "it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever". This is a statement that extends past Fitzgerald's narrative, because we so often place sentimental significance in objects. Gatsby had pined for Daisy so long that she became a sort of unattainable goal, an illusory image of her own physicality and personality, and that green light stood for everything she was, and wasn't (his). Then, once he finally saw her again, with her standing next to him, he regarded the light as just what it was: an object that served its purpose and was considered a small, necessary, and often overlooked device. Since she was there, it could no longer stand in for her, and so for Gatsby, it was lost as an "enchanted object", a thing that represented Daisy for him.
I feel like some of the more mysterious aspects of Gatsby's life are all to do with his money - first he says he's inherited it, then he says it comes from business, and he is clearly far too absorbed in Daisy to concentrate on getting his story straight. I'm not sure if it's necessarily anything sinister, but maybe that's why Daisy didn't marry him in the first place. I was very affected by the scene where Daisy starts crying because she's "never seen so many beautiful shirts before." I'm sure that's not true, as she is extremely rich, as is her husband - maybe they are just more beautiful because they belong to Gatsby? The scene was also oddly skipped over by Nick - he recounted what happened, but acted like it was nothing and quickly moved on, like he was embarrassed. I especially loved the descriptions of the little things in this chapter, such as on page 96: "I think that voice held him most, with its fluctuating, feverish warmth, because it couldn't be over-dreamed - that voice was a deathless song." - Catherine Marris
From this chapter, we learn of Gatsby's obscene wealth. His majestic house; his luxurious apparel. We also see how much Gatsby loves Daisy from his reaction to her visit. What surprises me was the part whereby Gatsby had a sudden change in attitude. He was all nervous and shaky around Daisy, but was assertive and dominating on the phone and with the pianist.
I don;t really understand the "colossal significance of the light" that had "diminished forever" - what was going on there? On a different note, we are beginning to see how Gatsby is the true modernist character in the book. He has an amazing amount of material success that he is obviously fairly proud of - he claimed to have worked three years to make the money to buy his house - yet we can forsee that things will end badly between him and Daisy since, according to Nick's commentary, Gatsby's vision of Daisy is way more than anyone could ever possibly be (except her voice.)
I thought that the whole thing with Gatsby's house being on "fire" was really strange and confusing. I don't understand why Fitzgerald choose to describe the house like that. I also realized how unstable and desperate Gatsby is, for he changes his personality and attitude every time we see him. Henry Lucey
I like what Catherine said about Gatsby being so absorbed by Daisy that he can't focus on all of the stories he's made up. It makes me really curious about what his business is, and how he made his fortune. Maybe he didnt used to be rich, so Daisy couldn't marry him, and he made all his money to impress her. Also, I think Nick jumps around so much with his narration because he feels uncomfortable with Gatsby and Daisy. They are having a very emotional and intense reunion, and he feels as if he's intruding.
This chapter definitely made Gatsby more of a real person to me. His awkwardness and shyness show how real he is, and not the omniscient figure he was portrayed as at his parties. But, I really don't like Gatsby. He is clearly using Nick for his own purposes. He tries to buy him out by giving him a job, and taking him places in his fancy car. Then when they are with Daisy he uses Nick until he is no longer necessary and has him leave. I really don't like Gatsby.
The scenes in this chapter seem to be very integral to the course of the story. Prior to this, it seemed to be about Nick's observations of an eccentric and wealthy man who dreams of the past, but now that Gatsby's relationship with Daisy has become actual, the book will likely shift to being more about the romance between the two.
It was funny to see Gatsby, a wealthy social man, to be acting so awkward during his meeting with Daisy. I enjoyed this seen because Daisy and Gatsby's affection for each other seems to be a very important aspect of the novel, and the way it played out was quite unexpected. -- Rohan
With every chapter we learn more about Gatsby and he becomes an increasingly complex and confusing character. Sometimes he acts down to earth, while at other times he gets caught up in his stories and riches. At one point he was nervous to be around Daisy, but later he is completely comfortable around her. Gatsby is very difficult to understand right now and I am interested in seeing what else is revealed about him. I am also curious about the significance of the dock light that has now been mentioned multiple times.
I wonder what will happen with Gatsby and Daisy- I want to learn more about them, their past together, and their interactions. I also want to read more about Nick and Jordan- will their relationship last? I also wanted to point out that even though Gatsby seems like the rich and powerful one, we should notice how dependent he is on Nick about meeting Daisy again.
I thought it was interesting that they decided to go to Gatsby's house. I thought that they would stay at Nick's place. I think that that must stand for something deeper in Gatsby's relationship with Daisy. Why would he feel the need to move to his "territory"?
I agree with what Kasra said about the focus of the book changing. Although Nick was instrumental to the reunion of Daisy and Gatsby, once he leaves and becomes an observer on the edge of the scene, he lets them become comfortable with each other once again and is only there to act as a narrator for the reader. Now that Nick has played his part I think he'll be more of a secondary character and the true drama of the book, concerning the romance between Gatsby and Daisy, will keep going.
I don't completely understand Daisy seemingly falling heads over heels for Gatsby. Does he have any other appeal aside from being fabulously wealthy. He's a loner, liar and all around sketchy guy. I find it hard to believe the story will go the course of having the cliched kind of true love relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. They definitely won't end up together in the end of the story.
I agree with what Olga said about Nick stepping back and Gatsby and Daisy becoming the main focus of the book. I am curious, though, as to how the narration will be because in this chapter Nick seemed a bit uncomfortable around Gatsby and Daisy, and the narration seemed a bit awkward. If this relationship becomes the central story of the book, I wonder if Nick will grow more comfortable among the two.
I love what you all are saying. The book is shifting course, Gatsby is becoming more human, the love between Daisy and Gatsby is somewhat confusing and possibly doomed, there is some awesome writing in there (yes, the part about the light, and yes, the part about the shirts), and we are headed perhaps for disillusion. Although, since this is America, you can never completely shake your illusions, and the dream never really dies... On a different note, I'm curious how much the divisions among the social strata are clear to you all so far. --EC
Like Sydney said, it does seem to be a bit of a stretch that Nick just hangs around awkwardly. I think that this can be covered to a certain extent by Nick's early assertion that people confide in him their secrets, but this far I don't understand. Why does Gatsby want him there? That said, I think this is my favorite chapter so far. Gatsby strikes me as an incredibly romantic figure, far more than Daisy, the object of his affections. It may not be true, but the idea persists to me that everything-- everything-- Gatsby does is for Daisy. I think he's not actually social at all. I think he doesn't think he needs a big house. The parties were just to get her attention. Everything he does, he does for her. Like Tracey, I love the passage on page 93.
I agree with Catherine that it is a little odd that a lot of Gatsby's mysteriousness comes from his money. When Nick asked him what business he worked in to make so much money in just three years, Gatsby stumbled and responded with a sense of nervousness and awkwardness. Yet at the same time, Gatsby seems to be so overly proud of his house and his possessions...it's odd. I'm also getting very frustrated with Gatsby and how he is sort of using Nick, as Matt said. At this point in the book, I'm beginning to feel like something more eventful, and exciting is going to occur soon, now that Daisy and Gatsby have been reunited. Through this point, there hasn't been much "action" in the story. Yet even if the plot turns completely towards Gatsby and Daisy's romance, I am very curious how that will play out, especially with Nick as the narrator.
I agree with Elena...I think something eventful to coming soon. Gatsby and Daisy are not going to have a 'happy ending' right here. I think the secrets that Gatsby keeps are going to come into play soon and maybe cause problems between him and Daisy. Or maybe Daisy knows many of Gatsby's secrets considering they were together a long time ago. Also...I know this is super specific but the rain stopping when Gatsby and Daisy get together? I was really annoyed by that just because it seemed so cliche. I understand the imagery but its a little over the top. Other than that I really enjoyed the chapter. Daisy and Gatsby are really intriguing but at thi point I want to know more about what Gatsby's hiding.
What I found most interesting is that the fluctuating levels of awkwardness in this chapter are directly proportionate to how involved Nick is in what is going on. At the beginning, when Nick must orchestrate the whole thing, everyone is really uncomfortable (including the reader). But after Nick leaves to stand outside for a while (where he just *observes* Gatsby's house), Gatsby and Daisy immediately become less awkward - Daisy starts referring to Gatsby as "Jay". As Gatsby and Daisy start to take center stage, Nick goes back to being the observer increasingly more until there is no awkwardness left and Nick is so uninvolved that he goes home and is forgotten.
Chapter 6: After reading this chapter I realized that Gatsby thinks he do anything with his money. For it seems that he believes that he can re-create the past. Gatsby is becoming more and more real each chapter and we finally discover where he really came from. Now that we know about his early life I'm curious to learn how he made all his money, because he can't live of the 25,000 dollars that he got from Dan Cody. Henry Lucey
Chapter 6: I Am starting to dislike Gatsby. I think it is arrogant of him to think that he can buy daisy's love. That is not a nice way to think and I think he is trying to force the relationship on daisy a little too much. At this point I do not feel bad for Gatsby and in fact I feel the opposite.
I was also was frustrated that Gatsby and Daisy's past wasn't revealed. They both acted a bit strange around eachother and it would have been nice to get a little bit of background on the two. Amina
Chapter 6: I agree with Elijah that Gatsby is becoming a little frustrating to watch. He is so absorbed in winning Daisy back that he has become reckless. We are starting to see a new, unmasked version of him that is a bit naive. But I still prefer Gatsby over Tom, and hope that things work out with him and Daisy in the end.
CHAPTER 6 This chapter seems to be an extension of what someone said about chapter 5; that maybe now that Nick has played his part, he will become more and more of a fringe character and a lens. I do definitely feel that as he becomes more privy to these people's lives, he is losing much of his own definition as a character. I also noticed that on the back cover of the book, it is described as "the story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan". Nick is never actually mentioned in the summary of the book! On a different note, I think this chapter was slightly more abstract or metaphoric than the others, especially in the transition into Nick's story of Gatsby's past, and in the last section about the choice Gatsby made regarding Daisy. I was a little confused with how much of that was literal and what it meant exactly. It was beautifully written, though.
Chapter 6 I, too, am growing frustrated with Gatsby. I feel like since he succeeded early in life, he can succeed in anything, even winning Daisy's love. His real past is just as interesting as his imagined one, although how he got his wealth is still a mystery. I agree with Coco about how abstract the chapter was. I found it more difficult to follow, as it jumped between past and present more frequently.
This chapter made me wonder just what happened between Gatsby and Daisy. We are getting more information about Gatsby, but it is not clear why he did not stay with Daisy. Also, it is curious that Gatsby is alright with being upfront with some things, but he couldn't even bring himself to confront Daisy for years.
Reading what everyone else has said, I am struck by how much Gatsby's character fluctuates, from the almost ethereal and enigmatic overlord of lavish parties, to the abashed and unsteady romantic, to the man determined to use his wealth to turn back time and recreate love, who cannot see the absurdity of his efforts. Even though we know more about him now, there seem to be so many holes in his story, which is also presented in such a strange way that jumps you suddenly much farther forwards in the story, leaving out everything that has happened between Daisy and Gatsby, as well as everything that has been going on in Nick's life. I felt a bit like I was starting the book over halfway through.
I can not understand Gatsby's character. I can not grasp what he wants and desires or what he needs. I feel that Gatsby has a warm heart, and he always seems nice and generous. He seems to entertain people, however sometimes he seems a bit ostentatious with his money. I can not tell his intentions. Some times it feels as if he is showing off, but other times, it feels different. And it's ironic how such a wealthy guy is terrible with ladies. He counts on Nick, not a very rich guy at all, to help him connect with Daisy. It makes me feel that Gatsby is a decent guy when he chases after the same girl for five years.
I'm not really sure what you mean by architecture. However, I am getting a feel for the style of the book and am really enjoying it. There were several beautiful lines in this chapter; one of my favorites is, "A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun itself out in his brain while t he clock ticked on the washstand and the moon soaked with wet light his tangled clothes upon the floor (99)." On a separate note, Tom is quite shocking in his blatant sexism. He can go cavorting with Myrtle all over NC, but Daisy "runs around too much?" I love Gatsby's flamboyant penchant for inventing things - you never know what he will do next! "Tom the polo player" especially amused me.
I agree with what others are saying here about the confusing fluctuation of Gatsby's personality and I'm just as curious about his story with Daisy. We learned in this chapter how Gatsby learned to be rich, but was poor at the time. I assume that he met Daisy while he was poor and the love that was supposedly between them wasn't enough for her. Now that he's rich, Gatsby feels that Daisy is his. A key thing about his personality is that he seems desperate for her to abandon Tom and tell him "I never loved you." To me, this seems cruel of Gatsby, and even more out of touch. I think that because his world revolved around reclaiming his only love, he lost sight of reality and the complexity of others, especially since he surrounds himself with airy, party-animals on the weekly basis.
With every chapter, we learn more and more about Gatsby. I find it interesting how his desire for wealth began. His previous relationship with Daisy began when he was still poor and more humble than he is now. Now, with all his wealth and luxury, he feels he should buy Daisy's love. This makes their new relationship destined for failure. I am interested to see whether or not we will find out about why Daisy and Gatsby split years ago.
CHAPTER 6 This chapter is really interesting because it shows what Gatsby really think of his relationship with Daisy. We can see from the last few pages of chapter 6 that Gatsby is holding on to this wisp of the past, and he plans to kind of replay their relationship to what both of them shared 5 years ago. I find Tom Buchanan very obnoxious in this chapter because he is so oppressive and is holding a tight grip on Daisy and limiting her freedom by shadowing her to parties, while he is being a disgusting cheating pathetic husband. I mean seriously, so he can cheat but Daisy can't? Am I missing something from his warped and broken mind? If he is going to cheat on her, the least he could do is to leave her to her own devices, and not act like a possessive husband. I also found Gatsby really sweet and naive in his mindset. I think its kind of nice that his relationship with Daisy is one of true love. (To all those people who think Gatsby is trying to "buy Daisy's love", I think he is just really trying to prove himself worthy of her love) That's why I love Gatsby's and Daisy's nice old love story :D
I thought it was a very interesting side of Gatsby. All my questions from chapter one about Gatsby have been answered. Though much of his past remains shrouded in uncertainty we now have a much fuller picture of Gatsby and how he operates. One line stuck with me, it was nick remarking on how Gatsbys evaluation of everything in his home seemed to change based upon Daisys reaction. This line embodies much of Gatsby and his feelings towards Daisy
Why is that we have little insight of Daisy's verbal feelings towards Gatsby. Also it's very interesting how Nick seems to not care about Gatsby's motives towards Daisy since she is married. Maybe he knows that she won't feel the same way as Gatsby does since she isnt living a dream in the past.
I also didn't understand how Nick did feel any guilt in encouraging Gatsby. He does know that Tom is having an affair, but he is also in Tom's confidence, and it feels like he is stabbing Tom in the back, since it isn't like he knows Gatsby any better. By directly helping Gatsby Nick expresses his distaste for Tom, and i find it cowardly that he doesn't say this to Tom outright, instead he conspires against him.
I thought the awkwardness of this Chapter was very amusing and shows us a different Gastby character. Instead of the party rich and leisure Gatsby we know we see Gatsby in more of a teenage boy asking a girl to a prom, vert amusing.
I think that as the book progresses, we're seeing more and more of Gatsby's humanity. At the beginning, we only got a mere mention of him in which Nick described him as admirable and extremely unique. As the story line develops, Gatsby is slowly developing into a real character, starting as a rumored enigma, then becoming a real person with a supposed background, and finally a human being with faults and insecurities, which are suddenly bared in his meeting with Daisy. I feel like Gatsby has many layers of personality and guardedness (although I'm not sure he's really conscious of creating these layers or of their existence), and this book is about Nick slowly becoming privy to more and more of his life and character, which perhaps makes it a bit of a love story, if not in the traditional romantic sense.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty specific, but I loved the passage starting on page 92 (the last paragraph) and continuing on to page 93, about the green light that Gatsby had always looked for to mark Daisy's dock, and her presence. Nick muses that "[Gatsby's] count of enchanted objects had diminished by one", because "it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever". This is a statement that extends past Fitzgerald's narrative, because we so often place sentimental significance in objects. Gatsby had pined for Daisy so long that she became a sort of unattainable goal, an illusory image of her own physicality and personality, and that green light stood for everything she was, and wasn't (his). Then, once he finally saw her again, with her standing next to him, he regarded the light as just what it was: an object that served its purpose and was considered a small, necessary, and often overlooked device. Since she was there, it could no longer stand in for her, and so for Gatsby, it was lost as an "enchanted object", a thing that represented Daisy for him.
ReplyDeleteI feel like some of the more mysterious aspects of Gatsby's life are all to do with his money - first he says he's inherited it, then he says it comes from business, and he is clearly far too absorbed in Daisy to concentrate on getting his story straight. I'm not sure if it's necessarily anything sinister, but maybe that's why Daisy didn't marry him in the first place. I was very affected by the scene where Daisy starts crying because she's "never seen so many beautiful shirts before." I'm sure that's not true, as she is extremely rich, as is her husband - maybe they are just more beautiful because they belong to Gatsby? The scene was also oddly skipped over by Nick - he recounted what happened, but acted like it was nothing and quickly moved on, like he was embarrassed. I especially loved the descriptions of the little things in this chapter, such as on page 96: "I think that voice held him most, with its fluctuating, feverish warmth, because it couldn't be over-dreamed - that voice was a deathless song."
ReplyDelete- Catherine Marris
From this chapter, we learn of Gatsby's obscene wealth. His majestic house; his luxurious apparel. We also see how much Gatsby loves Daisy from his reaction to her visit. What surprises me was the part whereby Gatsby had a sudden change in attitude. He was all nervous and shaky around Daisy, but was assertive and dominating on the phone and with the pianist.
ReplyDeleteI don;t really understand the "colossal significance of the light" that had "diminished forever" - what was going on there? On a different note, we are beginning to see how Gatsby is the true modernist character in the book. He has an amazing amount of material success that he is obviously fairly proud of - he claimed to have worked three years to make the money to buy his house - yet we can forsee that things will end badly between him and Daisy since, according to Nick's commentary, Gatsby's vision of Daisy is way more than anyone could ever possibly be (except her voice.)
ReplyDeleteI find this scene oddly depressing, but more of somewhat pathetic of Gatsby's part. Poor desperate guy... Anyway that is all I can bring to the table.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the whole thing with Gatsby's house being on "fire" was really strange and confusing. I don't understand why Fitzgerald choose to describe the house like that. I also realized how unstable and desperate Gatsby is, for he changes his personality and attitude every time we see him.
ReplyDeleteHenry Lucey
I like what Catherine said about Gatsby being so absorbed by Daisy that he can't focus on all of the stories he's made up. It makes me really curious about what his business is, and how he made his fortune. Maybe he didnt used to be rich, so Daisy couldn't marry him, and he made all his money to impress her.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think Nick jumps around so much with his narration because he feels uncomfortable with Gatsby and Daisy. They are having a very emotional and intense reunion, and he feels as if he's intruding.
This chapter definitely made Gatsby more of a real person to me. His awkwardness and shyness show how real he is, and not the omniscient figure he was portrayed as at his parties. But, I really don't like Gatsby. He is clearly using Nick for his own purposes. He tries to buy him out by giving him a job, and taking him places in his fancy car. Then when they are with Daisy he uses Nick until he is no longer necessary and has him leave. I really don't like Gatsby.
ReplyDeleteThe scenes in this chapter seem to be very integral to the course of the story. Prior to this, it seemed to be about Nick's observations of an eccentric and wealthy man who dreams of the past, but now that Gatsby's relationship with Daisy has become actual, the book will likely shift to being more about the romance between the two.
ReplyDeleteIt was funny to see Gatsby, a wealthy social man, to be acting so awkward during his meeting with Daisy. I enjoyed this seen because Daisy and Gatsby's affection for each other seems to be a very important aspect of the novel, and the way it played out was quite unexpected. -- Rohan
ReplyDeleteWith every chapter we learn more about Gatsby and he becomes an increasingly complex and confusing character. Sometimes he acts down to earth, while at other times he gets caught up in his stories and riches. At one point he was nervous to be around Daisy, but later he is completely comfortable around her. Gatsby is very difficult to understand right now and I am interested in seeing what else is revealed about him. I am also curious about the significance of the dock light that has now been mentioned multiple times.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what will happen with Gatsby and Daisy- I want to learn more about them, their past together, and their interactions. I also want to read more about Nick and Jordan- will their relationship last?
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to point out that even though Gatsby seems like the rich and powerful one, we should notice how dependent he is on Nick about meeting Daisy again.
I thought it was interesting that they decided to go to Gatsby's house. I thought that they would stay at Nick's place. I think that that must stand for something deeper in Gatsby's relationship with Daisy. Why would he feel the need to move to his "territory"?
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Kasra said about the focus of the book changing. Although Nick was instrumental to the reunion of Daisy and Gatsby, once he leaves and becomes an observer on the edge of the scene, he lets them become comfortable with each other once again and is only there to act as a narrator for the reader. Now that Nick has played his part I think he'll be more of a secondary character and the true drama of the book, concerning the romance between Gatsby and Daisy, will keep going.
ReplyDeleteI don't completely understand Daisy seemingly falling heads over heels for Gatsby. Does he have any other appeal aside from being fabulously wealthy. He's a loner, liar and all around sketchy guy. I find it hard to believe the story will go the course of having the cliched kind of true love relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. They definitely won't end up together in the end of the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Olga said about Nick stepping back and Gatsby and Daisy becoming the main focus of the book. I am curious, though, as to how the narration will be because in this chapter Nick seemed a bit uncomfortable around Gatsby and Daisy, and the narration seemed a bit awkward. If this relationship becomes the central story of the book, I wonder if Nick will grow more comfortable among the two.
ReplyDeleteI love what you all are saying. The book is shifting course, Gatsby is becoming more human, the love between Daisy and Gatsby is somewhat confusing and possibly doomed, there is some awesome writing in there (yes, the part about the light, and yes, the part about the shirts), and we are headed perhaps for disillusion. Although, since this is America, you can never completely shake your illusions, and the dream never really dies... On a different note, I'm curious how much the divisions among the social strata are clear to you all so far. --EC
ReplyDeleteLike Sydney said, it does seem to be a bit of a stretch that Nick just hangs around awkwardly. I think that this can be covered to a certain extent by Nick's early assertion that people confide in him their secrets, but this far I don't understand. Why does Gatsby want him there?
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think this is my favorite chapter so far. Gatsby strikes me as an incredibly romantic figure, far more than Daisy, the object of his affections. It may not be true, but the idea persists to me that everything-- everything-- Gatsby does is for Daisy. I think he's not actually social at all. I think he doesn't think he needs a big house. The parties were just to get her attention. Everything he does, he does for her. Like Tracey, I love the passage on page 93.
I agree with Catherine that it is a little odd that a lot of Gatsby's mysteriousness comes from his money. When Nick asked him what business he worked in to make so much money in just three years, Gatsby stumbled and responded with a sense of nervousness and awkwardness. Yet at the same time, Gatsby seems to be so overly proud of his house and his possessions...it's odd. I'm also getting very frustrated with Gatsby and how he is sort of using Nick, as Matt said. At this point in the book, I'm beginning to feel like something more eventful, and exciting is going to occur soon, now that Daisy and Gatsby have been reunited. Through this point, there hasn't been much "action" in the story. Yet even if the plot turns completely towards Gatsby and Daisy's romance, I am very curious how that will play out, especially with Nick as the narrator.
ReplyDelete-Elena Ridker
I agree with Elena...I think something eventful to coming soon. Gatsby and Daisy are not going to have a 'happy ending' right here. I think the secrets that Gatsby keeps are going to come into play soon and maybe cause problems between him and Daisy. Or maybe Daisy knows many of Gatsby's secrets considering they were together a long time ago. Also...I know this is super specific but the rain stopping when Gatsby and Daisy get together? I was really annoyed by that just because it seemed so cliche. I understand the imagery but its a little over the top. Other than that I really enjoyed the chapter. Daisy and Gatsby are really intriguing but at thi point I want to know more about what Gatsby's hiding.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if we could get more detail of Daisy and Gatsby's past and how it all happened
ReplyDeleteIt was also strange to see Gatsby acting so jitty during the time they talked
Andrew
What I found most interesting is that the fluctuating levels of awkwardness in this chapter are directly proportionate to how involved Nick is in what is going on. At the beginning, when Nick must orchestrate the whole thing, everyone is really uncomfortable (including the reader). But after Nick leaves to stand outside for a while (where he just *observes* Gatsby's house), Gatsby and Daisy immediately become less awkward - Daisy starts referring to Gatsby as "Jay". As Gatsby and Daisy start to take center stage, Nick goes back to being the observer increasingly more until there is no awkwardness left and Nick is so uninvolved that he goes home and is forgotten.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this chapter I realized that Gatsby thinks he do anything with his money. For it seems that he believes that he can re-create the past. Gatsby is becoming more and more real each chapter and we finally discover where he really came from. Now that we know about his early life I'm curious to learn how he made all his money, because he can't live of the 25,000 dollars that he got from Dan Cody.
Henry Lucey
Chapter 6:
ReplyDeleteI Am starting to dislike Gatsby. I think it is arrogant of him to think that he can buy daisy's love. That is not a nice way to think and I think he is trying to force the relationship on daisy a little too much. At this point I do not feel bad for Gatsby and in fact I feel the opposite.
I was also was frustrated that Gatsby and Daisy's past wasn't revealed. They both acted a bit strange around eachother and it would have been nice to get a little bit of background on the two. Amina
ReplyDeleteChapter 6:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elijah that Gatsby is becoming a little frustrating to watch. He is so absorbed in winning Daisy back that he has become reckless. We are starting to see a new, unmasked version of him that is a bit naive. But I still prefer Gatsby over Tom, and hope that things work out with him and Daisy in the end.
CHAPTER 6
ReplyDeleteThis chapter seems to be an extension of what someone said about chapter 5; that maybe now that Nick has played his part, he will become more and more of a fringe character and a lens. I do definitely feel that as he becomes more privy to these people's lives, he is losing much of his own definition as a character. I also noticed that on the back cover of the book, it is described as "the story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan". Nick is never actually mentioned in the summary of the book!
On a different note, I think this chapter was slightly more abstract or metaphoric than the others, especially in the transition into Nick's story of Gatsby's past, and in the last section about the choice Gatsby made regarding Daisy. I was a little confused with how much of that was literal and what it meant exactly. It was beautifully written, though.
Chapter 6
ReplyDeleteI, too, am growing frustrated with Gatsby. I feel like since he succeeded early in life, he can succeed in anything, even winning Daisy's love. His real past is just as interesting as his imagined one, although how he got his wealth is still a mystery.
I agree with Coco about how abstract the chapter was. I found it more difficult to follow, as it jumped between past and present more frequently.
This chapter made me wonder just what happened between Gatsby and Daisy. We are getting more information about Gatsby, but it is not clear why he did not stay with Daisy. Also, it is curious that Gatsby is alright with being upfront with some things, but he couldn't even bring himself to confront Daisy for years.
ReplyDeleteReading what everyone else has said, I am struck by how much Gatsby's character fluctuates, from the almost ethereal and enigmatic overlord of lavish parties, to the abashed and unsteady romantic, to the man determined to use his wealth to turn back time and recreate love, who cannot see the absurdity of his efforts. Even though we know more about him now, there seem to be so many holes in his story, which is also presented in such a strange way that jumps you suddenly much farther forwards in the story, leaving out everything that has happened between Daisy and Gatsby, as well as everything that has been going on in Nick's life. I felt a bit like I was starting the book over halfway through.
ReplyDeleteI can not understand Gatsby's character. I can not grasp what he wants and desires or what he needs. I feel that Gatsby has a warm heart, and he always seems nice and generous. He seems to entertain people, however sometimes he seems a bit ostentatious with his money. I can not tell his intentions. Some times it feels as if he is showing off, but other times, it feels different. And it's ironic how such a wealthy guy is terrible with ladies. He counts on Nick, not a very rich guy at all, to help him connect with Daisy. It makes me feel that Gatsby is a decent guy when he chases after the same girl for five years.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure what you mean by architecture. However, I am getting a feel for the style of the book and am really enjoying it. There were several beautiful lines in this chapter; one of my favorites is, "A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun itself out in his brain while t he clock ticked on the washstand and the moon soaked with wet light his tangled clothes upon the floor (99)."
ReplyDeleteOn a separate note, Tom is quite shocking in his blatant sexism. He can go cavorting with Myrtle all over NC, but Daisy "runs around too much?"
I love Gatsby's flamboyant penchant for inventing things - you never know what he will do next! "Tom the polo player" especially amused me.
I agree with what others are saying here about the confusing fluctuation of Gatsby's personality and I'm just as curious about his story with Daisy. We learned in this chapter how Gatsby learned to be rich, but was poor at the time. I assume that he met Daisy while he was poor and the love that was supposedly between them wasn't enough for her. Now that he's rich, Gatsby feels that Daisy is his. A key thing about his personality is that he seems desperate for her to abandon Tom and tell him "I never loved you." To me, this seems cruel of Gatsby, and even more out of touch. I think that because his world revolved around reclaiming his only love, he lost sight of reality and the complexity of others, especially since he surrounds himself with airy, party-animals on the weekly basis.
ReplyDeleteWith every chapter, we learn more and more about Gatsby. I find it interesting how his desire for wealth began. His previous relationship with Daisy began when he was still poor and more humble than he is now. Now, with all his wealth and luxury, he feels he should buy Daisy's love. This makes their new relationship destined for failure. I am interested to see whether or not we will find out about why Daisy and Gatsby split years ago.
ReplyDeleteCHAPTER 6
ReplyDeleteThis chapter is really interesting because it shows what Gatsby really think of his relationship with Daisy. We can see from the last few pages of chapter 6 that Gatsby is holding on to this wisp of the past, and he plans to kind of replay their relationship to what both of them shared 5 years ago. I find Tom Buchanan very obnoxious in this chapter because he is so oppressive and is holding a tight grip on Daisy and limiting her freedom by shadowing her to parties, while he is being a disgusting cheating pathetic husband. I mean seriously, so he can cheat but Daisy can't? Am I missing something from his warped and broken mind? If he is going to cheat on her, the least he could do is to leave her to her own devices, and not act like a possessive husband. I also found Gatsby really sweet and naive in his mindset. I think its kind of nice that his relationship with Daisy is one of true love. (To all those people who think Gatsby is trying to "buy Daisy's love", I think he is just really trying to prove himself worthy of her love) That's why I love Gatsby's and Daisy's nice old love story :D
I thought it was a very interesting side of Gatsby. All my questions from chapter one about Gatsby have been answered. Though much of his past remains shrouded in uncertainty we now have a much fuller picture of Gatsby and how he operates. One line stuck with me, it was nick remarking on how Gatsbys evaluation of everything in his home seemed to change based upon Daisys reaction. This line embodies much of Gatsby and his feelings towards Daisy
ReplyDeletethat was for CH 5
ReplyDeleteWhy is that we have little insight of Daisy's verbal feelings towards Gatsby. Also it's very interesting how Nick seems to not care about Gatsby's motives towards Daisy since she is married. Maybe he knows that she won't feel the same way as Gatsby does since she isnt living a dream in the past.
ReplyDeleteAnd redsoxrule is dan m
ReplyDeleteI also didn't understand how Nick did feel any guilt in encouraging Gatsby. He does know that Tom is having an affair, but he is also in Tom's confidence, and it feels like he is stabbing Tom in the back, since it isn't like he knows Gatsby any better. By directly helping Gatsby Nick expresses his distaste for Tom, and i find it cowardly that he doesn't say this to Tom outright, instead he conspires against him.
ReplyDelete-Benny
I thought the awkwardness of this Chapter was very amusing and shows us a different Gastby character. Instead of the party rich and leisure Gatsby we know we see Gatsby in more of a teenage boy asking a girl to a prom, vert amusing.
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