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Post by Mr. Thomas on Mar 3, 2014 12:56:10 GMT -5
Into the "valley of ashes..."
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Post by johnmarano on Mar 3, 2014 17:59:18 GMT -5
John Marano
Mr. Thomas
English 11
3 March 2014
C. I was puzzled and shocked by some parts of the reading in Chapter 2. First off, why would Nick go with Tom to meet his mistress? I don’t understand the whole situation considering Nick is basically going against his cousin, close cousin or not. Also, what is so important about this billboard with the doctor on it? Why are the details of his eyes so emphasized? A last question I had for this chapter was why doesn’t Nick say anything to Tom after he breaks Myrtles nose? Why doesn’t anyone say anything?
D. The mistress had said something to Tom that really grabbed my attention. This quote and the action afterwards literally put me in shock. Myrtle was mentioning Tom’s wife’s name and he didn’t like this too much. He told her to stop and she responded with “Daisy, Daisy, Daisy! I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai.” This shows more of Tom’s character because we knew he was abusing his wife and now we learn that he is just abusive as he punches the woman. This really goes to show how much superiority men have over women in this time period. No one would even say anything to the males. They were so dominant and in complete control.
E. I had a strange reaction to the mistresses’ husband. I feel like he knows what’s actually going on and that his wife isn’t going to meet her sister every weekend. I jut feel like he doesn’t want to believe the fact. I was a little annoyed at this scene because I feel like no one will ever stand up to Tom Buchannan. He has to know his wife is up to something yet he plays it off as if he doesn’t care. I think he knows she isn’t so innocent.
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Post by emmanuelluna on Mar 3, 2014 18:17:20 GMT -5
Emmanuel Luna
Mr. Thomas
English 11
3/3/14
E. The land that Nick describes between the Eggs and New York I found to be interesting as well as dark or depressing. He called that space the “valley of ashes” which I thought was an interesting way to describes it because it makes it sound like a very desolate, hopeless space. Given the fact that The Great Gatsby is a modernist it would make sense that there would be writing in the book that comes across as full of despair and hopelessness.
D. Once again I can’t help but continue to hate Tom for not only cheating on Daisy but also for not even trying to hide the fact that he is having an affair. When he takes Nick to New York he insists on him meeting his mistress, Myrtle. She also is cheating on her husband by having this affair with Tom and they really don’t seem to care how open they make the affair. This, in general, makes me really hate both Tom and Myrtle because their respective spouses are seemingly oblivious to this affair despite the fact that they practice it so openly. They are just taking advantage of their spouses while they are out enjoying themselves.
C. Gatsby appears to still be as mysterious as he was in the first chapter, but now we know that he is well known for throwing good parties. We know that Gatsby is very wealthy and that he is seemingly well known although he is still shrouded in mystery. Maybe the green light he was reaching for before and the fact that he throws big parties might be signs of him missing something in his life that he cannot have or cannot reach despite have great wealth.
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Post by 1adams12 on Mar 3, 2014 19:30:21 GMT -5
Michael Adams
Mr. Thomas
3/3/14
A. The quote "we're getting off! he insisted. I want you to meet my girl" (Page 27) reminded me of the fact that many close friends and siblings want people to meet their girlfriend/boyfriend (if your a girl). The reason this reminded me of this was because Nick did not want to meet Tom's girl because he was not sure what Tom's wife would think. Nick kept saying no, but Tom insisted and dragged him to meet his girlfriend. This can happen in real life simply because of the fact that you might not want to meet your bro's or best friend's girlfriend/boyfriend, but they insist that you do.
D. The line "He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive" (Page 30) was quite funny to me simply because even if your mad dumb, how can you not know that your alive? Also the thing that I found was somewhat ironic was the fact that Tom is the dumb one instead simply because he already has a wife and is going out with another girl? What happens if the girlfriend finds out that he is already married? Does she know already? I find this whole situation quite ironic and funny.
C. The one thing that I found weird was the fact that when Mrs. McKee complimented on Mrs. Wilson's dress, why did she say "It's a crazy old thing, she said. I just slip it on sometimes when I don't care what I look like" (Page 35). The thing that I don't understand about this is why does does Mrs. Wilson not say thank you and then move on? I was also shocked when Mrs. Wilson says "I'm going to give you this dress as soon as I'm done with it" (Page 40). Does Mrs. Wilson not have any respect for her guests or friends? With these two quotes, it sure does not seem like she actually cares about how others think about her.
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Post by bourdonm15 on Mar 3, 2014 19:56:51 GMT -5
Matthew Bourdon
Mr. Thomas
English 11
3/3/14
B. It is pretty evident that Tom does not care and will knock you out whether you are a male or a female. We are introduced to the type of character Tom actually is and he is reckless, violent, and definitely care-free if he broke Mrs. Wilson’s nose in front of everyone at the party. “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” shouted Mrs.Wilson. I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai – Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” (Page 37) What makes this quote interesting is how he defends Daisy yet he is cheating on her. He is being contradictory in a way because he is hurting Daisy yet he gets mad if someone else hurts Daisy or bad-mouths her with words. This is a very dysfunctional relationship between Tom, Daisy, and the mistress.
F. I find it kind of funny how Nick judges Mr. McKee earlier when he first meets him, in a reserved way without saying anything, but he leaves with him after the party. “Mr. McKee was a pale, feminine from the flat below.” (Page 30) This shows how much of a hypocrite Nick really is and it also shows how the quote that his father taught him clearly does not apply to him right now.
I. I agree with Emmanuel’s comment on Tom not trying to hide the fact that he is having an affair. He brings Nick someone who is not even close to him into his whole scheme of cheating on Daisy! So far we can tell that Tom is a very dysfunctional person.
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Post by danokeefe15 on Mar 3, 2014 20:34:43 GMT -5
Danny O'Keefe
Mr. Thomas
English 11
3 March 2014
D. Something that stood out to me as I was reading chapter 2 was the fight between Tom and Myrtle. "'Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!' shouted Mrs. Wilson. 'I'll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai –– ' Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand," I found this very interesting because it showed the type of person that tom is it also shows us what Tom and Daisy's relationship really means. I also found it weird how after she got hit it wasn't that big of a deal, it didn't escalate or anything it just focused on Myrtle getting cleaned up. It shows what power these men had over these women and how different things were back in the day
C. What confused me about chapter 2 was why Nick went with Tom. It never told us Nick's reasoning for tagging along and it confused me because he is sort of going against Daisy which is his family. I also don't understand why Tom is so open about cheating on Daisy and how he doesn't care about people finding out. What is also crazy is how Daisy knows, or at least I think she does. Why are they still married if the don't like each other.
E. What I found interesting about the reading was when Catherine tells Nick that the reason why Daisy and Tom wont get a divorce is because Daisy is catholic and it goes against her religion, and then Nick remembers that Daisy isn't catholic and that she is lying. I wonder why Daisy lied about this and I think it will be interesting to the see the real reason behind why Daisy lied about being catholic and why they are really still together since we now know how much Tom actually hates Daisy since he punched Myrtle in the face for saying her name.
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Post by georgebaroudos on Mar 3, 2014 20:38:55 GMT -5
George Baroudos
Mr. Thomas
English 11
3 March 2014
A – Nick is essentially third wheeling. No one ever likes to third wheel. The fact that Tom and Myrtle are odd does not make it easy either. They have an odd relationship because they are both odd people. Third wheeling is never easy and when it involves a weird couple all we can think is how we can escape. Nick tries to get out of it but he cannot. I have been a third wheel many times and honestly sometimes you take it for your friend. This speaks to their relationship. Nick will scratch Tom’s back and maybe Tom will scratch his.
D – “With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change”(30). This quote holds immense truth. Different styles bring out different people for the most part. I’ve noticed that it is difficult for people to remain the same person in all styles they have. It is a negative thing in my opinion. I think as humans we should all be true to ourselves. I do not see a need to change when we wear different clothes. Unfortunately this is a trend within modern society. Even though I may say it a lot, this proves that society is fake in many ways. People have such a hard time accepting who they are because they care more about what people have to say about them.
I – As the book goes on we witness the oddness of society. This weirdness is a theme within modernism in my opinion. I have also noticed the uncomfort of Nick throughout the story. As the story progresses I think that Nick finds himself more of an outcast. This outcast persona is brought about because I think he believes he is better then everyone. I think his comments about his drinking experiences are an attempt to assert dominance over the other characters. I think that his first impulse is to judge and to point out the negative before the positive. When Nick sees Myrtle his first instinct is to bash her. These actions show that Nick wants to make himself superior in his own eyes.
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Post by frankclarke on Mar 3, 2014 20:57:48 GMT -5
Francis Paul Clarke Jr.
Mr. Sean Thomas
English 11
3 March 2014
E. When I read the entirety of chapter 2 I wanted nothing more than for it to end. That had to be the worst chapter ever, in the sense of substance. Every page had an ample amount of adjectives that described absolutely every single miniscule detail, it was so gosh darn annoying. I genuinely got no real substance out of this chapter, I learned nothing about Gatsby, just small details that may be used later in the story. However, we learned that Nick has only been drunk twice in his life, “including that same afternoon”. It’s all very annoying.
A. Although it’s hard to come off of a rant and continue to write about the story, I presume I must. The compliment exchange between Mrs. Mckee and Mrs. Wilson is bizarre as heck. Mrs. Mckee is clearly patronizing Mrs. Wilson and her dress. We also see that the both of them despise their marriages but won’t get a divorce because they are catholic and do not believe in divorce, which Nick presumes to be a load of BS. We again see Nick trying to assert his dominance.
C. We see Nick continuously berate others whilst he himself has really nothing to show for it. He even degrades himself by describing his house the “valley of ashes”. Why does Nick do this? Why does he continue to be skeptical of others while he can’t keep himself in order? Did something happen at Yale that we may later find out!? Maybe he just needs to drink more.
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Post by eointunney on Mar 3, 2014 21:55:37 GMT -5
Eoin Tunney
Mr. Thomas
English 11
March 3, 2014
D. The end of this chapter really confirmed what we all thought Tom was like. In chapter we are told that Tom is very aggressive, but it is not clearly shown. We see clearly that Tom is aggressive when the novel reads, “Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” There was absolutely no need for Tom to do such a thing to Mrs. Wilson. Tom seems like the type of guy who can’t really control himself.
C. I thought it was really weird that Nick went with Tom to meet his mistress. I don’t really understand why Nick would do something like this, especially since Tom is married to his cousin. This whole chapter was a little weird because I didn’t really understand what it was leading to. I didn’t really see a point to what was happening in the story.
E. So far, it seems to be that everyone knows who Gatsby is, but they don’t actually know him personally. Nick meets a woman at Tom’s 2nd house(I think), who actually has been to Gatsby’s house for a party. Gatsby seems to be this very secretive guy, who everyone is trying to figure out. I feel like the parties Gatsby throws are to fill the empty/lonely part of him.
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Post by scanley73 on Mar 3, 2014 23:08:00 GMT -5
C. When are we going to finally meet Gatsby in the book? I mean we saw him for all of two paragraphs in Chapter one but it’s Chapter two now and we still haven’t met him. The book is named after him so I figured we would have seen him more by now at least. Other than that I was confused by the whole thing at the beginning of the Chapter about the eyes. Are they physical giant eyes that look like they’re looking at people? The way they are described it seems that way but that seems kind of ridiculous.
I. In response to Danny, Tom is so open about this because he doesn’t feel that the normal rules apply to him. He has grown up his whole life getting what he wants and he doesn’t see life any different now that he is an adult. He still thinks that he is allowed to do whatever he want s even if it means cheating on his own wife with a friend’s wife. Also, Nick probably goes with him because he doesn’t want to put his friendship on the line either. Daisy is his family but Tom is also his friend and he doesn’t want to ruin it or take sides with anyone.
A. When Nick is describing “Valley of Ashes” it reminds me of a sort of wasteland where nothing can be inhabited. Sort of like from the movie Oblivion where all of Earth has been turned to ashes due to war.
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Post by michaelannunziata on Mar 4, 2014 11:29:54 GMT -5
Michael Annunziata
Mr. Thomas
English 11
3,4,14
A. One thing that I can relate to from this reading from the Great Gatsby is when nick describes the valley of ashes. The Valley of ashes reminds me of the movie Gladiator. There are a couple of scenes that they flash back to over time throughout the movie when they burnt down maximus’ property and all u saw was smoke, ashes and just sadness. This reminds me of the valley of ashes because all you can think about is crushed dreams when thinking about the two of them and that’s how I made the connection between the two.
D. One thing that I absolutely hated throughout this reading was tom, mainly because he cheated on a girl. No person should ever deserve to be cheated on and the way that tom is handleing the situation just makes everything ten times worse. Another point is that no one should ever cheat on another person because it shows that they cant be trusted anymore and I feel that trust is not only the key to a relationship but I believe that it is the key to success as well, including friendship.
C. One thing that I did not understand when reading this part of the book was Gatsby. Just like in the first chapter he is still very mysterious and I’m not sure what to make out of him yet but I am very eager to find out and tempted to read ahead in the book.
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Post by johnrice on Mar 4, 2014 21:17:57 GMT -5
John Rice
English 11
Mr. Thomas
MARCH 3, 2014
Discussion Board.
E. I would love to react to the character of Tom Buchanan. He is a horrible human being. I believe it is part of the culture in this time period. It is a chavaunistic society in which the male (Tom) can theoretically do whatever he wants. At one point Myrtle believes that she can finally have the power and muster up the audacity to get under Tom's skin, so Tom just punches her dead in the face. THis is just terrible. He is totally taking advantage of the females that he interacts with, and it is going to be interesting to see how this trait develops when Gatsby falls in love with Daisy (I didnt not see the movie or read ahead!! I just read the blurb).
F. I really want to address the relationship that Daisy and Tom have. It is not a good, healthy thriving relationship that it for sure. He cheats on her all the time and she does not want to see or admit it. Although there is a level of abuse, Tom still treats and somewhat defends Daisy. It kind of like saying "shes mine, so only I can do things to her" which is not necessarily a good way to approach a relationship, but it shows that there is something there at least on Tom's side of the relationship.
C. We have gone two chapters already, and all we have seen is a litter glimpse and heavy gossip of Gatsby. There are some heavy accusations of German warlord ties. Woah. But we have not seen Jay or who he is. Im pretty confused. Well im not that confused on the rest of the book, just on anything pertaining to the identity of Jay Gatsby. Im sure that will clear up later on. I hope.
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