Journal 2/23

Describe what happens when Myrtle is killed in chapter 7. How did it happen? Who was to blame? Use textual evidence.

While Tom, Daisy, Jordan, Gatsby and Nick are on their way home from the city, George Wilson’s wife Myrtle escapes from the locked room he planned to keep her in until they leave for the Midwest (an action taken in response to learning that she has been involved in an affair). When she runs out of the automobile shop and into the street, a light-green car traveling speedily down the road impacts her and kills her almost instantly. Mr. Wilson is destroyed by this, and Tom becomes even more angry at Gatsby once he hears that the description of the car that hit Myrtle matches that of his adversary’s. We later find out that it was Daisy who was to blame, not Gatsby: 

Nick: “Was Daisy driving?” 

Gatsby: “Yes,”…”But of course I’ll say I was.”

(page 143)

It was Daisy’s fault; she was nervous and unsettled after the conflict in the city, and thought that driving would calm her down. She was pretty darn wrong. 

Journal 2/16

Contrast Jay Gatsby's story about himself on p. 65 and Jordan Baker's story about Daisy and Gatsby on pp. 74-77.  What is different about these stories, and why do you think that they are different?

Gatsby’s story mentions nothing of Daisy. The description of his time in the military portrays him as someone of value; he accepts a commission to become a lieutenant, quite a high rank in the military pecking order, rather than enlisting and starting at a lower rank as Jordan’s story would lead one to believe. The rest of the stories’ parts can’t really be contrasted with one another at all in the way that this prompt wants them to be. On page 65, Gatsby lists off information about his wealthy family, him going to Oxford and his achievements during the war. From pages 74 to 77, Jordan tells us of Daisy’s meeting with Gatsby and the soldiers, her breakdown before the wedding because of the letter, and her life after that. She then mentions that she had just become aware of Gatsby’s presence a few months ago. They are two completely different stories that have little to do with the each other, besides the same names being thrown around. Jordan’s story provides no evidence contrary to what Gatsby said about Oxford and his wartime accolades- as far as we know, Gatsby could be telling the truth. Besides the slight difference in the two’s descriptions of Gatsby’s entrance into the military, there’s nothing to contradict Gatsby’s story. Jordan just doesn’t give enough information about him.

Journal 2/9

Having learned something about the Lost Generation in class, find a passage in this week's reading that reflects the feelings of many people after WWI. To what extent does this passage represent the worldview of the Lost Generation? Please copy the passage as part of your answer.

I chose this:

"I like to come," Lucille said. "I never care what I do, so I always have a good time. When I was here last I tore my gown on a chair, and he asked me my name and address – inside of a week I got a package from Croirier's with a new evening gown in it."

"Did you keep it?" asked Jordan.

"Sure I did. I was going to wear it tonight, but it was too big in the bust and had to be altered. It was gas blue with lavender beads. Two hundred and sixty-five dollars (Chapt. 3, pg 43).”

This encapsulates the materialistic mindset of the post- WWI young adults, who felt that money would soothe them and make up for what they were missing. Progression and advancement, things of value, were replaced by hedonistic behaviors and the search for wealth. In the passage I included, Lucille carelessly tears her dress. When she receives a new dress, an exact replacement (courtesy of a man she met the night she tore the original), she is more impressed about it being replaced because of its cost than because of the gesture of kindness exercised by the replacer. To me, that really represents the way that the lost generation valued things.

Journal 2/2

The American Dream *was* specific to the United States, mostly because of the principles that our country was founded off of- all men being created equal, each with the right to pursue their goals and prosper from their achievements. Immigrants coming to America had the idea planted in their heads that with enough hard work they could very well end up living a lavish lifestyle and generally do well for themselves. They had a clean slate and could escape from whatever motivated them to leave their former country in the first place, so this was quite the unique opportunity for them. Take, for example, the German immigrants of the 1848 revolution. They escaped the hierarchical society that had been brewing in Europe to find themselves in a place without class privileges or other things to unfairly tip the scales in a certain group of people’s favor. Now, unlike in those times, the American Dream can be completed in any developed country with laws similar to ours- even though examples of its completion are few in number. Instead of discriminatory systems of living, we have the problems of familial wealth and poverty being passed on, along with the two intricate life and career paths that respectively go with those two living conditions. So, no, it’s not specific to the United States- at least not now- but it’s harder to achieve than ever before.