Native Son - (99-156)

I do not understand my reasoning behind this, but I am totally on Bigger’s side. Whether it is sympathy or empathy, or I just want the main character to win, I have this pathological want for Bigger to come out on top. As he goes through all the different ways that he can get out of being caught for the murder of Mary I find myself agreeing and disagreeing with all the different tactics. When the narrator states, “Instead of going to Dalton’s, he could take a street car to a railroad station and leave town” (Wright 113), I think to myself that that would be the safer, but more suspicious option. Then he mentions, “It would be far better to stick it out and see what happened” (Wright 113), I ponder the thought that he could get caught, but he would not be suspected if he kept to his story and did not change it. Lying it a big problem, because it is very hard to stop. The lie will just get more elaborate and Bigger and lose control to the point where there is no going back.

I feel that Bigger needs to not involve Bessie in all of this. He is just causing more trouble for himself and it is unneeded. He really wants Bessie to take a stand with him and I feel that involving her would just slow him down. At first he does not want to tell her, and I think that that is a good idea. He should keep everything very simple, but then he goes on and almost “test” out his story on her and see how believable it is. She takes the bait and after some hesitation, is on his side.

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby – Chapter Nine (171-189)

Chapter Summary:

Two years later, Nick reminisces the days and weeks after Gatsby’s death.  Nick had a hard time piecing together exactly what happens and feels in debt to Gatsby. He cannot find many people to attend the funeral and once again Nick feels like he is falling short of what he owes Gatsby. Nick finally is introduced to Gatsby’s father; Nick is still stunned that Gatsby has family still alive, because his father was never aforementioned. Gatsby’s father is surprised by all of Gatsby’s material wealth when Nick shows him his house. Later, Nick runs into Tom after Gatsby’s funeral and at first, refuses to shake hands with him. He finally complies, and they discuss why Wilson killed Gatsby and Nick concludes that Tom and Daisy are careless people who do not care about anyone but themselves.

Character Choice: 

          I.     Nick Carraway

       II. “Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away ” (Fitzgerald 186).

     III. Nick’s greats attribute is that he reserves judgment on a person before he decides to like them or not. As our narrator he is very honest and he cares about Gatsby and tries to help him.  

    IV.   Nick is our honest narrator; he tells things like he sees them, with no exceptions. The downside to this is the harsh reality of those situations. Nick is Gatsby’s only true friend. Although he is our narrator he is barely involved in the story at all making him a static character.

Quote Selection:

“I couldn’t forgive him or like him but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused” (Fitzgerald 187).

This shows Nicks true and honest character in this novel. He has reserved judgment on most of the characters, and now that he has an informed conscience in regards to Tom and Daisy, he cannot morally be okay with what they have done. He never wanted to like Tom and Daisy, but in the end they gave him no choice but to not like them. They were careless, selfish people which is the exact opposite from Nick.

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby – Chapter Eight (154-170)

Chapter Summary:

            After trying to sleep, but failing Nick decides to go over to Gatsby’s house to find out what happened after he left. Gatsby tells Nick that he waited for Daisy until four o’clock in the morning but nothing interesting enough happened. Nick advises Gatsby that he should get out of town. Gatsby informs Nick about his past with Daisy and how they fell in and out of love. Nick reassures Gatsby that he a good guy, and that he is better then all the others.  Later, Nick decides to end things with Jordan. Despite Michaelis’ efforts to help George Wilson recover form Myrtle’s death, Wilson goes on a crazy rampage and kills Gatsby and himself.

Character Choice: 

          I.     Jordan Baker

       II. “You weren’t so nice to me last night” (Fitzgerald 163).

     III. Jordan is a good athlete. She is self-sufficient and rich all on her own.

    IV.   On the other hand, Jordan is a lie and a cheat. She cheats in order to win and she cheats through her relationships and her love life. Her relationship with Nick is not sentimental in anyway. Jordan also gossips a great deal.

Quote Selection:

“…paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (Fitzgerald169).

This quote identifies Gatsby perfectly. He is perfectly portrayed as spending too much time on one thing. He lived his life on a dream that was not possible. He fell short of his quest and was killed for it.

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby – Chapter Seven (120-153)

Chapter Summary:

            The chapter starts off with Gatsby getting new staff for his house. Daisy comes be more often and he wanted a group a servants whom would not gossip. The next day it is increasingly hot. Nick and Gatsby are invited by Daisy for lunch at the Buchanan residence. They all decide to go into the city, because of the heat. Tom starts to suspect that there is something going on between Daisy and Gatsby after there is confusion with which car to take. They decide rent a hotel room where they want to have some mint juleps but as an alternative Tom and Gatsby get into a heated conversation over their motives. A mess is started when Daisy, driving Gatsby’s car, kills Myrtle Wilson.  

Character Choice: 

          I.     George Wilson

       II. “She’s been talking about it for years… and now she’s going whether she likes it or not. I’m going to get her away” (Fitzgerald 130).

     III. Wilson is completely controlled by his love for Myrtle. When he finds out about her affair with Tom, he decided to finally take action and take her away. He owns a dusty old car garage.

    IV.   Although the novel has not seen Wilson very much, his impact is still noticeable. His wife controls him. On the other hand, she is controlling another man, Tom Buchanan, in their affair.  He is a bit of a weak character and has a hard time standing up to his power wife. Historically, in this time women were becoming more important and Wilson has almost taken the role of a woman in his relationship with Myrtle.

Quote Selection:

“It occurred to me that there was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the poor” (Fitzgerald 131).

This quote indentifies that all men are created equal. In good times and bad, no matter what position one hold, they are always liable for failure. Tom has finally figured out that he might be losing his own game. He has lost Myrtle and he might just lose Daisy as well. 

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby – Chapter Six (103-119)

Chapter Summary:

            The chapter commences with Nick talking about a young reporter coming to Gatsby’s house and asking him some questions about himself. Then it goes on to talk about Gatsby’s true past. His real name is James Gatz and he is from South Dakota. He met a man named Dan Cody and idealized him for the rich life he led. He becomes good friends with Cody, eventually traveling with him on his yacht and after he dies he is promised a good amount of money. Daisy and Tom attend Gatsby’s party and Tom notices that Daisy is spending more and more time at the Gatsby estate and assumes that Gatsby is a bootlegger.  Gatsby continues to relieve things about his past to Nick as he tries to obtain Daisy.

Character Choice: 

          I.     Dan Cody

       II. “The transactions in Montana copper that made him many times a millionaire found him physically robust but on the verge of soft-mindedness, and, suspecting this, an infinite number of women tried to separate him from his money” (Fitzgerald 105).

     III. Cody is like a mentor to Gatsby. He is rich and someone that Gatsby can and does look up to. He portrays the perfect American Dream in Gatsby’s eyes.

    IV.     We first hear of Dan Cody when Gatsby is showing Daisy around his house. In his room there is a very large picture of Cody and a small one beside it where Gatsby stands in a yachting uniform. This is a symbol that Cody was a guide in Gatsby’s early life in forming who he truly wanted to be.

Quote Selection:

“Tom was evidently perturbed at Daisy’s running around alone…” (Fitzgerald 110).

This shows the tension between Daisy and Tom. Tom is cheating on Daisy and now Daisy is officially cheating on Tom. It is all a big mess. 

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby – Chapter Five (86-102)

Chapter Summary:

            After Nick comes home from being on a date with Jordan and finds that Gatsby’s house is completely lit but the only person home is Gatsby himself.  Gatsby asks Nick to join him on a couple of different outings, but Nick refuses them all and they decide to set up a day for Daisy to have tea with them. Two days later Gatsby goes over to Nick’s house, but the weather is not good; it is raining. Gatsby gives off very nervous vibes and is very uneasy about meeting Daisy again. When Daisy arrives, Gatsby disappears, but returns shortly after, even more nervous then before. Nick decides to give them some space to talk and reacquaint themselves. When Nick returns half an hour later, both Daisy and Gatsby are completely comfortable with each other and Gatsby invites them over to see his estate. The house is so great that Daisy starts to cry, and absorbed in love with each other Daisy and Gatsby forget about Nick and so he chooses to leave. 

Character Choice: 

          I.     Daisy Buchanan

       II. “It makes me said because I’ve never seen such—such beautiful shirts before ” (Fitzgerald 98).

     III. Daisy’s pure, innocent beauty is quite evident in this chapter. Her charm and voice are very charming and she has a way of acting that is so quiet and subtle but very strong when directed in the correct way.

    IV.     Daisy had already been introduced to us, but in this chapter we truly see the real Daisy. Although she seems to not be a very dynamic character, we see in this chapter that she can adapt to new people around her. She really connects with Gatsby in a way that was never prevalent with Tom and it truly shows her happiness.

Quote Selection:

“Then I went tout of the room and down the marble steps into the rain, leaving them there together” (Fitzgerald 102).

This is part of the narration that Nick is very lonely because of Daisy and Gatsby and I think he is jealous. He does not have the same relationship with Jordan that Gatsby has with Daisy. He is not experiencing love. 

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby – Chapter Four (65-85)

Chapter Summary:

       In the beginning of the chapter, Nick decides to name and further describe all the people who attend Jay Gatsby’s parties. Then Gatsby takes Nick through the Valley of Ashes and into New York City for lunch. Gatsby starts to talk about his past; telling Nick about his times at Oxford and in World War I. Nick is a little skeptical about Gatsby, because there is something that he will not tell him. When they arrive at the restaurant, Gatsby introduces Nick to Mr. Wolfshiem, and in return Nick introduces Gatsby to Tom Buchanan. Right after the meeting of Tom and Gatsby to leave and Jordan and Nick discuss how Gatsby is in fact in love with Daisy and wants to meet up with her again.  

Character Choice: 

          I.     Mr. Wolfshiem

       II. “—So I took one look at him—… and what do you think I did? ” (Fitzgerald 74).

     III.     Meyer Wolfshiem is a “small flat nosed Jew” (Fitzgerald 73). He is known for his emotional character. He is very frugal and inquires Nick about doing business. He gambles as his business and it is going well.

    IV.     Because Wolfshiem knows Gatsby quite well, he helps the reader get to know him even better. They have known each other for several years and knows Gatsby by far the best out of everyone whom have supposedly known Gatsby thus far.  

Quote Selection:

“You’re very polite but I belong to another generation… You sit here and disvuss your sports and your young ladies and you… as I am fifty years old, and I won’t impose myself on you longer” (Fitzgerald 53).

This quote by Meyer Wolfshiem shows the generation division between the old and new generation. This distinction between the two generations makes it harder for them to connect. 

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby – Chapter Three (43-64)

Chapter Summary:

       The chapter initiates with Nick being invited to one of Gatsby’s elaborate parties. When he arrives he sees Jordan Baker and decides to spend the evening with her. At the party, Nick finally meets Jay Gatsby and seems to really like him. At the end, Jordan and Nick decide to become more than friends.

Character Choice: 

          I.     Jay Gatsby

       II. “I thought you knew, old sport. I’m afraid I’m not a very good host” (Fitzgerald 52).

     III.     Gatsby has a great smile. He is liked my many people, but a lot of gossip is stated about him.

    IV.     Gatsby sees only the best of people, and people really like that about him. He seems to have a mysterious past because not many people know much about him. Every time he is brought up, he is quickly put aside. Even when we meet him in person he has to leave to tend to other matters.

Quote Selection:

“I had expected that Mr. Gatsby would be a florid and corpulent person in his middle years” (Fitzgerald 53).

This quote by our narrator Nick shows that Jay is nothing too special, but he is very important. We do not know what he stands for in the novel, but we know that it is a bog symbol of something different. 

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby - Chapter Two (27-42)

Chapter Summary:

       The second chapter starts off with the narrator, Nick discussing Doctor T.J Ecklburg and the valley of ashes and how they are made. Tom wants Nick to meet his mistress so they drive over to her. The two of them go to Mr. Wilson’s garage. Mr. Wilson is a friend of Tom. Soon after Nick meets Tom’s mistress Mrs. Wilson. After talking with Mr. Wilson for a bit, Nick, Tom, and Mrs. Wilson disembark on a train to go to their apartment. Mr. Wilson thinks that Mrs. Wilson, also known as Myrtle, is going to visit her sister. At the apartment Nick is introduced to Catherine, Myrtles sister, Mr. and Mrs. McKee. They all share two bottles of whiskey and Catherine and Nick start to gossip about Tom The chapter ends with Mrs. Wilson’s nose being broken by Tom.

Character Choice: 

          I.     Myrtle Wilson

       II.     “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy! … I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! (Fitzgerald 41).

     III.     Myrtle was not happy with the life she lived, so she decided to change it and find another lover. 

    IV.     Myrtle is very materialistic. She thinks that she is a fool for marrying Mr. Wilson and wants to get a divorce, but she cannot because Tom tells Myrtle that Daisy is catholic and does not believe in divorce, which Nick later tells us in untrue.

Quote Selection:

“Neither of them can stand the person they’re married to” (Fitzgerald 37).

This quote by Catherine describes the situation between Wilson and Myrtle and Tom and Daisy perfectly. Except for Mr. Wilson, all of the characters make it very evident that they are unhappy in their relationships.  

READING JOURNAL: The Great Gatsby - Chapter One (5-26)

Chapter Summary:

         This story commences with the narrator, Nick Carraway, recollecting a time when his father gave him some advice for life. He talks about how he has just landed in New York and that he is working in a new bond business. He discusses the house next-door to him, where Jay Gatsby lives, and the difference involving the less-stylish West Egg versus the very nice, fashionable East Egg. He decides to go and visit his cousin, Daisy, and her husband Tom Buchanan at their mansion in East Egg. Over dinner Nick meets Jordan Backer, and unwittingly finds out that Daisy and Tom are in a faulty marriage.

Character Choice: 

          I.     Tom Buchanan

       II.     “Civilization’s going to pieces”

     III.     Tom if not afraid to show his opinion on something. He is open, and makes sure that he is heard.

    IV.     Tom is a very arrogant wealthy man, who is supposedly cheating on his wife with a woman from New York. He is a racist and thinks that society is ruined.

Quote Selection:

“This fellow has worked out the whole thing. It’s up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will have control of things” (Fitzgerald 17).

This quote by Tom, made me identify him as not only a racist, but almost like Hitler. He thinks that white people are the dominant race, and that he needs to rid of anyone who is in his way.