The Great Gatsby - 10

"He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city,where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night." pg. 181

I think that Gatsby not realizing what his dream was  is reflective upon the American dream being lost. The American dream was what everyone wanted but once people had it, they sought for more and more. People were no longer satisfied with simply America. They desired more wealth and materials. The American dream turned into a shallow monetary competition. People were missing the beauty of American freedom and liberty and were solely driven by success and wealth. People were failing to realize that they had indeed already achieved the American dream. They blew past what they had gained and failed to recognize their progress. Gatsby's death shows that we need to appreciate our successes and not to set them aside, or it will be all for nothing.

The Great Gatsby - 9

"The touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing like a leg of transit, a thin red circle in water." pg. 162

I think that Gatsby's death portrays another aspect of the characterization of the upper class. The wealthy use their money as a shield. They never take responsibility for their actions. They use their money to hide from their consequences. Daisy was the one who ran over Myrtle, but Gatsby paid the consequences. It was as if Gatsby cleaned up Daisy's mess. This is also shown for the upper class as a whole. After Gatsby's lavish parties, full of shallow wealthy socialites, Nick and Gatsby clean up the mess made by the party. These people use their money to keep them out of trouble.

The Great Gatsby - 8

"Lots of people come who haven't been invited." pg. 109

Gatsby has elaborate parties and people just show up uninvited. This further exemplifies the characteristics of the rich. This is a common theme throughout the novel. People think that just  because they have money, they can do whatever they want. I think that through the annoyed tone of this comment, it becomes evident that the author does not approve of the mindset of the upper class and wishes to restore what it used to be. Money should not be a source of power, and it should not influence social standing. People are using their money to create an image for themselves, but each of these images are superficial. They do not reflect quality individuals or sincere people. I think that this is a warning to the upper class, that if things are not altered, dignity and standards will quickly diminish.

The Great Gatsby - 7

"West Egg, especially, still figures in my more fantastic dreams." pg 178

A common motif of this novel is the role geography plays in society. East Egg represents "old money" or the aristocracy. West Egg represents those who are new to wealth and fortune. Those from East Egg feel that  they are superior to the newly rich because their wealth is more established. I think that the valley of ashes represents the moral decline of America. During the 1920's morality and class seemed to lack importance. The society became more provocative and wild. That was also represented by all of the lavish parties that were thrown.These geographical representations helped to express the enormous change happening to American society.

The Great Gatsby - 6

"We were close friends." pg. 169

Nick is not characterized as being judgemental. He knows that he comes from a good background and had many opportunities others were not as lucky to receive.  However, he seems to be ambiguous in how he feels about people. He considers Gatsby to be one of his close friends. He admires his personality and behavior. But, when he discovers how Gatsby accumulated his wealth, he has a new outlook on him. He actually judges Gatsby for what he did to become wealthy. This same thing happens between Nick and Tom. Nick initially is friends with Tom, but when he discovers he accused Gatsby for running over Myrtle, he refuses to forgive him. He once again judges someones actions. I know that being judgemental is human nature, but it just seems hypocritical.

The Great Gatsby - 5

"Were getting off," he insisted. "I want you to meet my girl." pg. 24

Nick's actions in this chapter make me angry. I don't understand why he doesn't discouraging Tom's infidelity. Daisy is Nick's cousin. He should be threatening to tell her or making Tom feel bad about what he is doing. But no, he simply goes along and meets Tom's mistress without and comment. I think that its safe to say that family loyalty may not be the most prominent theme of this novel. Nick's actions characterizes him as being passive in nature. He seems to avoid conflict and does what people tell him to do. He pursues a relationship with Jordan after Daisy and Tom suggest it, he invites Daisy over for tea upon Gatsby's request, and he meets Tom's mistress without any argument.

The Great Gatsby - 4

Gatsby bought that house so that  Daisy would be just across the bay." pg. 79

When I first started reading this novel, I felt bad for Daisy. She was disrespected and cheated on by her husband. But, after hearing how she promised to marry Gatsby then bailed, makes me think that she had it coming. She definitely doesn't deserve to be treated that way by Tom, but it seems to be unfortunate karma. Instead of waiting for Gatsby, whom she loved, she married Tom for his money. She is just as superficial as the rest of the first class society. She settled for Tom who was available and had money, just so she could feel comfortable. In doing that, she now lives a miserable life with an arrogant, cheating jerk.

The Great Gatsby - 3

"Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes." pg. 86

Up to this point, Gatsby has been described as a well put together, confident man. But, now that he is about to see Daisy, the love of his life, for the first time in years, he becomes nervous and clumsy.The simile, "pale as death," emphasizes how significant his nerves are. I don't understand why he is so nervous though. He is a well educated, sophisticated man with many spectacular accomplishments.The fact that he is so nervous though makes me respect him even more. I think that this shows that his feelings for Daisy are sincere. He has proper intentions and desires to be with her. However this is not just a physical, male satisfying desire. He seems to have real feelings for her and really respects her. I don't foresee Gatsby mistreating her like Tom does.

 

The Great Gatsby - 2

"Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all." pg 41

 I think that the quote above portrays the first class in a very superficial manner. People came to a party without even knowing who was hosting it. I think that this whole party scene is meant to satirize the upper class. It is implied that the people are very shallow.  It seems as if these people have nothing better to do than to party and gossip. Its like they have so much money that they don't know what to do with it. As I mentioned in my previous blog, many men allow their surplus of money to be a source of arrogance. All of these people use their money as a mask and refuse to be  sincere because everything is made into a competition.

The Great Gatsby - 1

"Well, you ought to see her. She's--" pg. 10

Throughout the first paragraph, I noticed the recurrence of this type of sentence structure. Whenever Daisy would try to speak, Tom would cut her off. I think that this syntax characterizes Tom a being a jerk. He has no respect for Daisy at all. He cheats on her and belittles her in front of people. This type of cut off sentence also appeared once as Mrs. McKee was talking. She was cut off by her husband as well. I think that this in general represents the lack of respect women received at that time. They were not treated as equals. Men felt that they could simply use women and talk down to them. I think that this was especially prevalent with the first class society. Men that had money felt that they could do whatever they wanted. I think that this portrayal of the upper class is demonstrated throughout the novel.

Frankenstein- 10

"I had formed in my own heart a resolution to pursue my destroyer to death..." pg. 147

I am glad to see that Victor is finally going to stand up to the creature. He has been running away from him helplessly since the day of his creation. I think it's ironic how everything could have been different. If Victor would have just embraced his creation as opposed to fearing it, he would still have all of his family. I think that this novel puts a strong emphasis on the upbringing of children. All children are born innocent, and the events in their life, and people they encounter significantly shape the persona of a person, (or monster in this case). Had Victor taken the time to teach the monster and show companionship, the creature would had remained gentle in nature. But, after learning the emotions of depression and anger, the creature began to envy human relationships. I think that people can learn a great deal from this novel, in the importance of love and relationships, and the ultimately negative effect solitude will inevitably produce.

Frakenstein- 9

"...but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding night." pg. 123

I am beginning to think that the creature is smarter than Victor. I don't understand how Victor still believes the creature is trying to kill him. The quote above implies a sense of dramatic irony, because Victor believes the creature intends on killing him, when all the readers are intelligent enough to know that the creature has no desire to murder Victor. The creatures goal is to make Victor suffer the same despair and solitude that he was forced to endure. Therefore, the creature is going to kill everyone Victor is close to, leaving him helplessly alone. By threatening to see Victor on his wedding night, the creature is alluding to killing Elizabeth. The creature knows how much Victor loves her, so he is going to kill her on the day of their wedding. The creature is smart enough to construe a devious plan in which he seeks poetic justice, but Victor still believes the creature is after him. I think that if the creature really wanted to kill Victor, he would have done it already. He has had multiple opportunities, and I don't understand how Victor has failed to see that.

Frankenstein- 8

"Pardon this gush of sorrow; these ineffectual words are but a slight tribute to the unexampled worth of Henry, but they soothe my heart, overflowing with the anguish which his remembrance creates." pg. 114

The quote above serves multiple purposes. First, it foreshadows the death of Henry. Secondly, it reinforces the personality of Henry through indirect characterization. We are reminded of Henry's good nature, and what his friendship meant to Victor. Victor doesn't bond with many people, so to see him remorse the death of Henry implies how deeply he cared for him. It also serves to remind the reader that Victor is portraying this story to Robert Walton. To me, it seems that each death has a greater effect on Henry. It's as if his guilt is just piling up and he's continually filled with anguish. I could not imagine living with the guilt and remorse Victor must cope with on a daily basis.

Frankestein- 7

"I was wretched, helpless, and alone." pg. 92

A significant theme throughout the novel is solitude. We see through the recent chapters what kind of a negative toll loneliness can have on someone. Because the creature was so lonely, he became depressed. He began to envy the lives of people, because he so desperately sought companionship. The envy inside the creature built up into vengeance. After his final attempt at human contact failed, he sought justice. He killed William thinking he was the son of Victor. He felt satisfied by his actions. I think that this foreshadows many deaths to come. If he felt no remorse over his actions, he won't hesitate to do it again in seeking what he wants. I am surprised at how big of an impact solitude can have, to the extent that it leads to murder.

Frankenstein- 6

"...but when i heard details of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased, and I turned away with disgust and loathing." pg. 84

I find this quote to be very ironic and hypocritical. The creature learns of the cruelty of man and murder from the book, Ruins of Empires. He finds bloodshed and murder to be so grotesque and despicable. I don't understand how he can transform from that line of thinking to the rational of being satisfied with murder. I know that the creature has endured a large amount of hardships, but I don't think one's mind can change that dramatically. I think this is and issue of nature vs nurture. The creature was naturally born innocent, but the circumstances he encountered through life altered his thinking. He claims that the human race made him this way, therefore, his nurturing and upbringing changed his life immensely. I am so surprised by the effect nurturing has on the outcome and personality of the creature.

Frankenstein 5

"Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam." pg. 69

I think that for this blog I am going to rant about how completely absurd the creatures intelligence is. How on earth can the creature make an allusion to the bible if two years ago he was unable to speak? This just makes no sense to me. I don't understand how the creature was able to learn and adapt that quickly. Also, how does he have the ability to reason and use logic like he does? How does he learn the concept of revenge? I don't think he's going to learn that by watching a family through a crack.  I am just really bothered by the intellect the creature so quickly attained. I want further explanation as to how he became so intelligent so quickly.

Frankenstein 4

"I am miserable..." pg. 69

I think that one of the major themes of this book is loneliness. It is shown early on when Robert Walton expresses he has no friends. This is later demonstrated through Victor when he is in the process of creating the creature. Each of them choose to isolate themselves from others. In the process they convey a dark, anguished demeanor. However when it comes to the loneliness of the creature, it is not a choice. Upon it's first days of life, it seeks companionship with it's creator. When it is not returned, the creature flees and adapts to life on its own. Once he discovers what true companionship is, he becomes depressed and angry. I think it was the creature severe loneliness that motivated him to do whatever his dark deed was.

Frankenstein 3

"If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of you remaining friends." pg. 68

Throughout this story, the narrator and point of view change several times. The quote above represents the newest point of view; the creature's. I think that by having the story told from multiple points of view, the readers can more easily sympathize with the characters of Victor and the creature. Hearing a first hand account of personal emotions helps evoke more sympathy. When I first heard the thoughts of the creature, I immediately felt his pain. I find it ironic that when the creature as well as Victor describes his life journey, the mood of each character paralleled the setting and environment. It seems that when it is beautiful and sunny, Victor and the creature are joyful and happy. Then, when it is rainy and gloomy, Victor and the creature are depressed and anguished.

 

Frankenstein 2

"I am only left to conjecture concerning the probabilities by which it might have been placed in my pocket." pg. 56

As far as I have read, there are two suspects for the murder of William. They are the creature and Justine. Justine in the quote above claims that the only explanation to her being in possession of the locket is that someone framed her. If this is true, the creature being the only other suspect, must have framed her. If it is not true, Justine is a very gifted liar and Victor's family is a poor judge of character. If the creature did frame Justine, what was his motive for doing so? Was it to prevent himself from getting caught? But I don't see how this applies because Victor is the only one that knows of the creatures existence, so why would he feel the need to frame Justine? And why Justine? Did they possibly have some sort of encounter?

Frankenstein 1

"...a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature, sat in the sledge, and guided the dogs." pg. 8

My initial thoughts of the creature were that it was huge, scary, and inarticulate. However, the quote above displays foreshadowing of the creatures true nature. The phrase "guided the dogs" implies that the creature has some sense of direction. In order to have a sense of direction, the creature must have some intelligence. I was not expecting this at all. I thought the creature would have no real purpose and went around killing people. Knowing that the creature knows how to think almost makes it more frightening because it could have the powers of manipulation and frame working as well as being huge in stature. Based on the fact that the creature has intelligence, I think that it could possibly have had the ability to frame Justine for the murder of William.