Hey guys, welcome to the amazingness that is my blog. In the lesson we most prominently began reading Chapter 4, but also gained quite a large insight into the elusive Gatsby's character.

Starter- Facebook Status Update for Gatsby: Unfortunately, I haven't added Gatsby on Facebook so I couldn't view his status at the time of posting. The process went something like "Send Friend Request->Friend Request Pending->Friend Request Denied"... When asked why I decided that this was the case, I wrote: "I hear" and "I think", the most prominent phrases regarding Gatsby himself- they reveal that he never wants anyone to get close, and that no-one actually knows who he truly is. With a reputation based on rumours, it may ruin his reputation if he starts accepting facebook Friend Requests..

Insight into Nick's Character

We then watched a video with a person that described various facets of Nick’s character (I say person, he’s more of an authority)- a person who, deliberately, RUINED the end of the book. For all those who it didn’t get ruined for, I’m a sore loser- so I must say that GATSBY DIES. Thanks for that DVD Man.. We were asked to identify and note down the three most important things out of the stuff that he said... these are: 1) The most complex and perhaps difficult character to see- due to his self effasive nature.

2) Two conflicting viewpoints are highlighted in his character, these are:

o Nick is the consciousness of the novel, and thus is tolerant but appropriately judgmental. He learns from his experiences, is reliable- and goes through moral growth. In a sense, he is the hero.

o Nick is an obtuse, self righteous narrator that shows no insight into his own motives. He leaves the novel as clueless as he was from the beginning.

3) Nick is an enigma of opinions, no one point of view can be definitely decided can be decided

Insight into Gatsby’s Character Well, we did one of those circles overlapping diagram thingies, but as I don’t have the capabilities to do so here, I’ll stick to the classical method of subheadings. Yay.

Gossip Killed Someone, Related to Kaiser Wilhelm, Went to Oxford, Was a Spy

Gossip/Fact In the Army

Facts Likes Green Lights, Lives on West Egg, Man likes to party, Likes English people (?)

Afterwards, we began reading Chapter 4, and the unrelenting list of guests to the Great Gatsby’s parties that he feels we have to know. From them, a few choice words can be chosen:

Hand Ran Over, Fight, Suicide, Drowned, Nose Shot Off.

These should reveal something pretty obvious about Gatsby: he is surrounded by violence. When we wonder why Nick tells us these things that perhaps he should have kept in confidence the anwser can be found quite easily: He believes that there is safety in the numbers of names he mentioned, he believes that it gives the annomity. But perhaps moreso- he takes some sort of pride in having met these people, perhaps he wants to be disgusted, but just isn’t.

Impressions of Gatsby

These are my impressions of him so far, if you don't agree, then comment with your disagreement. I will still be the one whose right however. The association with those that have the potential to, and some that have, commited criminal acts shines a somewhat negative light on the elusive Gatsby- he loses some of his hard earned annomity to the "foul dust" that trails him, and try as he might to rise above these unfortuneate acquaintances - they will forever tarnish perception of him and add a nasty bias to the deduction of the motivation behind his actions.

Homework

-Discuss characterisation of gatsby Ch1-4

-Discuss characterisation of Wolfstein- mention "selective detail"

-Why might Jordan narrate part of the story?

-Comment on the timeshift -Read Ch.4 & 5 -COMMENT MY BLOG!