Monday, April 30, 2012

The Great Gatsby - The End!

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."  (pg. 182)

I felt like this quote was important for some reason (and not just because it is the last sentence of the book).  I think it's saying that our lives really can never escape the past.  The past is what defines us, and we will keep drifting back without moving forward.  Nick is telling the reader his story and how his past has affected him.  Each part of this story has impacted him in some significant way.  Otherwise, he would not have told the reader any of it.  Overall, I was not a big fan of the book.  Some parts confused me; other parts were boring.  It was a fairly easy read though and there was some action at least going on in some parts of the book.

P.S. I hope this is my last blog ever.

The Great Gatsby - True Love or Just a Typical Triangle?

"He looked... as if he had 'killed a man.'  For a moment the set of his face could be described in just that fantastic way.... Her frightened eyes told that whatever intentions, whatever courage she had had, were definitely gone."  (pg. 135)

Throughout this book, Daisy and Gatsby have had a little somethin' somethin' going on.  This is weird because they were planning to get married after Gatsby got back from the war, but Daisy married Tom instead.  In Chapter 7, Daisy and Gatsby start to get a little more obvious with showing affection towards each other.  Tom, being Daisy's wife, wants to end this right away.  What I don't understand is why he would let them ride in the car together when they all took their trip.  Was it a test to see if they would do anything?  Anyways, Tom and Gatsby get into an argument and Daisy falls for Tom again.  Who does Daisy really love?  Sounds like a typical love triangle to me.

The Great Gatsby - Theme of Death

"It was after we started with Gatsby toward the house that the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete."  (pg. 163)

Chapter 8 is the second chapter in a row that has involved death.  First, Myrtle was killed by being ran over by Daisy and Tom.  Now, in this chapter, Wilson goes to Gatsby's house and shoots him before he even knows what is happening.  I believe that these deaths are absurd.  Why would someone drive a car into Myrtle?  Also, why would Wilson want revenge so bad?

I want to know why it even crosses the minds of people in today's world to do such a thing.  It is completely unacceptable to walk around and shoot people, but all the time you can turn on the news and some sort of shooting is being talked about.  Society really needs a reality check but I don't believe that it is going to change anytime soon.  All we can do is try to be the better people and show others how to act.

The Great Gatsby - Dramatic Irony

"'Then he killed her,' said Wilson.  His mouth dropped open suddenly.  'Who did?' 'I have a way of finding out.'" (pg. 159)

I believe at this point in the book, Wilson associates the murderer and the person having an affair with his wife to be the same person.  The reader knows that it is not who Wilson thinks it is.  In fact, it is actually Daisy who drove the car and not Gatsby.  Wilson never finds out the truth though, and things end up bad for Gatsby.  Wilson finds Gatsby and shoots and kills him as soon as he sees him.  His whole goal was to get revenge on who he thought killed his wife.  Unfortunately, Wilson was not correct in his assumptions, and Gatsby had to pay the price.  Although I can somewhat see where Wilson was coming from, I believe that he had the wrong reasons for just going out and killing Gatsby.  He should have had some evidence to fully accuse Gatsby of murdering Myrtle before going out and killing him.

The Great Gatsby - Flashback

"Now I want to go back a little and tell what happened at the garage after we left there the night before." (pg. 156)

As you can tell by the clever title of my blog, I noticed a flashback toward the end of Chapter 8.  For this excerpt of the book, Nick is talking directly to the reader.  He says that he is going to go back and tell the reader exactly what happened after Myrtle was killed.  Nick explains that Michaelis told him that Wilson confronted Myrtle about her lover.  Wilson is convinced that whoever was driving the car was seeking revenge and must have been her lover.  I thought this was a strange theory for Wilson to come up with.  If someone killed my wife, I would not think of it to be her partner whom she is cheating on me with.  Everyone has their own way of thinking, I guess.

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Great Gatsby - The Book So Far...

"It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."  (pg. 48)

When I was reading, this particular quote stuck out to me for some reason so I decided to put it in my blog.

First off, I dislike that the novel has long chapters.  I would prefer a book with many short chapters opposed to a book with few lengthy chapters.  I use chapters as stopping places, but it's hard to do that with a book with long chapters.  I also dislike how much introduction there was to start the novel.  It didn't keep my attention, and it was hard for me to get into the book.

On to a more positive note, I think that the plot is somewhat enjoyable so far.  I also like how the author decided to have one of the characters be the narrator.  I believe that it makes the story more personal.  Lastly, I like how easy to read it is.

The Great Gatsby - Romance

"They were sitting at either end of the couch, looking at each other as if some question had been asked, or was in the air, and every vestige of embarrassment was gone." (pg. 90)

Well, I saw it coming.  Romance is introduced with the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby.  They are reintroduced to each other after close to five years, and although it was awkward at first, everything seems to be going great now.  They were in a relationship before Gatsby went off to war, but Daisy married before he came back.  I don't understand why Daisy would do this if they were truly in love.  Maybe she was lonely.  I think that this relationship will be a major part of the plot.  I haven't read past chapter five, but I have a feeling that the rest of the book might be focused on Daisy and Gatsby's relationship.

The Great Gatsby - Setting

"There was music from my neighbor's house throughout the summer nights.  In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars."  (pg. 39)

Setting and location play a huge role in this book.  Nick is next door to Jay Gatsby, the character whose name is in the title.  By being Gatsby's neighbor, Nick is allowed the opportunity to become his friend as he starts going to the parties at his house.  If they were not next door neighbors, they may have never met, and there would be no story.  Also, the novel's background contributes to the theme.  The novel was written in 1925 in the U.S.  This would have been the time of prohibition and somewhat a time of peace.  I'm not sure whether this had any impact on the book whatsoever, but we will see.

The Great Gatsby - Characterization

"The sister, Catherine, was a slender, worldly girl of about thirty, with a solid, sticky bob of red hair, and a complexion powdered milky white." (pg. 30)

This quote is an example of direct characterization.  The author designed the characterization of this character, as well as several others in chapter two, to be directly told to the reader.  Direct characterization d the reader from making assumptions because the author plainly tells the reader what the character is like.  Personally, I like direct characterization more than indirect characterization because the reader knows it is a fact rather than playing off of other characters' thoughts.  Specifically in this quote, Catherine's looks are described.  I imagine her being a skinny ginger around the age of thirty.  I wish some of her personal qualities were described though.  In this chapter, Mr. McKee and Myrtle Wilson were also described with direct characterization.

The Great Gatsby - Point of View

"I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby's house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited."  (pg. 41)

From this quote, the reader can definitely tell that the point of view is first person.  The narrator and main character is called Nick.  In this novel, it seems as though he is telling a story.  I don't know who he is telling it to or the reason for telling this story, but maybe it will be revealed later.  I think this point of view is used as a way for the reader to get an understanding of characters and what Nick thinks of them.  I also think that this point of view puts a more personal feel on the book and allows the audience to relate to Nick.  The title of the book also stuck out as strange to me.  The character of Gatsby is not even mentioned until chapter three.  Nick is the character who lives right next to Gatsby and initially knows nothing about him.  They are starting to become better neighbors and friends so maybe the book is called what it is to show how Gatsby is a role model for Nick.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Frankenstein - Overall Thoughts

"All that I should express would be inadequate and feeble.  My tears flow; my mind is overshadowed by a cloud of disappointment."  (pg. 162)

Overall, I thought the book was decent.  I liked the book, especially towards the end, kept me interested.  I definitely thought that Victor was going to kill Frankenstein, and the book would end.  Obviously, Victor dies before he could kill him, but the creature is actually disappointed and depressed.  One aspect of the book that I grew to not like was the frame stories.  I thought I enjoyed them, but as the story went on, I just got confused.  If it was only told from one point of view, then much information would be missing.  If it were narrated by Victor, the important scene after his death would be missing.  A narrator could have been used, but it would have taken away from the meaning because no character's input would be there.

Frankenstein - Creature Returns!

"What does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me?  I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst."  (pg. 163)

Now is when the monster chooses to feel bad.  After his creator finally dies, the creature wants forgiveness.  He starts to feel bad because he thinks that he cause Victor's death by killing all of his loved ones.  Like I said in the last blog, the creature had an impulse of which he could not disobey.  He didn't want to kill Elizabeth or William, but the evilness caused him to do so.  The creature begs for forgiveness, but Victor is unable to reply because he is dead.  Walton blames the monster for Victor's death and told him that if they would have made up sooner, Victor would not be dead.  Since the creature no longer has to run from Frankenstein, he decides that he will go to the North Pole and burn himself.  He no longer will have to suffer agony and will be relieved from his misery.

Frankenstein - Creature's Explanation

"I was the slave, not the master, of an impulse, which I detested, yet could not disobey." (pg. 164)

At this point, the creature is being questioned as to why he did such horrible things.  The creature basically says that it's his nature.  It's not his fault that the devil or some evil force was persuading him to act a certain way.  He felt as though he had no other choice than evil.  This is similar to the temptations that humans face everyday.  They can either choose to do good and what pleases God or do bad things and follow the devil.  He also said that he really just wanted sympathy.  The monster was never given sympathy except when he was explaining himself to others.

Frankenstein - Blame

"The task of destruction was mine, but I have failed."  (pg. 162)

Who deserves the blame for all that has happened?  The answer to whether Victor blames himself is complicated.  He knows he's responsible for the creation, which leads him to chasing it.  Frankenstein knew that he failed the creature in many ways but especially when he was first created.  He left the creature to care for himself and teach himself how to do everything.  In some aspect, he blames himself right then.  Then, he says that he knew he was right in not creating a second creature for the monster to be mates with.  In this regard, he somewhat shifts the blame and guilt to others because he did the right thing.  He could blame the monster for all the chaos he has caused, but by creating the monster, he is at fault again.

Frankenstein - Duty

"In a fit of enthusiastic madness I created a rational creature, and was bound towards him, to assure, as far as was in my power, his happiness and well-being.  This was my duty; but there was another still paramount to that."  (pg. 161)

Throughout this novel, Frankenstein has struggled with his amount of responsibility that he has for the monster.  In the quote, he claims that he has a duty to end this creature's life.  As soon as life was given to it, Frankenstein realized he had made a huge mistake.  He has a duty to take care of this creature he created, but ironically, he doesn't care for it.  After the creature starts killing others, Victor now has the duty to kill it before it hurts more people.  When he starts to die, Victor tries to convince Walton to continue his duty of killing the monster if he ever sees him again.  Walton agrees, but when the time comes, he refuses to do it.  Right after Victor dies, the monster shows up but Walton doesn't kill him.  Instead, he just listens to what he has to say.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Frankenstein - Frame Story

"It was dark when I awoke; I felt cold also, and half frightened, as it were, instinctively, finding myself so desolate."  (pg. 71)

This novel, I think, is a retelling of something that has happened to another individual.  In some parts of the book, there are stories within the main story.  One specific point in the novel where this happens is when the monster is telling his story to Victor.  Victor is actually the narrator, but the monster takes over a couple chapters by telling Victor, as well as the audience, what he has been up to.  Although I can see why others may not like them, I, personally, enjoy frame stories.  They give the reader a break from the main topic to point your attention to something less important.  Frame stories are like the dreaming in Inception, but this time it is in a book.  Stories within stories may create some confusion at first but can add immensely to the work as a whole.

Frankenstein - Are You Smarter Than a Monster?

"I was a poor, helpless wretch; I knew, and could distinguish, nothing."  (pg. 71)

I want to know how smart the monster that Victor created really is.  He has to have some higher level of intelligence if he is able to communicate and interact with his creator.  When he was first created, the creature somewhat acted like a baby with its arms outstretched towards its creator and mumbling gibberish.  Now, the reader can see that he has learning capabilities as he learned how to talk and act like humans by watching a family go about their life.  I never knew that the monster became smarter.  I thought he remained like a baby.  Also, I am really impressed by how much the monster picked up from watching the family of three live their life.  In just a time period of two years, he was able to pick up what would take normal humans around four years or longer to pick up.  If he is able to do all of this, and he knows who Victor's friends are, is he capable of being a possible suspect for the murder of William?

Frankenstein - Theme of Guilt

"Yet I ask you not to spare me: listen to me; and then, if you can, and if you will, destroy the work of your hands."  (pg. 69)

This far in the novel, we have seen this theme of guilt being placed on Victor multiple times.  The quoted section comes from the time where the monster approaches Victor on top of the mountain.  He is placing the blame on Victor of creating him and how he has to face the decision of destroying the monster.  Victor is forced to feel guilt for creating the monster.  He also feels guilty when he first creates the monster as he has no idea of its capabilities.  I'm sure he must of felt guilt when the monster was telling Victor of his upbringing too.  Victor left him to fend for himself and learn everything by himself.  The creature had to learn the language in order to even attempt to interact with normal human beings.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Frankenstein - Who's guilty?

"I did confess; but I confessed a lie.  I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins."  (pg. 58)

At this point in Chapter 8, Justine has just admitted to killing William, but why would she do that if she didn't kill him?  A locket was found in her pocket that was last seen in William's possession, but she has no idea how it got there.  The evidence points towards Justine and how she killed William.  Yet, Victor still believes that the monster which he created was of fault.  There is no evidence to prove the creature's guilt, but he did happen to be at the murder spot.  Through this mess, Justine remains calm, which normally wouldn't be the case if the person being charged knew that they were guilty.  What I don't understand is why Justine is convicted and killed if she bluntly told them that she was lying in her confession.  Also, why would she want to be convicted?  Did Justine think that they would go easy on her and let her go?  I hope these answers come soon as we figure out what the monster has been up to.

Frankenstein - Theme of Alienation

"Solitude was my only consolation - deep, dark, deathlike solitude." (pg. 61)

Through the first twelve chapters, we have seen a common theme of alienation.  The monster is alienated mostly because of his appearance.  He scares people out of their house and even an entire town.  The monster is extremely disappointed and confused as to why no one wants to be with him.  He is then forced to live by himself, but he finds a family to live nearby.  Finally, the monster grows tired of his loneliness and decides to try to learn the people's language in order to one day communicate with them.  The monster catches on and hatches a plan to make the family enjoy his presence.  He is soon discouraged though as he learns what he actually looks like.  I am wondering how long he will remain alienated from people in society or if he will be accepted by the family.  Hopefully, he will be accepted because of all the help he has provided them with.