Gatsby phishbowl Ch. 1-3

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1. answer a question from the leaders
2. ask your own question
3. make a connection
4. challenge someone else's idea (with respect)
5. share an observation, inference, or close reading
    You must use textual evidence, with appropriate citation from ch. 1-3, each time to receive full credit. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
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April 16, 2019 at 11:10 AM
Anonymous said…
I think that the setting in New York affected Nick because of the chaos that was happening all around. In Chapter 2, Nick says, "The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it, so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles" (Fitzgerald 37). The small apartment that the scandalous party happened in was very crowded and claustrophobic in a sense. I think this affected Nick's attitude and state of being. Nick got drunk at the party, which is abnormal for him considering he was only drunk one other time. I think the chaos of the party and of New York made Nick act differently, in a rebellious way. It took him out of his comfort zone, and that's what the big city is all about.
April 16, 2019 at 11:11 AM
Anonymous said…
I have a question piggy-backing off of Ryan's: do you think Nick is intimidated by Tom? Or do you think he wishes he was more like him? Why?
April 16, 2019 at 11:11 AM
Anonymous said…
To answer Ryan’s question about the light and its meaning, I think there is two seperate ways to interpret its meaning. One way of looking at the light is Gatsby’s longing for someone or something, “he stretched out his arms toward the dark water...I could of sworn he was trembling.” (Fitzgerald 21) The light is the physical representation for Gatsby’s longing, and the bay is the representation of something holding him back. Another way the light can be interpreted is in boating terms. When on a boat, if you see a green light you are the stand-on vessel, meaning you maintain course and speed. Gatsby could be using this light to show that the path he is on is correct.
April 16, 2019 at 11:14 AM
Anonymous said…

Why do you think Fitzgerald uses colors to contrast the setting?
for example in East egg (page 8) it shows: "The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold, and wide open to the warm windy afternoon" and in the valley of ashes page 23: "Occasionally a line of grey cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud which"
April 16, 2019 at 11:18 AM
Anonymous said…
The colors are symbolic of the emotions each setting is supposed to show, the softer use of colors in East Egg-"white palaces of fashionable East egg" help convey the relaxed and soothing feeling of the people and places in West Egg. The use of words like "ghastly" and "ash-gray" when Fitzgerald talks about the valley of ashes show the darkness and sets it up to seem more intense and less lavish. In the apartment the descriptions focusing on the different styles of paintings and the magazines thrown around help to show the chaos of the apartment.
April 16, 2019 at 11:18 AM
Anonymous said…
A question I wonder about is why Tom wanted Nick to know about the affair and know the mistress? When Tom makes Nick get off the train, he says, "'We're getting off,' he insisted. 'I want you to meet my girl'" (Fitzgerald 31). As Alina mentioned in the inner circle, Nick is related to Daisy, so why would Tom want Nick to see the mistress? Usually with in-laws, you're not as close, and you don't want to share as many secrets. An average person wouldn't want their wife's family member to know about an affair. Why was Tom yearning for Nick to see Myrtle? It doesn't make much sense to me. Could this be related to Tom's huge ego as the alpha male stereotype?
April 16, 2019 at 11:21 AM
Anonymous said…
I think Gatsby sees his parties almost like a charity event for the people who come to them. When he is talking to Nick at the party, he says "'Don't give it another thought, old sport.' The familiar expression held no more familiarity than the hand which reassuringly brushed my shoulder" (Fitzgerald 53). The way he talks to his guests makes it feel like he feels bad for them that they don't necessarily get to live the life he does, which is why he is so generous with his parties. No one knows exactly who he is or why he has these extravagant parties, but people like going to them because they are fun and they thoroughly enjoy them. I also think the parties help Gatsby feel more loved and a little less lonely. Nick describes his house to have a "glowing loneliness" multiple times throughout the chapters, which makes it obvious that he is a very lonely character. The parties probably help him feel more involved with his community, even though he doesn't always enjoy having all those people over.
April 16, 2019 at 11:23 AM
Anonymous said…
One of our focus questions for this unit is "What makes one's life of value?" This chapter really makes it seem that value in life is about having fun and knowing a lot of people. Even though Gatsby isn’t a very good host, he is happy to have so many people at his house, and it seems that he derives value from how many people he knows, how many people come to his parties, and how important he is and is perceived as. In chapter 3, Nick wonders "if the fact that he was not drinking helped to set him off from his guests, for it seemed to me that he grew more correct as the fraternal hilarity increased" (Fitzgerald 64). Gatsby's life is all about partying and having other people party with him, similar to Fitzgerald, and it is partying and knowing people and being well-known that is valuable to Gatsby and others around him.
April 16, 2019 at 11:24 AM
Anonymous said…
Answering Mollie's question, I think he's intimidated by Tom, but also curious about his lifestyle. The kind of way Tom lives isn't how Nick lives and it seems like Nick isn't the type of person to stand up to someone like Tom, but Nick also doesn't seem completely against following Tom around. Nick begins doing things, such as partying and drinking, when he's around Tom. "I have been drunk just twice in my life, and the second time was that afternoon..." (Fitzgerald 29). Nick is trying new things around Tom, whether it's good or bad, because he isn't sure how to say no to him.
April 16, 2019 at 11:24 AM
Anonymous said…
Question: Colors such as red, gold, and white are used throughout the chapters, typically to describe luxurious details, “cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial Mansion,” “The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold,” “Wine-colored rug,” and “White Star Line” (Fitzgerald 11-20). Why do you think that is?
I think that the author used different colors to represent the differences between the setting in the book. In New York and the Valley of Ashes he continuously mentioned different shades of red, when he describes Catherine he says, " worldly girl of about thirty, with a sold, sticky bob of red hair," (Fitzgerald 38). Catherine is in the Valley of Ashes where the shades are very muted but the fact that Fitzgerald mentions how she has bright hair of red makes it obvious that she is a standout character that is stronger than most the women we have seen. This may suggest that she doesn't fit in where she is. When she is in New York however the shades of wine, red, and green, show very bold, loud, lively colors. This perfectly describes the setting of this place as very different from the elegance and grace of West and East Egg. When Fitzgerald talks about East Egg he uses white to describe this place. This is to shows the refined and prestine place that East Egg is. When it describes Gatsby's yellow car or the "yellow dresses", and "yellow cocktail music" in chapter 3 I see this as a way to represent the new money in West Egg. This place is also where the people are flashy and want to show their wealth.
April 16, 2019 at 11:29 AM
Anonymous said…
In response to Julia's question I think Nick always finds himself gravitating towards Jordan during the party because of their relationship. Early on, the characters urge Nick to start a relationship with Jordan: "Besides, Nick’s going to look after her, aren’t you, Nick? She’s going to spend lots of week-ends out here this summer. I think the home influence will be very good for her" (page 18). I think this shows how Nick was thinking about what his new friends tell him to do and at the party he subconsciously wanted to be with Jordan. Their relationship also displays they are attracted to each other, even though Jordan almost repulses Nick with her dishonesty.
April 16, 2019 at 11:29 AM
Anonymous said…
One of the essential questions is “Fitzgerald’s generation was The Lost Generation. What does that mean, these characters, their relationships, and their futures?” I don’t think the the Lost Generation had a very large effect on the characters or Fitzgerald. The war is only mentioned a few times, twice referencing Gatsby, “‘Well they say he’s a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’s.’” (Fitzgerald 32) The other time it is mentioned is when the party guests are talking about Gatsby, “‘He was a German spy during the war.” (Fitzgerald 44) In the 200 days that the U.S was deployed they lost around 50,000 men to combat. In the first day of the Somme the British lost over 60,000 men. The war and the men lost clearly has a limited effect on the characters, as it is mentioned so sparingly.
April 16, 2019 at 11:32 AM
Anonymous said…
To answer Yashika's question, I think that the color contrasts help show the contrast between characters and their personalities. For example, Myrtle lives in a gray and ashy setting, but her personality, which is bright and outgoing, is reflected in the colors she wears. "Her face, above a spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine, contained no facet or gleam of beauty..." (Fitzgerald 25). Myrtle's character is one that stands out from the crowd, just like her clothes make her stand out in her dark and gloomy surroundings. In contrast, Daisy really blends in with her surroundings. She is very graceful and has a clean appearance, just like her house and the people she surrounds herself with.
April 16, 2019 at 11:32 AM
Anonymous said…
Nick seems both intimated by Tom and longs to be more like him. Some of the first words Nick uses to describe Tom is "powerful" and accomplished. Tom is seen as a strong, stubborn man and falls into the ideal way that most men wanted to live like at the time. Nick compares his house to the Buchanan's and calls his an "eyesore", whereas Tom's house is a "cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial Mansion". The contrast between the houses also show the contrast between Tom, a powerful, wealthy man, and Nick, still wealthy but not as well known as Tom the other men.
April 16, 2019 at 11:33 AM
Anonymous said…
Gatsby has an unusual way with people, and this is what causes so many people to be fascinated with him. At the party, when Nick first meets Gatsby, he describes Gatsby's smile as "one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced- or seemed to face- the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. 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" (Fitzgerald 63). Gatsby, whether consciously or not, has a comforting, inclusive effect on everyone around him that attracts people to him and his parties. The sense of familiarity and success that he gives everyone seeps into his parties, which is why people are inexplicably attracted to them.
April 16, 2019 at 11:35 AM
Anonymous said…
I think Gatsby hosts all of these parties because he enjoys giving people joy. For example, when Lucille tore her dress at one of Gatsby's parties: "‘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— 48 The Great Gatsby 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.’" (page 43). It seems as if he sees his events as a way to give back to the community, even if he might not be the best host.
April 16, 2019 at 11:36 AM
Anonymous said…
To answer Alina's question of why people are so fascinated by Gatsby, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he's so mysterious and people don't know a lot about him. He throws these massive parties that are amazing to go to, but he's not the party type. I think there's just a lot people don't know about him and the contrasts in his life interests people. Also the way nick describes Gatsby at the beginning seems to show a lot about him and gives some insight into why people like him. "If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away." (Fitzgerald 2). Gatsby puts up this image of himself and it seems to draw people in, even if it's not actually accurate to who he truly is.
April 16, 2019 at 11:37 AM
Anonymous said…
Personally, I think that Gatsby is a sad, lonely man. I'm not trying to say that he has never been happy, but I think that his normal life isn't causing him much happiness, and this is why he hosts huge parties. He has a huge library full of amazing books, but this isn't enough for Gatsby. Why would he host the parties if he was happy with his life? He enjoys observing his parties, "The nature of Mr. Tostoff's composition eluded me, because just as it began my eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes" (Fitzgerald 64). Gatsby had "approving eyes" when looking at his party. I think that the parties actually fill him with happiness and wonder. Gatsby seems to value others' happiness. I also think he almost looks down on people, almost see them as his children, by calling them "sport". This is something that a father calls a child, so I think Gatsby sees the people who go to his parties as inferior in a way.
April 16, 2019 at 11:37 AM
Anonymous said…
To respond to Mollie's question about Nick's view of Tom I feel that Nick is in a way intimidated by Tom and envies to be like him. When Nick first meets Tom he describes him with, "Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face," (Fitzgerald 11). Nick viewing himself as a highly flawed man with little success, seeing this figure that he has always envied makes him look up to Tom. However, this doesn't mean that Nick necessarily agrees with all that Tom does, like having an affair and mistreating women at times. I think Tom views himself overall as having a normalcy whereas the people in West and East Egg act with little values.
April 16, 2019 at 11:38 AM
Anonymous said…

Question:
What do you think causes the intense fascination with Gatsby that many of the characters experience?
I think the main reason that people are so fascinated by Gatsby is he is surrounded in mystery. So little is known about Gatsby, even to the reader. He has such a massive amount of wealth and yet no one knows where it comes from, “But young men didn’t...drift coolly out of nowhere and buy a palace on Long Island Sound.” (Fitzgerald 49) On the different Eggs it’s clear where people got their money, the residents know where each person gets their money, but with Gatsby, his wealth is untraceable. I think this is where the intense fascination comes from.
April 16, 2019 at 11:41 AM
Anonymous said…
Why does there seem to be so much mystery and excitement around Gatsby? Why are people so invested in him and his lifestyle compared to other people in either Egg?
April 16, 2019 at 11:42 AM
Anonymous said…
I agree with what Hannah said about why Gatsby throws the parties. I think he does throw the parties because he's lonely and trying to find some sort of purpose in his life. One question I have is what made Gatsby have such a lonely life and force him to throw these parties to make his life more fulfilling.
April 16, 2019 at 11:43 AM
Anonymous said…
To bounce off of Corrine's question about how Nick views Tom, does Nick see these people who come from wealth and enjoy to party as damaged in a way? Especially Jordan when Nick is leaving the party he sees Jordan for more of who she is, "Jordan Baker instinctively avoided clever, shrewd men, and now I saw that this was because she felt safer on a plane where any divergence from a code would be thought impossible. She was incurably dishonest. She wasn’t able to be at a disadvantage and, given this unwillingness, I suppose she had begun dealing in subterfuges when she was very young in order to keep that cool, insolent smile turned to the world and yet satisfy the demands of her hard, jaunty body." (Fitzgerald 74-75). Nick realizes that Jordan lies constantly to conceal her feelings and not have to show her true self to the world. Which to me is a damaged way of acting. Also she keeps herself away from these type of men to keep her position of superiority.
April 16, 2019 at 11:43 AM
Anonymous said…
In the beginning of chapter 3, Nick describes how expensive and raucous Gatsby's parties are, talking about how much food, how many amenities he brings, and more (Fitzgerald 50-52). It's easier to see how frivolous Gatsby is, but there's also a difference between him and the East Eggers. The East Eggers, such and Tom and Daisy, party for themselves and friends, but Gatsby, who has new money and knows what it is like to not have money, throws parties for others instead, trying to bring everyone into this lifestyle of fun and festivity.
April 16, 2019 at 11:44 AM
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