POST #1
You will be expected to respond to 5 different entries over the next 3.5 (or so) weeks. For full credit you are expected to answer in complete sentences, use SPECIFIC detail or quotes from the text to reinforce your opinion and you must correspond with your classmates. Please don't just say "I agree" or "I disagree" say why! Overall Blogging will be worth 50 pts. Some of you have extra credit from responding to drafts, but e.c. cannot fully replace if you did not respond on time. Please watch typos:)
First Assignment: due January 16 before end of class time--should include readings from chapters 1-2 or further. Please try to BLOG if at home. If no computer, bring written materials to show me in class Monday if too many snow days. (BLOG MODIFIED 1/15 DUE TO SNOW DAY)
What do you honestly think about the narrator (NOT Gatsby) and how he describes people and his current situation. You may some some references from the film, but I am more interested in the book!
26 comments:
I think that the narrator is kind of stuck up. Just the way he describes people like he's better than them. I just get the impression that he picks people apart. Like how he's making Nick look spoiled. It seems that Nick obviously has what he wants from his father, but he's not conceided like he would be if he truly were spoiled.
It also seems that he's making Tom an Daisy look really stupid. Obviously they both have something for another person, however it's kind of obvious. He just throws it out there, and makes it obvious. He doesn't you think about it like some narrators do.
I don't really like this narrator. I don't have a good reason, but I don't. It just seems stupid that he's just throwing stuff out there, and making people look bad, when really their not such bad people.
I think that Nick, the narrator, is a backstabber. He is nice to people when he talks to them in person, but talks badly about them to us (the readers). He is pretty spoiled, and seems detatched from everyone else. He talks a lot about his dad and what he buys for him. He knows about Tom's affair but isn't really concerned about it. I don't really care for Nick very much. An example of his spoiled behavior is when he speaks of his family. "My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this Middle Western city for three generations. The Carraways are something of a clan, and we have a tradition that we're descended fromt he Dukes of Buccleuch, but the actual founder of my line was my grandfather's brother, who came here in fifty-one, sent a substitute to the Civil War, and started the wholesale hardware business that my father carries on today."
I feel the narrator Nick is somewhat of an apathetic person. while he does care about his cousin daisy, he doesnt care enough to tell her about the affair her husband is having. He doesn't seem to invest much emotions in anything or anyone; he is polite to people to their face, but probably doesnt care much about them anyway. his perceptions of people and their emotions capture part of their personality, but are fleeting at best because he doesnt pay attention to any one person for a long amount of time.
I think Nick is a complete sexist pig. Sure, maybe there was a difference in how men treated women back then, but still.
Nick is our observer and he judges women as either fit for...well, you no, or not. His vision of Mrs. Wilson's mother is "...like an ectoplasm on the wall...wife was shrill, languid, handsome, and horrible" (34).
He is a huge pretender and a leech as he pretends to be interested in the girls' conversations when he is taking mental note of every valuable in the home. He even describes Jordan Baker as having a "perfectly tangible body".
Nick is very observant though--I wonder if we can fully trust him as a narrator? Gatsby appears briefly, almost as a ghost at the end of chapter 1, but as Nick jumps into a car to speed through the "grey lands" into inner city New York, he and his wealthy friends are being judged by eyes in a billboard. Hmmmm. It seems Nick is being judged too.
I think its hard to say exactly what Nick is all about. The first two chapters I didn't get much of a feel for him. He doesn't really put his opinion on certain characters. However, I think Nick in the first two chapters is a little lost. He barely knows his own cousin Daisy and I think he is trying to fit in. Nick gives me the impression that he doesn't really care to get involved with anyones lives.
On page 16 Nick and Daisy are casually talking and then Daisy says "We don't know each other very well, Nick." "Even if we are cousins. You didn't come to my wedding." Nick kind of ignores it and goes on talking.
When Nick finds out that Tom has a mistress, he doesn't really have much of an opinion on it. Later in the evening at the get together when Tom hits Mertyle, Nick just leaves without saying anything. Also, Nick didn't even bother to tell Daisy about the mistress.
From what I have read so far, it seems to me that Nick is a little "apathetic" just like "browneyedgirl" said. I think maybe that reason is, because he is stuck up like "A_Wilbur" said also.
I don't like Nick, at all. He is so involved in his snooty little mind all the time. When tom and nick go to east egg, he talks about, ashes, and how disurbing this place is, I don't believe he honestly realizes that these people aren't choosing to live this way, he doesn't realize what poverty is, therefore he looks down on these people for their lifestyle. When he is at the party at the apartment in New York, he is constantly judging all of the people in the room, he disapproves of all the behavior going on, yet he doesn't leave because he is enjoying watching all of these people. He seems very detached from all of his emotions and actions. All in all, I think he think's he's better and smarter than everyone he runs into.
I agree with A W about Nick being stuck up. Of course most of the people living in East Egg or West Egg are.
Nick, I think is still a wanna be rich guy. I agree also with Sasquatch that Nick doesn't really care about Daisy. She is just a free lunch/house to him.
Nick seems to be very observant of his surroundings and people near him, especially women. I've noticed he refers to people as "men and girls" (39). He rarely uses the term 'women' when talking about the opposite gender, which gives me the impression that he sees women as degrading. Whenever he describes the opposite gender, he quickly notices slightly sexual features about them, such as "Miss Baker's lip fluttered, she nodded at me almost imperceptibly..." (9), "...there was an immediantely perceptible vitality about her..." (25), and "With Jordan's slender golden arm resting in mine, we descended the steps..." (43).
In a way, Nick acts like a spectator. When he attends the parties, he makes note of the people and atmosphere. He notices details about how the people are dancing and how they are interacting with one another. It's almost like he's seperate from the rest of the world. He doesn't want to be a part of the parties, he just wants to watch.
I disagree with ACDC rocks. I don't think Nick is a sexest pig at all. Nick may not tell people what he is actually thinking, but he isn't sexest. Nick cares for his cousin, Daisy. He may look at a women, and describe their build, but he isn't sexist. Most guys today and back then still look at women. Their is nothing wrong with looking at a women. He may pretend to be interested in the women's conversations, but he just arrived. He barely knows them.
I think Nick is hiding more about himself and other things than he lets the characters and the reader know about him.
First of all, He doesn't say a whole lot about his family. He states he is a bonds man,but he doesn't say who he works for. I also think Nick is kind of noisy too. Like in chapter one when he visits Daisy he ask about Gatsby, and when Nick leaves he sees Gatsby ad wants to know why he doesn't talk to anybody. I also think that Nick really can't stand Tom and his ideas.
Nick isn't really over enthusiastic about Tom's msitress, or Tims idea about white people being the higher race. Overall I think Nick will not tell people about his background, or what he is really thinking about the other characters.
I believe that Nick will prove to be very useful as a narrator. Although he says on page 5 that he doesn't judge people, we (the readers) quickly find this to be untrue. He frequently makes assessments by comparing other peoples' possessions and actions with his own, even going as far as describing the Buchanans as "remotely rich" (24). These statements of jealousy, while they may highlight the negative qualities of Nick, may also be the key to unraveling the mysteries of Mr. Gatsby. Nick's many analyses provide us with an external view of the situation, because, as llama_llama_duck said, Nick becomes more of a spectator to his situations than a participant. They may also provide inconspicuous details that are important to discovering what's really going on with Mr. Gatsby. In short, Nick's jealous statements, although sometimes exaggerated, should offer important insight throughout the entire book.
My opinion of Nick is that he will do whatever is “popular” or “cool”. It seems like Nick really loves his cousin Daisy, but he’s also fine with the fact that Daisy’s husband is cheating on her. If Nick really cared about Daisy he would be against her husband’s cheating. Also at the party where Nick met Tom’s lover, Nick got drunk for the second time in his life. Because everyone else was drinking Nick felt he had to fit in, so he drank just like everyone else. Seeing Nick had only been drunk one other time it’s obvious that he didn’t agree with the idea of drinking, but Nick choose to fallow the crowd. I also get an impression that although Nick went to a good college and knows what he is doing when it comes to work; he’s very unattached to his job. It could be because he’s new or hasn’t been doing it as long to make it a solid part of his life, but it doesn’t seem like his jobs a part of who he is. When most people are asked, “who are you?” they answer with their name and profession because it controls a lot of their time and life, but Nick doesn’t seem like he lets his job become a part of his identity.
The impression I get from Nick while reading The Great Gatsby is that he is used to getting what he wants and doesn't really see reality. When Nick describes the different characters I get a very vivid picture, but at the same time he describes them with very little emotion, or thats what I'm getting from it. Although I would not call Nick sexist, he has some of the characteristics. It finds in a lot more with that time period, but he seems to say things about the women that I'm sure they wouldn't like if he said it to their face.
I agree in a way with james13. I wouldn't call Nick a backstabber, but he is nicer to someone's face than he is in his own head. But ren't we all at least to a certain extent? I also agree with *.SecreT.*.LifE.* and how he/she says that Nick talked about the places him and Tom go in a disagreeable way.
I do agree with Asian Lover and Aeneva 09. Yes, Nick is a wannabee and wants to fit in.
I guess I would want to be rich too, but I don't know if Nick knows who he is. It's like Nick is losing himself as he searches to be like Gatsby--and he hasn't even really met him yet!
I completely agree with Brown Eye girl. Nick doesn't seem to care about anything. He or she used the example of what he feels about people. Another example of his not caring is how he talks about where he went to school. He was a graduate of Yale, which is a big accomplishment, but when he talks about it it’s more like, yeah I went there, whatever. Most people after graduating are not only proud of themselves for graduating but they are proud of the school. Nick just doesn’t care which is uncommon.
I believe that Nick is a very emotionless person. The way he describes things and people are just like "oh, she had bad eyebrows". He never says how he feels about anything, just what happens. The way he describes people is just like how he might describe a door. He puts little to no personal feelings and simply judges on appearance. The fact that he cares little that his cousin's husband is having an affair worries me. You think he would tell her right away or maybe be angry with Tom. Instead, he just goes and parties in Tom's apartment. Or when he sees Gatsby he simply acknowledges that he is there and doesn't even care. I don't really care for Nick, he is kind of flat. I wish he had perhaps a bit more personality. I wouldn't say that he's a backstabber because he can think whatever he wants, but he just maybe could be more interesting.
I find Nick to be a pretty interesting person. I cant really get a set vibe or consistent personality from him. He seems very conceited and know-it-all-ish. He comes off as charming and innocent to those he meets and converses with, but as he addresses the readers he tells us how insipid he sees them as. He tells us all their faults. I think he honestly feels stupid when he meets Gatsby for the first time because he made himself look bad for once by not even knowing he was talking to them.
Nick, the narrator, so far does not seem like a great person. He talks to people like they are good friends, but thinks of them as if they are less than dirt. I also think he has been given too much in his life and hasn't had to work for anything. Like when he wanted to be a bond salesman, his father, somewhat reluctantly, funded him for his endevour. I think he is just a spoiled rich kid, who looks at people much to skeptically.
For instance on page 30, Nick notes every physical detail that he can about Catherine, her eyebrows, her hair, her bracelets, her expression, but he doesn't really give any opinion of her, he just states everything he sees.
The Narrator, Nick, is not as he seems to other charcters in the book. When he talks to Daisy, for example, he's very polite and doesn't give any indication of the idea he really has of her. He actually thinks that Daisy is not very bright at all. It goes for the other characters Nick has met also. Even though he's polite enough to the people he's talking to, in his head he is thinking how he's smarter than them, and better than them, and that they're just stupid and don't know what they're talking about. He seems quite pretentious so far. I'm predicting that he's going to continue that way until someone in the book puts him in his place.
I think that Nick is really stuck on himself. In the movie he seems like a really nice guy by comming to see his cousin Daisy. In the book however, he talks about how rich and "prominent" his family is. He also talks about Daisy like she's really stupid. Also, he knows about Daisy's husband's (Tom) affair, but doesn't even make a big deal to her about it. I just feel like he only cares about himself and his own accomplishments.
I am responding to yorkparis77:
I definitely agree with you. Nick seems like anything that happens around him, good or bad, is not his problem. It was disappointing to see how he reacted towards Tom cheating on Daisy- shouldn't you be inclined to let someone know about that? Plus, Daisy is his cousin. It doesn't matter that it's distant. You should have the humility to look out for those close to you, whether you want them to be or not. Everything that happens is of no importance to Nick as long as it doesn't involve him.
In this book, I think that Nick the narrator is very spoiled by his rich father back home in Chicago. His father gives him money to go to college (Yale) to get an education, and then his father sends him off to the east coast to live and become a bondsman. Nicks father then pays for his son's expenses for one full year.
I have to agree with some of the people on this blog calling Nick a backstabber and a "two-faced" SOB because he is kind to his friends but then talks behind their backs to us the readers. I think that Nick talks kind to the people he meets on the east coast because he is new there and wants to get to know everyone without making enemies. But deep down, Nick doesn't really like anyone besides maybe his cousin Daisy for whom he feels sorry for because her husband Tom has a mistress, and Daisy isn't the brightest crayon in the box. So because of these feelings towards these people he talks bad about them to the readers which makes him look two-faced.
I don't think that the way Nick treats people is based on a monetary issue due to the fact that Nick talks bad about people that are far more wealthy than he is (Tom and Daisy).
All in all, I really don't like Nick that much, and just think he is a spoiled-rotten selfish snob that nobody in the book has gotten to know well YET.enough said.
I think the narrator, Nick, is a little bit deluded. He is from a pretty well-to-do family, but he still thinks that he is poor. This could be a consequence of having spent so much time around incredibly rich people. When faced with the opulence of Tom Buchanan's home and property, and the estates of his rich neighbors, Nick thinks of his own home as "...an eyesore...(5)." Nick and his family are quite prosperous. They own a chain of hardware warehouses in Chicago. His father told him, '"just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'(1)" Yet, Nick still feels that Tom and Daisy are very different from him, "remotely rich (20)."
He also seems very perceptive. He takes in the situation at the Buchanan home very quickly with a few hints from Jordan Baker. Nick seems to note and record the emotions of others with cold detachment and accuracy. From a distance, he can tell that Gatsby wants to be alone in his garden. "But I didn't call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone(20)."
Nick seems to hold some rather sexist views. While he loves his cousin, Daisy, and doesn't approve of the way she is treated by Tom, he doesn't seem very shocked or angered by Tom's extra-marital affair. He records Tom's attack on Mrs. Wilson with no emotion. "Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand (37)." It is almost as if Nick feels that Mrs. Wilson's insult to Tom deserved some sort of physical retribution.
From the book so far, I think that Nick feels sorry for himself. He must be well off because his father told him "'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had,'"(1), but he refers to his own house as "an eyesore
"(5).
I agree with ACDC Rocks in some respects. I believe Nick is a sexist. Yes, he loves his cousin Daisy, but that doesn't stop him from not seeing anything wrong with her husband's infidelity.
I think browneyedgirl17 is correct when she says Nick is somewhat apathetic. He cares for his cousin, treats her husband perfectly fine, and is polite, but I think he is more focused on himself. Even when Daisy bursts out yelling "Gatsby" (11), Nick doesn't ask about her sudden outburst or seem to care that she had a strong opinion on the man at all.
I also feel as though Nick is somewhat of a wall flower. No one seems to pay him much attention, and he remains aloof from conversation and spends his time watching others. Others generally feed him information, and it seems like he responds enough to be respectful, but he never tells much detail about himself. During the party scene in chapter two, he spent most of his time listening in on other people's conversations. Perhaps he would be a good secret keeper.
The narrator likes to talk behind peoples backs. He is two-faced and I hate that. The narrator talks about all the items his father buys for him and is snobby about it. He doesnt really care about anyone else either. Daisy, his cousin is getting cheated on and he could care less to tell her."He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive."
He's just kind of stoic about everything and doesnt show much of a personality. He just tells it how it is. He also looks at women the wrong way, and thats how we have to hear the story. He describes himself more than everybody else also. He describes everyone else vividly.
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