The Great Gatsby – Per. 1 – Character Watcher
Over Chapters 5, 6 and 7 we see a change in Gatsby. In chapter 6 we learn about Gatsby’s past. We learn that Gatsby’s real name was James Gatz and that he worked for a man on his yacht. The man gave Gatz the new names Jay Gatsby and that name stuck with him. When the man died he left most of his money to Gatsby and this is when Gatsby’s poor life turned around. What do you think of Gatsby’s past? Do you think he was happier when he was poor why of why not?
In chapter 7 we see the most change in Gatsby. Tom and Daisy go to one of Gatsby’s parties and Daisy doesn’t have a good time. Gatsby then stops throwing parties and fires all of his workers so the rumors about him will stop. Do you think Gatsby should give up everything for Daisy?
Also in Chapter 7 Gatsby and Tom meet and talk. Gatsby tells Tom that Daisy loves him and not her husband. Tom gets angry and the relationship between Gatsby and Tom becomes worse. Do you think that Gatsby should have confronted Tom about Daisy?
Finally Daisy and Gatsby are driving together in Gatsby’s car. Daisy is driving and she hits Myrtle ( Tom’s other woman) with the car. Gatsby later tells Nick that he will take the blame for the accident. Do you think that Gatsby should take the blame?
We so in the last chapters that Gatsby has changed and not really for the good. He has become very obsessed with Daisy and will seem to stop at nothing to win her back. Do you think that Gatsby has changed for the better or for the worse, why or why not?
Questions:
1) What do you think of Gatsby’s past? Do you think he was happier when he was poor why of why not?
2) Do you think Gatsby should give up everything for Daisy?
3) Do you think that Gatsby should have confronted Tom about Daisy?
4) Do you think that Gatsby should take the blame?
5) Do you think that Gatsby has changed for the better or for the worse, why or why not?
~Lauren Gress~
Category: Character Watcher, Uncategorized | Tags: Character Watcher 3 comments »
April 12th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
First of all, Happy Easter! I hope everyone is having an awesome time on break. I know I am.
1. Well, I kind of always suspected that Gatsby’s past wasn’t what he said it was and so did Nick. The real story of Gatsby definetely gives more depth to him as a character. I think I said this on my post, but the story of his past makes him seem like a real person for the first time in the novel, rather than a figment of the imagination. I also think that Cody (the yacht owner) was acted irrationaly when he gave Gatsby all of his money. No matter how close their bond was, didn’t he have anyone else to give it to? Close friends he’s had, loyal LIFELONG employees, etc. I’m not really sure when Gatsby was happier. When he was poor, he didn’t really have anything so he couldn’t have been happy about that. However, now that he’s rich and throws elaborate parties, no one can really seem to connect with him. He doesn’t know anyone he invites to his parties and he often times seems very lonely. So I don’t think there’s a clear answer to that question. I don’t think anyone is ever realy happy, wherever they are in life.
2. I think Gatsby was acting irrationally when he cancelled all his parties just because Daisy didn’t have fun at them. Everyone else does, and she doesn’t have to come to his parties if she doesn’t want to. He should definetly not give up everything for her because he doesn’t even really “have her” yet. She is still married to Tom, even though she obviously doesn’t like him that much and has feelings for Gatsby.
3. I don’t know that there’s anything for him to confront Tom about. Tom must know that Daisy dosen’t care for him and if he really loved her he wouldn’t be cheating on her either. Also, I think a direct confrontation would not have been the best way to do things. Tom already does not like Gatsby because he is “new money”. Also, Tom feels that even though Gatsby has climed the social ladder, he will always be dirt to Tom because of where he came from. Even with that said, waiting for Tom to find out was not the best of ideas. Perhaps having Daisy (or even Nick) break the news would have been smarter.
4. Gatsby taking the blame for Daisy is just his way of being a gentleman. Even though he will probably go to prison for the crime, he still wants to protect Daisy because he loves her so much. (Which is kind of stupid if you ask me because if he goes to prison he won’t ever see her again.) Even though in Gatsby’s mind he is behaving properly, I don’t think he is making the right descision. If he let Daisy take the fall like she deserves to he could always try get her out of prison with all his money. We already know that he has influence with the police. I’m not saying that this is morally correct, but it is certainly an option.
5. I think the answer to this depends on what you are comparing Gatsby’s changes to. If you are comparing him to how he acts now in comparison to how he acted at the beginning of the book, he has changed for the worse. In the beginning, he did things because he wanted to do them for himself, and seemed to be having fun (at least a little bit). Now he is giving up his whole life for Daisy. That seems wrong. He should be sacrificing something for her if he truly loves her but if she loves him back she wouldn’t make him give up everything. However, if you compare his behavior now to his behavior from when he was still poor and chasing after Daisy, he really hasn’t changed at all. He is still willing to give up everything for her and she gives him nothing back in return.
Erin B
April 13th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
1. Gatsby’s past seems a little strange. I think that Gatsby and the yacht owner may have been in some type of business together since the yacht owen left all his money to Gatsby. I agree with Erin that there must have been somebody else the yacht owner was better acquainted with than Gatsby. I don’t think that Gatsby was ever particularly happy in any of his financial situations. When he was poor he didn’t really have anything, but at least he knew that if someone was his friend, they liked Gatsby for him and no for his money. Now that Gatsby is rich, he can buy almost anything he wants, but he will never know if people are really his friend because they like him or just because they like his money.
2. I don’t think that Gatsby should give up everything for Daisy because she’s still MARRIED [to Tom]. I think that Gatsby has been acting a little strange since he re-fell in love with Daisy.
3. I don’t think that Gatsby should have said flat-out, “Daisy loves me now not you.” I think that that was a little radical. It’s obvious that Daisy has feelings for Tom, and if Tom truly had feelings for Daisy, he wouldn’t be cheating on her. I think that Gatsby only worsened the difficult and awkward situation between he and Tom.
4. I don’t think that Gatsby should have taken the blame for Daisy. It was a little irrational for him to do it. Gatsby seems to be “head-over-heels” in love with Daisy and is making foolish decisions because of it. I agree with Erin and I think that it was very kind and mannerly of him to take the blame for Daisy, but I think that he should have left Daisy take the blame since she was driving and just try to get her out of it.
5. Before Gatsby knew about Daisy he lived a normal life and lived it by his standards for himself. Ever since Daisy entered Gatsby’s life he has been doing anything to make her love him more. Even if he gets in trouble with the law for it. Like I said in my answer to question number four, I think that Gatsby is making decisions based on what would make Daisy happy, rather than what would make him happy.
-Maddie Zinn
April 21st, 2009 at 8:54 am
Quick note about the parities: Remember, Gatsby really only held the parties with the hopes that Daisy might meander in one evening. He wanted to impress her. They were essentially gifts to her. If she didn’t like them, then it was nothing for him to shut them down. He didn’t really care about them one way or the other.