Comparing Gatsbys

The major difference i noticed between first and second Great Gatsby movies was that the second tried to explain the meaning and symbolism in the book. The first movie was almost word for word with the book with certain sections shortened, cut out, or dramatized. If you were to watch the first movie it would be very possible to miss many of the symbols and themes the book was trying to portray. The movie would literally spell it out of you. For example the symbolism of the green light was very clearly spelled out in the second movie. Tom even goes as far to say "i never noticed that" to show a contrast between him and Gatsby but in the second movie they only used direct quotes to hint at it. I think the reason the second movie changed so much of the book was to try and get the same amount of meaning across in just 2 1/2 hours. The book can be subtle at times and you really have to look at certain things to understand what the underlying meaning is. The director wanted to get the same message to the public but in a way that they could understand clearly. I think it was a bold but smart decision to change the movie so much. Lets be honest, most people don't go to movies to be preached at about moral decay. They go to see shit get blown up. The director of the 2nd movie realized this but still wanted everyone to be able to appreciate this work knowing full well that most people would not take the time to contemplate the meaning of the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. Another contrast I noticed was the difference in the characters. In the first movie the characters seemed annoying and deplorable. In the second you could honestly understand why they were making their decisions, even if you did not agree with them. A similarity was that they both used many quotes from the books and both put a little of their era into the movie. The second did it through song, and the first through the style of filming they relied heavily on. I thought the second movie was much better and even though it used less direct quotes. more accurately portrayed Fitzgerald's vision for his masterpiece. 

blog #20

I think the signifigance is maybe a comparison between the two of them. They are complete opposites Tom is so prideful and sure of himself and George is a weak little man. Both were betrayed. I was confused as to how the quote tied in. Was he trying to say that they were going to take different actions with the knowledge their wives are cheating?

blog #19

I don't think that you can repeat the past. For example, in a relationship there is usually a reason that you split up and getting back together is a waste of time. People change a lot over short periods of time. Gatsby and Daisy are not the same people they were when they were together. They can choose to built something better as the people they now but they can not go back to how they were 5 years ago. I would like to re-do freshman year.

blog post #18

I think what the author is saying is that Gatsby is not in love with Daisy. He is in love with the idea of Daisy. I think that she is almost more useful to him as a driving force behind his life not as a part of it. Daisy will never be able to live up to his expectations. He does not care about her, he cares about himself.

Parties.

In Seattle we have two types of parties. The first is spodies or kegs, the name changes depending on the alcohol being sold there. Its usually about 100 kids in a park getting hammered right after school. The second type of party is held in someone with chill parents basement. Everyone gets way to fucked up and smokes a ridiculous amount. The guy to girl ratio is maybe 1-5 if they are lucky. Neither are very much fun.
I don't have an image because nothing came up when i typed in "teenagers park red cup" into Google search. I'm sure you can imagine what they look like.

Gatsby Quotes

Nick Carraway is imagining himself down on the street with a man looking up at the party. He feels isolated and confused by this world. I think this shows how he feels about the group of people he is with. They are almost like animals to him as he watches them. What changes is that Tom hits his mistress.

Daisy's Daughter.

I think the reason Daisy says she wants her daughter to be a "beautiful fool" so she can have a easier life. It is like the saying, ignorance is bliss. Daisy thinks she herself would be much happier if she was less intelligent. For example if she didn't know Tom was having an affair, which is clearly causing her a lot of pain. She thinks being aware is a burden, and beautiful girls will always have someone to take care of them.

song from the 1920's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io0uqrp9dco
It is a very relaxing calm song. The trumpet plays a big role and it seems to drift. Happy uplifting message not too much depth.

Tom/Daisy/Jourdan

Tom seems to have a need to be in control of every situation. He changed the subject and interrupts people a couple times during these couple pages which make me feel as if he has to be the center of attention and the most important thing going on. He is also having an affair, but is suspicious Daisy is.
Daisy seems to be exhausted with her life. I think she is bored out of her mind but complacent and resigned to her life. Focused on trivial things, for example, the butlers nose. She needs people to like her and be attracted to her.
Jourdan is trying too hard to be uninterested. The motions Fitzgerald give her make her seem like she is living to relax and have comfort, the couch and the way he described her sitting down. That is why it was so surprising when it was later discovered she was an athlete.

west/east egg

I imagine East Egg as a row of almost identical enormous white houses facing the bay. Not much distinction between the houses except a turret here or there. It's completely clear cut with sculpted bushes.
http://billionaireaddresses.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/billionaires-row-billionaire-mansions-london.jpg
I imagine West Egg with a little more personality. The houses are of equal size but from different time periods are sparsely spread out. In between them is a dense wooded area.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/The_Haunted_Mansion.jpg -The sort of house you would see in west egg

Handout Analysis

Harlem in the Jazz Age:

In the 1910's many African Americans began moving to more northern states. Despite prejudice against them, they brought new genres and styles of music to a central role in popular culture. Some, however would move to Europe to perform for a more tolerant audience,Many of these artists are still widely known, such as jazz musician Louis Armstrong or singer Ella Fitzgerald. This music gave white people a more in depth view into the world of a black person and helped create sympathy and understanding.

Prohibition:

Prohibition was a largely unsuccessful attempt to lower crime rates and alcoholism in the 1920s-1930's. Many children grew up reading a textbook in school, known as the "Mcguffy Readers" and was strongly anti-alcohol abuse which in part lead to negative connotations on the subject. Prohibition actually lead to an increase in crime and trafficking and brought the famous criminal Al Capone to power. It eventually ended in 1933 due to a need for the money from the taxation of the product and growing opposition.

Editorial Observer; Jay Gatsby, Dreamer, Criminal, Jazz Age Rouge, Is a Man for Our Times:

Adam Cohen's tone seams to be a strong belief in perseverance. He admires Jay Gatsby's ability to claw his was out of poverty, even if his means of doing so and reasons may not be the best. He calls him a "cynical idealist", two seemingly contradictory words but they make sense in context. He wants the American dream, but realizes he will have to do unscrupulous things to make it. Gatsby is always striving for what he can not have no matter what the cost. 

Scott Fitzgerald Looks Into Middle Age:

I learned more about the setting about The Great Gatsby then i had previously known. Rather in the peak of the age of the flapper, it was up being at the end. While it was dwindling away and the country was growing older, wiser, and more wary of the reckless abandon in the previous years. The characters in this book seem to be like children themselves. Drawn to anything new and exciting and unable to look past the present moment.

Loyalty

I think my time is mostly wasted. School and exercise are obviously not, but I spend the majority of my time watching TV or isolating. Also Reddit. Hours and hours of Reddit. To me, loyalty means being able to rely on someone when you need them. Knowing that they will be there as soon as you ask, and just knowing you can trust them no matter what the situation is come with loyalty. I feel most loyal to my close friends I've known for years and my boyfriend. I don't think you can measure happiness at all, because as the guy in the video said, how do you measure something that is fleating"? The majority of us dont spend the majority of our time happy. What matters to me is trying to stay positive overall and not slip into some kind of state it would be hard to get out of. Looking towards something else is what keeps me positive.

Leaders

One person who is an example of a great leader is Admiral Adama from Battlestar Galactica. Even though the fleet was facing hard times and should have had little to no hope of ever finding earth he drove them on and rallied them and made them live and work one day at a time. He inspired them through giving them rousing speeches and hope of one day finding a home, he also worked very hard and sacrificed everything for what he believed. I think it contributed because he really believed in a better life for the crew and himself. I think you are more successful at doing things you believe in because it drives you to work harder. I can be very apathetic about school but when we are doing something I really enjoy or am genuinely interested, and I don't just try and skate through.

swimmer

The video we watched about the swimmer, Nina, was pretty amazing. She just has a determination and stamina that most of will always lack. She seams to really be doing something she loves too. I guess you would have to to be practicing that many hours a day. I admire her passion. You have to think though about the situations that she begins swimming, the first and the second time. Swimming away from the pain of being molested. Swimming away from the pain of her mothers death and a fear of getting old. Maybe what she needs is not a swim from florida to cuba, but a good therapist. Nevertheless she is a cool lady and I hope I look that good at 60 years old. Yes she has clearly failed. she lost all of the money people have given her and is probably really disappointed and feels unfulfilled. Yes, i felt it was my time at one point. Im not going to go into details but if my plans had actually gone through i probably wouldn't be here right now. It felt right but I fucked it up. "The journey is the destination" means that its just as fulfilling as actually completing something.

inspiration

I an not inspired very easily. It has to be someone i can relate to. or someone just completely turning their life around. someone who pulled out of something like addiction or poverty. i feel like inspiration is short lived. unlike that one speech by steve jobs we just listened to, have you ever really heard of someone who was really so inspired by one thing that they read or heard that they were actually able to make a drastic life change? Listening to things like that might make you feel warm and fuzzy but its over in a second and people tend to go on with their lives like the did before. maybe go to a gym for a weak but nothing really changes. inspiration is bullshit.

"did you know"

My reaction to "did you know" was that the world will soon be overtaken by robots. its inevitable. this video has also made me face how entirely replaceable we are as individuals. Once we have failed there will be someone just like you only better to take your place. life is futile,

Motivation

Motivation comes much more easily for me when something is new. the beginning of the new school year, the first day of my new internship. Motivation is easier to grasp when something is exciting and challenging and genuinely interests me. I think successes is partially based on the feeling you get after you complete something. a mix of pride and happiness and maybe a little exhaustion. It is also based on what people can see from seeing your accomplishment and how they judge it. I think autonomy would only make my projects better if it was something i really cared about. Otherwise i would get distracted and use autonomy as an excuse to not do my work. sometimes even when i am interested i need someone to be there to watch what i'm doing just because i am lazy. i prefer to do the minimum amount of work possible. i need accountability to complete things.