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.