Last Words

Hello my dear bloggers,
These first two weeks we have been looking at the amazing novel, The Great Gatsby. Although at first it took me some time to actually hold the book and read it (let’s not deny it), when I finally got the grasp of it and started understanding it, it became one of my favorite books. I’m not just saying it because I want Mr.Tangen to like me, or because I just want to sound smart (thumbs up), but because it is such a unique book. It is unique in a way in which it makes you pay attention to every detail because you never know which object or thing can be significant throughout the novel. This time we were asked to choose one of the last three paragraphs of the novel (so if you just read the book halfway through, you’re in trouble), and do a close reading on one of the three.

F. Scott Fitzgerald writes, "And I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world," by this passage we can see how after Gatsby's death, Nick is left lonely in a world where he doesn’t really understand why he is there, as Fitzgerald continues, " I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock." Although Gatsby is dead, Nick continues on thinking of him, in which we can imply that Gatsby really caught Nick's attention (although it sounds creepy). Nick's obsession on Gatsby can also lead us to believe that Gatsby is a man that really leaves a strong impression on people and we can also say that the green light meant something more than just a "green light", because it is mentioned a couple times throughout the book. Fitzgerald also states, “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it." We can see in this passage the love that Gatsby had for Daisy was very strong. It makes the audience realize how much Gatsby fought for Daisy, and the hope that overcame Gatsby when he realized that Daisy was just across the river, and that his dream was going to come true (although it sounds kind of cheesy). Fitzgerald finishes of by saying, “He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled." Here we are convinced that Gatsby was never in front of the game, he was just playing it for a while, but he would never win the "grand prize". Fitzgerald gives us the last chance of getting into Gatsby's mind and understanding how everything was just in his imagination, and that at the end, he had nothing left only the "dark fields of the republic rolling under the night." (pg.180)

Part II: Close Reading

"He was the best and the loudest and most loved jazz man of his time, but never professional in the brain. Unconcerned with the crack of the lip he threw out and held immense notes, could reach a force on the first note that attacked the ear. He was obsessed with the magic of air, those smells that turned neuter as they revolved in his lung then spat out in the chosen key."

Sentence 1:We can see how Buddy was the best musician, nevertheless, Buddy wasn't doing it because he needed the money or because he wanted to be the center of attention, he was doing this because he loved what he did, although his lack of professionalism could affect him in a negative way.

Sentence 2: His lack of worry over his own body just to have the thrill of playing can be in fact, quite disturbing. I believe that this is the time where he started to go crazy. Maybe he just didn't became crazy, maybe he was born this way but it needed time to surface.

Sentence 3: It just clarifies how much Buddy enjoyed playing music. There had to be a reason why he was the "most loved jazz man of all times". This intensity over music could be the key, as I said before, in figuring out what actually happened to Buddy Bolden after having quite an interesting life.

Part I: Close Reading

" Right on my head. But I still have the razor and we stand looking at each other. The blood drooling off his chin onto the wet shredded shirt. He takes a quick look at himself in the mirror and the tears just rush out of his face. I am exhausted, sorry for him. Got no anger at him now. I´m finished I´m empty but I can´t tell him. What the hell is wrong with me?"

Sentence 1: Something could have been thrown to Buddy, but at the same time, the narrator shows no emotion implying pain or satisfaction.

Sentence 2: Emphasizing on the word "still" makes me believe that something was happening before with the razor. Wheather it is a good thing o a bad thing, we know that there are already two characters taking place in the scene. No sense of emotion shown, It doesnt give us a chance of knowing the "feeling" of the scenery.

Sentence 3: The word blood stands out in this sentence, it is what makes the reader know that the plot is starting to get violent. It makes us imply that someone is hurt, not the narrator, but the opponent of his. It also makes us imply that they have been having the argument for a while because the opponents shirt is already shredded.

Sentence 4: Both characters in the scene can be interpreted as scared and tired because they took a break of whatever they were doing. It was also and affection emotionally now that the opponent is crying because of the way he looks physically or of the way tat he looks at himself after the fight.

Sentence 5: In this sentence it re enforces the idea that both characters were tired, and that the narrator actually felt regret for his opponent, although it comes out in a very monotonous voice making it sound suspicious.

Sentence 6: Narrator keeps on talking with a monotonous voice and short sentences making us think that they are calming down, and that whatever needed to be done, was done.

Sentence 7: Exhaustion has taken over the narrator, but friction between the the opponents can be seen when he clearly states that his opponent can´t see him weak. It shows the reader that the narrator has an image to maintain and his ego won´t let him give up.

Sentence 8: Remorse is brought up at the last sentence from the narrator. He contradicts himself saying that his opponent cant know that he is weak, but at the same time he is blaming himself. The narrator seems as a person that outs a lot of attention to detail and how he analysis every action that he makes.

The End

In the novel The Great Gatsby, various symbols come to mind, for example; the common ones such as the green flashing light, the colorful suits of Gatsby, the eyes of Dr. Eckleberg, or even the yellow car, some people think of these examples almost instantly, some people go even deeper and find even more significant symbols. My group discussed of various objects or places that can be defined as symbols, and while we were brainstorming we came up with the symbol of the empty house when Gatsby died. This house was the scene of many important plots happening in the novel; on the other hand in this house is when Gatsby´s dream of being with Daisy came true, but in the last scenes in the empty house, we can see how those dreams were never real, but pure fantasies, and that even from the start they were slipping away. The empty house means the end of everything. The end of happiness, the end of Daisy, and the end of life.