The Accident That Changed Everything: The Great Gatsby Chapter 6 – 7

I do this chapter post for WEM project; see also previous chapter 1, chapter 2 – 3, and chapter 4 – 5.

Gatsby and Daisy

Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz, a child of a farmer, who had too many imagination and ambition to be successful. He took several small jobs before meeting Dan Cody with his yacht and his successful business; who soon became his master. After Dan Cody’s death, Jay Gatsby emerged to the world with all he’d learned for five years from his master. One night Daisy and Tom Buchanan came to Gatsby’s party, where Daisy found new fascinates that she didn’t found in East Egg. She danced and had some moments alone with Gatsby, but Gatsby felt that he couldn’t convince Daisy to leave her husband; while Tom was determined to find out Gatsby’s real truth.

The contrast after the accident

Daisy invited Gatsby, Jordan and Nick to her house for lunch; where Tom saw for the first time that his wife was flirting with Gatsby. As it was a very hot day, after lunch the jealous Tom suggested them to go to town where they stayed in a hotel for a drink. Tom started to confront Gatsby’s identity and dirty business, while Gatsby persuaded Daisy to leave Tom, but he lost at the end. In the suffocating heat and real confusion, Daisy left New York with Gatsby in Gatsby’s yellow car; Daisy drove very fast and accidentally hit Myrtle Wilson to death. At the end of the day, Nick witnessed Tom and Daisy looked peaceful in ‘conspiring’ air while Gatsby decided to cover up for Daisy, testifying that it’s he who had driven the car.

Gatsby's yellow car

Judging Tom Buchanan

I’ve been trying to reason with myself, what a decent man must have felt when his mistress died brutally after being hit by his wife, and the wife didn’t even try to stop the car (I’m reasoning about Tom, of course). What would he do? I think the normal reaction would be raging. He’d be really angry with his wife for acting so cowardly, “Look at what you’ve done, you’ve killed her, and why, for God’s sake, didn’t you stop, at least to see if there’s something you could help?” If he really loved his mistress, for a moment he’d felt that way. But if he (still) loved his wife too, he should have calmed her down and taken her to the Wilson’s to tell him the truth; that it was an accident. I believe he—being rich—would be able to settle things in peace with his money or perhaps his connections. Of course he would have tried to safe his wife, but a decent man would certainly NOT ‘intimately conspiring’ with his wife to put the blame on another man!—like Tom Buchanan did. No, I think Tom just thought of his own safety, he won’t think it would lower himself if he put himself in Gatsby’s protection, the man whose wealth he insulted as ‘new money’.

Did Gatsby love Daisy?

In the beginning of chapter 7, I was wondering whether Gatsby really loved Daisy, or was it merely an illusory love? But if it had been that, it would have gone as quickly as he realized that he had lost the battle (with Tom), that Daisy had slipped from his grasp. It makes sense also to think that Gatsby—in spite of his real lost—still kept a slight hope to win again (in a way, I admire Gatsby’s persistency in pursuing his dream; if only he’d been pursuing a more valuable and real dream…). But by sacrificing himself in covering up for Daisy’s fault, it could mean that G still loved Daisy; even though he won’t win her heart, he’d sacrifice himself for her. So far, that’s what I think.

What made Tom suggesting to swap car with Gatsby?

What do you think? Tom is angry knowing that Daisy is flirting with Gatsby, he suggested them to go out, but he suggested swapping car with Gatsby, he’d drive Gatsby’s yellow car, and let Gatsby drive his coupé. Why? Did he want to taunt Gatsby of what the real ‘old money’ is (the coupé)? Whatever the reason, I think the car swap has been the earliest cause of the whole tragedy....

This has occured to me too...what, do you think, did Myrtle want to do by running to the yellow car? Did she want to tell Tom (whom she thought mush have driven it) that her husband forced her to move away with  him, and ask him to save her? Or, did she want to berate Tom's wife?

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Classics of the Month: The Classics Club May Meme

If only every monthly meme questions would be this easy… :) This is the task for The Classics Club’s meme for May:

Tell us about the classic book(s) you’re reading this month. You can post about what you’re looking forward to reading in May, or post thoughts-in-progress on your current read(s).

This month I am planning to read these three:

The Great Gatsby

I’m reading it right now together with some friends (including Melisa and Melissa—yayy to you girls!) in anticipating the forthcoming Baz Luhrmann’s movie adaptation. I’m also doing some tasks for WEM self-project for this book; so far, I have posted several chapter posts for Great Gatsby. This is my second reading of Great Gatsby, and so far I’ve been really enjoying it; it’s like finding new romantic sparks with your old lover… ;)

Romeo and Juliet

Let’s Read Plays theme for this month is tragedy, so I picked no other than one of the most popular tragedy from Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. I will read the ebook right after finishing The Great Gatsby. This would be my first time of reading this play, and although I’m not a fan of romance, I’m quite intrigued with Romeo and Juliet, would I like it? Let’s see…. :)

In Cold Blood

The last piece of classics I’ll be reading this month is Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. This is my first Capote’s, and I’m going to read the Indonesian translated version for Blogger Buku Indonesia’s challenge (reading 20th 0r 21st century classics). Being a psychological-crime novel, it intrigues me, and I’m also curious how much I’d like Capote.

That’s my classics reading schedule for May, what’s yours?

Hope vs Reality: The Great Gatsby Chapter 4 - 5

See also the previous chapter 1 and 2 – 3.

Unveiling Gatsby and Daisy’s mysteries

Gatsby tells Nick his history: born rich, went to Oxford, gleaming career in military at war; he even shows off pieces of token proving his story. At lunch with Gatsby, Nick met the Jewish world gambler, Mr. Wolfshiem. On the other hand, Jordan also tells Nick Daisy’s history: how she fell in love with a young officer named Jay Gatsby, the separation, her marriage with Tom Buchanan, and how she reacted on her wedding day after receiving a letter that made her cried aloud. Then she had a baby, while Tom started cheating on her. It turns out that Gatsby had planned everything—bought the mansion, hosted parties—only to get closer to Daisy again, and now he needs Nick’s help for his plan.

The anticipated meeting

Gatsby puts big effort in asking Nick to invite Daisy to his house for tea, so that Gatsby can meet her there. He is so excited at the moment which he’d anticipated so much for five years; that the happiness of actually meeting Daisy at last doesn’t appear as he’d expected. Gatsby shows off the luxury of his mansion to Daisy; but his wealth suddenly looses its value in front of Daisy, and even the green light across the bay looses its sacredness once Daisy becomes reachable.

When hope is more real than reality

Why does Gatsby look confuse and restless when he finally meets Daisy? Out of shyness? Or is it because he is too excited? No, I believe it’s because he finds that the meeting he had imagined and planned for so long did not happen to be as he’d expected. This happens to us often, an event we’ve been anticipating for so long, that we’ve been working so hard to make it perfect, turns out to be just like that—not as special as we’ve expected. It’s because imagination is always better than realization. But does it mean that we ought not to have dreams? No, I believe we need to have dreams, as it gives us purpose to fight and work hard, it will guide us to achieve something. Although Gatsby seems to be a fool to have done absurd things to win Daisy, I think it’s not all his fault; he’d done that in the name of love, and love does make us foolish sometime.

Favorite passages

“He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his home according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes. (…) He stared around at his possessions in a dazed way, as though in her actual and astounding presence none of it was any longer real.” ~p 97.

“A faint doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness. There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams—not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart.” ~p. 102.

They are perhaps just any ordinary passages for you, but I loved it so much, especially the second one. It seems to be distinguished from the others (particularly in chapter 4 and 5). I think it has made me officially in love with Fitzgerald’s writing!

Confusing passage

It’s from what Jordan Baker says to Nick about why Gatsby must ask Jordan to ask Nick whether he’d mind to do him a favor: “He’s afraid. He’s waited so long, he thought you might be offended. You see, he’s regular tough underneath it all.” ~p. 83

I don’t understand what Jordan means by ‘he’s regular tough underneath it all.’ Does she means Gatsby is thoroughly a violent person (tough = violent)? I think Gatsby is only too afraid of making the smallest mistake that would break his delicate bubble of hope. Or else he’s too sensitive about how people think of him; he doesn’t want Nick to think him as too pushy. Both my ideas doesn’t correlate with ‘tough’, so….what does that mean, can anyone help me?

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Absurdity & Moral Corruption: The Great Gatsby Chapter 2 – 3

This is part of chapter posts I make for WEM Self-Project. You can find the first chapter here.

Meeting Myrtle and attending Gatsby’s party

Tom brought Nick to meet his mistress Myrtle Wilson, wife of the owner of a small garage, and went together to New York to the couple’s luxury apartment. There and during the journey Nick witnessed the hedonic lifestyle they had, the shameless way Tom showed off his infidelity to public, and how rich women thought any men who were not wealthy and success were too “low” for them. The day was closed by the brutal scene when Tom broke Myrtle’s nose from being too noisy about Daisy.

Nick sensed emptiness and loneliness in the absurdly-luxury parties at Gatsby’s mansion, and in the metropolitan bustles of New York. There was a vulgar indifference in how strangers kept coming to and enjoying Gatsby’s parties without being invited or knowing the host, but even spread bad rumors about him. Nick also sensed the same vulgar indifference in Jordan Baker’s taking so lightly that she was endangering others by driving carelessly.

“(They) came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission.” ~p. 43.

The infidelity

The shameless affair of Tom and Myrtle is a product of moral decay of the society. Not only that they take it very openly, Myrtle’s sister thinks it’s all right. Myrtle thinks her husband is “lower” than her; but chooses Tom whom she takes as a “gentleman” because he is both rich and success. I only feel pity on Myrtle who takes “gentleman” as rich + success. Anyway, only a very foolish woman who calls her man gentle after he broke her nose….

Valley of ashes

I found quite a lot of metaphors in chapter two. First the valley of ashes; this is a quite dejected area where Wilson’s garage is; a land which is: “…so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land.” At first I thought it represents people who lost the battle of success, displaced by the new wave of wealth. However, considering the straight next metaphor, I changed my mind….

Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg

“The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic. (…) They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose. (…) (The eyes) brood on over the solemn dumping ground.”

When I first read this passage, I instantly remembered a drawing made by a child who is asked to draw about his imagery God. And the child drew Him as a pair of enormous eyes looking down from a pair of enormous glasses; he imagined God as an observer who sees everything human does. So, I instantly thought that the Doctor T.J. Eckleburg billboard is probably representing God. The billboard is somehow overlooked, dejected, forgotten, and the eyes that “brood on over the solemn dumping ground”, I perceived, reflecting that God is observing sadly the moral corruption in His people, but on the other hand, these moral-corrupted people has also been abandoning God to pursue their new gods (money and leisure).

The yellow color

From chapter two alone, I have met quite a lot of things in yellow, cream or golden color; the Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’s spectacles, the yellow brick house where Wilson’s garage is, the dress of two girls in Gatsby’s party, yellow cocktail, dark gold turkeys, Myrtle’s cream-coloured dress in New York apartment (where her personality changed under the influence of the dress), and yellow windows of that apartment.  Browsing about the Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, I got to learn that Fitzgerald did use several colors metaphor to represent moralities in this book. From all the yellows above, it’s not hard to guess that yellow here means moral decay or falsity.

Confusing passages

“Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes, but after a certain point I don't care what's founded on” –I didn’t find any satisfying answer over the internet, but I perceive it means that it doesn’t matter what an action had been intended for at first, the only think is important, is only the end result. If the result is the same, well….just ignore whether the first intention was right or wrong. Are you agree?

“… I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands. Beauty and the Beast … Loneliness … Old Grocery Horse … Brook’n Bridge…” –Although there are many sites or blogs that suggest that Nick is either gay or bisexual, I think this only reflects what Nick had vaguely remembered about that brutal night in Myrtle’s apartment, which he left in a drunken state; small pieces of disgusting senses that had troubled him when he was awaken from sleep at McKee’s house. Or else, McKee—as he is a photographer—has taken photos which showed the proofs of those disgusting moral decay. What do you think? :)

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The Great Gatsby: Introductory (Chapter 1)

In reference to the latest movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby which will be released this month, I am now re-reading the book together with some friends (you are welcomed to join, only this is not a formal read along). My first reading was last year when I read the Indonesian translation. Last October I have won Adam’s giveaway, and I picked the Penguin Classics edition of The Great Gatsby, hardback with lovely cover—thanks Adam! ;).

So here I am now, very eager to finally reading Great Gatsby in its original version. I’ll be doing it for my Well-Educated Mind Self Project, and that’s why you may expect to see posts after posts about Great Gatsby for at least one or two weeks. But it’ll only heighten our expectation for the movie, right? Now here is my first chapter post….

Chapter one is where Nick Carraway introduces us to what he’s going to narrate about, his own background and some hints about the Buchanans.

What is Great Gatsby all about?

Having been grown up in Midwest, Nick Carraway always believes in good morality, doesn’t criticize others, and tries to be tolerant. He moves to the east to start a new and promising life, however he left it that summer of 1922 in terrible disgust of moral decay of the people he met. Gatsby is the only one who escaped Nick’s severe criticism; Nick admires him for his strong optimism.

Meeting the Buchanans, a glimpse of Gatsby, and the first metaphor

Living in a huge mansion in East Egg, Tom and Daisy were extremely wealthy, but snob and indifferent; they enjoyed life leasurely without thinking much of others. Tom is a strong and dominating person; mentally as well as bodily (he hurt Daisy’s knuckle!). First hint of his corrupted moral are his opinion about how the whites should dominate the coloureds, and his having a mistress. Daisy is an empty-headed woman, likes to talk silly and irrelevant things, likes to be adored, and just like her husband, there is a hint of moral corrupting in her (her saying that ‘the best thing for a girl is to be fool’ when talking about her own daughter).

The slight glimpse of Gatsby is enough for Nick to see him as a man with firmness, self-esteem and strong determination. And Nick gives us the last clue of what we’re going to find in this book by describing how Gatsby stood facing the bay in the dark, stretching his quivering arms towards the green light on the far away dock across the bay (the first metaphor has appeared…).

Highlighted passages

The first two pages is the most engaging part of chapter one, where Nick foreshadows what is going to happen throughout the story. My favorites are what Nick believes about human morality and personal judgments.

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” –I think this is one of universal bad habits we often come across. Nick’s father advice should remind us to always consider before judging!

“Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope.” –I think Fitzgerald wanted to say that by not judging people, we have a hope or positive thinking that people might be good; until it’s proved otherwise.

“A sense of the fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth.” –Fitzgerald believes that we were born each with different quality of ethics or morality. I can judge something to be right, while you might believe it is wrong. This one bit of sentence makes me thinking ; tell me….do you agree with it?

For me, I always believe that when we are born, we carry the good and the bad inside us. The one that we nurture after that is going to define what we are going to be. The nurturing process would be influenced by our parents, our society, our environment, our culture, and other more complex circumstances that is stretched during our growing up towards adultness. So, I don't really agree with Fitzgerald here, because the 'unequal sense of the fundamental decencies' should be formed after birth. If we already carry it with birth, then what would be the use of free will that God grant us? It would be as if we are robots that are created of what we are, and can only be what we are meant to be. What do you think?

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Maggie Tulliver in The Mill on The Floss: Character Thursday (61)

The Mill on the Floss tells us the life span of Maggie Tulliver, a rebellious and imaginative young girl who—unlike any ordinary girls of her age—appraised books and knowledge. Her imagination was broadening by the books which influenced her way of thinking. Maggie grown up to be a young woman who was hunger for being loved and cared, especially by her brother Tom. She was disappointed when Tom could not understand her and even angry with her.

Maggie was a woman who was misplaced and misjudged. She was being prejudiced by others, but she could bear it in silence only if Tom agreed with her and continued to love her. Unfortunately she didn’t get that from Tom. Nonetheless, Tom was her center of life, and neither Philip Wakem nor Stephen Guest could replace his position in Maggie’s heart. And this is unusual, because Tom had never been an attentive brother to Maggie since they were small children. So, I think it’s because Maggie had unconsciously idolized Tom. Maggie found in Tom everything she wanted to have but couldn’t: freedom and independence. Maggie always wanted to show off to Tom that she was also capable to do what people expected from boys, and she needed that recognition from Tom, to make him regarded her as his equal.

Emily Watson as Maggie Tulliver

During the second half of the book I kept questioning, whom that Maggie loved the most: Stephen or Philip? I believe Maggie loved Tom more than those two, but now I also think that above them all, Maggie loved freedom, independence and recognition. She could not make decision of whom she would choose for a husband, because she felt none of them brought her freedom. In Philip, she felt that they have a special bound since children, and her conscience ‘forced’ her to pick him. On the other hand, Stephen forced her to think about her love to him. If I were Maggie, I would leave everything behind, and accept the job offer as a nursemaid somewhere far away from home. But then, freedom is supposed to be free choices with all the consequences.

If only Maggie lived in this modern era, at least…we, women, have more freedom to decide what’s best for us.

That is my Character Thursday of this week, an analysis of book character of my choice, who is yours?... Just put your post URL in the linky below. Do you like to join us in discussing characters from books you read? Seethe details of Character Thursday first.

Zoladdiction Wrap Up

I must say that Zoladdiction is probably one of the most successful events I have hosted so far. Being a less famous classics author compared to Dickens, Austen or Shakespeare, I doubted at first that Émile Zola will create a magnet to attract readers when I had the idea to host this event. But surprisingly I found no less than 18 people has signed up to this event (not including those who might have not signed up but read and reviewed Zola anyway :D). Actually 18 people might not be what you’d call a crowd, but their excitement to start reading Zola (for first readers) amazed me, and their eagerness to read more of him really pleases me; and it only confirms that Zoladdiction has successfully brought the new addiction to read Zola!

As for me, these are what I’ve been doing during Zoladdiction:

Reading and reviewing….

The Masterpiece

La Bête Humaine

Character analysing….

Claude Lantier of The Masterpiece

Pierre Sandoz of The Masterpiece

Jacques Lantier of La Bête Humaine

Capturing the beauty from books I read….

Sunset Views From Zola's The Masterpiece

La Lison in Snow From La Bête Humaine

Talking about Naturalism and Impressionism....

Turn of the Century Salon post

Adding to my collection…

The Earth

Nana (still on the way from TBD)

Blogging….

Tidying up a bit my Émile Zola Blog

And of course, a lot of….

Blog walking….

To participants’ posts and read their thoughts and stuffs on Zola, and often find interesting point of view of books I haven’t read. Now I know which books I’m going to grab next! If you want to follow my step, this linky will help you. :)

Overall, I’m really satisfied this month; as usual with Zola books, the story would be echoing long after I have finished the book. And I have picked the right book at the right time, I began with The Masterpiece—which is not as poignant as the others—and ended with La Bête Humaine which turned out to be very thought-provoking!

That’s it! I wish Zoladdiction wouldn’t end so quick, but life must go on, and there are still many more authors and classics I want to read. So, au revoir Monsieur Zola, and I wish you all have a good time with him! What do you think, should I host another Zoladdiction next year? Would you consider participating again? :)

A special thanks to o (Delaisse) for her support and ideas, and to you, all participants who have share your excitements, ideas, and thoughts about Zola during the month!... :)