I have a teacher who thinks a student plagiarized some Great Gatsby =
response papers. I spent the morning looking and couldn't find =
anything. I was hoping you could look at them and give me some help. In =
the first and second, she doesn't think some of the terms are his. In =
the third he quotes from Dictionary of Literary Biography, a source we =
don't have, and also quotes Stephen Vincent Benet, someone they never =
talked about. In the last he talks about a debate about the narrator, =
also something they haven't discussed yet. She just doesn't think he =
research is that good. The papers are below. =20
Thanks
Michelle Cowell
Media Specialist
Waverly Shell Rock High School
Waverly, IA
cowellm@waverly-shellrock.k12.ia.us
Reader Response #1
The Great Gatsby is known as a key novel of the Jazz age. It accurately =
portrays the lifestyle of the rich during the booming 1920s. Readers =
live through the lavish parties and on the elegant estates in this =
novel. Romantics relate to Gatsby's unrelenting commitment to Daisy, the =
love of his life. But beneath all the romance, The Great Gatsby is a =
severe criticism of American upper class values. Fitzgerald uses the =
book's central conflict between Tom Buchanan and .Jay Gatsby to =
illustrate his criticism. Tom is the representation of the upper class, =
Gatsby the upstart social climber. The contrast between them =
demonstrates the differences between the values of their respective =
classes. This response journal examines the upper class myths of =
lineage, institutional education, and wealth. One by one, Fitzgerald =
strips away the illusion of superiority to reveal the ugly truth behind =
the glittering mask of the rich.
=20
For the "old" (inherited) money crowd, family lineage is often the =
first, and perhaps most important, indicator of class rank. This theme =
runs through the entire novel. Tom's old Chicago family is "enormously =
wealthy." In fact, "his position" was what attracted Daisy to him. And =
he steadfastly argues his racial superiority during the opening scene. =
But his heredity does not translate into anything worthwhile. The =
Buchanans never see their families. The core of their own family, their =
marriage, is a shambles-Tom cheats and Daisy's miserable. And =
theirdaughter seems irrelevant to their lives. Gatsby, one the other =
hand, is of ui4nown background
Rumors circulate that he is related to everyone from th~'f%aiserito =
Satan. Eventually we learn thatGatshy comes from a humble, mid-western =
family. He grew up poor. Ironically, the Gatsby (or Gatz) family =
provides the only examples of familial love. We learn that Gatsby bought =
his father a house, and his father cannot hide his emotion, his =
affection and his admiration for his son in the final chapter.
Institutional education-where you go to school-holds an important place =
in class structure. Nick points out that he, his father and Tom Buchanan =
attended New Haven, the discreet name for Yale, an ivy league =
institution that ranks with Harvard and Princeton as the school of the =
elite. However Tom's attendance at on of the nation's finest =
universities does little to develop his "simple mind." At one point he =
even admits to being "pretty dumb." His crude attempts at =
intellectualism, for example his "scientific" explanation of the decline =
of civilization caused by "The Rise of the Colored Empires," only serve =
to reveal a thin understanding of the world. By contrast, Gatsby's claim =
to institutional learning is sketchy. Whether or not Gatsby is a true =
"Oxford man" recurs throughout the story as a source of controversy. In =
fact, Tom considers a major victory Gatsby's revelation that his =
affiliation with the prestigious English school was only temporary. But =
despite his lack of formal education, we understand Gatsby to have a =
focused, intelligent mind. He literally pulls himself up from poverty to =
the heights of wealth through discipline and brains.
=20
The third myth associated with the upper class involves the supremacy of =
wealth. Fitzgerald goes to great lengths to describe Tom's tremendous =
wealth, his estate, his cars, his polo ponies. But Tom's wealth comes =
off as worthless. He is mean and stingy and we never see him share his =
unearned fortune. In fact, it's just the opposite. He denies the =
impoverished George Wilson one of his extra cars, despite Wilson's =
desperate pleas. On the contrary, the newly rich Gatsby spends his money =
freely. Stories of Gatsby's generosity abound. He provides food, drinks, =
entertainment and even shelter to hundreds of people, even those he did =
not invite. In one instance, he replaced a guest's expensive evening =
gown that she accidentally tore at one his parties. And unlike Tom, who =
receives money from his family, Gatsby generously gives money to his =
aging father.
By establishing the conflict between Tom and Gatsby, Fitzgerald minors =
the conflict between the upper and upwardly aspiring classes in America, =
Fitzgerald's characterizations and the narrator's commentary criticize =
the rich throughout the book. Tom Buchanan, with his lineage, education, =
breeding and wealth, epitomizes the upper class. But by the end of the =
story, we realize that these qualities are empty. In one sweeping =
accusation, Nick proclaims to Gatsby, "They're a rotten crowd... You're =
worth the whole bunch put together." Fitzgerald finally and skillfully =
destroys the upper class claim to superiorit
=
=20
Reader Response #2
Women play an ironic role in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, a novel =
dominated by the hero, Gatsby, and the mysterious narrator, Nick =
Carraway. With the background of Gatsby's lavish parties, women seem to =
have been transformed into "flappers," supposedly the incarnation of =
independence following WW1.
=20
Daisy Fay, modeled on Fitzgerald's free-spirited wife, Zelda Sayre, is =
hardly portrayed as the proper southern beauty. Her friend, Jordan =
Baker, seems openly sarcastic when speaking of their "white =
girlhood"-referring to their youth spent in Louisville, KY. As =
Fitzgerald conveys through a series of flashbacks, Daisy has been =
flirtatious, even at one point discovered packing her bag to travel =
alone to New York City in order to say good bye to a sailor. But her =
rather scandalous behavior does not soil her at all in the eyes of the =
lustful Gatsby. Indeed, as Nick comments , "It excited him.., that many =
men had already loved Daisy-it increased her value in his eyes." (Ch. 8) =
Jordan Baker, is little more than a device to bring Nick Carraway into =
theplot and is neither married nor engaged and apparently lives largely =
on her own except for shadowy. Tom Buchanan, Daisy's husband, might =
pontificate that their house guest should havemore supervision, but =
Daisy ridicules her husband's comment.
=20
So on one level, these characters appear to be free-spirited norms of =
what the nineteenth-century would have considered proper female =
behavior. It's worth investigating, however, just how independent they =
really are. Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle exist in relationship to their =
husbands, lovers, or boyfriends, and none undergoes a significant change =
during the course of the narrative. Thus, none of the women can be =
considered "round" or multidimensional characters. Each functions-at =
least for a time-as the personality of Gatsby, Nick, and Tom
Buchanan. Perhaps the miserable conditions for the women is most =
accurately conveyed in a conversation between Nick and Daisy in which =
Daisy discusses the birth of her daughter:
=20
"Well, she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where. I woke =
up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling, and asked the =
nurse right away if it was a boy or a girl. She told me it was a girl , =
and so I turned my head away and wept. 'All right,' I said, 'I'm glad =
it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool---that's the best thing a girl =
can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."' (Ch.l)
=20
In their own ways, each woman functions as "proof' of her husband's or =
lover's success. At several points in the novel, Gatsby is described by =
Nick as a knight. Traditionally, knights go off on a quest; often their =
"price is the hand of a king's daughter in marriage. Gatsby's quest =
during his life has been to recapture the past, those moments in WWI =
when it seemed to him that Daisy, the wealthy, sought-after beauty of =
Louisville, would agree to be his wife. Daisy ,however, hardly constant =
, is swept off her feet by another suitor, Tom Buchanan. But Gatsby =
clings to his peculiar notion of the American Dream:
=20
if he achieves monetary success, he will regain Daisy. Thus, Gatsby =
constructs his ostentatious house in West Egg, directiy across the Bay =
from Tom and Daisy's more sedate mansion. Nick warns him, "You can't =
repeat the past," but Gatsby, incredulous, states "Why of course you =
can!" (Ch. 6)
=20
In assessing Fitzgerald's three principal female characters, the reader =
must keep in mind that all examinations are filtered through the eyes of =
Nick Carraway. Thus, the question of whether he is a reliable narrator =
assumes paramount importance. Nick of course, boldly asserts, "I am one =
of the few honest people that I have ever known." (Ch.3)
If Gatsby is a love story, it is one centered in hostility toward women. =
Gatsby thinks of Daisy in relation to the objects with which she is =
surrounded. Her value for him is increased by the fact that so many men =
have desired her. Indeed, Tom's gift of a string of pearls valued at =
$350, 000 the night before the two are to be wed only increases his =
estimation of her worth. One might ask if there is an actual emotional =
relation between Gatsby and Daisy or if Daisy has become for Gatsby =
simply an "unutterable vision."
Reader Response ~3
The Great Gatsby explores a number of themes, but none is more prevalent =
than that of the corruption of the American dream. The American dream is =
the concept that, in America, any person can be successful as long he or =
she is prepared to work hard and use his natural gifts. Uatsby appears =
to be the ideal of this dream - he has risen from being a poor farm boy =
with no prospects, to being rich, having a big house, servants, and a =
large social circle attending his numerous functions. He has achieved =
all this in only a few short years, having returned from the war =
penniless.
=20
On the surface, Fitzgerald appears to be suggesting that, while wealth =
and all its treasures are attainable, status and position are not. =
Gatsby has money and possessions, but he is unable to find happiness. =
Those who come to his home do not genuinely like Gatsby - they come for =
the parties, the food, the drink and the company, not for Gatsby. =
Furthermore, they seem to despise Gatsby, taking every opportunity to =
gossip about him. Many come and go without even taking the time to meet =
and few ever thank him for his hospitality. Even Daisy appears unable to =
cope with the reality of Gatsby's lower class background. Gatsby is =
never truly one of the elite - his dream is just that, a dream. However, =
Fitzgerald explores much more than the failure of the American dream - =
he is more deeply concerned with its total corruption. Gatsby has not =
achieved his wealth through honest hard work, but through bootlegging =
and crime. His money is not simply ~new' money - it is dirty money, =
earned through dishonesty and crime. His wealthy lifestyle is little =
more than deceit, as is the whole person Jay Gatsby. (iatsby has been =
created from the dreams of the boy James Gatz. It is not only Gatsby who =
is corrupt. Nick repeatedly says that he is the only honest person he =
knows. The story is full of lying and cheating. Even Nick is involved in =
this deception, helping Gatsby and Daisy in their deceit and later =
concealing the truth about Myrtle's death. The society in which the =
novel takes place is one of moralregression. Any person who attempts to =
move up through the social classes becomes corrupt in the process. In =
Gatsby's case this corruption involves illegal activities, for Myrtle it =
is an abandonment of others of her own background.
=20
A parallel theme of the book is that of love and its briefness. There =
are no stable relationships in the book. Daisy and Tom's marriage has =
been damaged by affairs from early in its life. By the time the novel =
begins, Daisy is well aware of Tom's regular affairs, seeming to suffer =
in silence until Gatsby offers her a way out. Myrtle's relationship with =
Tom is no stronger, obviously based on a physical attraction, especially =
on the part of Tom who has little time for Myrtle outside the bedroom. =
Myrtle appears to be loved by Wilson, but is unhappy in this =
relationship, apparently because he is unable to provide materially for =
her, although his actions later in the book suggest his love may be =
oppressive, causing her to seek escape even before the last events. =
Nick, the narrator, is unable to make commitments in his relationships. =
One of his reasons for coming East has been to escape a potential =
engagement, he has a brief affair in New York which he ends when there =
are signs of commitment, and he cannot commit to Jordan either. Jordan =
herself has had no lasting relationship, discarding men when she has no =
further for them -Nick's rejection of her provides her with 'a new =
experience'. Partygoers are seen fighting with spouses or else attend =
with mistresses or lovers. Only Gatsby seems capable of lasting love - =
his love for Daisy is unshaken till the end. Yet this love is =
unrealistic-based not only on a relationship started on a lie, but also =
needing a turning back of time to make it complete. At times even Gatsby =
himself seems to realize that the reality is not as good as his dream =
has been. In the end we meet the only person capable of true love in the =
final chapter. It is Mr Gatz, Gatsby's father, who has an unshaken love =
for his son, believing in him to the end, and blind to his failings as =
only a parent can be.
Reader Response ~4
F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American novelist and short-story writer of =
the twenties. Sincehis early work shows a romantic feeling for 'the =
promises of life" at college and in "The East,' he acquired the name =
"the spokesman of the Jazz Age." His first novel, This Side of Paradise, =
was the first American novel to deal with college undergraduate life in =
the World War- I era. A handsome and charming man, Fitzgerald was =
quickly adopted by the young generation of his time. His second novel, =
The Beam ~u1 and the Damned, is a lively but shallow book, but his =
third. The Great Gatshy, is one of the most definite descriptions of =
American life in the l920s.
=20
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 24. 1896, Scott Fitzgerald was the =
son of Edward Fitzgerald, who worked for Proctor and Gamble and brought =
his family to Buffalo and Syracuse, New York. for most of his son's =
first decade. Edward Fitzgerald's great-great-grandfather was the =
brother of the grandfather of Francis Scoff Key, who wrote the poem 'The =
Star-Spangled Banner." This fact was of great significance to Mrs. =
Fitzgerald, Mollie McQuillan, and later to Scott. Mollie Fitzgerald's =
own family could offer no pretensions to aristocracy but her father, an =
Irish immigrant who came to America in 1843, was a self-made =
businessman. "Equally important was Fitzgerald's sense of having come =
from two widely different Celtic strains. He had early on developed an =
inferiority complex in a family where the "black Irish half ... had the =
money and looked down on the Maryland side of the family who had. and =
really had 'breeding, "according to Scott Donaldson in the Dictionary of =
Literary Biography. Out of this divergence of classes in his family =
background arose what some have called F. Scott's "double vision." He =
had the ability to experience the lifestyle of the wealthy from an =
insider's outlook, yet never felt a part of this and always felt the =
outsider.
=20
As a youth Fitzgerald showed he had talent for drama, first in St. Paul, =
where he wrote original plays for amateur production, and later at the =
Newman Academy in Hackensack, NewJersey. At Princeton, he composed =
lyrics for the university's famous Triangle Club productions. Fitzgerald =
was also a writer and actor with the Triangle Club at college. Before he =
could graduate, he volunteered for the army during World War I. He spent =
the weekends writing the earliest drafts of his first novel. Charles =
Scribner's Sons accepted the work for publication in 1919~.The popular =
and financial success that accompanied this event enabled Fitzgerald to =
marry Zelda Sayre, whom he met at training camp in Alabama. Zelda played =
a pivotal role in the writer's life, both in a rowdy way and an =
inspirational one. Mostly, she shared his extravagant lifestyle and =
artistic interests. In the l930s she was diagnosed as a schizophrenic =
and was hospitalized in Switzerland and then Maryland, where she died in =
a fire,
=20
For some time, Fitzgerald lived with his wife in Long Island. There, the =
setting for The Great Gatshy, he entertained in a manner similar to his =
characters, with expensive liquors and entertainment. He celebrated in =
demonstrating the antics of the crazy, irresponsible rich, and carried =
this attitude wherever he went. Especially on the Rivera in France, the =
Fitzgeralds befriended the elite of the wealthy classes, only to offend =
most of them in some way by their outrageous behavior. Self-absorbed, =
drunk, and eccentric, they sought and received attention of all kinds. =
The party ended with the hospitalization of Zelda for schizophrenia in =
Prangins, a Swiss town, and together, with the Great Depression of 1929, =
which ushered in the start of Scott's personal depression.
=20
In the decade before his death, Fitzgerald's troubles and effects of his =
alcoholism limited the quality and amount of his writing. Nonetheless, =
it was also during this period that he attempted his most complex and =
ambitious novel, Tender Is the Night (1934) After Zelda's breakdown, =
Fitzgerald became romantically involved with Sheila Graham, a gossip =
columnist in Hollywood, during the last years of his life. He also wrote =
but did not finish the novel The Last
Tycoon, now considered to be one of his best works, about the Hollywood =
motion picture industry. Fitzgerald died suddenly of a head attack, most =
likely influenced by a long addiction to alcohol, on December 21,1940. =
At the time of his death, he was virtually forgotten and unread. A =
growing Fitzgerald revival, begun in the 1950s, led to the publication =
of numerous volumes of stories, letters, and notebooks. One of his =
literary critics, Stephen Vincent Benet, concluded in his review of The =
Last Tycoon, "you can take off your hats now, gentlemen, and I think =
perhaps you had better. This is not a legend, this is a reputation- and, =
seen in perspective, it may well be one of the most secure reputations =
of our time."
01 Y-~ I o
=20
Reader Response #5
Nick is the narrator of the novel; the story is told in his voice and =
through his perceptions.
=20
It has also been suggested that Nick may be the character F. Scott =
Fitzgerald based most closely on himself and I feel as if this is the =
character I most associate with. It is possible that this is because he =
is the narrator, but I also see some of my qualities in him. In a sense, =
then, Nick shows opinions of wealthy, immoral characters like Gatsby. =
Nick is a good Midwestern boy who attended Yale and moved to New York in =
1922 to work in the bond market. He is well positioned to narrate this =
story - he is Daisy Buchanon's cousin, went to Yale with Tom Buchanon =
and rents the house next door to Gatsby's. From his vantage point, Nick =
can see everything that goes on. What's more, he's the kind of guy that =
people want to tell their stones -and their secrets - to.
=20
Nick tells us in the first chapter that his father cautioned him about =
judging people:
=20
"'Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,' he told me, 'just remember =
that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've =
had"' (1). Nick tries to follow his father's advice; he acts as a =
sounding board for the other characters, particularly Gatsby, and as =
they confide in him we learn more about their lives. There is debate =
over whether Nick is a Reliable Narrator that is, if he tells us the =
whole truth about what he sees, hears and experiences. In the begirming =
of the novel, Nick certainly seems reliable. But as he says, tolerance =
of others "has its limit" (2). Gatsby represents everything Nick hates =
about the East, with its emphasis on money and status and its lack of =
morality. For some reason - perhaps because he's fascinated by Gatsby in =
the beginning, then friends with him despite Gatsby's crimes - Nick =
extends his limit, learning more about both the East and himself in the =
process.
His relationship with Jordan Baker also couldn't happen anywhere but in =
New York. When he meets her, Nick remembers "some story of her too, a =
critical, unpleasant story, but what it was 1 had forgotten long ago." =
(19) His forgetfulness seems to come from his close attention to her - =
"I enjoyed looking at her. She was a slender, small-breasted girl, with =
an erect carriage, which she accentuated by throwing her body backward =
at the shoulder like a young cadet," (11). He goes on to describe the =
last rays of daylight "leaving deserting her with lingering regret" (14) =
and the "autumn-leaf yellow of her hair" (18). The atmosphere of West =
Egg enables Nick to forget whatever he's heard about Jordan when he =
watches her and listens to her opinions. He begins lusting afier her =
quickly. In Chapter 3, Jordan becomes Nick's "date" for a party after he =
drinks too much in embarrassment over asking where Gatsby is (which is, =
apparently, not a good idea, even at Gatsby's party). They wander the =
grounds, chaffing with other party guests (including Jordan's real date, =
an anonymous undergraduate) until "the scene had changed before my eyes =
into something significant, elemental, and profound." (47). This night =
also marks the first time Nick meets Gatsby. It seems that Nick equates =
Jordan and Gatsby in his mind; in a sense, his farewell to Gatsby the =
night of the broken wheel could be a "kiss goodnight" from Jordan. Later =
in the chapter Nick sees Jordan again, after she has become a golf =
champion. He admits that "I wasn't actually in love, but I felt a sort =
of tender curiosity." but follows that observation with another - "She =
was incurably dishonest" (58). We will discover along with Nick later in =
the novel that Gatsby is also "incurably dishonest"; however, these =
characters are the ones Nick feels drawn to. Nick says "I am one of the =
few honest people that I have ever known," almost as if honesty is a =
failing compared to Jordan and Gatsby (60).
=20
Nick grows closer and closer to Gatsby as the novel progresses. He =
learns, first through Jordan then from Gatsby himself, that Gatsby's =
only goal in life is to be reunited with Daisy.Nick then finds himself =
in the same position Daisy claims she is in with Jordan and himself- =
except in this case, the matchmaking is meant to be serious. This makes =
Nick understandably uncomfortable, as his Midwestern upbringing taught =
him marriage was sacred; also, knowing (iatsby as well as he does, he =
doesn't seem sure that he'd want Gatsby marrying his cousin. Gatsby does =
gallantly take the blame for Daisy's car accident, causing more internal =
conflict for Nick. Tom lies to Wilson, which results in Gatsby's death. =
Nick is surrounded by deceit and violence, and he is disgusted by it. He =
determines that Gatsby, for all his faults, may be the only person he =
knows with any character at all. This, too, throws Nick into confusion. =
He arranges a small funeral for Gatsby and ends his relationship with =
Jordan; in a sense, Nick can't have a relationship with someone he =
associates so closely with his friend. At the novel's end, Nick moves =
back to the Midwest to escape the disgust he feels for the people =
surrounding Gatsbys life and for the emptiness and moral decay of life =
among the wealthy on the East Coast. He comes to a realization about =
that life: "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all =
Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps =
we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable =
to Eastern life" (177).
=20
Nick's character develops from a relatively objective observer to a full =
participant in the action of the novel, both physically and emotionally. =
As a result, perhaps his reliability as a narrator changes as well, This =
brings about a question of how much of the other characters' actions and =
reactions are just observed, and how much is filtered through Nick's =
perceptions of them. His promise to his father at the beginning is =
compromised by the reality around him. The "advantages [he's] had" were =
the simple adherence to a code that doesn't apply to New York or to the =
world of Jay (iiatsby. When he loses those advantages, Nick returns to =
find what he has lost.
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