Monday, December 1, 2008

Comments on Act III
(Dramatic Features and Tragic Elements)

Act 3 is where the play, within a play, occurs and Hamlet proves that Claudius was indeed the man who killed his father. The players enact a play that is very similar to the murder of the previous king and the drama emerges from the way Claudius reacts. He walks out and the guilt is very obviously shown through this. Hamlet confronts his mother, and another dramatic feature is the way he speaks to her, the way he lets his anger out to her. He says to her that his madness is all an act but the violence he shows and the things he say to his mother do not make sense in the slightest. His mother is just led on to think that he is even madder than she thought he was. Also, he is extremely rude to her and basically calling her a whore. He suggests a lot of sexual nature in his speeches to her, which is what you would expect the least from a son talking to his own mother. His anger gets the better of him.

Act Three is very dramatic and tragic at the same time because it contains the death of Polonius. Hamlet's slow-pace plan leads to a death that didn't really have to occur. It was very unexpected. However, you could argue that it wasn't unexpected at all due to Polonius's inevitable spying. This occurs while Hamlet is showing aggression towards Gertrude and Polonius shouts for help. His death shows an unexpected tragedy while Hamlet's sudden actions, thinking that it was his uncle, portrays the drama. Once again, his anger gets the better of him. The drama develops all throughout these scenes because Hamlet, before confronting his mother, also tries to kill Claudius while he prays. This builds up tension but he withdraws his sword with the reason of it being not the right time to kill him. He wants Claudius to know that it is him, getting revenge on his father and he doesn't want him to go to heaven. The audience could accept this reason to be the truth but another way to percept it is that he has basically just chickened out. For whatever reason, he is not ready to kill him.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Comments on Ophelia (Act IV)

I think that Ophelia is a pretty trivial character in the play. She adds to the dramatic features in the play because she is always in the background, always the innocent that gets affected by the actions of all the men in her life. No one seems to think of her feelings much. Hamlet disgregards her and doesn't trust her with his plan even after declaring his love for her. Her father makes her do his bidding even if it is against her will while her brother, being the only person that Ophelia could actually confide in, left her.

In my opinion, the play would still be the same if Shakespeare took her out. Yes, she does add to the drama because the audience is bound to feel sorry for her and her death is, in a sense, tragic because she has not done anything to deserve the pain she went through. She is merely a pawn in his father's plans with the King and Queen to spy on Hamlet. I think there is enough drama to be getting on with without her getting affected by everything on the sideline. Without her, there would have been other means of spying on Hamlet and his madness would have been blamed solely on the death of his father and the sudden marriage of his mother and his uncle. The play would still be similar if you took her out.

However, I think Shakespeare uses her role to emphasise the tragedy and the extent to which Hamlet would go to get his revenge. Yes, he didn't plan to kill Polonius but if he truly loved Ophelia he would have thought of the consequences that her father's death might bring to her. Instead, he carries on as if Polonius's death was of no real importance and Ophelia was left to go mad. She is the symbol of abandonment and solitude, the woman who took all the pain but never actually got any sympathy back. Her character is tragic in every way.

Her death was portrayed beautifully and romantically, which I think contrasts to the way her character has been seen throughout all her appearances in the play. She seemed weak and unable to make up her own mind. She was like a puppet, the victim of what she thought was Hamlet's real madness and the means in which the King and Queen could find out the real truth about their son. In her death, Shakespeare showed the real beauty within her. Shakespeare made her death very grand and picturesque as if to make the audience really imagine the scene. Even if she still died quite alone, it made her the centre of attention for once, making the audience think about the effect and the consequence of all the characters' actions in the play.

Monday, November 24, 2008

English Literature Homework - Hamlet Act 1 and 2
Comments on tragedy and Hamlet's character

Hamlet goes through several stages in the first two acts. First of all, we see grief and disappointment. The death of his father and the fact that he is mourning alone, because his mother married again to his uncle not long after, has affected him as a person. His soliloquies often reflect these feelings. We find out that Hamlet has a lover, Ophelia, but we do not really get to see the romantic side of him, we only hear Ophelia's version of their love, which is quite interesting in a way because it leads on to the second act where he puts on a 'mad' act and lets Ophelia witness it first. Ophelia ignored Hamlet on her father's orders and I get the feeling that Hamlet lacks trust amongst the people around him. Finding out about his uncle's treachery to his father most probably affected his thoughts about everyone else around him. He cannot trust anyone again, not even the girl he has proposed his love to. He doesn't share his plan with Ophelia and leaves her confused and with only herself to blame for Hamlet's 'transformation'.

Hamlet calls himself a 'coward' because he hasn't killed Claudius, his uncle, straight away after finding out that he murdered his father. His dilemma is a big one, that he has to think about his mother's feelings and not rush into anything. He also has to prove that what the Ghost said was true. He wants to get revenge but he has to go the long way about it, which frustrates him and makes him feel like he hasn't progressed at all.

Tragedy, in the modern sense, is conveyed through the death of Hamlet's father. The loss of his father is a tragedy not only because his own brother killed him but because Hamlet is left mourning his loss alone and he is also alone in succeeding in getting revenge for his father. Arguably, another tragedy within the first two acts is that Hamlet has lost his mother too. Death might not be the case here but Hamlet probably wanted to mourn with her but instead she moved on with none other than his father's own brother and his murderer nonetheless. Also, tragedy is conveyed through Ophelia and Hamlet. The lack of trust between them shows and the fact that Ophelia didn't fight for their love with her father also shows weakness, leaving their relationship torn and leaving Hamlet with no choice but to act mad around her too instead of sharing his plans with her, in fear that she will obey her father to spy on him.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

English Literature Homework
Reading Journal – ‘The Great Gatsby’ Chapter Eight and Nine


Point of View
Chapter 8 is very interesting because the point of view used changes from Nick to Gatsby. Gatsby is telling the story to Nick and Nick narrates it but there are some sections where it jumps to Gatsby making a speech.

Use of Time
The order of events jumps from the present to the past in the first four sections of Chapter 8. It makes it more dramatic and thrilling (jumping from one scene to another different one at different time zones).

Characterisation
Nick – growing affection for Gatsby (wanting to warn him, ‘I didn’t want to leave Gatsby’)
Gatsby – obsession with Daisy (his huge dreams/obsession end up in his death), this could suggest how naïve he really was and nothing was ever going to come out of it. We find out more about what Gatsby was really like when his father reveals his past but only after his death does this happen.
Daisy and Tom – ‘They were careless people… They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money’
Daisy – the fact that she didn’t tell Tom that she was the one who caused Myrtle’s death suggests how incredibly selfish she is. She let Gatsby take the blame while she escaped with Tom, pretending nothing ever happened and hiding the unhappiness she feels inside with him.

Action Progress
The last four sections jumps from four different scenes that Nick doesn’t witness – all leading up to Gatsby’s death. This is an interesting technique that Fitzgerald uses and the readers are bound to think – how could Nick retell these events accurately when he wasn’t even there? You could argue that this technique doesn’t really work as such. The first of these four sections contains Nick’s conversation with Jordan. This suggests that Nick has a different life and other things to do than stay with Gatsby. The one time he’s not there by his side, something bad occurs. It then jumps to an account of George Wilson and his friend. Their conversation mirrors Wilson’s need for revenge because he has nothing else to live for now that Myrtle’s death.

Themes
Friendship – between Gatsby and Nick. Nick’s the only one who attended the funeral but this could just be perceived as sympathy or loyalty. The lack of friendship between Gatsby and the people he was meant to be friends with is seen.
Relationships – most relationships are broken in the end; Tom and Myrtle, George and Myrtle, Daisy and Gatsby, Nick and Jordan. The relationship of father and son is reinstated between Gatsby and his father but only at his death.
Death/Love – You could argue that Gatsby, Wilson and Myrtle all died for love.

Settings
Gatsby’s house – ‘his house had never seemed so enormous to me as it did that night’ – use of setting to imply how enormous Gatsby’s dream was and how it was so out of place. Gatsby, even Nick, Daisy and Tom all belonged in the West and moving to the East gave them great consequences. They were all trying to be someone they’re not.

Ideology
Higher class – Daisy and Tom prove the theory that the higher class at the time could get away with whatever they want. Daisy manages to escape from the death she caused and Gatsby took the blame because of their selfishness. Even Daisy’s supposed love wasn’t enough for her to want to share the blame with Gatsby.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Chapter Six and Seven

English Literature Homework
Reading Journal - 'The Great Gatsby' Chapter Six and Seven

Chapter Six

We learn a lot about Gatsby's history at the start of the chapter, the true reason for Gatsby's wealth and past. The fact that Gatsby shares the truth to Nick suggests a bond of trust starting to form between the two of them. As the novel portrays lack of friendship, considering the events at the end, it might not have been full-proof but this could have been the start of Nick's, if not friendship, mutual respect with Gatsby. After Nick narrates Gatsby's true history, he says 'I've put it down here with the idea of exploding those first wild rumours about his antecedents, which weren't even faintly true'. Nick starts to get rid of the doubts and the confusion about this mysterious man. The language used like 'wild' and 'exploding' also suggests that now that Nick knows the truth, he thinks the rumours were absolutely preposterous. Gatsby's character is more clear to us at this point.

However, after not seeing Nick in several weeks, Gatsby comes across him again but this time, Tom Buchanan is present. Gatsby even invites him to his next party. He seems both aggressive towards him (p.109 'continued Gatsby, almost aggressively') and also interested to spend more time with him (p.109 'he wanted to see more of Tom'). This could be for self-assurance. He can't help but be a little aggressive because Tom is the reason why it's difficult for him to get Daisy back but he also wants to know what Daisy could possibly like about him and most likely, prove that there was nothing special about him. He wanted to be assured that he is a better person, a better character than Tom will ever be and therefore, a more worthy husband to Daisy.

Tom's arrogance comes through again at the party. The fact that people are illegally drinking at a huge party and that Gatsby is too polite to object to uninvited party crashers intrigue him (p.115 'I'd like to know who he is and what he does'). The ideology of classes comes through. The fact that they're doing something illegal at a huge venue and there are no authorities suggest that the higher class can get away with almost anything through the right contacts or through money and paying people off. Tom probably wants to prove to Daisy or whoever else who would care to listen, that Gatsby shouldn't be relied on. This could be out of jealousy or just out of sheer arrogance, wanting to prove himself a better man, which you could argue makes him and Gatsby alike in one way.

We also get a clear view of Gatsby's real affections toward Daisy. Gatsby tells Nick that he 'wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: "I never loved you"'. He is determined to 'fix everything just the way it was before'. He sounds so sure of himself that he can re-write the past through starting off with a new future with Daisy. This could be because he is blinded by love but he is clearly stuck in the heartbreak he felt in the past when Daisy couldn't wait for him so it could also be because he is blinded by pain. Maybe he wants to prove that he is good enough and he just came to her life at the wrong time.

He cannot bear the disappointment and the crumbling of his self-esteem when she married someone else that he spent the rest of his time building up to the time when he would meet Daisy and not hopefully but surely get her again. This could be perceived as selfish and naive at the same time. He is only thinking of himself. Tom isn't a great person himself and no woman deserves to be cheated on but in my opinion, Gatsby is just as bad to not care who he tramples on to get what he wants.

Chapter Seven
The series of events in this chapter are increasingly important in the novel. First of all, we get another insight to Nick and Gatsby's relationship. A stronger bond is again portrayed as Nick worries about Gatsby and checks on him when he stops seeing Gatsby for a while and when he also notices the abrupt halt of his weekly parties. We find out that Gatsby hires new servants and fires all his old once for the petty reason of Daisy's frequent visits to his home. He didn't want rumours spread. Again, this gives us a view of how the higher class can act, how they can get away with anything and how they can do anything without thinking of the consequences it may bring to other people, especially his servants as the lower class.

The theme of secrecy crops up in this chapter, secrecy that is lost. Tom Buchanan finally realises that Daisy loves Gatsby, and his usually poor temper begins to get the best of him. Tom decides they are all going to New York City, then declares he will drive Gatsby's yellow car. When Tom orders Daisy to come with him she refuses, going alone with Gatsby in Tom's blue coupe. This is very stupid of Daisy as it will just make Tom even angrier than he already is. She lets her feelings get the best of her without thinking of the consequences. Also, Wilson declares that he is moving west with his wife immediately as he has also found out of her unfaithfulness, just not with whom. Finally, Nick notices Myrtle watching them with 'jealous terror' from a window, as she mistakenly presumes Jordan Baker to be Tom's wife. Myrtle probably thinks that the secrecy about Tom's wife had, at that time, been revealed to her.

Also, the secrecy that surrounded Daisy and Tom's baby is finally revealed. 'I don't think he ever really believed about its existence before' Nick says, talking about Gatsby. The fact that the word 'its' was used suggests that the little girl wasn't shown enough to be of any importance. She's constantly hidden throughout the novel, as if the happenings and the events do not affect her and as if she isn't exposed. This is arguably unfair as her parents' relationship and the fact that she has to have a nanny because her parents don't look after her enough, surely affects her. Her lack of appearance in the novel suggests that she was purposely not exposed to Nick, and to everyone else by the looks of it. This again reflects upon Tom and Daisy's selfishness. They are so self-involved and wrapped up in their own lives that their kid is nothing more than abandoned. Their plans don't revolve around her but around each other and other people.

Tom, pride wounded by his wife's affair, makes several unsuccessful attempts to insult Gatsby when they are in New York. Gatsby responds by saying Daisy doesn't love Tom, and that she only married him because Gatsby was too poor. This again reflects on Gatsby's firm belief that wrong timing is the sheer reason as to why he couldn't have Daisy and now that his status is stable, he can have her for sure. He had no doubt about that. His certainty once again borders naivety.

Tom loses his temper and insists Daisy once loved him and still does. Gatsby is trying to get Daisy to say she never loved Tom and that she's leaving him, and Tom on the other side declaring Daisy's not leaving, leaving Daisy in the middle, acting helpless and wanting to escape the situation. Finally, Tom tells Daisy and Gatsby to drive back in Gatsby's car, taunting him that he must realize 'his presumptuous little flirtation is over'. Tom obviously does not think that Daisy would leave him for her, again his arrogance comes through. He is so sure of himself when it comes to Daisy. This concludes to the fact that when it comes to Daisy, Gatsby and Tom both have a lot in common following from the comments I made about chapter six.

That same night, George Wilson has Myrtle locked up in their room, where he plans to keep her until they move west. Myrtle escapes, however, but when she rushes out into the night she gets hit by a 'big yellow car' that doesn't stop. On their drive home, Tom, Jordan, and Nick come upon the crowd gathered outside Wilson's garage. When Tom discovers his mistress has been killed he quickly makes the connection that Gatsby's yellow car killed her. The readers instantly assume the same thing.

Back at the Buchanans', Nick finds Gatsby hiding in the bushes. Gatsby tells Nick that Daisy had been driving his car, that she has locked herself in her room, and that he intends to watch the Buchanan house to ensure Tom doesn't physically harm her. Nick goes to the house to look for any sign of commotion, only to find Tom and Daisy talking intimately at the kitchen table, holding hands. Nick goes home alone, leaving Gatsby to his vigil over the house as he watches 'over nothing'. This could be a clue as to what the next series of events are going to be like. The fact that Daisy and Tom look like they're having an intimate conversation suggests that Daisy had no intentions of leaving him at that point and Gatsby's watch just reflects his desperation and his love, which borders obsession, over Daisy. He was prepared to keep her act a secret, which could portray Gatsby as either selfless or extremely stupid, oblivious and naive to what the Buchanan couple could be capable of. He is so sure that Daisy's love is enough but the following events prove him and the readers wrong.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Nick Carraway

I am going to write about my views and opinions on Nick and his effectiveness as the book's narrator. In the first chapter, Nick says that he comes across to others like a 'politician'. It is as if he doesn't mind sharing the negative viewpoints of other people about him, suggesting that he is honest and the fact that he says that he was 'unjustly accused' proves that he has got nothing to hide, otherwise he would not have said anything at all. To back it up, he mentions later on in the novel - 'I am one of the few honest people I have ever known'.

However, his reliability could be questioned. Taking into account that he is a first person narrator, you have no choice but to see things from his point of view and believe the supposed facts through his words. The people and events he describes, even things to do with himself, could be seen completely differently if it was through an omniscient narrator. There are many examples throughout the novel, that I will mention later on, where the reader has to ponder and even question Nick's honesty and possibly biased views.

First of all, you see all the characters through Nick's eyes. When he describes both Daisy and Myrtle, he could just be biased because Daisy is his cousin and Myrtle is a complete stranger, whom Tom is cheating on Daisy with. Throughout the novel, we are obliged to think that Daisy is the victim of a failed relationship and an unfaithful husband (this iswhere Myrtle plays a part). Also, with Tom we are bound to think that his role in the novel is of the villain, the one causing all the distress and troubles for cheating, being racist and being arrogant. However, looking at the novel more deeply, there are no victims or villains. Everyone plays a part in the succession of events throughout that whole summer that Nick doesn't quite seem to forget.

Gatsby, even though he is shown as mysterious and untrustworthy, is generally seen in good light. Not only is the book titled with his name, Nick also likes him, describing him as 'gorgeous' and saying that he found a 'romantic readiness' in him. On the other hand, Wilson isn't really described at all by Nick. This could be because they didn't have much contact with each other but even on their first meeting, there was no full descriptions of him, only Myrtle. The readers are left to deduce what kind of a person Wilson is through the things he did while Nick was there to witness it. This could also be because Nick, re-telling the story, already knows that Wilson is responsible for Gatsby's death and therefore has a biased opinion about him. When Wilson dies, he makes no comments of sympathy or explanations as to why Wilson would have done such a thing. He leaves the readers to decide for themselves.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Chapter Two

English Literature Homework
Reading Journal – ‘The Great Gatsby’ Chapter Two


This chapter starts off with Nick’s point of view about the setting. He talks about New York City in complete contrast to the luxuries he described in the previous chapter about the East and West Egg. As him and Tom drive to their destination, he describes what he sees as a ‘dismal scene’. He also talks about - ‘a line of grey cars… gives out a ghastly creak… ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud’, which consists of a variety of negative descriptions and giving the impression of a not so well-off neighbourhood. Nick’s voice influences the reader’s response - to think that it is a poor and rough environment, one that he is not used to.

Nick knew of course that he was going to meet Tom’s mistress. Before going on their way, Tom told him – ‘I want you to meet my girl’. This is an extremely interesting use of language as he views her as a girl and not a woman and the use of the possessive pronoun – my, seems like he just views her as a property, one he can easily have and one he can easily dispose of. Nick’s description of the neighbourhood Tom’s mistress lives in is probably an insight to what kind of person she’s like. Nick does not know this at the time but his tone seems curious and a bit confused as he describes the place, probably thinking why Tom would pick a woman with no status and of a completely opposite background to his sophisticated life.

More characters are introduced and described in this chapter including Wilson and his wife Myrtle, whom we find out, is Tom’s mistress. Wilson doesn’t really say a lot when Nick meets him but he gives a distinct impression of himself through his actions and the way he responds to the people around him.

When Wilson complains about not getting the car Tom promised for him for his garage on time, Tom threatens to stop the deal and Wilson corrects himself quickly by saying ‘I don’t mean that’. Through this, I can tell that Tom has complete control over him. His authority demeans Wilson because without him, Wilson would be out of business. This also gives light not only to Nick but also the readers, as to why Tom would pick Myrtle out of all the women he could have as his mistress. Knowing that they are poor, he is the only one whom Myrtle and his husband depends on and he likes the feeling of power, which reinforces the way he was described in the first chapter - strong, intimidating and superior.

Wilson of course, is completely clueless to Tom and Myrtle’s relationship. Even if he suspects it, Wilson depends on Tom and probably doesn’t want to voice out his suspicions in fear of getting on the wrong side of him. Also, Myrtle seems in control of their marriage because when she orders him to get some chairs for their visitors, Wilson agreed ‘hurriedly’, just to please her and as if to avoid an argument. Again, this could be another reason why he doesn’t want to let Myrtle know of any possible suspicions. This theme of relationships carries on from chapter one and it seems that because of the affair, both marriages are affected and both marriages seem to be on rocky ground.

Myrtle is also described in detail when Nick first meets her. As she comes into the room, Nick says that she ‘contained no facet or gleam of beauty, but there was an immediately perceptible vitality about her’. He doesn’t find her attractive but I can tell that he understands why Tom would be drawn to her. In my opinion, at that moment in time he was still reserving judgements. We do not really get an opinion from him whether he likes her or not.

Another comparison is made between the different lifestyles, not just with New York City and West/East Egg but also with Daisy and Myrtle; a very vague comparison, which I think Fitzgerald deliberately put in to show a deep contrast between the two women. Myrtle says to Tom – ‘I’d like to get one of those police dogs’, which shows that she likes the feeling of getting what she wants from Tom. It’s a completely different world to the life she leads with her husband. Nick spends a lot of time describing this scene and I think its relevance is to compare Myrtle’s desires to what Daisy actually gets. A dog would be nothing compared to what Daisy is entitled to being Tom’s wife.

‘At 158th Street, the cab stopped at one slice in a long white cake of apartment houses. Throwing a regal homecoming glance, Mrs Wilson… went haughtily in’. This quote describes a completely new setting and emphasises irony. White cakes are usually connected to weddings, although Tom and Myrtle aren’t married. Nick’s description makes me think, as a reader, that he finds it ironic himself that Myrtle would have picked this place for her apartment. The word ‘regal’ also connects to royalty or of the rich and sophisticated – traits that Myrtle does not possess. Again, this shows what Daisy has that she hasn’t. All Myrtle has is a place where she can pretend everything is different to what her life really is. It’s a place for her escape.

‘With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change… converted into impressive hauteur’. This extract talks about how Myrtle has changed her outfit since arriving to the apartment. It shows that there, she is in her element. Looking glamorous makes her feel comfortable in her own place. Nick also describes that she is wearing an ‘elaborate dress… which gave out a continual rustle as she swept about the room’. She sounds a bit too overdressed and the sound of her dress makes everyone notice her. This states that she likes being the centre of attention.

As the day progresses, the readers get the feeling that Nick doesn’t really like her much. He says – ‘as she expanded the room grew smaller around her until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaky pivot through smoky air’. The word expanded shows that he thinks she likes to take over and shows that she wants to be dominant, again reinforcing her need for attention. The negative adjectives like noisy, smoky and creaky shows Nick’s very dim and negative view of her. She might look glamorous on the outside, but her personality isn’t very attractive. The use of language in the quote – ‘the room grew smaller’, suggests that Nick might have felt really small, as if with her around, everyone else including him have to be shunted to the background.

We find out more about Tom in this chapter as well. Tom tells Myrtle that she doesn’t have the right to mention Daisy’s name and when Myrtle insists, he ‘broke her nose with his open hand’. This shows violence on his behalf. He doesn’t just look violent, his actions also prove it. In the first chapter, he bruised Daisy’s finger, which you could argue was a clue to this upcoming event.

The scene that follows after has a great deal of meaning. Fitzgerald uses Nick to convey a description full of interesting use of language. Nick describes the scene like he is just watching and not doing anything to help, because he is too drunk. ‘… His wife and Catherine scolding and consoling and they stumbled here and there among the crowded furniture’ is a quote describing the complete chaos. Scolding and consoling are both contrasting words, which could mean that they are all so shocked and drunk that they don’t know what to do or could suggest Nick’s confusion about the whole thing.

He also describes Myrtle as ‘the despairing figure on the couch, bleeding fluently, and trying to spread a copy of Town Tattle over the tapestry scenes of Versailles’. This shows Myrtle trying to shield the important artwork with a gossip magazine of some sort. Again, this is quite ironic because it is as if at this point, her pretend glamorous life (symbolised by the artwork) is being covered by the unimportant issue, which represents her actual life. Tom’s actions towards her brings it back to reality that he’s not hers, and her life is not yet as secure with Tom as she wants it to be.

The use of time throughout the chapter is chronological up until this point. Everything is going smoothly and Nick is explaining the events in time order. After Tom hurts Myrtle, he suddenly becomes too drunk to realise what happens in what order. He describes the next couple of things in a very vague manner, suggesting that he remembers some things but not in full detail and he doesn’t know exactly what happened when. The ellipses towards the end of the chapter also suggest that there were moments in time when he didn’t have a clue where he was or what he did.

Chapter One

English Literature Homework
Reading Journal – ‘The Great Gatsby’ Chapter One


The first chapter of the book is full of endless description. Nick Carraway, the persona in the novel, talks about his life – his childhood, his experiences, his views, and his summer. F. Scott Fitzgerald cleverly puts it together, using various writing styles full of meaning to grip the readers. The book is only short and first impressions make a huge difference. Fitzgerald doesn’t waste a word and the first chapter is extremely important. It gives the readers a view of what the book is going to be like, influencing them to read and find out more.

We get a vague impression of Nick as he describes his experiences. At college he was ‘unjustly accused of being a politician’, which shows that he had bin privileged and well-educated by the way people at college were judging him. It also shows what Nick is like with other people. It could mean that he has good people skills but it could also mean that he just tells people what they want to hear, just like politicians do. This is quite an interesting statement because it is as if Nick was described as untrustworthy but the word ‘unjustly’ suggests that he really doesn’t think that he is.

The first part of the chapter is like a little prologue, described by Nick in the present and reflecting back on his past, giving us an insight to what he was like and what he used to do. He mentions a man named Gatsby. He does not describe him and we do not know who he is but we get a feeling of what Nick thinks of him. Nick said that Gatsby ‘represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn’. He also said ‘there was something gorgeous about him’ and explains that he found a ‘romantic readiness’ in him that he has never found in anyone else before.

These descriptions contrast. It hints to the reader that Nick didn’t like the things Gatsby stood for but somehow, he was still entranced by him. Further on he says, ‘Gatsby turned out all right at the end’, which tells the reader that this is a guy he used to know but doesn’t know anymore because of the past tense he keeps using. Also, it tells us that he never used to like him but hints that something must have made Nick like this person. What and why it was so, we do not know yet, leaving the readers curious about this man.

Nick then carries on talking about his life. He mentions how he used to go to New Haven, which is a prestigious university (Yale), which again proves that he is well educated. However, he talks about being in the First World War. This shows that although he was very privileged to study at an exclusive university, he had survived one of the most horrid challenges at the time. This tells us that, being a survivor, Nick’s outlook on life has probably been affected; maybe he appreciates life a lot more.

He then says – ‘I came East, permanently, I thought, in the spring of twenty-two’. This raises questions. Why did he leave the East if he planned to move there permanently? This hints that something might have happened to him when he stayed there.

Nick then elaborates his stay in America. ‘I lived at West Egg, the –well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them’. He compares West Egg to East Egg and the hesitation in his voice when he explains that where he lives is less exclusive shows that he doesn’t feel comfortable about the fact. Maybe he had been so used to living over in the West with the privileges he used to get when in university and most probably, after surviving the war.

He then goes on to talk about Gatsby’s mansion, his neighbour. He describes it as a ‘factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy’ and has ‘more than forty acres of lawn and garden’. There may be a slight hint of jealousy in his voice and the short sentences within the paragraph where he describes the place where this Gatsby lives shows that he is taking everything in slowly and carefully, as if he cannot quite believe someone could live in such luxury.

Afterwards, he says ‘the history of the summer really begins’. This is quite ironic because as he describes his new life over in America, the readers get the impression that his summer has started already. However, the word ‘history’ gives this phrase a slightly different meaning. It isn’t just any summer, it’s the summer. This shows that the events he’s going to describe from that point all lead up to a summer he obviously cannot quite forget.

He then goes on to describing his first stay at the Buchanan household over at East Egg. Daisy was his cousin and he married a guy called Tom Buchanan. We get a very distinct and firm impression of Tom, even at this early stage in the novel. Nick describes that he has a ‘hard mouth and a supercilious manner… arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face… always leaning aggressively forward’ and also says that he had a ‘body capable of enormous leverage – a cruel body’. These descriptions are all very negative and give an impression of a very violent and superior man, someone you would not want to get in the wrong side of. The way Nick describes him also gives the feeling that he does not like him very much.

Throughout the night, Tom makes remarks that lead to an even clearer impression of him and his actions show what he is like as a person, a husband and a father. When Daisy asks Nick if he would like to see their baby, he completely changes the subject as if his own child is the thing he would least like to talk about.

When Nick starts off a conversation about civilisation, he took it up in an ‘unexpected way’ and talks about a book that he has read. He says that ‘the white race will be utterly submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved’. This shows that he is racist. He also always wants his opinion heard, and thinks that he is always right. No one else’s opinion matters to him. He makes himself look intelligent by saying all these supposed facts but then he hasn’t backed it up. You just have to take his word for it and agree to his view of life.

Before Nick leaves to go home, he also ‘advises him’ not to believe all the gossip that he hears from other people, once again assuming that he knows everything and that Nick really values his opinion. He gives off the vibe that he is more superior to anyone.

Nick also hears from Jordan Baker, Daisy’s friend, that he has ‘another woman’. This clearly surprised Nick and shows the complete contrast to the civilisation he’s used to, to what Tom and Daisy are currently immersed in. The fact that ‘everyone knows’, according to Jordan, makes it even worse for Nick especially because Daisy is still with Tom even though the fact that he has another woman is quite well-known. Again, this is showing Tom’s dominance over Daisy, how he’s got hold of her and can seem to do anything he wants without consequence.

However, I also get the feeling that Tom only puts this superior act because he is insecure. ‘I hate that word hulking… even in kidding’, he says when Daisy uses the word to describe him. This shows me that he hates coming across as violent, whether he is or not we do not quite know yet, although we already get a hint of violence when Daisy talks about how Tom bruised her finger, but it seems like he hates it if people think of him in a negative way. Daisy insists on the word, and the whole conversation just suggests marital disharmony. It is like Daisy just wants an excuse to talk to Tom but he is taking to it in a completely different way that she probably expected him to. She probably just wanted to joke around with him, but he didn’t like it.

Daisy is the complete opposite to Tom, although she seems very dotty and shallow and seems to agree to everything Tom says just to please him, she seems like a nice person all round. She seems very spoilt but in a very angelic way, as if she’s been brought up to think that all the privileges she gets is normal. ‘What do people plan?’, she asks. This is shows that she is idle and extremely rich because she is just bored and has nothing to do.

The way Nick describes her shows that even though he thinks that Daisy lives in a completely different world and acts in a completely different way to how he would act, he still has a soft spot for her. This is shown because maybe he feels sorry for her and her relationship with Tom and Tom’s relationship with her daughter. When she had a one to one talk with Nick, he is very sarcastic – ‘God, I’m sophisticated’, which shows that she isn’t really happy even with the glamorous life that she leads. Nick describes – ‘I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said’, which again suggests that he feels sorry for her.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Mr. Bleaney by Philip Larkin

English Literature Homework

Poem Analysis

Philip Larkin portrays a theme of loneliness in the poem 'Mr. Bleaney'. Not only does the story within the poem suggest a feeling of solitude and emptiness, Larkin also deliberately uses language and techniques to emphasise the theme he's going for.

First of all, the title itself is of a person who's first name we do not know. It creates a sense that it is irrelevant and that 'Mr. Bleaney' isn't of much importance. The lack of strong syllables in the title makes it sound monotonous giving the impression of boredom, of a life lacking excitement.

The poem, throughout, is a big metaphor of Mr. Bleaney's life. The way the room is described doesn't really make an impression and shows how rough and lonely it must have been to live there. For example, Larkin uses the words 'littered' and 'upright'. Also he talks about a 'sixty-watt bulb', which states how his surroundings weren't very bright, like how his life must have had little inspiration.

Larkin reinforces this by describing a repetitive habit of Mr. Bleaney visiting the same family members every year. 'The Frinton folk put him up for summer holidays' - the poet gives the feeling that Mr. Bleaney wasn't really wanted there and that they're just putting up with him. It suggests that they are most probably forced to look after him, out of pity maybe.

Along with the lack of excitement in his life, Larkin also portrays Mr. Bleaney as very reliant on the people around him. The quote 'they moved him' not only symbolises death and hints that Mr. Bleaney has passed away but also that he was unable to make decisions for himself.

'One hired box' evokes the images of a coffin, again leading the reader to think that Mr. Bleaney has indeed passed away. Prior to this, Larkin describes the room's curtains as 'thin and frayed', which could be a metaphor of Mr. Bleaney's past condition and it could be argued that he died of some sort of illness.

The use of two characters, being the landlord and the buyer of the old room, ensures that the poem is based on reality. The pessimistic view of the assumed buyer shows lack of pride. The quote 'I lie where Mr. Bleaney lay' suggests that even though his presumptions of what the man's life must have been like aren't very assuring, his is no different either. He is in the same position. He also has to rent that shabby room like Mr. Bleaney did, showing that he isn't rich enough to own a place of his own too. He is also presumably alone in renting that room, suggesting that he doesn't have many friends either.

The enjambaments used to carry sentences on symbolises the pointless existence of Mr. Bleaney, having to continue living a dull and tedious life. The lack of obvious similes and metaphors again suggests boredom and lack of inspiration.

In the last phrase, the buyer says 'I don't know', which states how even though he can deduce this man's life by how he used to live and what he's got to show of his previous existence ('that how we live measures our own nature'), he still cannot be sure exactly who he was and what he was like when he was alive. I personally think that Larkin had a hidden message between the lines of this poem, which is not to judge anyone when you know very little about them.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

English Literature Homework
Analyse the author's technique on how to draw the reader's attention based on the first page of a book of your choice.

This fictional novel starts off with a one-page prologue, which establishes a sense of curiosity before the readers find out the story, the characters or anything to do with the book's narrative. An opening can decide a lot about whether or not the reader is going to find the book worth reading and in my opinion, Dan Brown succeeded in drawing me in simply through the prologue of his book 'Angels and Demons'.

He uses various techniques. First of all, the prologue contains a single event, the incident that triggers the whole adventure that makes this book. This incident is of a murder, a rather gruesome start but will most immediately be of interest as the book is a thriller. It certainly gives a sense of mystery, making you want to read on just like I did.

Brown describes the murder but also describes the victim's thoughts, giving the readers an insight to why the murder is taking place without giving the story away. 'His only solace was in knowing that his attacker would never obtain what he had come for' - This quote raises questions. What did the attacker come for? The readers would want to read on, and find out the answer to this.

Dan Brown also uses effective adjectives and verbs like 'looming', 'burning' and many more, adding to the thrill of the murder. He uses different senses to describe the scene, putting the readers in the victim's position and submerging us into the story, making it seem more real. He uses phrases such as 'the darkness was closing in', 'he stared up in terror' and 'smelled burning flesh'.

He also varies his sentences. He uses long sentences when there is progression and action and meanwhile uses short sentences when he wants the readers to take it all in slowly and feel the tension, thrill and excitement mounting with every word. For example - 'The blade hovered. Carefully. Surgically.'

Overall, the opening doesn't disappoint when you want to be immediately drawn in. From just one page, the readers can tell that the book is going to be an interesting read. Dan Brown's techniques succeeded in establishing a sense of what the narrative is going to be like but also giving the readers enough to be curious about to want to read on.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Cinderella - New Version

I once knew of this girl who lived a happy childhood with her loving father. She was content with the life that she had, blessed with wealth, a decent status and most of all, love. Some would say it was almost perfect.

It wasn't long until her father remarried to a woman who already had two daughters of her own. Cinderella was extremely happy for him, happy that he had found love again. But, what she didn't know was that her new stepmother would be the reason for her future misery.

Cinderella's perfect life came crumbling down the day her father passed away. She lost her only real family that day, her best friend. She was left with her stepmother and her stepsisters who didn't treat her the way they should.

I watched over her and witnessed all the suffering she went through after her father died. She stayed humble and patient and carried on being the same nice, young girl that she was despite all of this, taking on responsibilities that she didn't deserve. She was no longer considered part of the family and was treated more like a slave. That was until there came a time when I could grant her a wish that would change her life forever.

-Fairy Godmother

Cinderella's Diary

It's the same everyday. I wake up at the crack of dawn and cook my stepmother and sisters a hearty breakfast. I clean the kitchen and the entire house and I live entirely on what they expect of me. Their orders, no matter how difficult, I still carry out just to please them.

I feel like I don't exist as a member of this family. I only exist to serve them and keep them happy. How long am I supposed to live like this? Until when am I going to stop suffering for them?

At times like these, I wish my father is still here with me. I remember when my life used to be a lot easier. Looking back, that seems like that was a different lifetime, a different me. When my father was around, I was his princess and he was the perfect dad.

Today, things weren't the same. I woke up to the sound of trumpets and galloping horses. I looked out of the tiny window of my bedroom, which I share with all the other maids in the house and saw royal messengers stood outside. As I listened, a formal announcement was made. A ball. All women from every household who are eligible to marry the prince have to attend.

A dance with the prince would be a dream come true. My dream was shattered not long after when my stepmother confronted me and told me I would not be going. Now, I'm lost on what to do. I wish I could go. If only...

Little did Cinderella know that I was on my way. On my way to make her wish come true.

The story is unfinished but shown below is the plan showing our different ideas as to what the next chapters would contain. We decided to make each chapter different, telling the story from several different characters' points of view.

- Ugly Sisters (a conversation about how excited they are about the ball and laughing about locking Cinderella up so that she can't go)

- Cinderella's Diary (transformation with her fairy godmother)

- Prince (account of what happened at the ball)

- Fairy Godmother (conclusion of story)
by: Olivia, Chloe and Clarisse

Thursday, September 18, 2008

National Gallery Homework

Pick a painting from the National Gallery website (collections of paintings) and write a paragraph - a brief analysis of a painting of your choice.




I chose this painting because the story of Christ's baptism is widely popular and therefore, so is the painting, which was made around the 1450's by PIERRO della Francesca. This painting has many symbolic figures and deliberate meanings and even though this painting was made quite a long time ago, as a Catholic, it is still quite interesting for me to analyse the symbols and deduce the reasons why they are put where they are.

The dove symbolises the holy spirit that Christ received on the day of his baptism and this is why it is placed directly above him. The dove however, looks like it was painted to blend in and look a bit like a cloud similar to the others in the background. I think this might have been done to portray the holy spirit as not just something that everyone sees or believes in. You have to look closely at the painting to distinguish it just like you have to be pure and baptised to receive the holy spirit.

Christ, in the painting, is also sheltered by a tree and he has both his feet placed firmly on the ground. This shows that he is of importance. His clothing, which is traditional for any other person who was to be baptised (purely just white garment), shows that he is also still down-to-earth despite his importance and his status. The tree not only shelters him but also separates him from people whispering and they represent all the people and religious authorities who doubted Christ and spread rumours about his alleged lies and blasphemy. The separation shows how Christ did not let this get to him or even force them to believe him. It shows how he was forgiving, letting them be and letting them choose for themselves what to believe in and what side to choose.