The Final two chapters naturally detail the ending of the story, but it takes an interesting twist. Wilson kills Gatsby and himself in return for the death of Myrtle, albeit Daisy was the driver (unbeknownst to Wilson). After the many years of Gatsby's wrongdoing, he finally got what he deserved. No matter how much money that you have, and no matter how you "earned" it, it will not stop a bullet. All of Gatsby's hopes and dreams are shattered with his death(duh), and he will never be able to see what would have happened between him and Daisy. Barely anyone shows up to Gatsby's funeral, angering Carraway. For the thousands of people that used him, about 4 people come. Gatsby's father shows up and is proud of his son, despite Gatsby's efforts to shut his parents out of his life: The prime example of unconditional love. Everybody left leaves Nick by himself, and Nick comes to the realization that most of his "friends" were nothing but broken people that have no purpose other than to destroy. Nick spent so long trying to piece together other people's puzzles that he forgot to make his own. He was so involved with other's affairs that he failed to see the danger forming inside himself, and it caused him to be left by himself. The novel ends, and the story is the same as where it started. Everything is the same, yet everything changes. Daisy no longer yearns for Gatsby, Gatsby's dead, and Nick can move on from the struggles he's endured.
Chapter 7 is the longest chapter, and also the chapter where the story comes crashing down. Gatsby's relationship takes a dramatic turn for the worst, and Daisy is manipulated into going back with Tom. Wilson found out that Myrtle had been having an affair, and he was moving her out west. Realizing this, Tom understands that since his mistress is leaving, he cannot lose Daisy. It really objectifies both Daisy and Myrtle, making them appear nothing more than an object for Tom to play with. If one "toy" "breaks" or leaves, he has another toy to play with. Unfortunately for Tom, Gatsby is moving in on Tom's last option:Daisy.On the drive back from New York, Daisy hits and kills Myrtle, but Jay takes the blame. When Tom see's that his mistress was killed, he denies to have ever known her. At the same time, Tom gets the idea that he can pin the death on Gatsby and win Daisy back. Not only is Tom an abusive person, but he's deceptive. Tom very well knows that Gatsby can die due to this, and he has no problem with it. The most incriminating thing is that Tom is extremely angry at Gatsby, meanwhile Tom has been having an affair for longer that Daisy has. Both are in the wrong, but Tom is being extremely hypocritical. Gatsby realizes what he's done to the relationship, and he reverts to his nervous and childish state of mind. While trying to pick up the remaining pieces of the relationship, Gatsby almost ruins what existed between him and Daisy.
The terribly nervous and child-like Gatsby tried to appeal to Nick and have him invite Daisy over for Tea. Carraway doesn't care, and he gladly obliges. However, Gatsby tries to pressure Nick into doing the favor for him in exchange for material items, job opportunities, and joyous outings. The entirely of Chapter 5 is extremely awkward, and could be renamed to "How to Third-Wheel: an essay by Nick Carraway". Carraway remains impartial to everything in this chapter, and it seems as if he doesn't care about anything. He's like a child: he agrees to almost anything without thinking about the repercussions. He dedicates a significant portion of his year to setting up a stranger and a cousin he barely knows. Carraway's life is so dull and boring that he has nothing better to do than meddle in the affairs of the rich. Throughout the next month (Chapter 6), Gatsby tries to recreate his previous relationship with Daisy. Gatsby attempts to replicate how everything was before Louisville, but he fails to do so now that the times have changed. Carraway tells Jay that he can't repeat the past, but Gatsby is certain that he can. As Gatsby's new relationship begins to crumble with Daisy's unhappiness, he becimes more socially awkward and daring. Tom becomes aware of the affair, but he tries to keep it secret until a good time to strike. Chapter 6 effectively sets up the beginning of the end, and illustrates how Carraway watches doom get created right before his eyes. Carraway doesn't care, however. He'll set up a shady relationship, but he won't do anything to fix the mistakes that are made. It also doesn't help that Gatsby takes Nick's advice. Nick, who hasn't been with a woman in a while, is giving relationship advice to a tycoon with immense power and social status. Gatsby's nerves and Carraway's carelessness create a weak relationship that was never meant to last.
Chapters 3 and 4 continue the characterization of Carraway, Gatsby, and the other supporting characters. Chapter 3 describes the intricacy of Gatsby's huge parties, and this allows for many rumors to spread about Jay. Many people believe he is a lier, thief, or murderer, but nobody knows the truth. Jordan gets invited to speak with Gatsby, and he tells her about his wish to see Daisy. (Chapter 4) After this truth is revealed, the audience realizes that every party that Gatsby has thrown was organized just to find Daisy. At this point, however, the reader does not know the significance of the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. The wealth and class of most of his party guests indicate that Gatsby is a popular man, but his parties seem to lack substance. Many people show up and have a good time, but there's never a purpose to any of it. There's only one purpose in Gatsby's mind, and that's to find Daisy. It's sad really, how all of these people show up to Gatsby's house, uninvited, and eat/ drink everything that is given - all without giving any thanks. This nature could also be indicative of the rich culture on East and West Egg, but there isn't enough information to clarify. In Chapter 4, the history behind Gatsby and Daisy is revealed. Both characters have had very sad love lives, and Tom had not been loyal to Daisy. Gatsby is so infatuated with Daisy that he purchased his mansion specifically to be closer to daisy, and it's kind of unsettling. As time progresses, Gatsby starts to turn into a weird next door neighbor. However, Nick fails to see amy red flags and agrees to help Gatsby set up a date. Chapter 4 obviously does a great job characterizing Gatsby, but it also characterized Carraway quite a bit. Caraway saw Wolfshiem with Gatsby, and he had the suspicion that they were up to no good. However, Caraway still agrees to help Gatsby commit adultery with Daisy, and willingly gets his cousin involved in a shady and potentially dangerous relationship. Not only is Carraway egotistical, but he's also clueless. He blindly offered to help both parties without thinking about the effects. He also mentioned how he was an honest person at the end of Chapter 3, and he sets up an un-honest relationship.
Chapter 2 has some interesting elements that stand out to the reader. Dr. Eckleburg's eyes are a symbol of something during this time period, but the meaning can vary. Since the audience does not yet know who he truly is yet, Eckleburg is a mysterious character in this new mysterious world. One could claim that he has an omniscient view over his area, possibly foreshadowing future events. Another could argue that his presence is God-like, being the mysterious and powerful being he's indicated to be.
The party that Nick attended was a fairly basic party, yet the people involved were over the top. Being his pretentious self, Nick mentions that this was his second time getting drunk, hinting that he's too good and proper to engage in such acts regularly. Nick is revolted by the party (being pretentious again), but he is drawn to it. Just like he is drawn to Gatsby. It's as if Caraway doesn't truly know himself, and everything that he has come to known was put in his mind by a false sense-of-self(possibly due to his environment growing up). Deep inside, Nick likes these people, but his superficial background tells him that he shouldn't. That, or he's drawn to them because it's a change of scenery to him. Similar to a rebelling teenager. Chapter 1 introduces Nick Carraway, who I analyzed in the post below. The analysis sums up Nick's character in chapter 1, so I'm not going to elaborate here. Tom meets the main characters of the novel. He meets Jordan, Daisy, and Tom- the abusive egomaniacal husband. Chapter 1 was a taste of what's to come, introducing Tom and his wild ways. It also sets up the relationship between Nick and Jordan. Analyzing closer, it seems as if Jordan and Daisy are unhappy at Tom's place, especially Daisy. We learn that the woman on the phone with Tom is Myrtle, a character hat is built up in later chapters. At the end of the chapter, Nick sees Gatsby on his dock looking at the light across the bay. The light is on Daisy's dock, and Gatsby looks at the light to feel closer to Daisy.
Nick Carraway is a fairly straightforward man, but his character is lacking in depth and background. Self proclaimed to be moral and tolerant, Carraway’s character contains a small amount of pretentiousness, presumably from his wealthy background. Carraway is the type of person who is fairly down to earth, but will subtly brag every now and again, despite his self-image. Carraway has his merits, and he also seems to be smart. Graduating from Yale, Carraway has many connections on East Egg and he pays very close attention to the people he encounters. He only encounters a few people in chapter 1 but he is easily able to characterize each and every one of them, pointing out flaws and clues that the others may not have noticed. Jordan’s obvious boredom is immediately apparent to Nick, just like Daisy’s shallowness. He knows that these girls have deeper personalities, but something is holding them back from expressing themselves. Carraway builds his credibility by pointing out these things, things that an average person wouldn’t pick up on, making Carraway the perfect narrator in this story. Nick leaves Tom’s house disturbed, likely due to the broken people he just encountered. Despite his attention to detail, Carraway has questions about many people on the island, especially Gatsby. Gatsby is introduced but is only seen once, foreshadowing that he is going to be a major character later on. Carraway does a great job illustrating this, pointing out that Gatsby looked disturbed in his yard. This small detail leads to a lot of open ended questions that cannot immediately be answered such as “Why is Gatsby disturbed?” and “Who is this strange man?” Even though Gatsby is unrelated to Carraway at this point, Nick is still drawn to this mysterious man, building Carraway’s character. For a man who thinks he’s seen and knows it all, Gatsby is an outlier. An outlier that may go on to change the very way that Carraway thinks and knows himself to be.
4. Mr. Hooper has something to hide. That much is for sure. Explain the significance of the incident when Mr. Hooper leans over the casket of the dead young girl. Be very attentive to weird stuff right here. If you think there's something to this, you're probably right.
When Mr. Hooper leans over the casket, he exposes his face to the now deceased girl. Many strange things could have gone on during this time period. Nobody knows for sure what the minister did, but one could make inferences based off of the text. Since Hooper has something to hide, this could indicate that him and the girl had sexual relations. Hooper could have kissed the corpse, or he could have leaned over to reveal himself one last time to his "old friend". 5. Discuss the significance of the juxtaposition of a wedding of two young people on the very same day as a funeral of a young maiden. What, if anything, does Hawthorne imply with this juxtaposition? Marriage symbolizes a new start/a new life. Death is the end of a life. Given the description of the bride, the tone of the funeral seems to overpower the joy of the wedding, almost canceling each other out. However, the darkness of the funeral prevails slightly more than the joy of the wedding, and this leaves a somber cloud over the bride and groom. Since Hawthorne's writing usually revolves around the opposite views of transcendentalism, the audience can infer that Hawthorne is stating that darkness will always have power over light. 6. Build an argument that explains how certain a reader may be that Hawthorne knew of and understood the power of rhetoric. Choose specific passages from the text to support your claims. (This one is all about rhetorical analysis. You're welcome!) Hawthorne starts his story by setting up the scene as bright and happy day, but he quickly transitions to the dark mood of a funeral. Hawthorne catches the reader off guard by quickly introducing this dark mood, and introduces mystery the moment that the veil is revealed. The veil automatically strikes the audience as odd, as the people in the church where visibly disturbed by this black veil. Questions arise, such as "why is he wearing a veil that people are so unused to seeing?", and the idea that this is no ordinary funeral appears. Like I mentioned in the majority of my responses, Hawthorne portrays the battle between light and dark throughout the entirety of the story, and builds up an insolvable mystery. However, Hawthorne leaves enough clues for the reader to infer the sin that Hooper has committed. 7. Hawthorne was not a small critic of Transcendentalism, with its constant proddings for people to tap into the inner-light, and avoid conformity as individuals tap into Nature and the over-soul. How does Hawthorne seem to criticize the basic tenants of Transcendentalism with "The Minister's Black Veil"? What argument does Hawthorne seem to be most critical? Be sure to use specific pieces from the text to support your claims. Hawthorne uses careful diction to portray the battle between light and dark throughout the entire story. The first occurrence of this was when Hawthorne mentions the bright and cheery day outside and then quickly switches to the depressing tone of the funeral. Like stated in question 4, Hawthorne implies(according to the text) that darkness will always overcome light, refuting transcendentalists' claims that humans are inherently good and that their "inner light" will always shine through. If humans where inherently good, then why is Mr. Hooper hiding an obvious sin? From the black veil to the appearance of the bride and groom, darkness shrouds the majority of the story, allowing room for light only in the beginning. Not only did Hawthorne portray the battle of light vs dark inside the characters of the story, Hawthorne also portrayed this battle in his style of writing; starting light, and quickly transforming into a dark and mysterious story. 8. Finally: Hawthorne carefully avoids ever mentioning what Hooper has hidden. That said, from what you can tell, what is the most likely sin that the Reverend Hooper has committed? Explain the basis for your claim with solid argumentation. (Syllogism, enthymeme, logical reasoning). According to the text, Hooper has either committed murder or he has engaged in sexual relations with the girl. However, the story tends to lean more towards the theory of sexual relations. When the minister comes in wearing a veil, the audience is visibly disturbed, indicating that the veil rarely(if ever) makes an appearance. The veil indicates that Hooper has/had some special connection to the dead girl, or else he probably wouldn't have worn the veil. The veil has a variety of purposes. It could be worn to conceal the shame that he feels, it could be worn to show the sadness that he is feeling, or it could be worn as a token of extreme respect. However, I believe it is worn to conceal the shame of the minister. He has obviously done something wrong, so concealing his true emotions is warranted. When Hooper leans over the casket, he allegedly makes the girl shake. Did he put the power of God into her? Or did he forcibly move her body? I believe that Hooper kissed the girl underneath his veil in the short moment that the two were face to face, presumably for the last time. The kiss hypothesis makes a sexual relation more possible, and all Hooper wanted to do was see his lover for one last time. Stephen H. Webb's "How Soccer Is Ruining America: A Jeremiad," is a satirical take on our nations biggest problem: soccer. At least this is what the audience realizes in the later duration of the essay. Webb starts his piece criticizing the sport of soccer while introducing clever word play such as: "Soccer is running America into the ground." Most readers jump into this piece expecting a concrete argument against soccer, and look passed this play on words. Webb does this to emphasize the satirical tone of the piece, but this tone is not fully realized until the last page. The reason why the phrase "Soccer is running America into the ground" is so comical is because it links two worlds: soccer and English. Soccer is a sport where you literally run a ball on the ground, whereas a popular English term for destruction/degradation is "running __ into the ground." As Webb builds up his "argument" against soccer, he uses facetious claims to prove his contentions. Webb mentions that soccer is "a liberals dream of tragedy," after mentioning leftist views earlier in the passage. This statement is meant as satire, but it could be deemed as true in some instances, For example, the common image of Liberals consists of over necessary equality for everybody, including soccer players. Is Webb a Democrat? Republican? Does it even matter? Webb's use of political opinion strengthens the satirical tone for those who have caught on, but increases the "argument" against soccer for those who have not. This build up keeps the reader hooked, wondering where Webb is going to take his argument. The next paragraph talks about the use of feet in sports. Webb mentions that feet are often signs of disrespect, alluding to Bush's "shoe attack." Not only does Webb retell humorous stories of feet, but he makes purposefully asinine comments regarding one's feet. Some examples include "have you ever seen a deaf person trying to talk with their feet?" and " Do kids say "smell my hands" on Halloween?" These questions are so out of place, yet they share a common sense of humor. Trying to imagine a blind person talk with their feet is a pretty funny thing to imagine.(I'm sorry, but it is) Having a kid ask you to smell their hands on halloween is something that you would expect out of an immature child. In an attempt to be funny the replaced a common term with its polar opposite. But that's exactly what Webb is trying to do. He's adding these childish and humorous elements to emphasize the satire in his essay while showing that his arguments are quite childish and absurd.
At this point it is pretty obvious that Webb is changing his tone to satire. The people unaware of this are now reading his essay in confusion: "Is this guy serious?" Just when the reader is certain that the essay is satire, Webb reverses his train-wreck of an argument and introduces interesting opinions. Webb states that old sports, especially boy's sports, offered a greater risk for playing. For example, baseball is extremely embarrassing when you strike out, and dangerous when you have 60 mile per hour balls flying at your unprotected body. Soccer really offers none of that risk, and it's a whole lot of running back and forth. Unfortunately/fortunately for Webb's "argument", he spirals into saying sexist remarks about sports of both genders. Based off of the text, Webb's goal is to anger and confuse the reader to a degree where they start to heavily analyze the paper that they are reading. It's like when a friend treats you nicely and does cool things for you, and then admits that they never liked you. Have you ever fought extremely hard to fight for a political opinion for years, just to have your argument destroyed and your view changed in a matter of minutes? This is exactly what Webb is doing to the reader. Webb manipulated readers into thinking that they were on his side, both for and against soccer. But the truth of the matter is that "How Soccer Is Ruining America: A Jeremiad" is so chaotically organized that nobody knows what side they are on anymore. This doesn't only become apparent here, but throughout the course of the essay. When I was reading this I noticed my view( or lack of one) fluctuate depending on the arguments that Webb presented. Webb then dives deeper into his "argument" by stating things parallel to stereotypical conservatives and liberals. Things like "soccer is a foreign invasion", and "The political left worked so hard to bring European despair to America." As Webb adds more political opinions, the reader starts to finally realize that this is a piece of satire. This realization only skyrockets after Webb calls soccer an escape from parenting, and Admits that his children all play sports so he can get some piece and quiet. Webb completely back stabbed his entire argument, crashing what he had left to the ground. Finishing his essay saying that he annoys his daughter by reading books on the sidelines kind of funny, and it ties the ending together well. Stephen H. Webb's "How Soccer Is Ruining America: A Jeremiad" was a roller coaster of confusion, anger, interest, and hilarity. Webb does a great job of fulfilling the satirical role of his piece, and gave readers and soccer enthusiasts alike a chance to go back and laugh, even at themselves. |
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May 2015
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