Hills Like White Elephants- Ernest Hemingway
Stylistically, Hemingway writes simply and with little description. Characters aren’t given
names, and called man and girl- not equivalent. Either suggests age difference, or power
difference. Not just expression, because waitress is called woman. Girl says hills look like white
elephants, and man said he never saw any. Conversation builds to conflict, but don’t know what
the conflict is about. Not actually arguing about hills, just a way of arguing about something else.
For Hemingway, it is the iceberg dynamic- writes his stories, and all we see is the tip of the
iceberg and what’s really going on is under the surface and we have to figure out. They are
arguing about hills like white elephants, but probably aren’t actually arguing about that, and we
have to figure that out. Repetition about water shows that waitress is speaking Spanish to the
man, and the man relays it to the girl in English. Conversation about the drink escalates into
argument, giving sense of tension that we don’t know what it is. Closest we get to what’s
underneath the surface is their conversation about an operation (abortion- but never say it so
some people never realize it. Can’t talk about the abortion, so funnel it into other conversations.
Before she got pregnant, their relationship had a dynamic that she was a little kid and when she
said things like “hills like white elephants” and he would like them, but now he doesn’t like
those sayings. Becoming a mother takes away being a child, which was the basis of their
relationship. Girl just wants it to go back to the way before and doesn’t want to talk about it.
Now that the issue has surfaced, she just wants to push it back down. Hemingway is fascinated
by what people don’t talk about and their suppressions. Man says she doesn’t want anyone but
girl, and child would take that away, because now their would be two little kids. Girl gets irked
at talking and threatens to yell at man because he keeps talking. Ending, when girl says she feels
fine, is key suppression because she doesn’t feel fine.
Chablis-Donald Barthelme
Chablis is type of wine. Opening equates dog and baby. Story is about man (husband and father)
who hates his position and feels alienated from his position, and isn’t comfortable with his
position. Shows the other side of the classic story, that men can also feel uncomfortable with
their role in society, not just women. Unlikely that baby actually wants a dog, but unsure because
baby only spends time with his wife. Sense of alienation that he is the third wheel of the family.
Again gender expectations with black sheep, shameful child. Suggests that only the boys were
black sheep because whatever the girl does is correct. Black sheep brother becomes white sheep
brother with marriage and childbirth. Barthelme suggests that there is equal stress on man by
culture and are only accepted when have a wife and child. There is sense that father likes the
baby and likes to look at her, but again a sense of distance because looks at her from afar with
sense of separation with child. Wishes he cold be close to his child, but doesn’t know how.
Implication is that when the dog gets lost that it is expected of him to go find the dog. Father
wonders what the dog can do that he can’t, because he feels like he will be replaced by the dog.
Realizes he can do everything the dog can, so wonders why the baby needs the dog. Says Joanna
will go to school if he keeps his job, again implying that he is responsible for providing for her.
Clerk is woman, significant because showing that they don’t get his jokes. Image of the father is
that he really cares and is worried about his wife and child because of the expectations put on
him by society. Financially it is the dog or new tires- feels like he doesn’t give his family what
he should give them. Last paragraph gives memory of where he almost got into a car accident
and feels proud of being able to handle a situation as a black sheep. Looking back he feels like he
did what he was supposed to and wishes he was there because everything was clear, and here it is
unclear what to do for the family. Knows what culture and family expect him to do, but doesn’t
know how to do it.
The Sun Also Rises- Ernest Hemmingway
Book is about lost generation between the wars. Lost in the sense that have no purpose, meaning
or goal, or lost youth and innocence, or have lost identity which is why they have no purpose.
Loss of identity has multiple parts because identity has multiple parts. These people don’t care
about their history so lost that part of their identity. Also, nobody has a nation so don’t care about
being a countryman and have no loyalty to a particular nation and will go wherever has interest
to them, regardless of the place. Book is deeply irreligious, which is another way they don’t have
an identity. People don’t have defining careers or gender differences, components of identity.
(Identity- history, nation, religion, career, gender, race) These people don’t know who they are,
and can’t know, so desperately look for ways to identify themselves.
P.11: Opening is deceptive. Odd because gives Robert a history and an identity which nobody
else has. Also gives impression that book will be about Robert Cohn but in reality, he isn’t as
major as someone like Jake.
P.12: Get history of Robert, but Jake doesn’t trust it. History is immediately undercut because it
is frank, simple, and fits together too well- doesn’t trust story that makes too much sense. Real
life doesn’t make that much sense, which prepares reader for the book.
P.17: Robert tries to get Jake to go to South America with him. Robert says South Americans in
Paris aren’t ‘real’- not in South America and not the South Americans he sees in books. Robert
wants the South Americans that have been conjured up in his head. All of his opinions come
from fiction, not reality. Jake says foreign countries will end up being disappointing because they
just look like the movies, so Robert should just keep watching the movie. Jake says the only
people who live their lives fully are bull fighters- Jake is doing the same thing as Robert,
idealizing a group of people based on fiction. Jake recognizes that Robert does it, but doesn’t
realize that he’s doing it himself. Idealize things like bull fighters, because don’t have the
traditional value system, and instead come from books and bull fighters. Jake says Robert will go
anywhere where he reads a book about, so suggests that Robert reads one.
P.48: Jake says he hates the Boulevard Raspail, maybe because he read something about it, and
talks about how Robert hates Paris because of Mencken. Again says that people’s opinion is a
product of society
P.22: Jake picks up Georgette, even though he can’t do anything with her. Seems like he only
wants here for the company and doesn’t want to be lonely. Georgette orders a pernod, a drink
almost like opium. Jake implies that she doesn’t have good teeth because she is a hooker, which
is one step away from being homeless. Georgette doesn’t believe that the New York Herald
bureau isn’t really showing the times in America- such an outrageous idea and Jake doesn’t try to
teach her. Jake pushes her hand away and steers away from Georgette’s advancement with the
reason that he’s sick, although Georgette says she’s also sick, and everyone’s sick. Georgette
says shouldn’t worry because she probably already has it and can’t hurt her. On a metaphorical
level, the lost generation is sick- impotence, so Georgette is saying everyone is impotent, that
everyone is powerless. Jake’s literal impotence is a metaphor for the impotence that everyone
feels. Nobody in the lost generation has power and all feel weak and powerless. Jake says he’s
sick because he got hurt in the war, and talks about the war as something that is talked about too
much and therefore boring. At a certain point, things get so bad that they aren’t even
acknowledged as bad, and just want to avoid them. Jake has become numb to the war because
it’s been talked about too much. Jake really doesn’t care about who won the war, because all that
matters is that he got hurt.
P.30: Georgette is described as masculine- always as attractive, but has boyish qualities. Her hair
is cut like a boy’s but has curves “like the hull of a racing yacht”- masculine in certain ways but
feminine in other ways.
P.35: Brett wears a man’s hat- another example of her masculinity. Brett’s masculinity shows the
Lost Generation’s losses- here gender identity. The more masculine Brett is the more feminine
everyone around her becomes. Scene becomes another example of men taking on roles usually
meant for women.
P.33: Relationship between Jake and Brett won’t work because they are too attracted to each
other and will have to come back to sex but Brett’s sexuality always gets in the way. Brett is in
the traditional man’s position and it’s her sexuality that makes things impossible. Brett feels as
though she’s now paying for teasing people so now she is getting teased. Brett sees herself in the
traditionally masculine roll- unfulfilled sexual desire.
P.38: Presented with Jake’s wound, and narrativly it isn’t dealt with much. Dealt with very
quickly and just as quickly dismissed. Jake doesn’t talk about it much because he’s in denial.
Since he’s looking at it in the mirror it is surfacing, so Jake pushes it back under the surface.
Significant that looking at himself in the mirror because of Freudian mirror stage (moment where
toddlers are obsessed with seeing themselves in mirrors. Don’t know that they are looking at
themselves, or that they are babies, so mirror stage is when realize that the person in the mirror is
them. One of the most traumatic experiences for a person because brings self-loathing because
don’t look like their parents) Jake experiences the mirror stage because sees himself and is
disappointed.
P.102: Jake and Robert Cohn wait around for the barber shop to open for haircuts and have to
kill time (most of the book feels like someone is killing time) Line that sticks out is “that has
nothing to do with the story” even though everything has nothing to do with the story. Even the
line after this seems like it has nothing to do with the story. Jake says that the fact that he is the
archivist has nothing to do with the story- implying that history has nothing to do for the story
because for the lost generation history isn’t part of the story. Green door is important because it
is the present. Lost generation doesn’t know what to make of history and what it should mean to
them, but do know that door is green and what’s happening in the present and sure about them.
The only thing the lost generation can be secure about is the present so that’s what they cling to.
Jake goes to cathedral, from history to religion. Jake’s connection to religion is weak and has
trouble praying. Starts off well praying for everyone he knows, but generic, but then prays for
the bullfighters and becomes almost like a wish list and prays for the things he wants. Not
spiritual or a connection to God but just a wish list and throwing pennies into a fountain. Jake
admits he’s a rotten Catholic, but doesn’t feel bad. Religion is like a piece of artwork and has
now power of him. Jake isn’t even bothered by the fact that he isn’t connected to religion and has
no power over him. For the Lost Generation, they have an aficion for something which takes
place of religion, history, etc- and for Jake it is bullfighting.
P.136: Montoya doesn’t believe that Bill is an aficionado. A person gets aficion if they are
obsessed and have such a passion that it is the person’s structure of life, almost like religion. For
an aficionado, the subject gives a person their identity. Even some of the bullfighters weren’t
aficionados and it was their career. Robert Cohn’s aficion is to fiction, and Brett’s is her
relationship with men.
P.145: Everyone goes to a café to talk about the bullfighting, which is metaphorical. Bulls only
become dangerous when detached from the herd. Brett is the bullfighter in the metaphor and she
separates someone. When together, the men are okay and the only problems occur when Brett
comes in and goes off with one of the men. Brett again is the one in control. Brett admires the
bull’s horns- obviously metaphorical. Mike calls Cohn a steer, a castrated bull. Odd because Jake
is sitting there and is actually castrated. A steer always follows the bull- here Brett is the bull,
always the one with power. There is no feminine symbolism; everything is masculine and phallic
power- most of which belongs to Brett.
P.185: Brett snaps at Cohn for wanting to sit with. Brett keeps making claims that the men are
behaving poorly, but Jake is understanding of them- kind of blaming Brett. Brett doesn’t think
Jake would behave poorly, but Jake says he would, which Brett hates. Brett says he wouldn’t
behave that way if he was regular, and Jake says he would be poorly behaved, but can’t. Brett
likes Jake because she idealizes her relationship because the relationship can’t happen. Jake can’t
disappoint her because he was never put in a situation that would disappoint her. Brett can cling
to the ideal because she never has to worry about it happen. Relationship is always good because
never has to suffer reality.
P.187: Jake warns Brett to not be in love with Romero, as if she could avoid it. Brett says she
can’t stop things- for all the power she has, she has no control. Brett has power of men and
making them fall for her, but has no control of who she falls for. Even Brett acknowledges that
she may destroy Romero, but doesn’t know how to avoid it. Brett destroys men (power) but
doesn’t have control of situations and inadvertently destroys men. She just finds herself in
situations that allow her to destroy men, and seems like the destructions are accidents.
P.189: Jake has to serve as an intermediary for Brett’s palm reading of Romero- very awkward.
As bullfighting for a metaphor- kill friends before they kill you. The biggest threat is the people
that are close to you. These people are most damaged by the people who are closest to them.
P.228: Everyone leaves and only Mike, Jake, and Bill remain behind- sense that everything is
over and they are the only ones left behind. They are the remainders of what went on, and here
Brett takes the party when she goes, giving them the sense of being leftovers.
P.245: Book ends on 6 page conversation between Jake and Brett- very desperate. Jake asks
Brett why she didn’t keep Pedro, implying that Brett is in power. Through the 6 page
conversation, Brett constantly wants to not talk about it, but it keeps coming back. Pedro wanted
Brett to grow her hair out, because Pedro is described as feminine and needs to reaffirm his
masculinity with Brett as a woman. Only Pedro needs to reaffirm his masculinity because he is a
bullfighter and Brett doesn’t help by looking more manish than he does. Brett says she’s 34 and
won’t ruin children- won’t ruin younger people like Romero (he’s 19, she’s 34). Brett wants to
go back to Mike because he’s nice, but awful- opposed to Romero who is pure and innocent.
Brett doesn’t want to corrupt Romero so wants to go to someone who is corrupt like she isdesperate but kind of sweet. Jake articulates feeling that nothing has changed and feels like back
where everything started and nobody gets anywhere or learns anything. Jake feels like nobody is
making any progress- grim way to end the book. Brett says she will talk around what happened
with Pedro- best description of the book. Brett also says that deciding not to be a bitch is what
they have instead of God- one of the moments where confused about why that is what replaces
God. Even Jake points out that some people have God, but Brett says that it never worked well
with her. Conversation by this point feels so attenuated and feels like conversation just to fill up
empty air and they just want to keep the conversation going because they both recognize that it
doesn’t mean anything. Repetition of glasses makes reader feel like they’ve been here before and
even the language is repetition of what has previously been seen. Even ending scene feels like
one from the beginning, in the back of a cab- no progression. Brett said they could’ve had a great
time together if Jake wasn’t wounded. Last image of policeman raising baton gets to Jake so
gives same response as before, saying that it would be nice to think that way, but fact of the
matter is that it isn’t true. Yet, still lovely image to think that relationship would’ve worked- both
a recognition that not true with longing to be true.
As I Lay Dying- William Faulkner
Book is Southern Gothic (Mississippi) - dark, sinister, violent, grotesque. Written in first person,
but switches between people. Each chapter is titled after a character from who’s prespective the
chapter is.
Bundren Family
Anse (lazy)-Addie (dying)
Cash (carpenter/precise)
Darl* (most important)
Jewel (horse)
Dewey Dell (femininity/sexuality)
Vardaman (fish)
Peabody (doctor)
(Vernon) Tull (neighbor)
Cora (Tull) (Tull’s wife)
Eula (neighbor)
P.3: Opens with Darl chapter. Story begins with Jewel following Darl, who walks along the path
which goes around the cotton house. Cotton house has two windows, in front and in back. Darl
follows the path around the house, while Jewel goes through the window, through the house, and
comes out the other side. As a result, Jewel and Darl reverse positions. Scene is representation of
power struggle and Jewel, as the middle child, tries to climb past his status as the middle child.
Or can be seen as Darl taking the winding route to avoid problems while Jewel takes them head
on. Darl stays on the path and follows rules, while Jewel doesn’t.
P.6: Cora is fixed on the cakes and eggs- was supposed to make cakes for someone, but never
ended up selling the cakes. Doesn’t have much to do with the book, but included to teach about
character of Cora, and to Cora, the death of Addie is just as her neighbor. Saying even though
focused on Bundren family, could easily focus on someone else, and to Cora she really doesn’t
care about Addie. Shows that when reader is in a character’s head, then really in their head, and
only focused on what the character is focused on. Even sitting next to Addie, Cora still has her
own consciousness and own priorities.
P.7: Kate, another neighbor, says that the woman should’ve just taken the cakes. Cora is very
religious and is very severe, but duplicitous. Cora agrees with the woman, but thinks that God
will punish the woman. Separation between what Cora says and what she thinks. Superficially
she is very sweet, but underneath is very judgmental. Darl’s chapters are most well written, and
always talking about other people. Also talks about things which he doesn’t see first hand- Darl
is a god figure who is omnipresent. When Cora says God can see into the heart, not only God
can, but Darl can too. Again in Cora’s mind there is moment of God judging the woman, but
says that she never needed them so can’t really blame her. Narrative then shifts to description of
Addie, but only refers to her as “she” and would never know that it is Addie unless knew scene
previously. The “him” is Cash- but would never know that. Reason for using pronouns and not
names is for authenticity because that’s the way people think. First part of book is distinguished
by death in background- Cash building coffin. Seems brutal, except find out that Addie wants to
make sure that her coffin is well built. Addie is listening so intently that could read it on her face.
Cora says that even so, Addie is going to hell- but don’t know why. At same moment that she’s
thinking that Addie is going to hell, she says that cakes turned out nice.
P.9: As Darl passes outside, Eula touches her beads and hair- always a sign that she has interest
in Darl. Discover that women really like Darl and men are intimidated by him, probably because
Darl can see into people’s souls.
P.10: Darl goes on and on about everyone else and responds to the question of where Jewel is by
telling that Jewel is in the barn, but comes after a page of talking. Actual time between question
and answer is no longer than half a second, but takes longer to read because of Darl’s tangent.
Faulkner does this because shows that all of this happens in a person’s mind in half a second, and
that’s the way the mind works. While a person is focused on one thing, the mind is focused on a
million other things and internally the mind is focused on a bunch of other things. Darl moves
into describing scene of Jewel and the horse, even though he isn’t there. Scene is about Jewel
taming the horse, because horse is a wild horse. Becomes fight between Jewel and the horse in
order for Jewel to mount. Taming the horse has a very sexual implication to it- horse replaces
whatever romantic relationships Jewel would have.
P.14: Jewel opens by criticizing Cash for making the coffin outside Addie’s windowimmediately comes across as angry. Get impression that really about Cash, as the oldest child,
has the right to honor his mother by building coffin for his mother, and Jewel is angry about that.
Jewel is experiencing classic middle child. Gesture of Cash bringing fertilizer seems sweet to
parents, but Jewel hates it because Cash is always doing the right thing. Jewel writes with stream
of consciousness because that’s they way people think, which is all Faulkner cares about. To
Jewel, the actual making of the coffin is what kills Addie, and it is that that brings her closer to
death. In an ideal situation, Jewel is on a hill with his mother, throwing rocks at whoever tries
come up the hill.
P.18: Darl and Jewel want to go sell wood in town, but don’t want to be away when Addie dies.
Nobody actually comes out one way or another because nobody wants to say that they won’t be
there when Addie dies. Other issue, real issue, is that when Addie dies they need to get on the
road to Jefferson because they don’t want to wait and prolong the trip with a decomposing body.
Not so much the sentimental thing, really the practical issue of needing the wagon to move the
body. Darl’s solution is to borrow Tull’s wagon and have them catch up, to which Anse said that
their wagon is better- no solution will work for Anse. Everyone speaks about Addie, but don’t
know anything about her. Vernon, the voice of optimism, said Addie will hold out and the roads
look good, but Anse points out its going to rain (pessimistic). Darl finally decides that they are
going to town, such that Anse escapes any blame for anything that happens.
P.21: Cora misreads the situation and thinks that Darl doesn’t actually want to go. Cora isn’t
fond of Bundrens except for Darl and thinks they are all lazy.
P.26: Chapter begins heavy with stream of consciousness. Dewey Dell begins by talking about
time when she and Lafe went picking cotton. She then moves to telling why Anse doesn’t workbecause he doesn’t want to sweat and then die because of it (impression is Anse misinterpreted a
situation and used it to get of work). Jewel doesn’t work because he’s a jerk and doesn’t care.
Cash doesn’t work because he’s making the coffin, and Darl doesn’t pay attention to anything
around him. Can’t expect Darl to do anything because he is beyond the word. Dewey Dell calls
the woods a secret place, a place for privacy, and contemplates doing things or not. Makes a deal
that if the sack is full by the end of the row than she’ll do it but if not full than turn around and
pick in the other direction. Dewey Dell puts it behind a full sack to make it seem as though she
was forced into it. She wants to, but knows it’s wrong, so finds a way to not make it her
responsibility. Sense of game playing with herself because knows she wants to, but doesn’t. At
the end of the row, Dewey Dell’s sack was full, so she had to. She ends up seeing Darl and
knows that he knew. Implication is that Dewey Dell and Darl have an exchange without words.
Has more pronoun confusion by asking if he would kill him, Lafe and not Anse. Implication of
not saying words is that words are deceptive and not trustworthy and because Darl
communicated without words than trustworthy.
P.35: “Durn that road”- “”. Vast justification for Anse’s laziness. Says God should’ve made him
horizontal like roads or snakes, even though roads don’t move. Classic Bundren as Anse doesn’t
take responsibility for being lazy.
P.39: “He has been to town this week”- “Do you know she is going to die Jewel?” On their way
to sell the wood, Darl gives a description of the back of Jewel’s neck because of where he’s
sitting. Language is much more refined and polished than Anse’s. Darl’s language is much more
articulate than his education should allow because Faulkner uses Darl for his own voice. Sits
behind Jewel and tells him that Addie will die- very creepy. Wouldn’t be surprising if
conversation between Darl and Jewel wasn’t spoken. Darl’s language lacks contractions which
makes it more formal and less conversational. Dewey Dell wants Addie to die so that she can go
into town and have an abortion. Darl realizes that on some level, Dewey Dell is more concerned
with going to Jefferson to take care of her problem than her mother dying, Everyone really has
an ulterior motive for going to Jefferson. Cash wants to buy a phonograph in Jefferson- the more
into the book the more the reader realizes that nobody is really upset about Addie’s death.
Implication is that Addie doesn’t have love for the family and wants to be buried in Jefferson to
spite them and to get away from them. Darl calls the sun a bloody egg- not accidental because of
topic of conversation. Darl calls Addie by her full name and not mom because either hates her or
because voice of Faulkner.
P.47: Addie’s death scene- Darl’s chapter even though he isn’t there. Normally, Darl chapters at
least start with him and move to others but this one start with other people. Faulkner uses Darl to
narrate the scene because a death scene so need God, but also because Darl is the most cohesive
and articulate.
P.48: Addie’s actual death. Addie leans out the window for one last check on her coffin and Cash
shows the progress and what will result. Addie dies without even glancing at Anse- heavy
implication.
P.49: In the middle of the chapter come italicized passages. Passages indicate where Darl
actually is at that current moment. Darl has been reduced to italicized passage in his own chapter,
a side note. During trip it began to rain, not good for trip. Lumber is also tilted because wheel
shattered and need to fix it- trip is delayed and not a good sign for them. Darl calls Jewl’s name
repeatedly as if to tell him that Addie died.
P.51: Another italicized passage. Passage is in italics because what is going on in Darl’s head at
that moment is what is actually on at that moment in the house. This passage is what is going on
in Dewey Dell’s head, which is going on in Darl’s head. Dewey Dell follows Peabody outside
and Peabody tells her not to be sad, but actually there because she wants to tell him she’s
pregnant. Expression of dismay is because she wants an abortion, not because her mother died.
Peabody completely misreads the expression and thinks it’s about Addie. Goes back to the room
with Addie’s corpse and Anse. Anse doesn’t know what to do so tries to smooth out the blanket,
because he saw Dewey Dell do it, so tries to do things the other people did because he doesn’t
know what to do. Anse messes it up and creates wrinkle instead and when he tires to smooth
them, just creates more wrinkles- metaphor for Anse because when he tires to do something he
makes the situation worse so just doesn’t do anything. Anse finally gives up and says that he can
finally get new teeth- very dark and sinister.
P.52: Darl’s chapter ends with italics. Darl tells Jewel that “Addie Bundren” is dead- not
referring to her as mom showing hate of Addie.
P.84: Vardaman calls his mother a fish because loves both and both are dead. Vardaman is trying
to figure out what death means so associates his mother with the fish he caught.
P.73: Tull describes how Vardaman responds to his mother’s death. Vardaman has opened the
window for his mother because feels like Addie needs fresh air. Getting the corpse wet and
drying it is a sure way to degrade the corpse- realize that formula for bad news. Vardaman tires
to make air holes for the box that Addie was put in, but ends up boring two holes in her face.
P.80: Check in with Darl and Jewel who are resting for the night. Darl talks about emptying for
sleep. Darl is frequently emptying himself for other people and his identity is usurped by other
people so begins to wonder who he is. Darl compares himself to Jewel who is confident in his
identity because he doesn’t think about it. Whole issue of who the wood belongs to and if it
doesn’t belong to anybody than it doesn’t exist relates to Addie’s death because when Addie
dies, some of everyone’s identity dies. If his mother doesn’t exist, than identity can’t be her son.
If Addie is dead, than Jewel can’t exist, so Addie must still exist.
P.82: Cash’s chapter- talking about how he made the coffin. Says he made it on the bevel (wood
cut at an angle- looks better and stronger). Made on bevel is significant because takes longer but
has advantages- more surface for nails to grip, more area for the nail to grip to, water doesn’t get
into it as easily. Starts with scientific and mathematical, but moves to animal magnetism
(mystical) for the reason that the body exerts force differently. Even Cash, as precise as he is, has
ways to manipulate his own thinking.
P.103: Darl describes Dewey Dell climbing into the wagon. Dress is tightening because one of
her legs is raised. Calls her leg the lever that moves the world and legs are a caliper which
measure the length and breadth of life- literally sex and childbirth. A woman’s legs become the
focus of the world, and becomes very pressuring on Dewey Dell, especially when Addie dies, so
she becomes femininity.
P.164: Scene where everyone falls into the river. Dewey Dell’s maternal and feminine aspects
are imposing on all the men. Again, Dewey Dell’s femininity is hyperbolic
P.120: Symbolically, New Hope is an abortion. Dewey Dell is thinking about childbirth and its
agony and despair. Her language suddenly sounds like Darl’s voice (and in italics) and one of the
moments where Dewey Dell has the Darl/Faulkner voice and may be how they have the
telepathy.
P.125: Group needs to ford the river to get across because of flood waters. Tull recognizes that
Darl can see into his soul, and it makes him very uncomfortable. Tull is looking at himself
through Darl’s eyes- significant because of Darl’s godliness and being Faulkner- like watching
your own doings through the eyes of Faulkner and reading yourself as a character in a book
narrated by Darl. Tull isn’t only talking about Darl’s ability to see into his soul, but also making
Tull a character in a book- showing Darl’s power.
P.144: Cash bemoans the fact that he didn’t check the river last week, so Jewel offers to ride
ahead on the horse. As Jewel crosses the river, Darl thinks of Jewel’s birth and how he was a
sick child. Jewel is being vulnerable just as he was when he was born. Darl has a protectiveness
over Jewel and kind of worries about Jewel. Cash responds to something out loud that Darl only
thinks- another almost telepathic communication involving Darl.
P.153: Cora thinks the log causing the mess the hand of God, not an accident- speaking to her
hatred of the Bundrens and religiousness.
P.169: Addie is a nasty person who hates everyone. Addie remembers when she was a school
teachers and how she hated the children. According to Addie’s father, the reason for living was
to get ready to die. Addie enjoyed punishing the students and whipping them with whipping the
children as punishment. Hates the children so much is because the children are private and don’t
open up to her- ironic because she is secret and selfish so because she hates that she is secret and
selfish, she hates that the children are the same way. When punishing the children, Addie is
actually punishing herself and is a process of her self-hating. Addie is going through her life and
describing how she married Anse- but doesn’t give any sense of love. Addie says that words get
in the way and are problematic because they lie. Says words are just shapes to fill lacks- have no
meaning and are the things that create illusions. If something is really felt than there is no
necessity to use words and those that do actually don’t have the emotion. Addie loves Cash,
more because of the biological connection, and doesn’t feel the need to say she loves him. When
Addie found out she was pregnant with Darl, she would rather have killed Anse and wants to die,
so requests to be buried in Jefferson because her father was correct, but Anse says that she isn’t
done, causing Addie to consider Anse dead. Both Anse and her body are empty vessels to Addie.
Leaves the word to describe the shape empty because words are useless and the emptiness is also
where Anse pours himself into like cold molasses.
P.174: Addie is addicting to her affair with Whitefield because it wasn’t allowed and such a sin.
All the more sinful because he was an instrument of sin. Addie imagined both dressed in sin only
to have an affair.
P.176: Jewel was product of affair, which is why he is the favorite. Addie said Dewey Dell was
to negative Jewel and Vardaman to replace the child robbed of Anse. Says that Anse has 3 kids:
1. Cash- Anse
2. Darl- Anse
Jewel- Addie
Dewey Dell- Anse (only function of Dewey Dell is to cancel out a mistake, doesn’t even
have value as a person)
3. Vardaman- Anse
Addie doesn’t feel bad about the sin, just doesn’t want to owe Anse anything because she hates
him so much.
P.190: Begin to see Anse as kind of vampiric and takes things from his children instead of giving
to them. Armstid offers to give Anse his donkeys (like Tull) but Anse would rather ruin his
father. Anse stole the money out of Cash’s clothes (wanted to use it to buy the phonograph) to
pay for a new set of donkeys. Sense that Anse is taking everything away from his kids in order to
get to Jefferson.
P.203: Go into town to buy cement to set Cash’s leg in. As wagon comes into town, people run
away from it. Won’t even buy a full sack of cement, and argue to buy 10 cents worth of cement.
Setting Cash’s leg in cement is a horrible because it is being set broken, so have to rebreak it to
fix it. Cement doesn’t provide circulation so could cause Cash to die. Cement won’t go anywhere
and the only way to get it off would be to hammer it off and the cement absorbs heat so would
make Cash uncomfortable.
P.207: Cash doesn’t think it is a good idea and would rather wait it out to Jefferson and would
rather not waste the time. Anse won’t hear Cash’s argument and would rather cripple Cash for
life than waste the 10 cents spent of cement.
P.214: Darl and Vardaman put their ears to Addie’s coffin and Vardaman can actually hear
something which sounds like whispering. Probably hearing maggots consuming the corpse. Darl
says she is talking to God asking him to hide her from the sight of man so she can lay down her
life. Addie is asking of Darl to get rid of her- no longer honoring her at this point and is now
public humiliation. Another Darl/God connection by burning down the barn. Plan fails because
Jewel saves Addie, another time that what seems right is actually selfish. As a result, Darl is sent
to a mental institution, but could’ve been avoided if the family stepped up and paid for the barn.
P.233: Anse’s response to Darl’s sending is that there was nothing else to do and is hard on himselfish. Blames it on his bad luck- problem is Anse has bad luck not anyone else. Cash says that
really can’t determine who is sane and who isn’t and the abnormal one might be the sane one.
P.238: Darl laughs as he is taken away and asks if Cash wants him to go, and gets the response
that even Cash wants him to go. Cash is torn between the fact that he doesn’t think Darl is insane
but can’t get over the fact that Darl ruined the barn. Darl tried to destroy a creation and there is
no excuse for that.
P.253: Darl narrates a chapter about himself in 3rd person. Insanity takes form of Darl being two
people, both the I and the he. Almost as though split between the narrator Darl and the character
Darl.
P.235: Realize they don’t have a shovel, so Jewel offers to go buy one, but Anse refuses to let
him. Stop to borrow a shovel from Mrs. Bundren’s house (the woman who is going to be Mrs.
Bundren). Anse stops at some random house to borrow a shovel and comes back a little while
later with the shovel. Realize later on that during this time, Anse not only managed to borrow a
shovel, but also convinced the woman to marry him. Very confusing narratively because referred
to as Mrs. Bundren even though she isn’t Mrs. Bundren yet.
P.240: Peabody gets annoyed that Cash says his broken leg didn’t bother him. Peabody has
insight that Anse is the destructive force in the family. Anse, who in the beginning seemed like a
harmless idiot, actually is a harmful force. As a result of Anse’s laziness, Cash becomes crippled
for the rest of her life.
P.247: MacGowan gives Dewey Dell random drugs to drink as her “abortion”. None of the
things given to Dewey Dell are strong enough to do anything to cause a miscarriage. MacGowan
implies that the same thing that puts Dewey Dell in that situation will cure it, but Dewey Dell
never picks up on it. Dewey Dell also has no choice because thinks he is the pharmacist and has
no choice. Dewey Dell goes back at 10 and gets taken advantage of- not even the end of her
victimization because Anse steals the rest of her money.
P.255: Dewey Dell still has some money so thinks she can still go to some other place with the
little money she has, but Anse finds the money and takes it. Dewey Dell doesn’t actually want to
tell Anse what it is for, so has to tell him it is Cora Tull’s. Anse takes the money, but presents it
as him being the one who is victimized.
P.260: Cash is physically crippled for the rest of his life, Darl is institutionalized, Dewey Dell is
still pregnant, Jewel had to go get his horse after it was traded away, and Vardaman got his
banana. Anse ended up with new teeth, a wife, and a gramophone (something Cash wanted). In
the middle of the destruction of the family, Anse ends up younger, healthier, stronger, and
renewed. Anse has fed off his family in order to renew himself. While everyone else has gone to
hell, Anse comes back better- shows how demonic Anse really is. At least Cash gets a
gramophone in the house, but now all Cash can think of is how Darl isn’t there- that this life isn’t
his life, reminding that Darl doesn’t belong with these characters. Ends with Anse introducing
his new wife to the children.
The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Title Page: epigraph by Thomas Parke D’Invilliers doesn’t exist and Fitzgerald made it up. In
reality he is a character in another of Fitzgerald’s other books and Fitzgerald uses him to write
the epigraph for this book
P.1: Opens by saying that Nick’s father told him not to be judgmental because more fortunate.
As a result of not being judgemental, he has to spend time with boring people, which in itself is
judgemental. Because everyone recognizes he isn’t judgemental, people recognize they can tell
him things they don’t tell other people. Fitzgerald opens book this way to show that it doesn’t
necessarily have to be true. Also, Fitzgerald is giving Nick’s qualifications to being a narrator.
By not being judgemental, Nick makes a good narrator because he gets more information than
other people and doesn’t skew the fact. People tell him things, but he doesn’t ask for them and
tires to avoid them because doesn’t think they are authentic. Or, the things told to him aren’t true
because people are keeping things back and obvious that actually hinting at something else.
Interesting that Nick says that things told by everyone else are obviously suppressed, but he also
might suppress things- Nick constantly suppresses that he is gay. Nick is hiding some things
from the reader and can only understand them if look closely- Nick really is an unreliable
narrator.
P.2: Nick is saying that as nonjudgmental as he is, when he came back from the East last
summer, all he wanted was to not be around people. Becomes the setup for the story and why he
didn’t want to be around people. Gatsby was the only person he didn’t hate, even though Gatsby
represented everything that hates. Feeling toward Gatsby is layered. Nick has such awe for
Gatsby, and says that Gatsby turned out okay but what preyed on him is what ruined him.
Great Neck is West Egg while East Egg isn’t. East Egg is older money and classier, and
distinction of old money vs. new money is important. Tom and Daisy live on East Egg, while
Gatsby and Nick (who really doesn’t have money) live on West Egg. Implies that Gatsby’s
money is new money which becomes important later on
P.4: Nick feels like he becomes a resident and not a guest when asked for directions. Nick tells
reader that he is a guide to the other person, a way of telling the reader about how he can be a
good narrator.
P.7: Description of the house is very majestic and elegant, almost palace like. House is very
aristocratic and almost as though the house is one with nature and can buy way into nature.
Mansion feels light, airy, and clear. Describes the room as though nothing is stationary and
everything is floating around- representing marriage of Tom and Daisy, freedom (wealth allows
person to float through life), and no seriousness to the people. Dresses seem decorative and just
part of background. Tom kills the atmosphere and seems to say that he is the kind of person that
kills situations. Tom lacks any floaty quality at all.
P.11: Go out to have dinner- classic Daisy scene. Having dinner on the terrace at sunset and
Daisy wonders why there are candles. Daisy gets excited at the longest day of the year, out of
place, but type of character that Daisy is.
P.14: Everyone knows Tom gets a call from his mistress and Daisy tries to break silence with
conversation. Daisy becomes overly dramatic in her description of Nick as a rose. Nick doesn’t
think he is like a rose at all, funny because he is taking Daisy seriously, and Nick feels like he
needs to defend himself because defended at him, and trying to prove his masculinity. Defense
seems to say more of his fear of being called a rose than the actual calling of a rose.
P.16: Moment where Daisy brings her daughter to show everyone and feels like the kid is an
object. Nick doesn’t know how to respond to children at all, as neither does Daisy. Daisy shrugs
off Nick’s question and just wants to return attention to her. Learn that Daisy may not be as
dumb as presented and her presenting herself that way may be a performance. Suggests that the
only thing a girl can be to succeed in culture is to be that way. After she has this confession to
Nick about playing stupid, Nick has another revelation that the admitting might be a performance
and a smirk of Daisy’s face proves that it was.
P.20: Nick sees Gatsby from afar so don’t really see him and only see his figure. Nick both has
the power of the gaze and kitsch of Gatsby watching a green light (doesn’t realize that Gatsby is
looking at Daisy). Gatsby is trying to reach Daisy and is longing for her- a very personal moment
that Nick intrudes upon. Interesting that Nick’s first time that he sees Gatsby in a time of longing
because Gatsby really shouldn’t be longing for anything. Gatsby is still missing something, and
Nick doesn’t understand what Gatsby is missing.
P.29: Nick says that his narration won’t be perfect because this was one of the two evenings he
was drunk. Nick is setting it up so that he can leave things out or make them seem hazy.
P.30: Nick’s description of Catherine. Catherine has plucked off her eyebrows and then repainted
them in the shape she wants, but her eyebrows were growing back giving her face a blurred
impression. Symbolic of recreating yourself but who you actually are will end up showing up.
Can’t really hide who you are, and can try to hide it, but will eventually be shown to people.
P.34: Everyone is talking about Myrtle’s affair with Tom and how she married the wrong person.
Myrtle needs an example of how crazy it would be to be in love with somebody so uses Nick. A
little bit insulting. Myrtle could either mean that it is crazy to imagine that she would love Nick
because she just met him or may be that insane to love him because he’s gay (Nick being gay is
possibly apparent to everyone). Nick is very much an outsider in this situation. As an outsider,
Nick boosts his credibility as a narrator.
P.35: Nick wonders about the people who look up at the windows and wonder about what is
going on inside, and says that even though he is inside, he’s actually an outsider. Could read it as
either wanting to be outside and away from all of this, or inside and with all of this.
P.37: Tom breaks Daisy’s nose during a fight. Nick and Mr. McKee leave and have a
conversation. Mr. McKee invites Nick to lunch. Dances right over scene where Nick ends up in
Mr. McKee’s bed. Clearly that it was on purpose and obvious suppression. Moment where
become suspicious of Nick’s narration, if it is realized at all
P.40: Second paragraph shifts from past tense to present tense because saying that whatever is
being described in present tense is recurring. Implication is that parties happen all the time.
Gatsby’s parties aren’t excuse and open to anyone, and the people who come are the weird
people in the social world.
P.45: Nick and Jordan go to the library and meet the Owl Eyes man. Owl Eyes is surprised that
books are real because living in West Egg it is assumed that Gatsby doesn’t have class.
Implication is that Gatsby is sketchy and a fraud. Gatsby is a tough guy who seems to appear that
he is polished and refined but actually is a fake, which is why everyone assumes the library is a
fake. Owl Eyes says that since the books are real, Gatsby is a great performer. Owl Eyes says
that the pages weren’t even cut- books were printed in folio pages with 16 per sheet and had
folds on the edges, so to read had to cut the edge of the pages. Since Gatsby didn’t cut the pages,
Owl Eyes knows that Gatsby didn’t read the books.
P.47: When Nick finally meets Gatsby, he doesn’t even realize that it is Gatsby. Description of
Gatsby’s smile seemed to be sent from heaven, straight from God. Interesting that Nick describes
the smile that way because happens when Nick realizes that he is talking to Gatsby- part of
Nick’s reason for liking Gatsby is because he is Gatsby, not because he is a person. Nick carries
around the legend of Gatsby and then just drops it on Gatsby when he meets him- Nick is an
unreliable narrator.
P.50: Nick begins to watch Gatsby and realize that Gatsby is alone even with his parties and the
center of attention. Nobody actually feels friendly to him or comfortable around him. Sad idea
that everyone wants to go to Gastby’s parties and be in his house, but nobody wants to actually
be close to Gatsby. One of the reasons Gatsby is standing apart is because Gatsby doesn’t care
about meeting people and only hopes that Daisy will come to one.
P.57: Appears that the relationship between Nick and Jordan is superficial and will never work
out. Jordan’s key characteristic is her incurable dishonesty. May refer to a non literal dishonestyconversation about Jordan’s driving isn’t really about her driving but really about her honesty.
Jordan’s driving is a metaphor for her honesty because language can diminish other people, but
also shows how Jordan has dishonesty in relationships. Jordan thinks as long has she is in a
relationship with someone who is honest and will avoid being damaged by her than she will be
okay even with her dangerousness and dishonesty. Implication of Nick when Jordan says she
likes him because he is honest is that he will expect Jordan’s dishonesty because of his own
honesty, but Nick actually isn’t that honest. Nick says he has a girl back home- probably
notelling the truth, but may actually be true because could have similar relationship as his with
Jordan. When Nick describes the girl back home, he describes her as a masculine, athletic
woman- similar to Jordan. Nick prides himself on being one of the few hones people he knowsobvious suppression that he lies that has to keep telling himself that he is truthful.
P.65: Gatsby says he’s from the Midwest, but says he’s from San Francisco. Nick doesn’t make a
comment about this and don’t know if it is Gatsby screwing up and lying or Fitzgerald, Gatsby
has all these questions surrounding him (did he go to Oxford? Actually from the Midwest? How
did he get his money? Did he kill a man?)
P74: Get some of Gatsby’s backstory from Jordan. Jordan tells that Daisy was rich and much
sought after and Gatsby was very poor. Gatsby and Daisy had a brief flirtation, but goes off to
the war at which point Daisy marries Tom. Gatsby, though, still loved Daisy. When Daisy
marries Tom she gets a letter (presumably from Gatsby) which tears her up. Gatsby had spent the
last five years getting rich for Daisy trying to earn his place in her society.
P.78: 5 years later Gatsby moves across the bay from Daisy- not a coincidence, and only then
does it occur to Nick that when he saw Gatsby looking at the bay he was looking at Daisy.
Charming to Nick that Gatsby wants Nick to invite Daisy for tea and then let Gatsby come over
because seems cute and makes Gatsby seem childish. For Nick, it makes him feel like he has a
glimpse of Gatsby that nobody else has which makes him feel closer to Gatsby, so feels okay
with Gatsby using him.
P.79: Nick says he doesn’t have an obsession and fixation for a woman. For Gatsby, his entire
life has been centered on Daisy for the past five years, and the same holds true for Tom and
Myrtle, but Nick doesn’t have this, so he’ll kiss Jordan. He can kiss Jordan, but not in constant
idealized pursuit of Jordan. Kind of demeaning of Jordan because she’s not important enough to
idealize and is just Jordan. Yet Nick has a disembodied face that floats in front of him, but not a
woman. Nick is in constant pursuit of Gatsby, and sees Gatsby in the same way that Gatsby sees
Daisy, and in either case, the person being idealized can’t live up to the idealization.
P.92: Scene with Gatsby’s shirts. Gatsby throws his shirts all over, and Daisy begins to cry into
one of the shirts because they are the most beautiful shirts she had ever seen. Could be read as
Daisy so superficial that she is moved to tears by displays of material objects like shirts. Or could
be explained as Gatsby shows Daisy the shirts to impress her and show how he loves her- so
Daisy cries because she wants to reciprocate the gesture. Really a strange gesture, but its really
the best Gatsby can do.
P.93: Daisy sees pink clouds in the distance, and says she wants to put Gatsby in the cloud and
push him around- more maternal. Moment where Nick decides that he should leave, but thinks
that Nick’s presence makes Gatsby and Daisy feel more alone because makes it legitimate. Also,
Nick has such a negative presence and such a nothing that less than nothing so makes Gatsby and
Daisy feel even more alone.
P.95: Call Klipspringer, who is kind of a boarder, but actually just came to a party and never left,
but plays the piano so Gatsby keeps him around. When Nick goes to say goodbye, he notices that
there must have been times that Daisy fell short of Gatsby’s idealization. Gatsby is just a bit
upset because Daisy couldn’t possibly live up to his expectations. Wasn’t Daisy’s fault, really the
fault of the illusion and ideal of Daisy. Gatsby, Nick says, is reassured when he hears Daisy’s
voice. Appears that Gatsby doesn’t understand it, and Nick understands Gatsby better than
Gatsby understands himself.
P.98: Gatsby’s given name was James Gatz, but changed it at 17. Gatsby changes his name to
sound more fitting to the person he is creating. James Gatz implies a working class name, both in
the first and last name. Jay Gatsby is very refined and fits in with upper society. Name change
precedes Daisy- his pursuit may not actually be about Daisy, rather elevating his status.
P.102: Tom and the Sloanes come on their horses to West Egg. Mrs. Sloane wants Gatsby and
Nick to come to dinner, but Mr. Sloane doesn’t because of their class. Gatsby’s desire to go to
the dinner has nothing to do with Daisy- moment where realize that Gatsby wants to climb
socially and be upper class. Begin to realize that Daisy is just a symbol for Gatsby’s other
desires. Gatsby doesn’t really want Daisy, just wants upper class status and just wants to fit in
with East Eggers.
P.109: Gatsby continues to try and impress Daisy and try and get the symbol of success. Daisy
finally comes to a party, and Gatsby is worried Daisy didn’t like it. Gatsby wants to go back to
Louisville to be married in her house- starting over from position he wants to be, Gatsby’s
acceptance into old money, and symbolically is in love with the house more than Daisy herself.
Gatsby thinks it is possible to repeat the past- almost foolishly convinced that that he can get
Daisy, almost kid like. Transitions into scene of Gatsby and Daisy’s first kiss five years before.
Interesting narration because Nick tells the story even though he wasn’t there. Makes it seem that
Nick was there and so detailed that appears Nick includes his speculations. Kiss is very detailed
and intense, almost ceremonial and ritualistic. Gatsby sees the kiss as a joining of his ideals of
the American Dream and Daisy in an official way. Implies that his dreams came first and only
with the kiss do they become attached to Daisy. Chapter ends with Nick saying that he almost
remembered something but forgot it. Strange way to end the chapter, and later on Nick says he
remembers something, which may be this. Also, may remind Nick of his pursuit of Gatsby and is
exactly what Nick does to Gatsby.
P.120: Nick says Daisy’s voice is full of money- implies that Daisy is just a symbol for the
American Dream. Daisy and her voice, represent Gatsby’s ideals and the American Dream
P.128: The fact that everyone switches cars is important because symbolic that Gatsby rides with
Daisy. Also, on the way back, Myrtle is killed because she runs out to wave Tom down and Tom
and Gatsby have switched back to their cars. Also leads to Gatsby’s death because Wilson seeks
out for the killer of his wife in Gatsby’s car. Tom calls Gatsby out for not actually being upper
class. Revealed that Gatsby only went to Oxford for five months, but that he actually went there.
Tom has proved that Gatsby isn’t high class enough to go to Oxford- implying that without being
in the army, Gatsby wouldn’t have gone to Oxford. Makes Tom seem like a fool and a little bit
like a jerk.
P.135: Gatsby and Daisy leave, leaving behind Tom, Jordan, and Nick. Gatsby has such control
over Nick’s life that he didn’t realize that it was his birthday. Section ends on a real sense of
mortality- both literally they will encounter Myrtle’s death, and metaphorically Nick is one step
closer to death. At this moment, Nick has been exposed to such bad behavior that he is tired of it
all and is sick of everyone besides Gatsby.
P.142: Nick, while on his way home, finds Gatsby watching the house to make sure Tom doesn’t
do anything to Daisy. This is one of the only times where Nick dislikes Gatsby because he thinks
Gatsby was driving when Myrtle died and only cares about how Daisy reacts. When Nick hears
that Daisy was driving, he can go back to idealizing him again because didn’t kill her, and will
take the blame.
P.145: Nick checks on the house and urges Gatsby to go home, but Gatsby refuses. Nick leaves
Gatsby watching over nothing- either literally nothing will happen to Daisy, or metaphorically he
will never be with Daisy, and Daisy is just a vision created by Gatsby.
P.148: For Gatsby “nice” means classy. Gatsby loves Daisy because of her house and it is the
house that makes Daisy appealing. Daisy is great to Gatsby because she has succeeded in the
American Dream and takes the house for granted. Gatsby likes that Daisy is wanted and makes
him want her even more. Her value is raised because other men want her.
P.153: Nick says goodbye to Gatsby (neither knows it’s the last time they see each other). Idea
that Gatsby has never used the pool is significant because the pool is just a symbol of his success
and wealth, but now realizes that it is just a symbol. Moment where Gatsby stops the pursuit is
the moment where he dies. Nick tells Gatsby that all the people he is trying to be like and trying
to feel like are actually worse than he is. Nick doesn’t really understand why Gatsby is trying to
be with them, because Gatsby is better than they are. Nick says he is disappointed in Gatsby, but
never really is. Nick makes it seems like he knows Gatsby will die, which may be retrospective.
P.161: Scene where Gatsby actually dies, which is interesting because Nick wasn’t actually
there. Tone is overtly speculative- Nick is kind of admitting he is guessing. If anyone should
guess about Gatsby’s emotions, it should be Nick, so take it with authority. Not just Gatsby’s
problem- what preys on Gatsby preys on all of America. Nick describes the death scene without
describing the body. Gatsby doesn’t appear dead because only have descriptions around the
body. Nick leaves out the body because he doesn’t want to look and can’t bear to look at the
corpse. Nick makes it appear that Gatsby is alive while Wilson is dead- Nick can’t let go of
Gatsby.
P.164/5: Nick seems to be the only one that cares that Gatsby died. The fact that nobody cares
about Gatsby’s death shows that nobody really cared about Gatsby and to society was just worth
his parties. Nick has portrayed Gatsby as dynamic and interesting, but realize that this may not
be true. Gatsby is only great because Nick says he is great, and nobody really feels close to, or a
deep personal interest in Gatsby. In that case, book is more about Nick than it is about Gatsby.
Gatsby’s death brought a connection between Gatsby and Nick that had not been there before
and could not have happened if Gatsby was alive.
P.177: Last conversation between Jordan and Nick. Conversation about driving comes up again,
and Nick says he doesn’t remember it (clearly lying). Jordan accuses Nick of being dishonest
(which discredits him as a narrator) and putting on a performance just like everyone else in the
book. Seems to be that Jordan is attacking Nick’s being gay. In essence, Nick responds that he
was lying and really isn’t a truthful person and admits to who he really is. Seems that the
experience transforms Nick making him more honest with himself.
P.180: Book ends with Nick bidding farewell to East Egg and West Egg and has a vision of the
first people who came there. Nick pictures it as what it must have looked like when the original
settlers came and says people viewed America as unlimited potential when they came, but this
was the last time that occurred and the sense of America now is very much diminished. Nick
says our American Dream is diminished from their American Dream because for the old settlers,
the American Dream was to build America from square one and invent a world for yourself, but
now the American Dream was to be successful moneywise. Fitzgerald is basically saying that the
new American Dream is sad and diminished. Nick says while Gatsby pursued the American
Dream, he couldn’t achieve it because it has already been done, either by other people and can’t
repeat it, or Gatsby has achieved it so just trying at nothing. American Dream is about pursuit,
but there is no place to put the pursuit if it was already achieved. In the end, all it is a dream and
can never achieve it, and while it is a gorgeous dream, it really tears people apart. Nick feels that
Gatsby was an idealist, which has a niceness to it, but ended up destroying him. Ends by giving
the American Dream but cuts off the achievement and replaces it by saying that the pursuit is
impossible and actually going against the current and going backwards.