Chapter Notes

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Point of View – The way the authors allows the reader to “see” and “hear” what is going on
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First person – The story is told from the perspective of a single narrator
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Narrator – The person telling the story
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Is the narrator reliable or unreliable?
How can one tell?
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Interactions with other characters
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Judgments that fit our own
What does the character see as important?
What does the character reveal about himself?

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Voice – The specific diction and tone that the author chooses for the piece of writing
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Example:
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"Dearest reader, I humbly entreat you to eschew the latest celebrity tittle-tattle and instead devote your attention to diction and tone."
"Listen up! Drop the gossip magazine and get with the diction/tone program!”
What’s the difference here?

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The way that an author uses descriptive language including dialogue to give a character personality traits in a text.
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Indirect characterization – When an author uses dialogue and actions to teach the reader something about the character. (Example: You learn through the characters speaking to one another that one of them is lying. Therefore, you judge that character is dishonest.)
Direct characterization – When an author tells you about the character. (Example: The author tells you what the character looks like.)

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Historical Context – Time period in history when a work take place
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Time period in history when a work take place
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Setting – The time and place where the action occurs
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The historical context and setting plays an important role in the plot, setting and character development through out The
Great Gatsby – It already has!

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Nick says…
“The Carraways are something of a clan, and we have a tradition that we are descendents from the Duke of Buccleuch…”
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What does this say about Nick’s heritage? How does this relate the setting?
“I lived at West Egg, the – well, less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them.”
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How does he feel about West Egg being the “less fashionable”? Does he agree?
Why does he use “bizarre” and “sinister” to describe the contrast between the two communities?

Flashback is when a story starts at a certain place in time and then reverts to the past.
Example: The narrator (Nick) starts the novel telling the reader that he is going to recount the events that lead up to his disillusionment. Then, he starts the story from a past event (when he first moved to
West Egg).

An allusion is a reference to something that the reader should already have in their frame of reference.
Example: Nick refers to “New Haven” – This is where Yale is located. I know this so I know he went to college at Yale.
The author is alluding to something that he assumes the reader already knows. It’s an allusion!

A paradox is something that appears contradictory in nature.
Example: Daisy – She throws the dinner party with Nick and *seems* happy – Laughing, teasing, relaxing…But really, she is unhappy because she knows Tom is cheating on her.

Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
**This always makes me think of interior decorating!
Motifs in Gatsby to look for:
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Colors
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Cars/Driving

Topics for themes in Gatsby:
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Self Discovery
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Hope
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Reality vs Illusion
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Realization of The American Dream

Juxtaposition is when 2 things are set up side by side to highlight the their similarities or differences
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East Egg – Dinner with Daisy, Jordan, etc juxtaposed with the valley’s party with
Myrtle, her sister Catherine, etc
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What do you think the author wants you to get from this set up?
How are these 2 settings alike? Different?
How are these characters alike? Different?

Symbolism is when an ordinary thing has a meaning beyond what is first perceived – A figurative meaning
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The Valley
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Where is it located
What does it look like?
What does it call to mind?
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Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes
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Where are they located?
What do they look like?
What do they call to mind?

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What is the American Dream? The believe that everyone can achieve true happiness and be rich if they work hard enough.
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Who can have it?
What does it take to get it?
Do we have any examples of characters who have obtained it yet?
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Who should be “happy” right now in the novel?
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Tom and the American Dream
Myrtle an the American Dream
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Daisy and the American Dream

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Illusion is what things seem to be…..Reality is what they actually are…
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This will come up many times in the novel
What do we know about Gatsby already? What did we learn in chapter 2? What is the illusion that is yet to be proved or disproved?
What is the illusion of East Egg? What is it supposed to be versus what it actually is?

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Setting used to characterize
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Myrtle Wilson/George Wilson
Where do they live?
What’s the difference between the valley and the eggs?
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Colors used to describe – compare
Ashes? Dusty? A garage?

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Direct characterization is when an author gives specific details about a character.
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Gatsby’s smile/language – page 48
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The author gives us direct description of his smile through the eyes of the narrator, Nick.
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Gatsby is an “elegant young roughneck”
Gatsby uses an “elaborate formality of speech” that
“just missed being absurd”

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Indirect characterization is when we learn about a character by reading about decisions s/he makes, actions s/he takes – The reader judges the character based on actions
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Gatsby’s party – pages 39-40 – What can we deduce about Gatsby based on his party? His guests?
Gatsby rumors 41, 43, 44
Gatsby’s entrance – page 47
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“I’m afraid I’m not a very good host.”

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Static characters do not change through out the course of a novel
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Dynamic characters start the novel one way and learn something in the process – They change.
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Round characters have many different personality traits
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Flat characters have one predominate trait that affects others around them (like a caricature in a way)