The Great Gatsby -- #2

With the introduction of Meyer Wolfsheim as a character leads the reader to believe that Gatsby may not be as positively intriguing as the beginning makes him out to be. Wolfsheim "fixed" the 1919 World Series and also seems to be shady, from which the reader can make the assumption that Gatsby may somehow be involved with an underground shady business and that is where his wealth stems from.
The backstory of Daisy and Gatsby made me personally pity Gatsby and the situation that he is in because Daisy is married to Tom and Gatsby is still in love with her. This realization of forbidden love and lost love makes Gatsby seem more vulnerable and human and not as great and almighty as what we were first told at the beginning of the book.
The rest of Gatsby's backstory also makes him seem more relatable than the image of a great and mysteriously wealthy person that we first were led to believe. His simple and humble beginnings of being a janitor and growing up in North Dakota appeals to a greater audience than just being a man born into wealth. It also makes Gatsby seem more admirable of a character because of his elevation in wealth and status from janitor to millionaire. His meeting with yacht owner Dan Cody to warn  him of an impending storm also makes Gatsby more personable, as well as explaining why Gatsby decides to not drink because of Cody drinking himself to a stupor.
In the first three chapters, Gatsby was a much more distant character and though not directly portrayed negatively, he seemed to be aloof in the sense that he never interacted with his guests and had rumors surrounding him. However, with Gatsby's past now exposed, Gatsby seems more, as aforementioned, personable and relatable as a person. His humble beginnings and work ethic appeal to a wider audience and his love for Daisy makes the reader pity him. I would say now I like him more, though I didn't dislike him at the beginning of the book.

"Black Bottom Stomp" -- Jelly Roll Morton

How do you envision this music playing a part of Gatsby's parties?
Because the music is lively and fast paced, it gives off a very playful feeling which would be great at Gatsby's parties. I would imagine that there would be a live band there for entertaining the guests as well as providing music to dance to.


What is the mood? How/why?
The mood is very playful and light. The song uses a moderate to fast tempo with instruments sliding their notes, giving it a very playful feel and light feel.

What activities go along with this music?
I would imagine that there would be dancing, gossiping, and chatting going along with this music.

Great Gatsby Reading Blog #1

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carraway, the narrator, seems to be the hero of the story. More often than not, the narrator is usually the hero, however, Fitzgerald portrays Nick as a good person with the quote that "[he] is inclined to reserve all judgments" (1). Nick also states that he is shocked by the elaborateness of Catherine's like about Daisy being Catholic, again making him seem like a morally good character (Fitzgerald 33).

Tom seems to be the villain of the novel so far. Daisy describes her husband Tom as "a brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical specimen" (Fitzgerald 12), all words with a negative connotation. Daisy also seems to be tied down by Tom, Fitzgerald writing that after Tom left the table something that "quickened" within her, which again paints Tom negatively (14). Not only does he seem to be a brute of a man, Miss Jordan Baker says that he has a mistress in New York, showing that he is being unfaithful to Daisy and again portraying him negatively (Fitzgerald 15). 

Gatsby himself seems to play the role of an antihero, however, based on the first three chapters there cannot be a conclusive classification for him. At the end of chapter 1 after Nick decides to call out to Gatsby, he mysteriously vanishes, giving him an aura of mystery that isn't typical of a hero (Fitzgerald 21). Lucille, Jordan, and an unnamed girl begin gossiping about Gatsby, saying that he "killed a man once" and that he "was a German spy during the war", which is countered by one of the girls saying that "he was in the American army during the war" (Fitzgerald 44). The uncertainty of him being good or bad adds to his aura of mystery and the sense that he may be an antihero. 

Justin Bua's Paintings

Bua's paintings are mostly organic, depict the lives of African Americans, and uses vivid coloring,