Themes found within the novel range from love and relationships, illusion and aspiration, deceit and greed to integrity and hope. The story is told from the perspective of Nick Carraway, a young banker attempting to make his mark in the leafy suburbs of New York.
The first ten pages of the novel reveal Nick's social context. Here, we are introduced to Tom Buchannan and his wife Daisy, as well as their acquaintance, Miss Baker. Nick also provides us with his impressions of the novel's namesake, Jay Gatsby.
On Gatsby...
- Nick states that Gatsby... "represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn" (8), later going on to explain that Gatsby was destroyed by the "foul dust [that] floated in the wake of his dreams" (8). Nick reveals that Gatsby's sorry tale soured his relationship with his fellow man, causing him to see the world in a cynical, more pessimistic way... at least temporarily.
On Tom...
- Tom seems to be in constant competition with those he interacts with. Nick implies this when he states "I felt Tom would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game" (12). Later, Nick describes Tom as a "supercilious" bully who had a tendency towards cruelty.
On Daisy
- Daisy is constantly projecting the appearance of happiness in the shadow of her overpowering husband. Her feelings of inadequacy are demonstrated when Nick comments on Daisy's tendency to murmur and whisper when speaking as a means to "make people lean toward her" (14)
On Miss Baker
- Baker seems to be a social climber, someone who keeps up the appearance of success, wealth and class without necessarily possessing any of these qualities. This is supported by her refusal to accept a cocktail from her host, claiming that she's "absolutetly in training" (16). A statement which leaves Tom in an "incredulous" state. One only wonders whether this is an effort on Miss Baker's behalf to appear important and significant in front of Nick.
On Relationships
- Tom and Daisy seem to have a marriage of convenience. She adheres to Tom's expectations due to his apparent wealth and prestige, while he seems to gain social status through his marriage and to his attractive and intelligent wife. However, Tom seems to be in a contest with his wife to keep the upper hand. This contest is apparent when Daisy expresses a desire to return to their previous home in Chicago. Moments later, Tom states that he'd "be a damned fool to live anywhere else" (15). A statement such as this could only be intended to put his wife back in her place, and to establish a social hierarchy in their marriage in front of the guests. Daisy later expresses discontent with her status within this "secret society" (22) in which she and her husband exist in feigned happiness.
Your Tasks:
- Nick notes that the party was interrupted by a "fifth guest"(21). Who is this figurative person who disrupts the festivities? What does this reveal to us about the marriage of Tom and Daisy?
- Daisy states that she is pretty "cynical" about the world around her (21). How has this pessimism been reflected in her efforts as a parent to her child? How would her marriage to Tom affect this paradigm?
16 comments:
Sam Coutu
1) The fifth guest is the anonymous person who called on the phone for Tom. This made the rest of the evening very awkward and uncomfortable. It also shows to us that tom and Daisies relationship is very poor and niether of the two are satisfied with what they have.
Nick notes that the "fifth guest" who interrupted the party was the woman "Tom had in New York" that he was cheating on Daisy with. This woman had phoned their house during the party, and Tom answered it. This reveals to us that the marriage between Tom and Daisy is very unreal. Everyone knows that Tom is cheating on Daisy, and Tom even answers the phone when Daisy is around, in front of guests, as if he doesn't even care about Daisy at all.
Daisy states she is "cynical" about the world around her. This pessimism is reflected in her efforts to parent her child because she wept when she found she had given birth to a daughter. She knows that her daughter could be intelligent, and she will feel the pain Daisy has in her life, because she is always been put down, and knows she is being put down. If she had given birth to a son, she would not have been so cynical because her son would not have to be put down constantly. Her marriage to Tom does not help this outlook because Tom is always putting her down so he can gain the power in their marriage. By constantly being put down, she will always have a low self-esteem and hate the world around her.
-Colin
Byron.
1) the "fifth geust" who disrputs the festivities is Toms mistress who lives in New York. This reveals to us that Daisy's and Tom's marrige is a sham and is not working very well.
2) Daisy's "cynical" about raising her daughter is that her daughter will never be taken seriously only because she is a girl. In their high society, men are considered better and more knowlagable, even when woman, Daisy has proven to have been more inteligent than her husband. Her marrige to Tom affects this paradigm becasue even though she is has a vastly larger intellegence and more knowlage, Tom will be listened to first and people will generally not listen to what Daisy has to say.
1. This "fifth guest" is the woman who called for Tom. She is considered a "guest" because she disrupted the dinner party in a significant way because she is the woman that Tom is having a relationship with outside his marraige. This shows us that Tom and Daisy have a corrupt marriage because Tom is having another relationship.
2. Daisy has a "cynical" view of female roles in society. When her daughter was born she said she "wept". She hopes that her daughter turns out a "fool". Tom has a role in her pesimistic paradigm because he has made Daisy feel miserable for being a woman by underminding her intellegence and cheating on her with another woman.
By Pierre
Marc
1.The fith guest is the woman that Tom is cheating with, that lives in New York. This shows that Tom and Daisy's marriage is just a big joke because he wasn't there when anything important was happening like the birth of his child, he dosn't care and she hates him.
2. This reflects her parenting skills by making her want her child to be a fool so that she does not have to feel the way that Daisy has been feeling all of her life. Tom makes her feel unimportant and and tries to make her feel small and stupid.
1. The figurative person who disturbs the festivties could be Tom's mistress. This reveals to us that Tom and Daisy's marriage is meaningless and is a lie. This shows us that Daisy has no power in their marriage.
2. Daisy's cynical outlook on the world is reflected in her efforts as a parent. Daisy is always being put down by and being made to look stupid by her husband. becuase of this experience she is hoping that he daughter will be a fool so then she dosnt know what it is like to be intelligent and not be able to use it and show it. Daisy hopes her daughter is a fool so she dosnt end up in the same situation that she is in.
-->Mikaela
Sam Coutu
2) Daisy is very cynical about the world because of the way that she is treated. When she says that she hopes that her daughter is a fool she is trying to say that it would be better if she was dumb than smart because even if she was smart she would still have no power. Daisy knows this because she is an intelegent woman and she is shot down every day.
Sam Coutu
2) Daisy is very cynical about the world because of the way that she is treated. When she says that she hopes that her daughter is a fool she is trying to say that it would be better if she was dumb than smart because even if she was smart she would still have no power. Daisy knows this because she is an intelegent woman and she is shot down every day.
1. It is assumed that the “fifth guest” was the caller whom Tom rushed to speak with. From the moment Daisy goes to join her husband, we are told by Miss Baker that it is Tom’s mistress. It is a sad relationship that Daisy has to share with her husband as we learn, for she is put down by him and everyone-as Miss Baker makes known- knows that Tom is cheating on her.
2. Daisy wanted a boy. In her life she has had no control or power, thus she seeks it in her child. When learning that she had a daughter, Daisy wished that she would be, “a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful fool” The abusive nature of Tom was most likely a contributing factor to Daisy’s paradigm of her little girl. For Daisy, it must seem easier to be dumb and unknowing of how horrible a man can treat you, then to be intelligent and aware.
~Caitlin
Jack
1.)The “fifth quest” that interrupted the party was the lady who Tom was having an affair with. This reveals that Tom and Daisy’s marriage is not a happy or truthful one at all.
2.)Daisy’s pessimism has been shown in her rising of the child by hoping that her child is a fool because she is not happy with her marriage and she doesn’t want her child to go through the same thing that she has with Tom and being in constant competition. Daisy’s marriage with Tom has affected this paradigm by constantly being but down when ever she tries to do something productive, which is why she would want a fool daughter so the daughter would never realize how bad her life could be.
PATRICK 101 SAYS... WHAT I THINK THE 5 PERSON FROM THE PARTY IS THE LADY THAT TOM IS HAVEING SOMTHING ON THE SID WITH IN STED DAISY.WHAT THIS SHOWS YOU ABOUT THE MARRIAGE OF TOM AND DAISY IS THAT IT IS NOT STROUNG AND TOM IS UNFATHFUL AS WELL THAT EVERY ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THEM. THIS SHOWS YOU THAT THEY CANT EVEN KEEP THERE PRESONAL LIFE TO THEM SELFS.
HOW DAISYS PESSIMISM IS SHOWEN HER OUT LOOK ON BEING A PARENT IS THAT SHE FEELS BAD FOR THE CHILD BECAUSE IT IS A GIRL AND SHE NOWS THAT IF IT IS AS SMART AS SHE IS THEN SHE WILL JUST HAVE A HART TIME FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE. THIS SHOWS YOU IN A WAY HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT BEING FEMALE IN HER LIFE. BY HER SAYING THIS IT SHOWS YOU HOW SHE IS TREAED ANS HOW SHE THINKS THE CHILD WILL BE TREAED. THAT IS WHY DAISY HAS SHUCH A PESSAMISTC OUT LOOK.
Morgan
Nick notes that the party was interrupted by a "fifth guest"(21). Who is this figurative person who disrupts the festivities? What does this reveal to us about the marriage of Tom and Daisy?
The figurative guest that disrupted the dinner party was Tom's mistress who called. This revels that Tom and Daisy are very private about their lives and not truely in love, as Tom is obviously cheating on Daisy. Also, Tom is in a competition for power with his wife and feels that for him to be the best and be a man, he has to put down his wife as often as possible and hurt her as much as he can. Their marriage is not pure and is full of lies, they are constantly fighting for power with each other, yet never admitt to have any problems in their relationship.
Daisy states that she is pretty "cynical" about the world around her (21). How has this pessimism been reflected in her efforts as a parent to her child? How would her marriage to Tom affect this paradigm?
Dasiy's "cynical" outlook on the world relates to how she parents her child as when she was born she burst into tears when she found out it was a girl. This is because she does not want her daughter to go though the unhappy and fake lifestyle like she has had to do. She knows that her child will have to compromise her happiness for the men in her life, and decides that she does not want to see her daughter go through that, therefore she sends her to her nanny most of time so that she can take care of her. The cynical outlook that Daisy possesses affects her relationship with her husband as she has excepted the fact that he is going to walk all over her and that she has no say in anything that goes on in the household, therefore she does not put forth any effort to the relationship making it fall apart.
Arie
1. Nick hinted at a “fifth person” who has interrupted the party to be the mistress who had irritated the festivities of the night. The reveals to the reader that the marriage between Daisy and Tom is a brittle and fragile one that is almost falling apart, both companies are despondent about this relationship.
2. This pessimism has imposed a belief that in this society it is a simpler struggle if woman were to be fool’s apposed to intellectual. Tom has helped draw Daisy’s idealism because he has enveloped a feeling of helplessness in her, and these feelings twisted Daisy’s outlook into pessimism.
LOGAN
1: When Nick admits the party was interrupted by a “fifth guest”, Tom had received a phone call during his cocktail party from his mistress who is in New York. Due to Tom having an affair with his mistress in New York it concludes to us that the marriage of Tom and Daisy is unhealthy and not trust worthy.
2: Due to the society Daisy is in she has created a "cynical" outlook on life. Consequently due to her outlook she chooses to ignore her child and would rather her daughter be a fool rather then intelligent. This is proven when she states “I hope she’ll be a fool” Daisy’s aspirations for her daughter are inspired by the society she lives in. Daisy believes it would be easier to be a fool then intelligent so that she would not understand that people are cheating, lying, and deceiving her.
The figurative person who disrupts the festive is the lady Tom is cheating on his wife with. In the middle of there party she calls and Tom rushes off to take the phone call without even considering how rude he is being and how much he embarrassed his wife. This shows that Tom and Daisy's marriage isn't really real. They try to pretend they are in love so they will fit in with the society but really it is complete disfunctional lie.
Daisy is "cynical" about the world around her, and this is having a major affect on her child. Daisy is a smart individual but because men have the upper hand in society she is treated like she is a complete idiot. Her "cycnical" views cause her to cry when first holding her child and hoping that she will not be intellegent so then she does not have to deal with the hardships life brings of being a intelectual woman.
-Sheena
sam and pat
1# Tom had hit myrtle and broke her nose. Few of the women at the party attended to her. It was early in the morning so some left including nick and Mr. McKee. This is a odd situation because instead of standing up and confronting tom about what he has done they attended to Myrtle and just carried on like nothing had happened.
2# Myrtle explained to the people at the party that her husband was not good enough for her. “I thought that he knew something about breading, but he was not fit enough to lick my shoe”. She expected him to be a gentle men and to attended to her but she realized that he was not what she thought he was. Because of this she decided that being with tom would be better because of his riches.
3# In this section we see the themes of gossip and scandal. “It is really his wife that is keeping them apart. She is a catholic , they don’t believe in divorce”.
So far everyone in the story that we have met learn every thing by gossip. This is why Toms friends believe this about his wife. This might not be true because they heard it thought the grape vine. Until the plot line changes this is how the story will stay.
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