Journal 21: Some Like It Hot and The Great Gatsby

Some Like It Hot and The Great Gatsby are two works that portray the American Dream in the 1920’s.  Whether it was a movie or a book, each literary work described a time when there was an abundance of money, swinging music, romance, and gangsters.  With similar conflicts and themes during each work, it was obvious that the wealthier one was, the more hardships they faced.

            While The Great Gatsby and Some Like It Hot have different characters and plots, it was obvious that there was similar conflicts in romance.  In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby used bootlegging to gain his financial wealth to impress his long lost love Daisy.  He began by throwing big parties that were the main attraction of the week to interest her into coming to his house.  Then, he would capture her love by showing her his kindhearted self and buying her anything her heart pleased.  Gatsby would do whatever it took to make Daisy fall in love with him, but Gatsby’s shady pass presented a conflict on Daisy leaving Tom.  Just as Joe attempts to win over Sugar in Some Like it Hott, he is faced with the problem that he does not have the type of wealth Sugar is looking for. Therefore, he tries to play the role of a millionaire instead of himself.  In the end, it is shown that materials and wealth does not always make a relationship possible.  Even after gaining the wealth Daisy desired, Gatsby is still left heartbroken and Joe convinces Sugar to fall in love with him after he confesses to being poor.

            The Great Gatsby and Some Like It Hot show the importance of high society versus being yourself.  Both Joe and Gatsby pretend to be something they are not and ultimately end up embarrassing themselves.  While Gatsby was truly rich, he tried to hang onto the pass and depict a person who has not changed except for the income he now receives.  He is not Daisy’s husband and acted as though he owns her.  Joe tries to act part of the upper class by taking Sugar on a yacht that is not his.  He wears fancy clothes and longs to impress her with his fake accent.  The difference is that Daisy is unable to look beyond Gatsby’s past and goes back to her husband Tom, while Sugar forgives Joe for his foolish act and falls in love with him.   

            While The Great Gatsby and Some Like It Hot have similar conflicts and themes, they also have different situations and solutions.  Each literary work portrays the responsibility one had being part of a high society versus being poor.  It was shown that while most girls wanted to marry a wealthy man during the 1920’s, she also wanted a real man that act themself.  Between the bootlegging and mixed romances, it was difficult to fall in love and trust someone else.  America was a time of property but also a time full of caution and hardships.         

Journal 20: The Final Goodbye

F. Scott Fitzgerald ends his novel The Great Gatsby by connecting Nick’s final thoughts about Gatsby to the Dutch sailors who discovered Long Island.  As stated in the book, Nick said that Gatsby longed to marry Daisy. He moved to West Egg to construct a wealthy house directly across the waters that surround her mansion just to grab her attention. Then, he would sell illegal drugs to maintain the abundance of his money to be able to give Daisy anything she could ever dream of.  Gatsby wanted to show her that he was different than before.  He was loving and wealthy.  He made all of this happen just to make her fall in love with him. Gatsby pursued his dream for years even though it was considered absolutely ridiculous and absurd. Gatsby’s hopes are connected with the Dutch sailors because they both hoped for a better future.  Fitzgerald uses the color green to describe the land of Long Island to symbolize the growth and new life that the Dutch sailors long to find when entering the shore; just as Gatsby would stare at the green light from Daisy’s dock in hope that Daisy would be looking at him too.  Despite the waves that consistently pushed the sailor’s boats backwards into the ocean, they continued to row to keep their dreams alive.  They longed for something that they were unable to grasp.  The sailors had to keep pushing forward to discover Long Island despite all their hardships.  They wanted a new life.  Both Gatsby and the sailors were fighting to keep their dreams alive.  

Journal 19: Characterizations

Nick Carraway Adjective ___Introverted ___________________ 

Nick Carraway is a main character throughout the novel.  He is quiet and loyal to each of his friends despite their crazy ideas.  After Nick returned to his home in the mid-West from WWI, he made the decision to move out East because he felt so out of place at home.  Even though he would be leaving his girlfriend, he believes that it would be better to live somewhere else. He bought a little house on the coast of West Egg in New York located on the Long Island Sound.  There he had the dream of becoming a bond trader.  He also hopes to get back into reading and writing now that he is settled in New York.  From his backyard, he could see East Egg, where some of his friends and family lived.  One of his closest friends named Jay Gatsby lived in a huge mansion next to Nick’s little house.  Once Nick was comfy in his new home, Daisy, Nick’s cousin, invites him over for dinner.  That is when Nick learns that Daisy’s husband Tom has been having an affair, and Daisy has done nothing to stop him.  This news disgusts Nick, but he decides to stay out of their personal life.

Tom Buchanan Adjective ____Self-Centered________________

Tom Buchanan is a wealthy man that lives on East Egg and is married to Daisy.  Tom was already acquainted with Nick when they went to college at New Haven.  Back in those days, Tom use to play football.  Tom only likes to think of himself and is depicted as aggressive in his every demand.  He must be in charge at all times because he wants to control his own life, despite that he is married.  Tom use to live in Chicago until he spent a year in France and then settled in his current mansion.  He enjoys polo and remains in a handsome appearance to attract ladies.  He is currently cheating on his wife with a woman named Myrtle, but demands that Daisy stay loyal to him. 

Daisy Buchanan Adjective ____Ditzy__________________________

Daisy Buchanan is described as Nick’s second cousin and Tom’s wife.  She is ditzy but charming.  She is willing to do whatever to make everyone happy, but her intent is very different from her actions.  Daisy has an exciting voice that makes her very attractive towards men.  She is beautiful but confused with the requests of others.  Daisy is always flirting with a guy and keeps her guard up due to upsetting situations in her life.  Daisy might appear intelligent and happy, but she is truly depressed with the outcome of her life.  However, she is a mother of a three year old daughter that is rarely spoken of.  She knows that her husband is having an affair but remains by his side. 

Jordan Baker Adjective ___Sly_____________________

Jordan Baker is very smooth in her actions but is able to keep everything she wants a secret.  She must always look good in her actions, even though most of them are discouraged.  She is described as attractive because she is slender, angular, and athletic.  She has gray eyes which makes herself more unique than the rest of her friends.  Her posture describes the pride she has in herself.  With her shoulder pushed back so her chest sticks out, she knows she is pretty to look at.  One of Jordan’s best friends is Daisy, who she grew up with in Louisville, Kentucky.  Jordan is also known for being a professional golfer despite the fact that she cheats occasionally.  In the novel, Jordan travels around the world on tour and doesn’t seem to have any close relatives or family.    

Jay Gatsby Adjective __Independent___________________________

Jay Gatsby is independent because he isolates himself from everyone else.  Even though he is Nick’s next door neighbor, he spends most of his time at his own house.  His mansion located on West Egg directly across the water from East Egg.  It is filled with furniture and other expensive items that are not necessary.  Occasionally he will throw wild parties at his own house, but will not attend them.  With a marble pool, beautiful gardens, and a groomed lawn, Gatsby is trying to impress Daisy with his wealth.  Gatsby likes to be by himself because it gives him time to think about the past.   

Journal 18 : Visiting Italy

1. What is the significance of the story’s title?

The significance of the story’s title “In Another Country” is that it shows isolation from humanity.  Hemingway is going out of his comfort zone and visiting Italy.  He is there with his fellow injured soldiers to see the patients in the rehabilitation center.  Because he was unable to speak the language, he decided to try to take time and learn how to speak fluent Italian.  However, it was a lot harder to comprehend then he thought, and becomes impossible for him to learn.  This experience for Hemingway is life changing because he learning to adapt to a different environment.  Not only can he not speak the language, he also is a healthy young man that is watching others suffer. 

2. Which character do you think best represents the “Hemingway hero”?  Why?

In the novel the soldiers are looked upon as heroes in the war, but I believe the major best represents the “Hemingway Hero”.  Despite his hardships and failures in life, he is still able to keep fighting for a better future.  His wife died, he has one hand, and he is no longer a world class fencer.  He used to be on top of the world with all of his accomplishments in life, but recently he has been unable to recover from all of his losses.  However, instead of dwelling on the past, the major shows the most courageousness by being able to put the past in the past and move on.  He is not sure if treatments are going to work, but he is determined to give it a chance.

3. What can you infer about the photographs the doctor hangs up?  What is the significance of the major’s reaction?

The doctor hangs photographs of the before and after wounds to promote a positive future for the patients.  Theses photographs also help patients continue with their treatments because it gives them a feeling of satisfaction to see pictures of wounds healing.  The doctor is trying to heal both the emotional and physical wounds of the soldiers.  The significance of the major’s reaction is that he would rather look out the windows than at the pictures.  He knows that his hand will never be able to fully recover, so he has accepted his fate and moved forward.  

Journal 17: Love Song

1. What is the significance of the poem’s epigraph?  How does it relate to Prufrock?

The poem’s epigraph is spoken by Count Guido da Montefeltro.  The epigraph begins with “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” to lead the reader into believing that this paragraph will be romantic when in fact, it is about hardships and problems when dealing with life.  In other words, it was Dante’s way of suggesting that Prufrock was suffering through hell.  However, Prufrock’s perception of hell was a modern world where he does not belong.  Count Guido believes that the mistakes he has made will haunt him and his friends throughout his life, just like Prufrock believes that his mistakes will never leave him alone.  The only difference is that Prufrock’s story was an inner monologue confessing how he feels instead of telling others his emotions.      

2. Make a list of questions that Prufrock asks.  Do you see a pattern/theme to these questions or are they random?  

“To lead you to an overwhelming question…Oh, do not ask, ‘What is it?’”  (10-11)
“To wonder, ‘So I dare?’ and, ‘Do I dare?’”  (38)
“Do I dare disturb the universe?”  (45-46)
“Is it perfume from a dress that makes me so digress?”  (65-66)
“And should I then presume?”  (68)
“And how should I begin?”  (69)
“Shall I part my hair behind?  Do I dare to eat a peach?”  (122)

Prufrock is arguing with himself on whether or not he should perform an act.  He is fearful of expressing himself with others because he is insecure about his feelings.  Therefore, he becomes frustrated with being unable to take action to make himself more confident.  As Prufrock begins to think of each question, he starts to realize that he has let many opportunities slip pass him.  By the end of the story, he wants to make up for all of his regrets by gaining the courage to go out and do what he wants to do.

3. What do you think is Prufrock’s main flaw/problem?

Prufrock’s main problem is that he is unable to express his feelings and emotions with his friends because of his lack of confidence in himself.  Due to indecisive decisions, he has lived his life at the lowest standard.  In other words, Prufrock’s life is boring, lonely, and hopeless.  He has wished to have contact with certain women but because of his lack of self-esteem and fear of rejection, he has decided to live alone.  Prufrock will continue to isolate himself until he gains the confidence to make his own decision.

4. Why do you think this is called a love song?  In what way is it a love song?

The poem was titled “Love Song” because it shows the irony in Prufrock’s life.  The whole story was about Prufrock’s inability to contact women because of his fears.  Instead, he continues to separate himself from others but admire them from afar.  The poem was Prufrock’s idea of how to fall in love with a woman if he could talk to her. 

Journal 16: Crane’s “The Blue Hotel” and London’s “To Build a Fire”

“Determinism governs everything … The writer must study the inherited traits of individual character and the social condition of the time.  Together, these elements determine the course of any action, the outcome of any life.  Free will or self-determination is mostly an illusion, although chance is granted a role in human affairs.  Still, even the effects of chance are obliterated in the inevitable course determined by the interaction of inherited character traits and the social environment.“  

This quote applies to the main characters in Crane’s “The Blue Hotel” and London’s “To Build a Fire” because each character was determined by their beliefs.  In Crane’s “The Blue Hotel” Swede lived in New York most of his life.  When he came to the town of Fort Romper, Nebraska, his character was portrayed with frantic paranoia because of his belief of the dangers that the “Wild West” possesses.  Therefore, Swede would exhibit strange behavior despite the efforts of those who would give him comfort.  Swede’s mind decides that he will be murdered before the night is over, so even Scully, the hospitable hotel owner, is unable to calm the Swede’s fears.  Due to the Swede’s action, it was determined earlier in the movie that the other guests would not enjoy his company and would try to kick him out of the hotel.  It was not until the Swede began to drink whiskey and act belligerent that made him the only danger in the “Wild West.”  Swede’s fears of murder and violence only came true after he decides to pick a fight with a hotel inspector, and the hotel inspector stabs the drunk for trying to abusing him.  The Swede was safe from his environment by staying inside the hotel, instead of living in the blizzard; but in the end, it would be his behavior that would cause his death.   

The man facing a blizzard in “To Build a Fire” was portrayed to have a clear outlook on life.  In this realistic story, the man was trying to get back to his camp alive before sunset while  facing a blizzard.  He was smart in trying to stay positive and sober while facing his challenge.  However, like the Swede, he died due to his behavior in the snow.  His belief of survival in below 50 degree weather was denied when he realized that he could not feel his fingers or toes.  It was ironic to hear that a man dressed for a snow storm would die because he was not actually prepared for what he was going up against.  Just like the Swede, he was facing the consequences of his actions and would realize his mistake too late to be able to save himself. 

Journal 15: Fight For Freedom

1.  Write a sentence that summarizes the story’s overall message, and provide  three direct quotes from the story that best illustrate this message.

The overall message in “Editha” written by Howell is that it is unwise to glorify war.  War is the meaning of life or death because the soldiers are fighting for freedom.  In the beginning of the novel, Editha pressures George to go into war by threating that she would not marry him.  George asked for Editha’s love and she gave it to him, and now that war had begun she wanted him to fight for her.  “If he could do something worthy to have won her--be a hero, her hero--it would be even better than if he had done it before asking her; it would be grander.”  She is using war as a way to show how much George really loves her.  Later in story, Editha rewards George with smiles and kisses by announcing, “They selected me for captain, and I'm going to the war, the big war, the glorious war, the holy war ordained by the pocket.”    Finally, the truth prevails when Editha’s has to meet George’s mom to tell her that George had died for his country.   Mrs. Gearson comments back to Editha by saying, “No, girls don’t; women don’t, when they give their men up for their country. They think they’ll come marching back somehow, just as gay as they went”. In the end, Editha realizes that war is not glorious because it took the life of the one she loved.  The author is warning others that glorious war is idealistic because in reality, people can die as a possible outcome.

2.  What tactics does Editha use to make George believe as she does about the war?

Editha used several tactics to make George believe the same way she does about the war. First, she plays with George’s feelings and emotions.  By threating their marriage, she is able to let George understand how important fighting for their country is to her.  She was trying to convince him that becoming a solider would not only make him look like a better person, but he would look a hero; and that’s what she wanted as a husband, a hero.  She then uses literature, such as current war propaganda to show how necessary and glorious war is.  These news reports supported her opinion for the need of war and gave her a reason to pressure him into leaving. Finally, she manipulates him by saying that she understands if he does not want to go and that he should follow his beliefs.  This is going to push George into following his wife’s orders because he truly loves her. 
     

3.   Is there ever a time in which Editha truly understands what she has done?  Does she ever experience an epiphany?

There was a moment when Editha understands what she had done.  After forcing her husband to go into war, she realizes that she had lost her pride and joy.  The love of her life was now fighting for justice and freedom rather than being at home with her.  She was proud of him, but she was also nervous that she had lost him.  However, at this time she still believed that what she had done was right, and he should be a captain in the war.  It was not until she heard a message stating that her husband died when she truly recognized the mistake she made.  Editha never believed that George was going to be killed; she just thought he was going to be a hero.  When Editha visits Mrs. Gearson, Mrs. Gearson began to yell at her for pressuring her son into going to war and letting him die.  George’s mother explained that women romanticize the idea of war when in reality it is a place of death. Editha starts to cry for the first time since George’s death, feeling truly sorry for what she had done.  However, by the end of the story, she was back to her idealistic ways and believed that war was glorious again.