The Great Gatsby Chapter Two....

Chapter Two

·         At the start of chapter two a scenery is set ‘The valley of ashes’ a morbid setting far from the Fashionable palaces of East Egg, which sets the contrast between glamour and a ‘certain desolate area of land’ as Nick so describes it.

·         You also get how the contrast starts to make the reader aware of the descriptive surrounding narrated by Nick.

·         The starting of chapter two is just very morbid, with the use of colour to describe his surroundings, you get to see how everything changes from being in ‘Deep Summer’ in Chapter One to how everything seems grey, ‘a fantastic farm, where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens’.

·         Everything suddenly changes in mood.

·         ‘The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg’, which Nick emphasises within the story and object personified, he makes the sign board seem so real in the way he described it, as if the eyes are always watching everybody, but that he gives it human significance – ‘ But His Eyes’.

·         The point where we find that Tom has a mistress – which tells us that wealth alone doesn’t make person happy.

·         Tom’s mistress is the wife of a mechanic, which is an important factor as it shows how materialism easily fits in- a person easily impressed by riches. Mechanics would have at that time had to scrape by and not afford that which Tom possesses.

·         But that even in being with the mechanics wife he is still has carries his dominating character - ‘No he doesn’t,’ said Tom coldly. ‘And if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it somewhere else after all.’

·         you also get the sense that myrtle as a women has authority over her husband when she orders him,- as women of that time would get servants to do it for them if well off, or they’d do the chores in the house themselves if not so well off –‘Get some chairs, why don’t you, so somebody can sit down’. ‘Oh sure,’ agreed Wilson hurriedly.’

·         Also contradictory to the events happening where he says ‘He’s so dumb he doesn’t even know he’s alive.’ And yet even after saying that he still ‘Waited for her down the road and out of sight.’

·         We also get the feeling that Myrtle seems to have power in the sense that she gets whatever she desires in chapter Two as she becomes the one who decides what she wants.

The Great Gatsby Chapter one....

The Great Gatsby

·         The book starts with the opening of reflection, the start of descriptive imagery.

·         - Seems to be thinking of the past, informing us of his childhood, Nick as we come0to find out throughout the book becomes the first voice of the whole story the narrator telling us the incidents within the story.

·         There is also that distinctive divide between the rich and the poor, which is very detailed in the way its described I.e. West Egg- Being the poorer side, East Egg – Being the richer side of the two -‘Across the courtesy Bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water’.

·         A show of Materialism again very descriptive in that there is segregation, wealth

·         The character of Nick very quiet observant.

·         Chapter One generally focuses on the imagery of story which find Nick narrating to the readers, mainly about his father though, which suggests the string paternal link between them but also what type of man his description of his father, suggesting what type of character Nick has evolved to become through the course of the book.

·         There is the fascination with judging the characters of people within the book yet at first he started with advice from his father years ago ‘Whenever you feel like criticising anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had’. But having said that he ‘reserves all judgement’, it comes to question the people he comes across with throughout the book.

·         The Starting of Phase one in the section of the book begins with descriptive imagery again Nick describing the type of family he came from and how highly sought within society they were.

·         In order to fit into the norms of society he had to become something everybody else was that he knew, - ‘So I decided to go east and learn the Bond business. Everybody I knew was in the Bond business’.

·         Also that Time is an essential component in this section of the story Nick is always using time ‘Spring of twenty-two, Graduating from New Haven in 1915’.

·         But one begins to wonder him talking about the Prominence of his family and yet moves into a ‘Weather-beaten cardboard bungalow at eighty a Month’?

·         How Nick compares himself to the people he comes across with, their wealth and his, houses, money- again description of materialism, superficiality of society and the glamour people ignorantly would show off in society.

You almost get the feeling that Nick the character feels sorry for himself that he hasn’t attained all that which he admires the most, the worldly possessions which he doesn’t have that people of his age have, and example being Toms, daisy’s husband and Nick’s cousin.- ‘It was hard to realise that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that’.

Get a sense of the rich having some underlying power over the poor, showing Toms’ authority and dominance when he first meets Nick

-‘Now, don’t think my opinion on these matters Is final,’ he seemed to say, ‘just because I’m stronger and more of a man than you are’.

Use of words linked to Toms Character – A national figure, physical accomplishments, powerful.

His use of character description is also a way of telling the story, and the description of character voices – ‘his voice, a gruff husky tenor’

Imagery creating the scenery of the story -