Week 1- 10/31/07

In chapter one, the narrator is describing himself and why he acts the way he does. His dad told him "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." I think this is going to be an important quote that comes up more in the text. The narrator is telling how he has used his father's advice and learned alot from it. He mentions a man named Gatsby, which he admires greatly, but something has happened to him. He explains of his family and he graduated from New Haven in 1915. He was in the Great War. Then he decided to go east and learn the bond business. He lives in New York on the West Egg right next to Gatsby. He went over to supper at the Buchanan's house. He knew Tom from college and Daisy was a second cousin once removed. You could tell they had a lot of money. Tom is very arrogant, and Daisy is sort of energetic and caring. They went into the house and Daisy and Miss Baker were in there. Miss Baker seems stuck up also. I wonder how Miss Baker knows Gatsby? The butler left the room and Daisy asked if he wanted to know about the butler's nose and the narrator said that was why he came and the story was the butler used to be a silver polisher in New York. He polished from morning until night until finally it began to affect his nose. I'm not sure why this is important to the story yet. Miss Baker informs the narrator Tom has another woman. The narrator is introduced as Nick Carraway. Miss Baker's first name is Jordan. Why is Nick going to look after Miss Baker? He encounters Gatsby at the end of the chapter, but doesn't get to talk to him. Right now Gatsby is still very mysterious.

In chapter two, I don't understand what he is talking about at the beginning. What is this Dr. Eckleburg with big blue eyes and the enormous yellow spectacles? Nick went with Tom to meet Tom's other girl. They also talked to Wilson, Mrs. Wilson's husband. Mrs. Wilson is Tom's other woman. They agreed to meet secretively while Mr. Wilson was out of the room. I think this is horrible because they are both married. Tom, Nick, and Mrs.Wilson went to New York. They were driving along and Mrs. Wilson saw some dogs she wanted and Tom bought her one. Then they all went up to Tom and Mrs. Wilson's apartment. Nick met Myrtle's (Mrs. Wilson) sister, Catherine, Mr.McKee and his wife. They said the reason Myrtle and Tom don't get married is because Daisy is Catholic and Catholics don't believe in divorces. But Daisy is not Catholic, so why do they lie about this? Questions and stories spill from the mouths of everyone. Later that night Tom and Myrtle were arguing of speaking of Daisy's name in their earlier conversations with everyone. Tom hit her and broke her nose. The end of the chapter confuses me, is that all he remembers of the rest of the night or what?