Week 5- 11/28/07

Something weird is going on, Gatsby fired his servants and hasn't talked to Nick in awhile. Gatsby said he fired his servants because he didn't want any gossip. Daisy then wondered if Nick would go to lunch at her place the next day. Gatsby and Nick went over there the next day, in the scorching heat. Daisy had Tom go get drinks so she could kiss Gatsby. Isn't she afraid he'll catch her and Gatsby? Then Gatsby and Nick saw Daisy's child for the first time. Tom realized Daisy loved Gatsby. Why did Tom want to drive Gatsby's car and Gatsby drive his when they decided to go to town? Tom, Jordan, and Nick took Gatsby's car and Daisy and Gatsby took Tom's car. Why does Daisy make it so obvious that she loves Gatsby? Tom had to stop and get gas and it just happened to be at Wilson's. He finds out Myrtle and Wilson are going west because Wilson "wised up to something funny"- obviously he found out she was cheating on him and not realizing it was with Tom. you can tell Tom got a little antsy and wanted to leave before Wilson could realize it was him who Myrtle was with. Tom Told him he'd give Wilson the car tomorrow afternoon. Myrtle was watching all this and she thought Jordan was Daisy, so she watched with a jealous glare of terror. The truth is starting to unravel piece by piece. Tom was starting to panic, both his wife and mistress were "leaving or drifting from" him. When they talked of Biloxi, it reminded me of Wedding Crashers. Tom kept asking Gatsby rude, insulting, nosey questions. Tom came out and asked Gatsby pretty much why he was fooling around with his wife. You can tell Tom is jealous and mad at Gatsby, but he's not realizing he did the same thing to Daisy. Gatsby told Tom that Daisy didn't love Tom, she loved him. They keep arguing, why not just ask her who she loves? Daisy finally admitted she never loved Tom, but then says she did love Tom, I'm a little confused right now. Then she said she was leaving Tom. We find out Gatsby is a bootlegger. Daisy was getting confused because I don't think she knew Gatsby was a bootlegger. Why did Tom send Gatsby and Daisy back home together? It was Nick's birthday on this day. I think this resembles a new life for someone, not just like a baby receiving a life, but a new road to travel their life. Nick says "so we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight"-I'm not sure exactly what this means yet.
Wilson told how he locked his wife upstairs until when they left. Myrtle ran away, but was hit by a car, and died. On their way home, Tom, Nick, and Jordan stopped at the accident. They said it was a yellow car. It's ironic because Tom told Wilson that the yellow car he was driving was his earlier that day, but in reality it was Gatsby's. Tom was sad that his mistress died and cried, and was enraged at Gatsby for not even stopping. We find out that Daisy was actually driving the car. Myrtle thought it was Daisy and Tom in the car I think, when she was running toward it. Gatsby stayed outside Daisy's house to make sure she was okay.

Week 4- 11/21/07

In chapter 6 we find out that Gatsby doesn't drink partially because he used to work for a man who drank quite a little and he inherited money from Cody (man he worked for with the yacht) but he never got the money because for some reason a woman named Ella Kaye got it all. Nick went to Gatsby's one Sunday and Tom, Sloane and another lady were there riding horseback. Did they just stop by for the heck of it? Why did the lady invite Gatsby and Tom to dinner, but when Tom declined and Gatsby agreed, the woman's husband urged them to hurry along while Gatsby was getting ready to go? Tom finds out Gatsby knows Daisy and sort of accuses her of cheating to Nick. Tom and Daisy went to Gatsby's party one night and Gatsby introduced them to everyone. Daisy loved it, but Tom was kind of irritated because Gatsby would introduce him as the polo player. Gatsby and Daisy dance, go sit together and eat together, why isn't Tom mad and wanting to leave? What was going on when that lady said something of her head being dunked into the pool? Did they just do that to sober her up? Daisy liked it, but Tom was sort of jealous of Gatsby it seemed like. Gatsby thought Daisy didn't have fun at the party, even though she did. Gatsby desperately wants to be with Daisy.

Week 3--11/14/07

Chapter 5 starts with Nick returning home from somewhere and Gatsby's house was lit up. It was lit up so much that Nick thought his house could possibly be on fire. Gatsby was outside and went over to talk with Nick, they set a date for tea with Daisy and Gatsby wanted to know if Nick needed or wanted a job, but what kind of job would he be doing that Gatsby got him? Daisy agreed to come to tea without Tom and Gatsby had to have everything perfect, he even had his gardener mow Nick's lawn. When Daisy arrived she asked "Are you in love with me?" which was odd to me, because aren't they related? Also, why does Nick ask if the gasoline affects Daisy's chauffeur's nose? Does Daisy not realize who Gatsby is, or do they just not know what to say to each other? Nick left the room and went outside to give them some alone time. Gatsby is being really shy/embarrassed right now, which is also odd to me because he seemed so self-confident before. Nick went back inside and Daisy was crying and Gatsby was back to normal. Nick, Daisy, and Gatsby went to Gatsby's house and Gatsby gave them a tour. Then Gatsby threw his shirts on the bed, but why did he do this? Then he had Klipspringer play the piano as him and Daisy sat together. I think Gatsby and Daisy have fallen in love again. I think Fitzgerald had this chapter with rain because it wasn't a good thing because Daisy is married and her and Gatsby fall in love again. So I think it symbolizes something bad is going to happen.

Week 2-11/7/07

In chapter three it talks about Gatsby and his house parties. There was many people, alot to drink and an orchestra playing music. They would party pretty much all night. Nick had gotten invited to Gatsby's party by a chauffeur that came to his house. When he got to the party, he didn't know anyone and couldn't find Gatsby. He finally recognized someone, it was Jordan Baker. They hung out most of the night. There is a bunch of rumors about Gatsby, I wonder which one is actually true? Jordan and Nick went to find Gatsby, they looked in the library but there was only a drunk man in there whom they talked to for awhile. Why was he so fascinated that the books were real? Then they went back out and sat down when a man recognized Nick. Nick didn't realize it, but it was Gatsby. Nick was a little embarrassed by the situation, but then again so was Gatsby for not remembering to introduce himself. Nick was then invited to go in his hydroplane with him the next day. A little later Gatsby requested to talk to Miss Baker in private. Why does Gatsby always get all those phone calls from Chicago and all the other places? Nick stayed to apologize to Gatsby and when he was leaving there was a man whose tire had fallen off his car and he was really drunk and trying to deal with it. He said Jordan was dishonest, but that didn't bother him at all.

In chapter 4, Nick talks of all the different people who come to Gatsby's house parties. Gatsby picked him up and told him they were going to have lunch together. They were driving along and Gatsby was telling Nick about his life. His wealthy family had died when he was young, and grew up in America but educated in Oxford because his whole family had been educated there and it was a tradition. Then he lived in Europe collecting jewels, hunting big game, and painting a little. After that he was in the war. They then got stopped or something, but why did they just let Gatsby go once he showed them a card? Then he went to lunch with Gatsby and met another man by the name of Mr. Wolfshiem. Mr.Wolfshiem said to Nick "I understand you're looking for a business gonnegtion." Why does he say this, and what is he really talking about because Gatsby says this wasn't that man. I don't get what Gatsby means when he says Mr. Wolfshiem "fixed the world series." Then Nick noticed Tom across the room and goes over to talk and starts to introduce one another, but Gatsby disappeared. Then it goes into Daisy talking about what happened the night of the party when Gatsby requested to talk with her. She told Nick of how Daisy and Gatsby were in the car together and Jordan went walking by and stopped to talk. Gatsby then had to go to war and Daisy was heartbroken. She never really got over it, but married Tom Buchanan. The day before her wedding she was drunk and wanted to call it off and all she did was hold her love letter. They put her in the bath to cool off where the letter got diminished. She married Tom the next day. Jordan said she had never seen a woman so mad about her husband. Tom had been caught cheating and it was even in the papers. Gatsby bought a house so he could be just across the bay from her. She doesn't know he's there. He wants Nick to invite her over for tea and then he could see her.