Key Facts
full title · The Great Gatsby
author · F. Scott Fitzgerald
type of work · Novel
genre · Modernist novel, Jazz Age novel, novel of manners
time and place written · 1923–1924, America and France
date of first publication · 1925
publisher · Charles Scribner's Sons
narrator · Nick Carraway; Carraway not only narrates the story but implies that he is the book's author.
point of view · Nick Carraway narrates in both first and third person, presenting only what he himself observes. Nick alternates sections where he presents events objectively, as they appeared to him at the time, with sections where he gives his own interpretations of the story's meaning and of the motivations of the other characters.
tone · Nick's attitudes toward Gatsby and Gatsby's story are ambivalent and contradictory. At times he seems to disapprove of Gatsby's excesses and breaches of manners and ethics, but he also romanticizes and admires Gatsby, describing the events of the novel in a nostalgic and elegiac tone.
tense · Past
setting (time) · Summer 1922
settings (place) · Long Island and New York City
protagonist · Gatsby and/or Nick
major conflict · Gatsby has amassed a vast fortune in order to win the affections of the upper-class Daisy Buchanan, but his mysterious past stands in the way of his being accepted by her.
rising action · Gatsby's lavish parties, Gatsby's arrangement of a meeting with Daisy at Nick's
climax · There are two possible climaxes: Gatsby's reunion with Daisy in Chapters V–VI; the confrontation between Gatsby and Tom in the Plaza Hotel in Chapter VII.
falling action · Daisy's rejection of Gatsby, Myrtle's death, Gatsby's murder
themes · The decline of the American dream; the hollowness of the upper class; the spirit of the 1920s, the difference between social classes, the role of symbols in the human conception of meaning, the role of the past in dreams of the future
motifs · The connection between events and weather, the connection between geographical location and social values, images of time, extravagant parties, the quest for wealth
symbols · The green light on Daisy's dock, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, the valley of ashes, Gatsby's parties, East Egg, West Egg
foreshadowing · The car wreck after Gatsby's party in Chapter III, Owl Eyes's comments about the theatricality of Gatsby's life, the mysterious telephone calls Gatsby receives from Chicago and Philadelphia.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
☺The Great Gatsby is a satire on the American society. Discuss. [2064-5] OR,
☺Coment on 'The Great Gatsby' as a comment on American dream.[2064-5] OR,
☺Decline of the American Dream in the 1920's. OR,
@ Role of money and wealth in The Great Gatsby. OR,
@ Main theme of The Great Gatsby. OR,
@ How does The Great Gatsby represent it's age? OR,
@ Discuss the novel "The Great Gatsby" as an American Dream. [2065-10] OR,
@ How is 'The Great Gatsby' a story on American Dream? Comment. [2063-10 OR,
@ Comment on the elements of satire in the novel "The Great Gatsby"[2062-10]
@ "The Great Gatsby" is a comment on the American Dream. Explain briefly. [2059-10]
@ "The Great Gatsby
assumes that the idea of American dream rooted in the concept of life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness is far from reality." Discuss
[2058-10]
@ What is Fitzgerald's view of the American dream? [2058-5]
@ Discuss "The Great Gatsby" as a tragedy of American dream. [2057-10]
@ Discuss Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" as the projection of the American Dream. [Model-10]
☺[ V. V. I ]Discuss the novel "The Great Gatsby" as an American Dream. [2065-10]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= American
dream is the false lesson taught by the American society that money can
buy happiness, satisfaction and everything a man desires. It is the
belief that it is possible for anyone in America , however poor, to win success and wealth by their own effort. The
American dream was originally about discovery, individualism, and the
pursuit of happiness. It’s written in the American Constitution that
every individual has the right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. This right soon took a twisted turn in the early 1920’s which is clearly shown in The Great Gatsby.
The pursuit of happiness soon turned into the pursuit of wealth and
ultimately to greed. Corruption of values decreased the spirituality of
life. Meaningful goals of life were deleted by material achievements. Liberty
advanced collapse of family and social bonds and introduced sexual
freedom. Money brought social rifts and hatred between the different
classes.
Throughout The Great Gatsby
it is shown how social rift came between the love of two individuals,
Daisy and Gatsby. This led to the eventual corruption of Gatsby himself,
the pursuit of wealth, greed, and illegal deeds. Settlers first came to
America
with one ambition, a better life-- a life in pursuit of opportunity,
freedom, love, equality, and wealth. These dreams soon diminished as
materialistic values seemed to be above all else. The family values
collapsed. Tom is not faithful to his wife Daisy. Similarly, Daisy keeps
extramarital relationship with Gatsby. Myrtle Wilson
makes illicit love affair with Tom. Gatsby does not show sympathy
towards his poor father. These materialistic values consequently led the
decay of the American Dream. The new American Dream described in this
novel portrays a world where greed, the pursuit of money and pleasure
are above all else. In the 1920s
depicted in the novel, easy money and relaxed social values have
corrupted the American dream, especially on the East Egg. Gatsby's dream
of loving Daisy is ruined by the difference in their respective social
statuses, so he leads a life of crime and earns enough money to impress
her. But even billions of money can not provide him true love.
The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole, an era of unparallel prosperity and material excess. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s
as an era of decayed social and moral values, shown in its distrust,
greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. Gatsby gives magnificent parties
every Saturday night in order to win Daisy's love, not for noble cause.
This shows the irresponsibility of youths. The lofty rise of the stock
market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden, sustained increase
in the national wealth and a newfound materialism, but at the same time
created hollow, selfish, irresponsible youths. Additionally, the passage
of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919,
which banned the sale of alcohol, created a thriving underworld designed
to satisfy the massive demand for bootleg liquor among rich and poor
alike.
The various social climbers and ambitious opportunists who attend Gatsby's parties show the greedy rush for wealth. In The Great Gatsby,
its characters are representatives of people in the Jazz Age in which
there is the expansion of business enterprise and the rapid growth of
material interests. The collapse of social values can be seen as the
outcome of corrupt American Dream. The relationship between money and
sex (pleasure) is seen through Daisy and Tom’s married life, Daisy’s
relationship with Gatsby and Myrtle’s relationship with Tom. Marriage
contract serves to Daisy as a different form of the exchange of her
body for financial support from Tom Buchanan. She gives Tom her body and
Tom gives her the comfortable upper class life. Tom is a representative
of the established rich class. He entertains his guests by showing off
his possessions, including his mistress. Daisy has to be silent when she
knows about his affair with Mrytle.
The
connection between money and sex is obviously seen in Tom and Myrtle’s
affair, as well. Myrtle enjoys material comfort that Tom can offer to
her and like other men; Tom exploits this desire in Myrtle to use his
money to buy her. Trying to grasp youth, beauty and love by means of
riches is a corruption of the once idealistic promise of the newly
discovered America.
Gatsby
thinks that if he has money he can recreate his past, can buy
happiness, can achieve prestige in his society and can win Daisy. But he
is unable to achieve all of these though he is enormously rich. Gatsby
believed that once he achieved his financial goal, he would live a
better life. Even Gatsby dresses in white flannel suit, silver shirt and
gold coloured tie. Silver and gold are the colours of wealth. Gatsby's
every items are lavish with smell of wealth. In the end, this wealth can
not rescue and save his life. Thus this novel can be seen as the
tragedy of the American dream.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GATSBY
@ Discuss the relationship between Tom Buchanan and Gatsby. [2065-10]
@Describe Gatsby's parties that become the topic of the area. [2065-5]
@ Describe the first Gatsby's parties which Nick attends. [2064-10]
@ Nick Caraway's first meeting with Gatsby in the Gatsby mansion. [2057-5]
@ What does Gatsby's car indicate? [2063-5]
@ What rumours does Nick hear about Gatsby? [2063-5]
@ What was the past of Gatsby like? [2062-5]
@ Sketch briefly the character of Gatsby. [2061-10]
@ What kind of personality has Gatsby built of himself? [2061-5]
@ Discuss Gatsby's death in brief. [2060-5]
@ Write down the separation of Daisy and Gatsby. [2059-5]
@ Write a character sketch of Jay Gatsby. [2058-5]
@
Daisy once had coldly rejected Gatsby's love for her. But Gatsby
cherished passionate feeling to her. Explain the possible reasons why
Gatsby tries so hard to win back Daisy to his love? [2057-10]
@ Gatsby's war experience in Europe. [2057-5]
@ Describe the extreme ways of love shown by Gatsby for Daisy. [2059-5]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gatsby
is the main character in the novel. In fact, this novel is about the
story of Gatsby's dream. He is a mysterious figure, extremely rich but
no one knows the source of his wealth. Now at his early thirties, he has
a great desire to win the love of Daisy. Gatsby has made Daisy a symbol
of everything he values, and made the green light on her dock a symbol
of his destiny with her. Gatsby is destroyed by the illusion that he had
lived with - illusion is that he can recreate past and win the love of
Daisy by accumulating wealth.
v His past:
His
real name was Jay Gatz, the son of unsuccessful farmer. He left home at
the age of 17 to make his fortune. One day he rescued a millionaire
named Dan Cody and went with him. From that day he changed his name and
the image of himself. From his early days Gatsby hated poverty and
longed for wealth. When he was young military officer in Louisville before leaving to fight in World War I in 1917, he immediately fell in love with Daisy. Daisy promised to wait for him when he left for the war, but married Tom Buchanan in1919, while Gatsby was studying at Oxford
after the war in an attempt to gain an education. So Gatsby engages in
criminal activities like bootlegging, trading in stolen securities in
order to win back Daisy and recreate his past.
v His lavish parties
v rumours about Gatsby:
v role of social gathering:
Gatsby
is the symbol of American dream. He is almost alone in most of his
life. He gives lavish parties and invites everyone he knows. He gives
parties in order to relieve from loneliness; but he remains more
lonelier in the crowd. More than invited, the uninvited guests attend
the party. Most of the people who come to the party even do not know
Gatsby. They return from the party even without meeting him. Gatsby's
main aim of giving parties in his large mansion is to impress Daisy with
his wealth. He thinks that one day Daisy would come to his parties and
meet him. Most of the people who come to the party do not know each
other. He gives parties because he has a mistaken notion that from it he
can buy identity and fame. He gives parties every Friday. There is
music in the night and men and girls rush there like moths. Parties run
whole night. Servants bring food, juice, fruits and drinks from the
town. Tents are set in the garden. Orchestra plays music. Hams, salads,
pastry pigs and turkeys, and drinks are served. As the night progresses,
there is noise of the bottle smashing and people falling and dancing in
wild ecstasy.
Gatsby
remains as a mystery in the novel. He remains mysterious for Nick too.
In the party, the guests talk about him as 'an oxford man', 'German
spy', 'murderer', 'fraud' etc. Some said 'he killed a man'; while others
said, 'he earned money by bootlegging'.
v Personality of Gatsby:
To
understand Gatsby one has to look at not only his true life, but the
life that he tried to create for himself. He is a showy person. He has a formal style of talking to fit his social position. He is a self-invented man. Gatsby
thinks that if he has money he can recreate his past, can buy
happiness, can achieve prestige in his society and can win Daisy. But he
is unable to achieve all of these though he is enormously rich. Gatsby
believed that once he achieved his financial goal, he would live a
better life. Even Gatsby dresses in white flannel suit, silver shirt and
gold coloured tie. Silver and gold are the colours of wealth. Gatsby's
every items are lavish with smell of wealth. He has his own library with
unread books. He wants to show the people that he is an 'oxford man.'
v His illusion:
Gatsby
has an illusion that he can recreate his past and gain the love of
Daisy. For him, illusion is more real than reality itself. He believes
that he can win Daisy by wealth and prosperity. So, he accumulates
wealth by criminal and illegal means. He also has illusion that Daisy is
equally faithful to him. But at the end, he dies before he knows that
illusions are destructive.
v His meeting with Daisy and his deep love for her:
v Separation of Gatsby and Daisy:
v His death :
Gatsby has a sincere and deep love for Daisy. When he was young military officer in Louisville before leaving to fight in World War I in 1917, he immediately fell in love with Daisy. Daisy promised to wait for him when he left for the war, but married Tom Buchanan in1919, while Gatsby was studying at Oxford
after the war in an attempt to gain an education. After his return, he
purchased the huge mansion in West Egg in order to be close to her.
Gatsby asks Nick to arrange a tea party and invite both Daisy and him.
Gatsby meets Daisy in the tea party given by Nick. Again, they resume
their love. They both start meeting in privates. Later during the
quarrel between Tom and Gatsby, Gatsby asks Daisy in front of Tom to declare that she never loved Tom. But Daisy is unable to declare that she never loved Tom.
When
Daisy denies that she did not love Tom, Tom incites both Gatsby and
Daisy to drive home on the same car. On the way Gatsby's car kills
Myrtle Wilson.
Daisy was driving the car. She does nothing to own the accident. George
Wilson, the husband of Myrtle Wilson, goes to Tom to inquire about the
car. Tom shows him the way to Gatsby's mansion explaining that it was
Gatsby's car and Gatsby was driving.
Wilson goes to Gatsby's mansion and meets him at the pool, and then shoots him. Thus Gatsby dies for love. Gatsby's death is caused by his illusion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOM
@ Sketch the character of Tom Buchanan. [2064-5]
@ Why does Tom wish Nick to meet his mistress? [2063-5]
@ Why did Tom break Myrtle Wilson's nose? [2062-5]
@ Discuss Tom's attitude towards Gatsby. [2060-5]
@ Write what type of character is Tom Buchanan. [MOdel-5]
@ Tom Buchanan's attitude to the fame of Gatsby. [2057-5]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Being
born into a wealthy family has made Tom a spoiled man. He hasn't really
worked his entire life and instead spends his days in indulgence and
ease. He only searches self-gratification. He has a shameless affair
with Myrtle because it satisfies his needs. He flaunts their
relationship in public because he does not concern himself with the
consequences of his actions. This is also why he and Daisy escape in the
end of the book. There was a situation they would have to face and they
didn't want to. So they ran to their money and fled the situation,
leaving it to be dealt with by others. He is a careless man who won't be
bothered by the suffering he causes to others. He represents upper
class manner and morality. He thinks that his race is responsible for
all the civilized, decent things in life while he is involved in an
adulterous relationship.
v His physical appearance:
He
is a sturdy, straw haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a
supercilious (proudy) manner He has a huge and cruel body. He wears
conservative clothes and patent leather shoes.
v His vision of women:
v His wish to show Myrtle Wilson to Nick:
v His breaking the nose of Myrtle Wilson:
Tom's
most fatal weakness is his vision of women. He views women only as the
possessions of man. He sees women as an inanimate doll that has a value
marked by money. His relationship with Daisy is superficial, lacking
mutual love and understanding. He is a selfish, self-centered, and
hypocritical character. His only means of entertaining his guests is to
show them his belongings. Daisy is only a piece of property for him. He
wants Nick to meet Myrtle only to show him that he possesses not only a
beautiful wife but also an energetic mistress. When Tom and Myrtle are
enjoying party, Myrtle insists that she has the right to call Daisy's
name whenever she desires. But all of sudden, Tom breaks her nose. He
breaks Myrtle's nose in the same way he had earlier bruised Daisy's
finger simply from a sense of brutal power
v His attitude to the fame of Gatsby:
Tom
and Gatsby belong to different social order. Tom represents Old Money
while Gatsby presents New Money. Tom remarks Gatsby as 'devil' and in
one of Gatsby's parties he says "who is this Gatsby anyhow? ........
Some big bootlegger?" He did not like Daisy being near to Gatsby. During
the drive, Tom spoke all the time in disgust, "An Oxford man ! Like
hell he is !"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAISY
@ Sketch the character of Daisy. [2064-5]
@ Why does Gatsby say Daisy's voice is full of money? [2063-5]
@ Sketch briefly the character of Daisy Buchanan. [2062-10]
@ Discuss the role of Daisy Fray in the novel in brief. [2060-5]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daisy,
the main character of the book, is a typical representative of women of
the upper class of the 1920s, the type of woman that has two values in
life, acquiring a rich partner and maintaining a wealthy lifestyle.
Gatsby remarks that 'her voice is full of money. She marries Tom because
she is attracted towards his wealth and sophistication. Gatsby knows
that if he will accumulate enormous wealth, he can buy Daisy.
She
is emotionally passive. She plays at love with Gatsby as she plays with
everything else in life. She likes life without difficulties and always
tries to stay in her comfort zone. All she cares about is her. She is
careless and emotionless. She runs away after she kills Myrtle with her
careless driving. Her love towards Gatsby is fake. She does not attend
the Gatsby's funeral. She loses her nerve at the critical moment when
she has to decide whether she loves Gatsby or Tom. The
word careless also describes Daisy well. Many of the things that Daisy
does, the accident with Myrtle in particular, show a woman who is just
careless. Part of this is due
to the fact that she had been spoiled all her life. She was born into
money and had an endless group of men who would continue to spoil her.
So she has learned to think only of herself without regard for other
people.
Daisy
is a trapped woman. She's trapped in a marriage that she is unhappy
in and trapped in a world where she has no chance to be free or
independent. She is at the mercy of her husband, a man who takes her
for granted. Daisy is also terribly clever, delivering some of the
funnier lines of the book. When a reader looks at the foolishness and
shallowness of Daisy they must realize that Daisy may be doing out of
necessity. As she said when she delivered her daughter, "- that's the
best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool". Daisy
is smart enough to understand the limits imposed on her and has become
jaded and indulgent because of them.
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NICK
@ Discuss the role of Nick Carraway in 'The Great Gatsby' [2064-10]
@ Sketch briefly the character of Nick Caraway , and say why you like or dislike him. [2063-10]
@ Why is thirteenth birthday peculiar to Nick? [2063-5]
@ How was Nick's attitude towards woman's dishonesty? [2062-5]
@ Comment on the presentation of Nick Caraway. [2058-5]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nick is a thoughtful young man of thirty from Minnesota, who travels to New York in 1922
to learn the bond business. He lives in the West Egg district of Long
Island, next door to Gatsby. Nick is also Daisy's cousin, which enables
him to observe and assist the resurgent love affair between Daisy and
Gatsby. Nick
is both the character and a first person narrator in the novel. He is
the readers' access to Gatsby. This method lends compactness and unity
to the novel. He easily makes friends. Nick is keen observer of men and
events around him. He is a spectator-narrator. He is half-inside and
half-outside of the action.
Nick is also well suited to narrating The Great Gatsby because
of his temperament. As he tells the reader in Chapter I, he is
tolerant, open-minded, quiet, and a good listener, and, as a result,
others tend to talk to him and tell him their secrets. Nick states earlier on that one of his flaws is that he never lies.
Gatsby, in particular, comes to trust him and treat him as a confidant.
Nick generally assumes a secondary role throughout the novel,
preferring to describe and comment on events rather than dominate the
action. Often, however, he functions as Fitzgerald's voice, as in his
extended meditation on time and the American dream at the end of Chapter
IX.
He is in mental dilemma; on the one hand, Nick is attracted to the fast-paced, fun-driven lifestyle of New York.
On the other hand, he finds that lifestyle ugly and damaging. This
inner conflict is symbolized throughout the book by Nick's romantic
affair with Jordan Baker. He is attracted to her energy and her
sophistication just as he is repelled by her dishonesty and her lack of
concern for other people. In the end, he leaves New York to live a peaceful life in his own village.
He
arranges the reunion of Daisy and Gatsby. However, many critics find
Nick as an unreliable narrator in the sense that he doesn't do justice
to female characters. The female characters are described as hollow,
emotionless, adulterous and unreliable. In the end of chapter III, he
remarks "Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply....". His attitude towards woman is stereotypical. He thinks that dishonesty is in the blood of women.
His role in Gatsby's love affair:
His vision about women's dishonesty:
Nick’s
fascination with Gatsby helps to shape Nick as the rescuer of the
story., yet when he discovers Gatsby and Daisy are responsible for
Myrtle’s death, he does nothing to about it. In fact, he comes to
Gatsby’s aid. He tries to convince Gatsby to go away for a few weeks to Atlantic City or Montreal.
Gatsby refuses Nicks attempts to rescue him from the situation. Gatsby
winds up dead. Nick feels a sense of responsibility to organize Gatsby’s
funeral. He attempts to recruit mourners for Gatsby’s funeral.
Prior
to his departure from West Egg, Nick feels it is necessary to tie up
all the loose ends that he has left. He attempts to patch things up with
Jordan. He does not want to leave without having closure. For a brief moment, Nick is reluctant to leave, but comes to the realization that the city life is no place for a Westerner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MYRTLE
@Sketch the character of Wilson. [2065-5]
@ How does Myrtle Wilson's manner of dress contradict with her grammar? [2062-5]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myrtle Wilson is the wife of George Wilson, who lives in Valley of Ashes.
She is in mid thirites, and faintly stout but sensuous woman. She
deceives her husband and keeps extramarital love affair with Tom
Buchanan. She tells her husband that she is going to meet her sister,
but she spends time with Tom. Myrtle Wilson
is the victim of poverty. She represents the lower class society. She
does not know that Tom is playing with her. She hates her husband
because during their marriage ceremony he had worn the borrowed suit.
She is crazy for Tom because he buys her everything she wishes for. She
has a deep desire to fit in the social position of upper class society.
She is a typical fashionable woman of artificial life and taste of
American Jazz Age. So, her manner of dress contradict with her grammar.
Her
husband locks her inside the room when he finds that she is unfaithful
to him. When she sees the yellow car of Gatsby, she jumps towards it
thinking that it is the car of Tom. She is instantly killed. Though
Daisy was driving the car, the blame goes to Gatsby. Later Gatsby is
killed by George Wilson.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
George Wilson
@ What part does George Wilson play in Gatsby's story? [2061-5]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
George Wilson owned a garage in the desolate Valley of Ashes. George was married to Myrtle who kept extra-marital affair with Tom. He was spiritless, blond and sick. He
was gullible. He represents the innocence of lower class that becomes
the victim of cruel upper class. When he knew that his wife had some
sort of adulterous relationship, he became quite disturbed. He even
locked her inside the room to prevent her from running with the other
man. When his wife was killed by Daisy in a car accident, he was easily
persuaded by Tom that Gatsby was the murderer of his wife. Like a mad
person, he determined to kill Gatsby and shot him with the pistol. Later
he killed himself with the same pistol. George loves and idealizes
Myrtle, and is devastated by her affair with Tom. George is consumed
with grief when Myrtle is killed. George is comparable to Gatsby in that
both are dreamers and both are ruined by their unrequited love for
women who love Tom.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ψ SYMBOLISM
@ Discuss the use of symbols in the novel 'The Great Gatsby' [2065 -5] [2064-5]
@ Discuss "The Great Gatsby" as a symbolic novel. [2061-10]
@ Explain the symbols of green and white colours in "The Great Gatsby". [2059-5]
@ Describe the symbols applied in 'The Great Gatsby'. [2058-10]
@ What is the Valley of Ashes applied for? [2058-5]
@ Explore the symbols as used in "The Great Gatsby"[Model-10]
@ What is the implication of the "Valley of Ashes" , as used in The Great Gatsby? [Model-5]
@ What does Gatsby's car indicate? (2063-5)
@ What does Gatsby's car symbolize? How is it proved to be the cause of his downfall? [2061-5]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
Great Gatsby is rich in symbolism, which is portrayed on several
different levels in a variety of ways. The colours, the geography and
even the characters act as symbols in this novel. Gatsby's dream of love
and money is identified with the American dream.
East and West Egg
One
of the most important themes in the novel is class and social standing.
It is a barrier for almost every character. East and West Egg acts as a
symbol of this in it's physical makeup. Tom and Daisy live on the East
Egg which is far more refined and well bred. East Egg represents Old
money. Nick and Gatsby are on the West Egg which is for people who don't
have any real standing, even if they have money. West Egg represents
New money. The green light shines from the East Egg attracting Gatsby
towards what he has always wanted. And Daisy, the woman that Gatsby has
always wanted but never gets, lives on East Egg. The barrier that the
water creates between these worlds in symbolic of the barrier that keeps
these people apart from one another and from much of what they want.
The Green Light
Located
at the end of the Buchanans' dock, is a green light which represents
Gatsby's ultimate aspiration: to win Daisy's love. When Nick first sees
Gatsby he was looking at the green light from Buchanan's dock and
stretching his arms. Green is the colour of promise, hope and renewal.
But here hope and promise gets lost for the crave of money and love. It
represents illusory and ideal world that Gatsby has dreamt of. It also
represents lure of money.
The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg
In the faded and old advertising billboard in the Valley of Ashes
is a pair of spectacled eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. These eyes are
facing towards George Wilson's garage. George associates these eyes to
the God's watchful eyes over mankind. These eyes provide solace to Wilson. They are placed near Wilson's
because that is where some of the most selfish acts take place:
Myrtle's death, Tom's affair. All of these crimes go unpunished. It
represents God who has been created by modern society to make money. It
represents a God who no longer sees nor cares. So the eyes look on and
remind the characters of the guilt that they forget to have for what
they have done. Following the central theme of modernism, this new God
watches over his paradise which has been reduced to ash-heaps by modern
man.
Valley of Ashes
Located between West Egg and New York is a gloomy land Valley of Ashes
created by the dumping of “industrial ashes,” this valley acquires a
sense of decay. It seems as if the rich, men like Tom Buchanan and
Gatsby dump their “ashes” in the valley, with nothing but concern for
themselves. It represents the modern world, which is like ugly hell
created by modern industry. It is a physical desert that symbolizes the
spiritual desolation that a society based on money creates. The negative
outlook of the Valley of Ashes
also connects to the people that live their. George and Myrtle Wilson
own a house in the valley of ashes. It is in the valley of the ashes
where Tom has his affair with Myrtle, where Daisy kills Myrtle with
Gatsby's car, and where George Wilson decides to murder Gatsby. So, it
seems as if the valley of ashes does in fact represent a place of
decadence; a place where the rich dump their “ashes”. This valley
recalls the moral wilderness of T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Waste Land."
Gatsby's house:
This
image serves as a key symbol of aspiration, reflecting both Gatsby's
success as an American self-made man and the mirage of an identity he
has created to win Daisy's love. Gatsby follows his American Dream as he
buys the house to be across the bay from Daisy, and has parties to gain
wide-spread recognition in order to impress her. Yet, Owl Eyes
compares Gatsby's mansion to a house of cards, muttering "that if one
brick was removed the whole library was liable to collapse". Ultimately,
the inevitable collapse occurs, as Gatsby loses Daisy and dies
absolutely friendless, prompting Nick to refer to Gatsby's mansion as
"that huge incoherent failure of a house"
Gatsby's car:
Gatsby's
car is the biggest, magnificent, grandest and the most luxurious
automobile of the time. The car becomes the symbol of all material
wealth. The car becomes the instrument of destruction and murder. Both
Myrtle's death and, indirectly, Gatsby's are caused by this car. Thus it
signals that wealth, as an absolute ideal, is ultimately destructive.
White colour:
Throughout
the novel, Daisy is strongly associated with white colour. When she
first appears she is dressed in white. She speaks about her own 'white
girlhood'. Since white means absence of colour also, it symbolizes the
vacancy and emptiness within Daisy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------@
Discuss the significance of the title "The Great Gatsby" [2064- 5]
@ Comment on the suitability of the title of "The Great Gatsby". [2061-10]
@ What is great about the Great Gatsby? [Model-5]
@ Do you agree with Fitzgerald's verdict on "The Great Gatsby" as a title? [2060-5]
@ Justify the title "The Great Gatsby". [2059-10]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Though Fitzgerald had thought of several other titles for this novel such as Trimalchio, The High-Bouncing Lover, On the Road to West Egg , Gold-Hatted Gatsby
etc, the present title "The Great Gatsby" is the most suitable because
it gives the total impression of Gatsby's personality. This title was
formulated with the intention of heightening characterization through
the use of irony.
Gatsby
can more or less be identified with Tamburlaine , the main character of
"Tamburlaine, the Great" by Christopher Marlowe. Gatsby is great in the
sense that he is not defeated by circumstances. He has high passion and
lust for love. Everything is correct in love and war. So he does
everything to win the heart of his beloved. He earns wealth for the sole
purpose of love. He is untroubled by doubt. Allegorically considered,
all the other characters are reason, while Gatsby is imagination,
innocence and dream. Besides all his illusion and bootlegging, he has a
great positive quality - his faith in life's possibility and loyalty to
Daisy. He is self-made and self-invented man who desires for the Earthly
Paradise in West Egg.
He
is like the Romantic poets desiring the unattainable. His extraordinary
quality of hope, idealistic dream and yearning for the future make him a
truly romantic figure. He is Saint of Love because he dies for love.
While all the other characters exchange love for sex, he seeks love for
love's sake. We find him great if we look at him by contrasting him with
other shallow characters like Tom, Myrtle Wilson, Jordan, George and
Daisy, in the backdrop of corrupt American world of 1920s.
In
spite of all Gatsby's weakness and errors, he is still the only
sympathetic character apart from Nick. He died with devotion for his
idealism. Other characters believe in nothing and care about nothing
other than their own pleasures. Obviously, Jay Gatsby, with the gift of
hope, placed in comparison to the aimlessness of Tom and Daisy, reaches
heroic nobility.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JORDAN
@ Explain the role of Jordan Baker in the novel. [2065-5]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jordan
Baker is Daisy's friend. She is a woman with whom Nick becomes
romantically involved during the course of the novel. She represents one
of the 'new women' of the 1920s - cynical, boyish, and self-centred.
She is a competitive golfer. Jordan
is beautiful, but also dishonest: she cheated in order to win her first
golf tournament and continually bends the truth. She is the person who
first introduces Nick with Gatsby.
Jordan Baker is a feminist who represents the new movements and attitudes of women of the Jazz Age. Jordan
faces the same problems that Tom and Daisy do. She has been born with
money and has lived in a culture full of money and has been spoiled by
it. She is surrounded by people like the Buchanans who continue their
pleasure-seeking behavior. She is also careless like Daisy and Tom.
=================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@ Discuss 'The Great Gatsby' as a love story. [2064-5]
@ Describe the extreme ways of love shown by Gatsby for Daisy. [2059-5]
@ Write briefly the plot line of "The Great Gatsby". [Model-5]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In
every novel we find some sort of love story. In this novel too, it is
the love story of Gatsby and Daisy that moves the plot forward. All the
actions and inspirations of the central character Gatsby are linked with
his love affair. This story is a love tragedy.
When Gatsby was young military officer in Louisville before leaving to fight in World War I in 1917, he immediately fell in love with Daisy. Daisy promised to wait for him when he left for the war, but married Tom Buchanan in1919, while Gatsby was studying at Oxford
after the war in an attempt to gain an education. So Gatsby engages in
criminal activities like bootlegging, trading in stolen securities in
order to win back Daisy and recreate his past. Gatsby tries to show his
worth by means of his wealth and his lavish parties. He buys a large
house just in front of Daisy's large mansion. Gatsby meets Daisy with
the help of Nick and their love affair resumes again. Tom becomes aware
of the developing relationship between his wife and Gatsby, so he Half
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@ What is the role of the money in the life of the Long Island dwellers?
@ Discuss the role of social gathering in "The Great Gatsby". [2061-5]
@ Discuss Fitzgerald's motives for writing "The Great Gatsby".[2060-10]
@ What type of text is "The Great Gatsby". Write in brief. [2060-5]
@ Show your acquaintance with the historical and literary influences on "The Great Gatsby". [2059-5]
@ What attraction does The Great Gatsby have for a film-maker? [2058-5]
@ Life of rich fashionable young women in the American Jazz Age as shown in "The Great Gatsby". [2057-5]
@ The wit, humour and tenderness of feeling in "The Great Gatsby". [2057-5]
@ Describe Nick's tea party. / Reunion of Daisy and Gatsby. {2059-5]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
===== Lord Byron's Love Letter( Tenneessee Williams) 1946 ========
@ Narrate the story of young woman’s meeting with Lord Byron. [2065/2064/2061-10]
@ Describe briefly the young woman’s meeting with Byron. [2064-5]
@How did the American girl go alone to the Acropolis? [2063-5]
@ How did the glove provide an opportunity for romance? [2058/2059-5]
Like many American girls of those days, the Spinster’s grandmother visited Europe when she was just sixteen. Near the end of her tour, she went to Greece with her aunt to see the ruins of Athens.
One beautiful April morning, she with her aunt went to see the
Acropolis. Her aunt was not feeling well, so she stayed with the driver.
She started climbing the steps of Acropolis alone. She saw a young and
handsome man, walking with a slight limp, before her. The man who was
Lord Byron turned again and again round to watch the scene, but actually
he was watching the girl. At the top of the steps, he stopped and
spread his hands wide like Apollo. She tried not to see him, but the
steps were narrow at the top, so she had to pass him. Just at that time,
she accidentally dropped her glove, and he picked it up to return. As
he returned her the glove, his fingers touched her palm and their eyes
met. They fell in love and had a summer filled with romance. After Byron died in Greece, the grandmother retired from the world and remained in complete seclusion as an honor to his memory.
@What are the spinster and the old woman feeling upset in the end? [2062-5]
@ What is the role of Winston Tutwiler? [2060-5]
@ Summary
================================================================================= Tennessee Williams’ play Lord Byron's Love Letter has four characters: The Spinster, The Old Woman, The Matron, and The Husband.
The Old Woman and the Spinster live in an old and faded house in New Orleans.
They advertise that they have a love letter from Lord Byron, written to
The Spinster's grandmother. They charge money to anyone who wants to
see it, and hear them tell the tale of how this meeting took place. A Matron
visits them to see the letter. She is in town with her husband for
Mardi Gras. Her husband Wiston Tutwiler is drunken and uninterested in
the letter. As
the spinster reads from her grandmother's diary, it becomes clear that
the grandmother and the old woman are one and the same. According to the
two women, the grandmother met Lord Byron in Greece, shortly before his death. The Spinster reads aloud the meeting of Lord Byron and her grandmother from the journal. They
only allow The Matron and her Husband to look at the letter from a
distance. When Wiston Tutwiler hears the band of Mardi Gras festival, he
raises from his unconscious state and rushes out of the house. He is a
man who wants to forget ugly reality and live in illusory unconscious
state. The Matron also follows him. Then the spinster quickly asks for
some money. The Matron does not pay any attention to them and rushes out
without paying. This upset them because they had created a fake letter
in order to earn money and survive.
=============The Romancers============================
@ Narrate the events that cause anxiety to the lovers. [2058-5]
@ Describe the character traits of young romancers as seen in Sylvette and Percinet. [2064/2059-10]
@ Summary
= In his play “The Romancers” Edmond Rostand satirizes the sentimentalism and escapism of Romantic literature of his times.
Percinet
is the only son of Bergamin and Sylvette is the only daughter of
Pasquinot. Their fathers who are widowers and neighbours make a plan to
marry their children with each other. In order to accomplish this, the
fathers separate their children so that they may love each other the
more, and desire to be re-united. As a part of their plan, Bergamin
warns his son to stay away from Pasquinot and his daughter. Similarly,
Pasquinot also warns his daughter that she should not be near to his
mortal enemy Bergamin and his son. Inspite of their fathers’ warnings,
Percinet and Sylvette fall in love. They think themselves as the
counterparts of Romeo and Juliet. They are worried that their love will
also end in tragedy like that of Romeo and Juliet. They are emotional,
daydreaming teenagers who have recently finished their school studies.
They are deeply influenced by romantic literature of their times-
especially by the romantic play “Romeo and Juliet” of William
Shakespeare. They are so in love with each other that they desire to die
rather than separate with each other. Bergamin then hires Straforel and
his company for a fake kidnapping. At midnight hours, when Percinet and
Sylvette are about to meet, Straforel with his company kidnap Sylvette
and put her into the sedan chair. Percinet hears the cry of Sylvette,
jumps over the wall and fights with his sword. At the same time, as
planned, Pasquinot enters and calls Percinet a hero. He suggests
Bergamin to put an end to their enmity and arrange the marriage of their
children. Thus in the end the two children seem like puppets in the
hands of their fathers.
=================================================================================
@ Comment on the role of Straforel and his men. [2065-5]
= Straforel
is a performer who is hired by Bergamin to do a fake and grand
kidnapping. He is not a villain but a comedian who is expert in his
profession and make-believe acting. He makes a combination of the
different elements so that the kidnapping will be memorable. He brings
his swordsmen, musicians and torch-bearers during the kidnapping and
places them in their positions. In the end his expert acting during
kidnapping unites the lovers.
=================================================================@How does Percinet justify his presence in the garden? [2063/2060-5]
Percinet
justifies to his father that he is present in the garden to enjoy the
natural beauty of the garden, especially the flowers, creepers and the
mosses that have decorated the wall. He tells him that the wall with its
cracks and vines has made the bench next to it as a royal throne.
=================================================================
@ What is Parquinot’s reaction on finding his daughter strolling about? [2061-5]
= When
Pasquinot finds his daughter strolling alone in the garden, he scolds
her. He reminds her that she should remain away from his mortal enemy
Bergamin and his son. He is afraid that they may attack and insult her
when they find her alone. So he wants to put a row of spikes on the top
of the wall to harm the attacker.
================Waterloo==============================
@Attempt a character sketch of Corporal Brewster. [2065-5]
@ How did Brewester show his bravery in the battlefield? [2063-5]
@ Why does Norah come to visit Corporal Brewster? [2062-5]
@What part of the Bible does the Corporal find interesting and why? [2060-5]
= In Arthur Conan Doyle’s play “Waterloo”
the main character is Corporal Gregory Brewster. He is 96 years old,
looked after by a housekeeper. It was rumoured that he was not being
looked after properly. So his grand-niece Norah is sent by her parents
from Essex to look after him. Even
McDonald of Royal Artillery and Colonel Midwinter of Scots Guards come
to see him. In the play Brewster is doddering, thin, with white hair and
wrinkled face. He is hard of hearing, worried about the cold weather
and impatient for food and rum. Due to his old age he has become
childish and remembers giving a bull pup to his brother. He is surprised
when Norah says that she has come by train and can read the Bible. Even
in the Bible, he wants to listen about war. He likes to hear about the
Israelites and their wars in the Old Testament of the Bible. He gets
angry with Norah when she says that everything is peaceful in heaven. He
requests the Colonel to give him a military funeral when he dies. He
does not appreciate the new developments. He cries like a baby when his
pipe breaks and smiles immediately when given a new pipe by McDonald.
He loves to see the soldiers marching, the band playing and loves to
feel a gun. When someone says that they are proud of him, he remembers
the Regent and his words.
Brewester is a war hero who showed his bravery during the battle of Waterloo, between Britain and France. On the 18th
of June, four companies of the Third Guards held the important
farmhouse of Hougoumont. At a critical point of the fight, there was
short of powder. So Brewester was sent to bring the reserve ammunition.
He returned with two carts filled with powder. But the French forces had
set fire in the hedge around the farm. One of the cart exploded killing
the driver. The other driver was frightened and tried to turn away his
cart. Seeing this, Brewester jumped into the seat, threw the driver down
and drove the cart through the fire to his friends. Thus the British
forces were able to win the battle because of Brewester’s heroic act.
=======================Riders to the Sea============================
@ Describe the circumstances of Bartley’s death. [2065/2062-10]
@ Do you see difference between the attitude of men and women towards the sea? [2064-5]
@ Sketch the character of Mauriya. [2064\2061-10]
@ Discuss “Riders to the Sea” as a unique modern tragedy in one act. [2060-10]
=================================================================================
"Riders to the Sea" written by J.M Synge portrays the hardships and sufferings of Maurya who lives in the Aryan Island. Often critics identify Maurya with mother Ireland who has been losing her sons due to war, famine, poverty and diseases.
Maurya
is a poor old lady, who once had a full family -a husband,
father-in-law, six sons and two daughters. When the play opens, she has
lost all male members of the family except Bartley. Recently her beloved
son Michael has died in the sea but his body has not been found. Her
daughters Catheleen and Nora know the fact that Michael has been given a
clean burial in Donegal. Maurya now fears losing Bartley, her only remaining son. Bartley comes and says that he wants to sell his horses at a good price in Galway
fair. There is only one boat going on that day and there will be no
boat for the next 15 days, so he insists that he will cross to the
mainland, in spite of winds and high seas. He is a responsible man. He
makes a halter out of the rope and hurries to catch the boat. Due to
anger Maurya does not bless her son while leaving to the fair. The girls
ask her to give him the lunch they had prepared and then bless him on
the way.
At
this point Maurya returns terrified with a vision she had had of
Michael riding on the grey pony behind Bartley. Now she is sure Bartley
will also die. She is so upset that she keeps on talking about her
sufferings. Women and men follow bringing the dead body of Bartley who
was knocked off a cliff by the grey pony. He fell into the sea and
strong waves dashed him on the white rocks.
Maurya
is a truly a tragic figure, not suffering from tribal curse or from her
own weakness. She is defeated by circumstances. Even in her defeat she
does not curse God. She has great endurance and she consoles herself by
saying "No man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied".
=================A Marriage Proposal===============================
@ Narrate the series of changes in the attitudes of Natalia towards Lomov. [2065-10]
@What is Lomov’s idea of marriage? [2064-5]
@ Sketch the character of Lomov. [2063-10]
@ Why does Choobookov have to shout for champagne at the end? [2063-5]
@ How does the topic of dogs bring about exchange of heated words? [2062-5]
@ Why is Choobookov surprised at the appearance of his visitor? [2061/2058-5]
@ Make a comparison of the characters of Choobookov and Lomov. [2060-10]
@ Write about the purpose of Lomov’s visit to Choobookov’s house. [2059-5]
====================================================== = In
the short play "A Marriage Proposal," Anton Chekhov describes the odd
courtship of Lomov, who seeks a marriage with his neighbor's daughter.
Lomov, aged 35, is a long time neighbor of Choobookov.
He is a landowner who has inherited property from his aunt. Though he
is well fed and healthy, he is hypochondriac. He suffers from
palpitations and sleeplessness due to his nervousness. He has passed a
critical stage of marriage. He now knows that if he will search for an
ideal woman or true love, he will never marry. So he is now desperate to
marry Natalia. He thinks that she is not bad-looking and has some
education. He wants to lead a steady and regular life. So, he visits the
house of his neighbour Choobookov early morning dressed in formal suit.
Choobookov is surprised at the unexpected arrival of Lomov in his
formal dress. Lomov asks him
Natalia's hand in marriage. Choobookov is also desperately looking for a
suitable man for his 25-year-old daughter, Natalia. As a father of a
grown-up daughter, he immediately gives joyful permission to marry
Natalia.
She is invited into the room. Lomov becomes nervous and instead of putting his proposal, he begins to beat about the bush. When
he says that his Ox Meadows touch her birch woods, she begins to argue
with him about the ownership of that piece of land. After her father
notices they are arguing, he joins in, and then sends Lomov out of the
house. Choobookov then tells his daughter that Lomov was there to
propose her. Natalia repents and asks her father to call him back. Lomov
comes and she asks him about his hunting program. He says that he will
start hunting after harvest because his best dog has gone lame. At this point, Natalia contradicts him again and claims that her dog Leap is better than his dog Guess.
Thus the quarrel begins again till over-excitement makes Lomov faint in
a chair. Seeing him quiet and unmoving, Natalia thinks that he is dead
and becomes hysterical. At last Lomov comes into senses and Choobookov
forces them to kiss each other and accept the marriage proposal.
Immediately following the kiss, Natalia and Lomov start quarrelling.
Choobookov shouts for Champagne because he wants to celebrate their marriage and at the same time he feels free by the burden of his grown-up daughter.
Lomov
|
Choobookov
|
Natalia
|
He is healthy, well fed but hypochondriac. He suffers from palpitations and sleeplessness because of his nervousness.
|
He
feels an unbearable burden of a grown up daughter. He does what his
shrewd daughter tells him. When Natalia and Lomov accept marriage
proposal, he celebrates with Champagne.
|
She is shrewd and always begins the quarrel. She lacks feminine qualities.
|
He is quarrelsome and always beats about the bush.
|
He is quarrelsome. He always sides with his daughter in her argument with Lomov.
|
She is quarrelsome. She is never polite with Lomov though she loves to marry him.
|
Wealthy landowner
|
Wealthy landowner
|
He acts childishly and impractically.
|
His behaviour is childish but is a practical man.
|
She also acts childishly and impractically.
|
He
is aged 35 and has passed the critical age of marriage. He wants to
lead a regular and stable life. So, he is desperate for a wife.
|
As a father of a grown up daughter, he is desperate to find a husband for his daughter.
|
She is 25 and is desperate for a husband.
|
==========================The Happy Journey=======================
@ Give an account of the people and places the Kirby family see during their happy journey. [2065/2058-10]
@ Describe the Kirby family and it’s relationship with neighbours. [2063-10]
@ Why do Arthur and Caroline cry before they eat the hot dogs? [2062-5]
@ Why does Caroline complain about Arthur? [2061-5]
@
What traits of the character of older woman is reflected when Ma Kirby
asks Beulah to lie down and shut her eyes for ten minutes? [2059-5]
=================================================================
= "The Happy Journey" written by Thornton Wilder, describes a simple journey of the Kirby family from their home to Camden,
to visit the family's married daughter Beulah. Beulah was sick while
giving birth to a dead child and had to undergo operation.
Before
they begin the journey, Ma Kate Kirby advises her 13 year old son
Arthur to put on hat, and warns Caroline not to use any cosmetics. Kirby
family has kept good relationship with their neighbours. They help each
other in need. Ma Kirby asks about the health of the baby of her
neighbour Mrs. Schwartz, and also asks her to feed her cat during her
absence. She tells her to use anything she needs by opening the door. Mr
Schwartz readily accepts it. When another neighbour Mrs. Hobmeyer comes
Ma Kirby asks Caroline to greet her. Mrs. Hobmeyer does not beat the
rug because she does not want to choke the Kirby family. Before they
leave the neighbours greet them best wishes.
Arthur
requests his father not to drive by the school because he is afraid
that his teacher may scold him. But mother Kirby thinks that she has
right to take her children anywhere she likes. On the way they see a
funeral procession, and father Elmer takes off his hat. Ma Kirby asks
Arthur to take his hat off as sympathy to the dead ones. She even
becomes philosophical and says that everyone has to die one day.
They
see various advertisement billboards-- for suits, suspenders, spaghetti
and cigarettes. Arthur asks permission for taking a paper route with
the Newark Daily Post but Ma Kirby does not like it because for her
family and health is more important than money. Arthur speaks
disrespectfully about God, this makes her very angry. Around New Brunswick,
they see a collie dog and Ma Kirby pities the rather weak dog. On the
gas station, Ma Kirby talks with the young garage man and sympathies
with him. They stop again to have hot dogs. At this time Arthur repents
that he was wrong for making fun of God. Ma pardons him asks to him to
be good in words and deed. So, Arthur and Caroline start crying. They
reach the house of Beulah and all are happy. Beulah eyes are filled with
tears. She kisses her father and embraces him. She presents gifts to
her brother and sister. Later Ma Kirby asks her daughter Beulah to lie
down on the bed and take rest. Being a responsible mother, she goes to
the kitchen and starts preparing food.
Ma
Kirby is the main and strong character in this play. She is a loving
mother, active, strict about dress and manners. She is happy and
satisfied with her family. She thinks that the place where her family
live is the best place in the world for her. She wants her children be
honest in deeds and manners. She is thoughtful, determined and kind
person.
=======================To Bobolink, For Her Spirit===============================
@ Sketch the character of Bobolink [2064\2062-10]
@ Explain the reason why some of the celebrities are considered to be not at all stuck up. [2061-5]
@Discuss what happened outside the “St. Regis”. [2060-5]
@ Describe Bobolink’s inability to get Elizabeth Taylor’s autograph. [2059-5]
@ What is the attitude of autograph seekers to Lana Turner? [2058-5]
= In
William Inge's play "To Bobolink, For Her Spirti", Bobolink is the
ringleader of the group of autograph seekers who are outside the 21 Club
in New York
waiting for Perry Como. She is in her early thirties, with a very fat
body that looks like a circle from sides. She looks self-satisfied and
happy. She smiles showing her teeth. Her hair is short and curly. She
wears powerful glasses that make her eyes look like buttonholes. Her
clothes are simple. She is the most experienced autograph hunter and has
collected the autographs of most movie stars and celebrities. She is
very confident and proves her claims by showing her autograph book. She
is a quasi-adolescent.
Bobolink once waited patiently for three hours one snowy night to get the autograph of Elizabeth Taylor
outside the Stork Club because someone told her that there was
Elizabeth Taylor. There was no Elizabeth Taylor at all but she was some
college girl trying to pretend she was Elizabeth Taylor.
Bobolink and Nellie once waited outside the St. Regis
for Ronald Colman. They waited for whole night and when they were about
to give up, she saw movie stars Van Johnson and Peter Lawford get out
of taxi. They went towards them and asked for autographs in which Peter
Lawford wrote 'All my love to Bobolink'.
Bobolink
has the autograph of Lana Turner which she shows to the other autograph
seeker kids. Gretchen's girlfriend saw Lana last summer on the beach
and she reacted friendly. Bobolink thinks that some celebrities who are
really famous are not stuck up ( proud). Bobolink's favourite is Tyrone
Power. She is the president of the Tyrone Power Fan Club. She met Tyrone
at the train when he was coming in from Hollywood.
She had to fight the man at the gate to let her pass. She found him in a
carriage packing his things hurriedly. She introduced herself as the
president of the club and told him that the club had 43 members who met
once a week to discuss his career. He was not proud at all and gave her
and other members lots of his autographs. In the autograph of Bobolink
he wrote "To Bobolink for her faithful enthusiasm and spirit".
-------------------------------------------------Use of Force---------------------------------------------
@
What does the story tell us about the use of force? How is the doctor
affected by resorting to the use of force? @ How is the child affected
by being forced to open her mouth against her will? [2065-10 ]
@ Why does the doctor respect the child but find the parents contemptible? [2064-5]
@ Describe the relationship of the parents with the child? [2063-5]
@ Comment on the nature of conflict in the story 'The Use of Force'. [2062/59-10]
@ Justify the use of force on a patient as shown in the 'Use of Force'. [2059-5]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= "The
Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams shows the conflict between a
doctor and his patient at one level and doctor and the parents at
another level. The conflict between doctor and the patient is physical.
But the conflict between doctor and parents is psychological. This story
tells that use of force for benevolent purpose is ethical and
justifiable.
The
narrator is a doctor who visits the house of Olson family. Their small
daughter Mithalda has had a high fever for three days. Since no medicine
worked, her parents called the doctor. Being fearful that the girl may
be suffering from diphtheria, the doctor asked her parents if she had
sore throat. The parents had not taken a look at her throat because they
did not want to hurt her. The doctor asks Mithalda to open her mouth
but suddenly the girl attacks his eyes with her nails. The doctor hates
the parents when they say that doctor is a nice man and will not hurt
her. Then the doctor decides to use force than to leave her die. When
the doctor is about to look into her throat, her father suddenly
releases her. The parents are restless and fearful that the doctor may
harm her child. On next attempt he grasps the child's head and tries to
get the wooden depressor into her mouth. The girl breaks it with her
molars. The child's mouth starts bleeding. Later he forces the spoon
back of her teeth and throat. He finds that she has a sore throat and is
suffering from diphtheria.
Generally
force is unjustifiable, but if it is used with good motives in order to
save somebody's life, it becomes a necessity. Here the basic conflict
is between the doctor and the parents of the patient. Doctor uses force
because of social responsibility while the parents do not want the use
of force. Their love towards their child was about to cause the death of
their child. The parents concentrate on the immediate pain without
thinking the consequences of the deadly diseases. So the doctor loves
the innocent child but finds her parents contemptible.
---------------------------------------------The Penalty of Death---------------------------------
@ Identify Mencken's three reasons for his support of capital punishment. Do all three seem to you equally strong? [2065-5]
@ What are Mencken's three reasons for death punishment? Explain if you are for or against him. [2063/62/60/58-10]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.L.
Mencken's essay "The Penalty of Death" advocates in favor of the death
penalty. Mencken thinks that capital punishment is a very beneficial
component of any justice system. Mencken thinks that death penalty
should be given to those who take the lives of other people challenging
all civilized order. He presents three reasons for his support of
capital punishment. They are pleasantness of the ancient art, deterrence
and katharsis.
Mencken
attacks the abolitionists idea that hangman's job is unpleasant. He
claims that there are many jobs which are unpleasant like that the job
of soldier, sweeper, plumber etc. but which are needed for the society.
He thinks that hangman is satisfied to practice his ancient craft and
also is needed for the society.
Mencken
mentions that capital punishment saves lives. It saves lives because
it stops those who murder from ever murdering again. It also deters
potential murderers from ever committing the crime.
The
last reason that Mencken gives is the strongest of all. He claims that
the main reason of death punishment is to provide Katharsis to the
victims, relatives and society at large. Katharsis is the healthy
release of emotions, grief, hatred or anger. It provides sudden
emotional and mental satisfaction. It also brings sense of security and
mental peace to the public at large.
-----------------------------------------------Enemies----------------------------------------------------
@ Chekhov says unhappy men are selfish. How does it apply to Dr Kirilov? To Aboguin? Discuss. [2065/064/61-10]
@ Why do we sympathize with Dr. Kirilov? [2063/62-5]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= "Enemies" is a story written by Anton Checkov. The story suggests that grief and misery do not bring people together to share, but force them apart. Pain is egoistic.
Kirilov
is a district doctor. His six-year old son has just died of diphtheria.
He stands watching his unconscious wife near the dead body. The
doorbell rings and a wealthy stranger Aboguin enters begging the Doctor
to come to treat his wife who is in great pain. Kirilov says that he
cannot possibly leave his wife at this time. Abogin requests to treat
his wife in the name of humanity. Kirilov forgets his social
responsibility as a doctor and is observed in his own pain and grief. In
the other hand, Aboguin thinks that his grief is worse than the
doctor's. However, after much request Kirilov unwillingly goes with
Aboguin in his carriage. But when they arrive at Aboguin’s house, his
wife is not at home. She pretended to be ill in order to run away with
her lover. Aboguin is sad and begins to complain to Kirilov. Kirilov is
angry and he does not like to hear the grief of Aboguin. He thinks that
Abguin played a joke with him. They scream at one another and the doctor
returns home cursing the rich people like Aboguin and forming a
deep-rooted enmity towards them.
In
unhappiness, both became selfish, wicked, unjust and unable to
understand each other. Pain and anxiety made them egoistic and selfish.
However, we sympathize with Dr. Kirilov because his loss is greater that
Aboguin's.
----------------------------------Zeroing in on Science Fiction-----------------------------------
@ How does Ghoshgarin draw distinction between hard science and soft science fiction? [2064-5]
@ How does Goshgarin distinguish science fiction from other kinds of fiction? [2060-5]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= In his essay "Zeroing in on Science Fiction" Gary
Goshgarin defines science fiction as the branch of literature that
imaginatively speculates the human life in scientific or technological
world. Science fiction differs from other kinds of fiction in the
sense that science fiction always gives a scientific logic for any
imagination. It does not present any event without scientific rationale.
In other kinds of fiction the consequences are caused by magic or
supernatural powers. Science fiction always predicts possibility while
other kinds of fiction may present any event that is impossible.
Goshgarin thinks that Frankenstein is a science fiction while Dracula is a fantasy fiction.
Goshgarin
also distinguishes between Hard SF and Soft SF. Hard SF takes help of
known principles and inventions to fill their stories with scientific
jargon. The heroes are usually scientists or engineers. The readers with
good knowledge of science can only enjoy this type of fiction. Caves of Steel
by Asimov is a Hard SF. Soft SF takes help of sociology, anthropology,
psychology, philosophy and other branches of knowledge to show the moral
and social results of scientific advancement. It deals with how the
scientific developments will influence morality, evolution and
environment. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess is Soft SF.
-------------------------------------------The Time Factor---------------------------------------------
@ How do you interpret Steinem's thesis that your sense of time is partly a function of power, or the lack of it?" [2065-5]
@
How does Steinem differentiate the future planning, which is
'culturally masculine habit of planning', to women's plans for future in
the essay? [2059-10]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= `The
main thesis of Gloria Steinem's essay "The Time Factor" is that our
sense of time is partly a function of power or lack of it.
Time-sense
is always governed by power- either monetary power or social power.
Planning ahead depends on class, sex and caste. The rich and the middle
class plan for the future generations while the poor plan for a week or a
few days. Women also can not plan ahead as they are dominated by men.
Even well-to-do women have to adjust their life according to the life of
their husband and children. Females are powerless in the society so
they also only plan for few days. They live in flux, present and
uncertainty. Even some feminists only look at their painful past and do
not focus on future. Women are limited to day to day existence. While
men always live in dreamy future without living in the day to day
present. The Blacks who are socially and culturally powerless also can
not plan for the future. A black, successful journalist and critic also
could not plan beyond one assignment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@ How do you explain the difference between the terms 'class' and 'caste'? Discuss with examples. [2061-5]
=
Class is social group whose members have the same economic status.
Since they have same economic status they also have same social and
political status. Generally class can be distinguished into three -
upper class, middle class and lower class. The people of upper and
middle class have monetary power so they plan for future while the
people of lower group only plan for day to day existence.
Caste
is an unchangeable marks of sex and race. Whites belong to upper caste
while blacks belong to lower caste. In our hindu culture, there are four
castes- Brahamin, Kshetriya, Vaisya and Sudra. Brahmin and Kshetriya
belong to upper caste and are powerful in society while Vaisya and Sudra
belong to lower caste with no power.
-----------------------------------------------------Duchoux---------------------------------------------
@ What is the reason behind the Baron's rejection of his son, whom he had longed to see so much? [2065-5]
@ What is a son according to the story? [2063-5]
@
Does the story imply that the modern civilization has alienated man
from his true self or nature? Give reasons for your answer. [2061/58-10]
@ What is the theme of this story? [2057-5]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= Maupassant's
story "Duchoux" is about a self-centered old man named Barone Mardiane
who values position more than family. This story implies that modern
civilization has separated man from his true self or nature. Modern men
only crave for comfort, money and sex. They have forgotten the values of
family bonds and love.
Barone
Mardiane, an aristocratic old bachelor is fed up of with his monotonous
life. He feels lonely and sad because he is bored with the same
friends, gambling and same activities. In loneliness, he is haunted by
the memory of his illegitimate son. He wishes to spend rest of his life
with him and his grandchildren. In his young age, he had a short
romantic relationship with the wife of governor of a colony. A son was
born secretly. The mother died of tuberculosis after three years. Baron
had secretly arranged for the boy's education and marriage. Barone goes
to meet his son's house. When he reaches there, he meets a boy, lifts
him and tries to kiss him. But the smell of garlic coming out from his
mouth prevents him. Barone notices that everything the son has does not
suit his standard. The servants are dirty, the room is dark and dirty,
his son Duchoux is bald headed, shabbily dressed and even
daughter-in-law is dirty and shabbily dressed. The room is filled with
the odour of garlic. Though Duchoux resembled in many ways with his
mother, Barone dislikes him. When the boy comes and calls Duchoux
'father' in a Southern tone, Barone is struck by the word. He hates the
rural and uncultured environment of his son's house and returns to Paris.
-----------------------------------------What is Poverty? ----------------------------------------------
@
How does Parker create a real and graphic account of what being poor
actually means on a daily basis? Do you have anything more to add to her
definition of poverty? [2064-10]
@ Is "What is Poverty" a realistic essay? Discuss with reasons for your answer. [2062-10]
@ Why did Parker quit her job? [2061-5]
@ What is Parker's purpose in defining poverty as she does? [2058-10]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= Jo
Goodwin Parker in her realistic essay "What is Poverty" gives a real
and graphic account of what being poor actually means on a daily basis.
Parker stresses that poverty is more ugly, cruel and devastating than it
is shown in newspapers.
She
defines poverty as a lack - that is living without hope, better foods,
medicinal care, proper sanitation and proper education. It is like an
acid that destroys pride, honour, health and future. Parker's main
purpose is to show how shameful, humiliating and disgusting it is to be a
poor. She wants to draw the readers' attention to the pathetic state of
poor people.
Poor
people have to live a restless life looking at the dark future of their
children. Poverty breaks relationships. Parker had three children. She
divorced with her husband because he had lost his job and they couldn't
buy contraceptives to prevent unwanted birth. She had a job. Once she
left the children under the care of their grandmother. She found her
children under pitiable condition when she returned home. Her youngest
son was covered with fly specks and his diaper had not been changed
since morning. Her another child was playing with broken glasses and the
oldest one was playing alone at the edge of a lake. She did not have
enough income to admit them at a nursery school. She made 20 dollars a
week and a nursery school cost 20 dollars a week for three children.
Therefore she quitted her job.
----------------------------- An Episode of War -----------------------------------------------------
@ How is war a sad scene in respect of the war front, barracks or hospital. Comment. [2063-10]
@ Describe the grim, inhuman picture of war presented in "An Episode of War". [2060-10]
@ Is there any reason for Crane's refusal to give the lieutenant's name? [2058-5]
@
How did the lieutenant lose his arm in the story 'An Episode of War'?
How does the wound set the lieutenant apart form his fellow soldiers?
[2057-10]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= 'An Episode of War' written by Stephen Crane
presents the bitter experience of a wounded lieutenant at the war
front, barracks and hospital. Crane hasn't given name to the lieutenant
but used generic name in order to show that war is bitter experience not
for an individual only but for all soldiers of any nationality, place
and time.
While
dividing the coffee powder, the Lieutenant was mysteriously shot on his
right arm by a bullet. The fellowmen gazed at him with awe and some
offered him help. But lieutenant did not accept their help. Soon all his
fellowmen had to take their position in the battle field, so he started
walking alone towards the military hospital. On the way he met some
stragglers who did not care about his wound. In the barrack, several
officers came out to see him and started asking several questions. One
of them noticed his wound, but without any right treatment or sympathy
he tied his wound with a handkerchief. He even scolded him. Lieutenant
reached hospital. He found that the hospital was mismanaged- the
ambulances were stuck up in the mud and no one cared the wounded
soldiers. He met a busy surgeon who behaved him in an indifferent
manner. He talked to the lieutenant as if he was talking to a criminal,
not to a brave soldier. Though the surgeon told that he would not
amputate his hand, he found himself losing his arm. When he went to his
home the family members started crying because they did not realize his
bravery. Though he was a war hero, he felt himself ashamed.
Thus
this story shows the gap between appearance and reality. War is
glorified but soldiers are treated indifferently. A brave war hero is
misbehaved wherever he goes. The wound sets the lieutenant apart from
his fellow soldiers. He becomes disillusioned by the war while his
fellow soldiers glorify war.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
@ What are the implications of Crane's comparison of the actual battle to 'an historical painting'?[061-10]
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
=
In the story the lieutenant sees that a general is presented a paper by
an assistant. He compares this event to the historical painting.
Crane's comparison of the actual battle field to 'an historical
painting' suggests the existence and glorification of war even in the
past. The painting shows the beautiful picture of war but in reality it
hides the brutality of war. This also suggests that from ancient times
the medals are awarded to generals not to the soldiers who win war.
---------------------------------- A Day in the Life of a Salaryman-----------------------------------
@
What is the significance of the time 'Salaryman' spends outside his job
improving work skills and attending training program? [2064-5]
@ Describe "Salaryman's" job in brief. [2060-5]
@ How does 'salaryman' represent Japanese white-collar workers? [2059-5]
@ Describe the events that normally take place in the working day of a "Salary man " in Japan. How do you view that the "Salary man" is representative of Japanese white-collar workers? [2057-10]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= The
'Salaryman' described in "A Day in the Life of a Salaryman " is the
representative of average male Japanese white-collar worker who devotes
his soul and body to his company. He is a university graduate, lives in
mortgaged house, always wears formal dress and is equipped with every
essential items. He is the industrial warrior and a driving force behind
Japan's economic success. He gives more preference to the office than his own family.
He
wakes up late. After a quick wash, shave and dressing, he takes his
breakfast. His wife drives him to the train station for a 70 minute
ride. He then catches a train and starts reading book on computers in
order to improve his skills. He reaches his office at 9:10 where he is a
section manager. At 10:30 he assembles data and attends a meeting about
a contract. He works consciously in order to gain promotion. At 4:00 he
attends another meeting and by 7:00 he finishes his compiling work. Yet
he does not go home. At 7:30 he attends a dinner with the client
company. Around 11 pm, his friends rush towards bath house for
entertainment, but he rushes towards his house. At home, he takes the
late supper left on the table, gives a sentimental gaze at his sleeping
children and goes to bed.
Thus, for the Salaryman the office is a real home.
------------------------------ The Day of the Dead-----------------------------------------------------
@ What are the Mexican attitudes towards the celebrations of life and death? [2062-5]
@ What are the factors which make fiestas so popular in Mexico and what are the psychological and cultural motivations behind them? [2059-5]
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
= Octavio
Paz in the essay "The Day of the Dead" presents the psychological and
cultural motivations behind the popularity of fiestas in Mexico.
The Mexican people celebrate fiestas with all the colors, strange
costumes, dancing, fireworks, drinking, shouting and gathering together.
By means of fiestas Mexican people free themselves from the monotony of
life, solitude, order, rigidity, poverty and harsh reality. During
fiestas, society frees itself from the laws, traditions, order and come
out purified with new energy.
In
certain fiestas, the very idea of order disappears, chaos comes back
and sexual freedom rules. All the social, sex, caste and trade
differences disappear. Fiestas are like revolution because individual
dissolves in mass and forms a unity. The people reveal their hidden
secrets and desires and free themselves from mental burden.
On His Blindness
John Milton’s sonnet ‘On His Blindness’ enlightens us about Milton's blindness, his mental anguish and his desire to serve God.
He
begins the poem by lamenting how he wasted his ability to see. In this
poem he used word light for vision. He also used word light to represent
the spirituality and he meant here that how he ignored his spiritual
capacity. He further tells that he will spend his remaining half of the
life in darkness. Now when he lost his vision, he found himself
surrounded by the darkness only. Here he used the term dark world as his
inability to understand the spiritual world and knowledge. After losing
his vision he has realized the importance of God and now he wishes to
serve him more than ever to prove that how much he loves him. But his
own wisdom answers him that God does not need anyone’s hard work or any
kind of sacrifice to please him. One can serve the God by obeying his
wishes. It is the only best way to serve the God.
There is no point in
lamenting or complaining about our short comings in life! For, God does
not need any of our service or want anything from us as He is infinitely
self-sufficient and self-reliant ever! Talented or not, bright or blind
it is our duty to the best we can to prove our mettle before Him being
worthy of ourselves being His creations! It is Milton's best example of his intellectual analysis and resolution that made him noble and great ever!
Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer Day
The poem starts with a flattering question to the beloved—"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" The beloved is both "more lovely and more temperate"
than a summer's day. The speaker lists some negative things about
summer: it is short, rough winds in summer disturb the buds, sometimes
the sunshine makes the temperature too hot and other times sun often
hides behind clouds. Then the speaker makes a generalization that
everything in nature including the seasons and even people degenerate. However,
the beloved has beauty that will last forever, unlike the fleeting
beauty of a summer's day. By putting his love's beauty into the form of
poetry, the poet is preserving it forever. The lover's beauty will live
on, through the poem which will last as long as it can be read.
Shall
I compare you to a summer's day? You are more lovely and more moderate:
Harsh winds disturb the delicate buds of May, and summer doesn't last
long enough. Sometimes the sun is too hot, and its golden face is often
dimmed by clouds. All beautiful things eventually become less beautiful,
either by the experiences of life or by the passing of time. But your
eternal beauty won't fade, nor lose any of its quality. And you will
never die, as you will live on in my enduring poetry. As long as there
are people still alive to read poems this sonnet will live, and you will
live in it. The Tiger
The Tiger is the Masterpiece of God’s creation on earth. Through the thick cover of darkness of the unexplored forest, the Tiger, with his bright burning eyes, moves in majesty and his presence is felt by other animals of the woods. With a perfect eye and a mighty hand God-The Creator planned the perfect ‘Symmetry’ of this creature that is capable of striking fear in the hearts of every fauna on the face of this earth, including man.
To what depths of the mighty waters of the earth and to what heights towards the skies did the Almighty took all the pains to gather the immortal fire and breathe life into this unique creature called ‘The Tiger’. On wings much larger than his Arch Angels, as one may imagine, God would fly to aspire His earnest desire to fulfill His perfect intention to create this extremely ferocious animal. With His powerful immortal hand, He would have carried this Heavenly Fire in His palm and return to finish the work of creating the fearful tiger.
God created a magnificent piece of art when He formed the broad shape of the Tiger’s shoulders. He then went to twist the ‘sinews’ and created the perfect shape of the tiger’s heart. When God touched the lifeline of the heart, it immediately started to beat. The Tiger’s hands and feet stretched as he is waking up to a brand new life. They all looked equally dreadful like the rest of his body.
The manner in which the brain was formed and the understanding that dwelled within this Creature is extremely lethal. The ferocity of ‘The Tiger’ is closely embraced with his heart, mind, body and soul. That is why it is believed that the tiger can strike with deadly force.
Even the stars are believed to throw down their spears in fear or rebellion or allegiance. Would God take a few moments of his precious time to look at His masterpiece and admire it from His Throne? Perhaps, but who knows the mind of God? Could the same God who made the gentle lamb made the fearful tiger too?
The same ‘Tiger’ who roams the thick forest in deep cover of darkness with his glimmering eyes creates the extreme fear to all creatures around it. Only God’s powerful hands and magnificent eyes of immortality would dare to create the ‘fearful symmetry’ of the tiger.
Nice
ReplyDeleteLong Notes / Summary Of Major English Class 12, Hseb Board New >>>>> Download Now
ReplyDelete>>>>> Download Full
Long Notes / Summary Of Major English Class 12, Hseb Board New >>>>> Download LINK
>>>>> Download Now
Long Notes / Summary Of Major English Class 12, Hseb Board New >>>>> Download Full
>>>>> Download LINK
Casinos In Dubai - Airport Review & Hotels - Air
ReplyDeleteBook jordan 12 retro Shipping Online a Flight or Flight On Airfare & Book Direct In Dubai (Tif) with 출장안마 Airjet Radar, 오즈포탈 Free Shipping or Book Direct Direct On Airfare 샌즈 and Book 제이티엠허브출장안마 Direct In Dubai.