Q: Compare and contrast Gatsby and Tom. How are they alike? How are they different? given the extremely negative light in which Tom is portrayed throughout the novel, why might Daisy choose to remain with him instead of leaving him for Gatsby?
A: Throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, we are given two men that have made huge impacts on the life of Daisy. Gatsby was her first love, thinking he was going to be her lover the rest of her life. Unfortunately, he decided to go to fight in the war for years, followed by his decision to attend Oxford for a few months in the army program. When he returned, Daisy was married and with another man who she is expect to live her life with until the day she dies. Tom and his entire family is part of the old money, having it for many past years. Gatsby is part of the new money society, acquiring his funds more recently and having grown up from a less fortunate family then Tom did when he was younger. Even while Gatsby was away he still had feelings for his Daisy and continued to have them when he returned, disappointed to find that she has married another man. He continues to try to get her back and convince her to leave her husband. Tom on the other hand, might love her, but not with the same passion as Gatsby. Tom was lucky enough to be able to marry her in the beginning, but he has proven to be unfaithful and a cheater. Gatsby proves to be more faithful and more passionate about the love he shares with Daisy as does she with him. Tom just shows him jealousy and his desire to keep her as his possession out of the reach of Gatsby, not for his love.
Throughout the story, Tom is portrayed as a terrible person, because he truly is one. He is able to marry a truly kind woman and has taken advantage of the kindness she has and her timidness to stand up to his behavior. Ever since the beginning of their marriage, Tom has been unfaithful, keeping an apartment in the city for him and his other woman that he fools around with. He has even been able to get her families respect and approval, more for his amount of money not for the love he has for Daisy. He tries to be subtle and secretly rude to Gatsby and to intimidate standing his ground. He has learned of the feelings that Gatsby and Daisy share for each other, and in response, decides to keep a close eye on her where ever he goes. All he does through the novel is push people around him because of the amount of money he possesses. He is able to obtain anything his heart desires, even the affection of Daisy. In my opinion, Gatsby and Daisy should run away into the sunset leaving Tom behind to sit in his own self pity and sorrow.
Unfortunately, Daisy has very little choice whether to stay with Tom or leave and go with Gatsby. If she were to leave and run away with Gatsby she would loose her family, friends, and her daughter probably as well. In the society she and Tom live in, they are expect to be together, even though Tom only looks at her as a possession, not the woman of his life.But in exchange for leaving that life behind, she would be rewarded with the true love that Gatsby has for her and the opportunity to start anew and live much more happily and faithfully. She has to contemplate which she would rather have before she is able to run away or stay with what she has going for her so far.
Throughout the story, we watch Daisy and Tom's relationship go through many obsticles and all the hardships they encounter. How her family has forced her into a marriage unwillingly is pathetic in how much they truly love and cherish her wishes. She had to show up on the alter drunk in order to continue with what she was being dropped into. This unstable beginning started the continuing pattern that follows through the story, chapter by chapter with similar actions and events. You can only question and ponder what would have happened if she married Gatsby in the first place and how different her life would be. The pressure her parents have put on her also helps to effect the way she and Tom raise their only daughter and how much they really care about her. Niether of them even mention the childs name in the story. Her life with Gatsby would be much more passionate and sincere compared to the lies that she lives through and ignores through their entire relationship. Tom's unloyalty has begun even since the honeymoon they spent in Hawaii.
Overall, the reasons that Daisy stays in the situation she is currently in does not compare to what opportunities that she has been presented by the life Gatsby has offered to her. She is stuck in a rut because of the lack of emotion that her family portrays on herself and her marriage. She is stuck from the pressure she has on society and the expectency that she is to by with such a rich, respectful man. Little do they know what she is really enduring.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
'Thriftiness' and saving money
Q: In the article, Ellen Goodman asks, "Will our 'thriftiness' last only as long as the recession?" What do you think? Is your family still spending as much, or have you slowed down?
A: During the Great Depression, banks went bankrupt, people lost great amounts of money, and the economy was shot into the ground. 30% of our country was left jobless without any opportunity to find a new one quickly. People were left without an income while watching the rest of the world crumble in the same way.
Today, we have some of the same failures and events as those that happened during the Great Depression. Many recessions are occurring, people are losing their jobs, and you can find every citizen in America saving money and trying to cut down on what they spend. As the recession continues, people will continue to save what they have because people are continuing to lose jobs and money. Everyone you meet is counting what they have, searching for the bargain deals, even cutting down for this Christmas season with friends and family just because of the terrible economy we are forced to live in for now. We have even seen gas prices plummet after the highest price around about $4.50, depending on where you live, down to about $1.30 locally. So, yes, i believe that 'our thriftiness' will continue as long as this recession continues.
My family is cutting down somewhat. When my mom goes to the grocery store, she tries to wait until we have about no food in the pantry to go to the store and comes back with tons of food to completely fill the room. Trips up to Redding are the same. She tries to combine all her errands into a one, all day thing in order to keep from going up there more then once a week. We have made small changes, but nothing too extreme that keeps us from our day to day activities.
A: During the Great Depression, banks went bankrupt, people lost great amounts of money, and the economy was shot into the ground. 30% of our country was left jobless without any opportunity to find a new one quickly. People were left without an income while watching the rest of the world crumble in the same way.
Today, we have some of the same failures and events as those that happened during the Great Depression. Many recessions are occurring, people are losing their jobs, and you can find every citizen in America saving money and trying to cut down on what they spend. As the recession continues, people will continue to save what they have because people are continuing to lose jobs and money. Everyone you meet is counting what they have, searching for the bargain deals, even cutting down for this Christmas season with friends and family just because of the terrible economy we are forced to live in for now. We have even seen gas prices plummet after the highest price around about $4.50, depending on where you live, down to about $1.30 locally. So, yes, i believe that 'our thriftiness' will continue as long as this recession continues.
My family is cutting down somewhat. When my mom goes to the grocery store, she tries to wait until we have about no food in the pantry to go to the store and comes back with tons of food to completely fill the room. Trips up to Redding are the same. She tries to combine all her errands into a one, all day thing in order to keep from going up there more then once a week. We have made small changes, but nothing too extreme that keeps us from our day to day activities.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
How Language Determines Your Education
Q: How is our understanding of culture and society constructed through and by language?
A: In the novel, The Great Gatsby, people are defined and placed in different classes in society depending on how they speak and with how much intelligence in exemplified in their everyday speech. Language is one form of how to identify someones intelligence and how and where they were raised. Each character in the story is looked upon in society in his class partly because of the way people relate to each other and converse with those around him.
Based on the way words are spoken you are able to determine which part of the country or which country that specific person was raised and educated. People from different parts of the country have developed different forms of saying words and spellings as well. Education takes a big part in the way people speak to each other as well. People with a higher education will use more vocabulary and more proper English that someone with less education who will tend to use more slang words. The way people talk, speak to each other, and write are definite ways to be able to distinguish where someone was raised and was educated.
A: In the novel, The Great Gatsby, people are defined and placed in different classes in society depending on how they speak and with how much intelligence in exemplified in their everyday speech. Language is one form of how to identify someones intelligence and how and where they were raised. Each character in the story is looked upon in society in his class partly because of the way people relate to each other and converse with those around him.
Based on the way words are spoken you are able to determine which part of the country or which country that specific person was raised and educated. People from different parts of the country have developed different forms of saying words and spellings as well. Education takes a big part in the way people speak to each other as well. People with a higher education will use more vocabulary and more proper English that someone with less education who will tend to use more slang words. The way people talk, speak to each other, and write are definite ways to be able to distinguish where someone was raised and was educated.
Monday, December 1, 2008
And Then There Was One
Q: Do you agree or disagree with Naughton, the author of the article? Why or why not?
A: The decision here is to combine "The Big Three" inot one bigger company in an attempt to stay out of reach of bankruptcy. When looking at the big picture and just thinking of what the end outcome is then the idea sounds great, the solver of all the problems. Well, think again. Many other options have been thought up. Some include letting the three countries end and restart anew. Another includes federal assistance jumping in and giving some loans to keep them above the ground. None of these show what will happen to those smaller then the big picture.
The option that Naughton believes would be very effective is combining the three big companies into one and having them lean on each other for support to make it out of the storm. This reformation is greatly needed in order to get them back up on their feet. Unfortunately, if that were to happen many jobs would be lost. This industry contains millions of job offers to those around the country and many of those would be lost in the combination of the companies. Collectively the companies are believed to going through about $6 billion each month and will have used about $30 billion on the next year. Naughton believes that Detroit could just focus on the companies that sell and have the best incomes and leave "the clunkers" to wither and fall out helping to be a little resolving of the bigger problem. This idea of having a combination seems to have great long-term changes but for the people involved now and the employees will slowly but laid off and lose millions of jobs.
Other options suggested would be to have the federal government come in and either take over or help to pay some of the money lost. That would only help to resolve the problem for a short while. It would also make the companies into an either further debt causing them to only dig a deeper hole.
Another option suggested is to stop all that they have going right now and starting anew and rebuild the great empire that is currently and slowly deteriorating. This option seems to have a terrible short-term outcome but it would also resolve a lot of problems that we currently have for the years to come.
Whatever the end outcome will be for "The Big Three", hopefully it will help restore their growing problems without losing so many employees and will stabilize what has been lost.
A: The decision here is to combine "The Big Three" inot one bigger company in an attempt to stay out of reach of bankruptcy. When looking at the big picture and just thinking of what the end outcome is then the idea sounds great, the solver of all the problems. Well, think again. Many other options have been thought up. Some include letting the three countries end and restart anew. Another includes federal assistance jumping in and giving some loans to keep them above the ground. None of these show what will happen to those smaller then the big picture.
The option that Naughton believes would be very effective is combining the three big companies into one and having them lean on each other for support to make it out of the storm. This reformation is greatly needed in order to get them back up on their feet. Unfortunately, if that were to happen many jobs would be lost. This industry contains millions of job offers to those around the country and many of those would be lost in the combination of the companies. Collectively the companies are believed to going through about $6 billion each month and will have used about $30 billion on the next year. Naughton believes that Detroit could just focus on the companies that sell and have the best incomes and leave "the clunkers" to wither and fall out helping to be a little resolving of the bigger problem. This idea of having a combination seems to have great long-term changes but for the people involved now and the employees will slowly but laid off and lose millions of jobs.
Other options suggested would be to have the federal government come in and either take over or help to pay some of the money lost. That would only help to resolve the problem for a short while. It would also make the companies into an either further debt causing them to only dig a deeper hole.
Another option suggested is to stop all that they have going right now and starting anew and rebuild the great empire that is currently and slowly deteriorating. This option seems to have a terrible short-term outcome but it would also resolve a lot of problems that we currently have for the years to come.
Whatever the end outcome will be for "The Big Three", hopefully it will help restore their growing problems without losing so many employees and will stabilize what has been lost.
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