Journal 21

Some Like It Hot and The Great Gatsby both focused on the culture of prosperity. The underlying theme of the works is money and indulgence. Both have character that drink, smoke, and are fun-loving. Characters are also having affairs, getting married, and divorcing multiple times in Some Like It Hot and The Great Gatsby. In Some Like It Hot, girls are shallow gold diggers. Sugar fell in love with Joe because she thought he was a wealthy oil industrialist. In Gatsby, Daisy fell for Tom because of his wealth as well. Both works also bring up conflict with the law during prohibition. Gatsby was selling alcohol in his drug store with gangsters going around selling it illegally as well. Both works include woman that are drinkers and flappers. Gatsby has lavish parties and Joe and Jerry are musicians in speak easies. The characters are shallow and only after the monetary things in life. The characters are also struggling to find love in both of the works. Both works basically imply that the American life is shallow with very few deep thinkers. The people just want a good time and easy money. 

Journal 20

Nick uses the imagery of Gatsby’s parties and talks about how they will never again fill his house. The party is over for Gatsby and no one has stayed around to help clean up. Nick headed into a new world with the shore left behind him. The green light was a visual symbol of hope for Gatsby and is to him what the green land was to the Dutch sailors when they first came across. In the end, the beacon’s green light was as elusive as Gatsby's dream to live with Daisy for the rest of his life. The green light was as bright and enchanting as Long Island was when the Dutch sailors found it so very long ago. The continent captivated the Dutch explorers and was filled with their hearts with hopes and dreams just like the green light captured Gatsby. Gatsby reached as far for the stars as he possibly could, but like the sailors, his dream of living with Daisy escaped him and left him with bullets in his back. We should all strive to be like Gatsby and go as far as we possibly can to reach our goals, but stop when we know they are too out of reach to even fathom achieving. 

Journal 19

Nick Carraway        Adjective _______introverted____________

Small and skinny, not very intimidating

Didn’t say much, just listened a lot

He was a good friend to Gatsby and asked for nothing in return

Tom Buchanan        Adjective ___________juxtaposed____________

Big and intimidating, but just really forceful

Talked way too much to be a good character

He was always trying to put himself higher above everyone else.

Daisy Buchanan     Adjective _____________ditsy_____________

Tiny and confused

Very talkative, liked to joke around and be

She was always unsure on what to do, especially when it came to following her heart

Jordan Baker           Adjective __________reserved__________

Mysteriously attractive and illusive

Wasn’t very talkative, but knew almost everything about the people she met up with

Jay Gatsby               Adjective ________smart___________

Attractive and kind hearted

He was always making other people happy. 

Journal 18

1. What is the significance of the story’s title?

The story actually takes place in another country. The story is set in Milan, Italy.

The group of men were all injured and this created a bond between the few men, and made them different from everyone else.

2. Which character do you think best represents the “Hemingway hero”? Why?

Signore Maggiore is the best representation of the “Hemingway hero”. He suffers with grace and dignity, and works at it every day. He also suffers on an emotional level too. Losing one’s spouse must be the hardest thing for one to go to. However, he also lost his ability to fence completely because of his hand being messed up. He fights and works at what he has to do throughout everything.

3. What can you infer about the photographs the doctor hangs up? What is the significance of the major’s reaction?

I would think that most of the photographs are just up for advertisement and fake. However, there must have been at least a few that benefited from the physical therapy, so those who had a great outcome have their final products up on the wall as well.

Journal 17

1. What is the significance of the poem’s epigraph? How does it relate to Prufrock?

Because he is filled with anxiety, and is self conscious, he thinks that no one will ever hear his story and so he is comfortable with it. The epigraph is about a person who is saying that he is a background person who is too self conscious to talk about themselves, but will agree to saying it because he doesn’t think that anyone will ever read/hear of it.

2. Make a list of questions that Prufrock asks. Do you see a pattern/theme to these questions or are they random?

Do I dare?
Shall I?

How should I presume?

How should I begin?

All of his questions are about what he should do or his life. He is uncertain about everything he is. The little mundane things about life and himself he questions. There is no decisiveness in even the smallest of things.

3. What do you think is Prufrock’s main flaw/problem?

Prufrock’s main problem was being too self conscious, too filled with anxiety, undecisive, and he’s afraid to take action.

4. Why do you think this is called a love song? In what way is it a love song?

Because it is ironic. It is not a love song, it was more about pity for not having a loving life. It is ironic because it is all about him being alone with no one to love. Instead of it being about love and happiness, it is about his quiet desperation and loveless life.

Journal 15

1. Write a sentence that summarizes the story’s overall message, and provide three direct quotes from the story that best illustrate this message.

The message is that trying to live in an optimal world instead of reality is a really bad thing, especially for Editha.

“It isn’t this war alone; though this seems peculiarly wanton and needless; but it’s every war –so stupid; it makes me sick. Why shouldn’t this thing have been settled reasonably?”

“He told me he had asked you to come if he got killed. You didn’t expect that, I suppose, when you sent him.”

2. What tactics does Editha use to make George believe as she does about the war?

Editha tries to reason with George by telling him he has to, just like every other man out there. She says that it needs to happen because that's what life is about, fighting in a war and coming home with a victory. She also threatened that if he didn't go, she wouldn't get married to him. That was the reason he actually went.

3. Is there ever a time in which Editha truly understands what she has done? Does she ever experience an epiphany?

Editha has a slight understanding of what she was done after she finds out that George has died. She mourns his loss and visits George’s mother like he asked. George's mom yells at Editha and blames her for his death, which she has the right to do. Editha doesn’t truly understand her actions though. She has an epiphany at the end that brings her back into her ideal world when the lady Editha was telling her story to, agreed that Mrs. Gearson was vulgar for saying those things. Editha rose out of self-pity and began to live in the ideal again.

Journal 14

Journal #14 - E. A. Robinson Poems

Realism – The theory or practice in art and literature of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization of the most typical views, details, and surroundings of the subject.

Read the following poems and write a detailed description for each of the title characters and explain how each is an example of the “real” instead of the “ideal.”

“Richard Cory“ (497)

It is about a man who everyone thinks has it all. He was looked at by everyone when he went in to town. He had the “ideal” life. He appreaed to have the “perfect life”. But really on the inside, he had all kinds of problems. Then, he ironically killed himself. A theme would be “don’t judge a book by its cover”. What’s on the surface isn’t always a reflection of what’s beneath the surface.

“Miniver Cheevy” (497)

He wishes he was born in a different time. Cheevy wanted to be born in medieval times. He likes romance stories with knights in shining armour and pretty ladies. He wishes to have been able to see the Medici clan. Because he couldn’t have a life like in the stories, he drank to be able to fantasize about it. He confused what was real with what was fiction. Minimal Acchiever.

“Mr. Flood’s Party” (498)

Eben is an alcoholic and drunk throughout the whole monologue. He was a pathetic mess off alone by himself. Eben was talking to himself like there was another there. He’s an old man and all of his friends have either died or left him. So now he drinks to think there are others there to keep him company. Most of his used to be friends, they are now considered strangers to him. Because of how he acts, he lost all of his frineds.