The Great Gatsby: chapter 2

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Goals for today 

Some tips and information on your extract analysis essay 

We will focus on the introduction of characters 

We will consider a new setting in chapter 2

We will consider some of Fitzgerald's signature moves  

A  novel, poem or play is built from literary techniques and novelistic conventions for both aesthetic and functional reasons. ​

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These techniques serve the purpose of constructing a coherent narrative, conveying the main themes and social comment of the author, and engaging the reader on an emotional level.

In summary:​

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You need to analyse a novel like it’s an artificial, constructed thing: a product designed by a creator to achieve various purposes (a main one being to convey their viewpoints about society). Focus on the methods they have used to do so, and what you think may have been their intentions for using these methods. ​

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Do NOT get lost in description of plot or writing about characters and plot events as if they were real.​

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Global Issue: Women struggle for autonomy in patriarchal or totalitarian societies which control or oppress their desire for liberation and self-determination. 

Purpose = Atwood illustrates that control and oppression of women happened in subtle ways long before the totalitarian regime of Gilead. 

Flashback/non-linear narrative= illustrates to the reader that the narrator is aware of and can communicate with the reader about a society that is not totalitarian. However, the control of women prior to Gilead meant that they were not free although they felt that they were. 

Author's choices 

Metaphor/analogy= " in a gradually heating bathtub", "We lived in the blank white spaces". Women were unaware of the oppression and control that the state was enforcing upon them and, although they had an illusion of "freedom",  this was not was not self-determination. 

Repetition = The adverbial phrase "as usual" is repeated to indicate how control is exerted on women in society. Atwood highlights how people accept the existing conditions in order to protect themselves from being targeted. 

Author's choices 

Repetition = The adjective "Ignoring" is repeated to signify how disregarding control and oppression allows the narrator to pretend that the situation is "usual". "Dreams" and "dreamt" is repeated to further signify that the women's reaction to this control is a delusion and results in a failure to become aware of the control and oppression that is being exerted by patriarchy. "men", "awful"

Simile= "newspaper stories were like dreams". This comparison supports the idea of ignoring and pretending that the situation is "usual". 

Author's choices 

Semantic field = "corpses", "bludgeoned to death", "mutilated", "interfered with", "boiled to death".  A semantic field related to the idea of violent death or rape is present. Atwood illustrates how emotive and shocking news reports were used prior to Gilead to control and oppress women. 

Inclusive and exclusive pronouns = "We" and "us", both inclusive personal pronouns, are used to include Offred, the narrator, with all other women in the pre-Gilead period who were struggling for liberation. "They", an exclusive personal pronoun, is used to refer to the shocking newspaper articles that were not relevant to the women's own experiences. 

Author's choices 

Hyperbolic language = exaggerated and emotive language is used to reflect the melodrama of the newspaper reporting, "melodramatic", "boiled to death", "bludgeoned to death". 

Parallel sentence structures = "but they were about other women, and the men who do such things were other men" reflects a parallel world in which these horrors were not occurring, yet the fear engendered was used to oppress and control women. 

Inner narrative/ point of view/narrative voice/past tense = Atwood uses the narrator to consider the context of composition. 

A Doll's House Henrik Ibsen

Punctuation = em dash to show the actors that a long pause is needed. Nora pauses to allow herself to think through her words and come to a conclusion about her actions, "I--how am I fitted", "educate myself--you are not the man", "little while ago--that you dare not trust". Nora takes control of the dramatic dialogue and is forming her decision whilst she considers what has happened to her. She is freeing herself from control and trying to gain the capacity for self-determination. 

Author's choices

Diction choices = in comparison with the Act 1, Nora's diction is straightforward, restrained and focused, "I must do that for myself". Ibsen reveals that Nora is resisting the control and oppression that was exerted upon her by the patriarchal society in which she lived. 

Modality/commands = Ibsen shows Nora's certainty through her use of modals that reflect her lack of insecurity, "I will", "I must". Torvald attempts to regain control "I won't allow it"; however, Nora's reaction, "I will take", which is repeated, underlines that her decision is final. Ibsen illustrates how Nora wishes to find liberation and self-determination. 

Author's choices

Personal pronoun usage = Ibsen's repetitive usage of the first person personal pronoun in Nora's dramatic dialogue highlights her need to become her own person. 

Stage/actor direction = There is only one in this excerpt, [springing up]. This demonstrates to the audience Helmer's shock at hearing that Nora wants to leave her husband and children. This reflects the same shock that the audience would have felt at this revelation. 

Author's choices

Infantilisation = "Both yours and the children's, my darling Nora." Torvald considers Nora to be like a child that needs to be taught by her husband how to behave and what to believe. Control from the patriarchal society. 

Dramatic dialogue/character development 

Know and address some of these elements for your analysis of the text as a whole 

Context (all contexts) and setting	Narrative point of view (only novels)	Characters , foil, antagonist, round, flat, conflict
Plot construction	Narrative structure - flashbacks, flash-forward, non-linear narration, chronology	symbols and motifs
Themes, topics or concepts	Text type and genre	Notable stylistic and literary choices for these authors
significant events or quotations from the works

Read the introduction of your character

1. which character is being introduced? 

2. What physical aspects of the character are stated?  Annotate these passages and write a mini analysis - 2 sentences. 

3. How does your character speak? Describe the tone of their voice in a mini analysis - 2 sentences.  Annotate passages that show the 'voice' of the character. 

4. Annotate descriptive language, figurative language, imagery, metaphors and similes that are used in the introduction of your character. 

5. What values and beliefs are shown of this character? What does this character believe in? Write down your ideas in at least two sentences. 

What is the importance of this to your reading of chapter 2 

Setting The Valley of the Ashes 

“...a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of ash-grey men, who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air”​

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Task: ​

Consider the word choice used in this extract – how does it compare with description of East Egg (remember connotations)?

Setting The Valley of the Ashes 

The juxtaposition of ‘Wheat’ and ‘gardens' which  are associated with life, growth and nature and ‘Ashes’ which convey death and decay. Combining them suggests that beauty has been destroyed.​ 

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Polysyndeton in the repetition of ‘and’ in "forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally " creates a long list of objects made from ash to emphasise the SCALE of the DECAY and slows the pace of the sentence emphasising the trudging drudgery of life.​

Symbolism setting 

This is a place of poverty that is a dumping ground for all the waste produced by the city.​

​It is an ugly by-product of  forgotten by the wealthy Egg communities.​

​Symbolically it represents the moral and social decay that results from the pursuit of wealth and riches. The rich indulge themselves with no regard for anything but their own pleasure.​

Interpretation 

‘…above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleberg…[his] eyes…are blue and gigantic – their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose…his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.’(p.26)

Which ideas, themes and topics do these "eyes" highlight? 

1. The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg  overlook the Valley of Ashes

2. The importance of advertising in society

3.  Lack of vision

4. Symbol of God? Symbol of moral judgement? 

Chapter 2

The only impoverished characters in the novel live in the Valley of the Ashes. Notably their home is made of yellow brick. “The only building in sight was a small block of yellow brick sitting on the edge of the waste land, a sort of compact Main Street ministering to it, and contiguous to absolutely nothing.” (p.27) 

The symbolism of colour is both complex and revealing.

a. What do you think the colour ‘yellow’ could symbolise? Do some research. 

b. How do you see Myrtle and George Wilson from the perspective of this  quote?

Contiguous

 being in actual contact : touching along a boundary or at a point

yellow 

The yellow brick road from The Wizard of Oz leads to the ruler of Oz who is an imposter. 

Yellow = symbol of false promise 

George Wilson  

start from "He was a blond" to "who moved closer to Tom." 

Myrtle Wilson (pg 28)

Make two columns in your exercise book or class notebook. 

Write down all the descriptive language used to give a vivid image of George and Myrtle Wilson. 

George Wilson  p 27 & 28

Blond

spiritless 

anaemic 

faintly handsome

light blue eyes 

Ghost 

cement colour 

white ashen dust 

Myrtle Wilson pg 28 

middle thirties 

vitality 

smouldering 

wet her lips 

sensuously 

stout 

no facet or gleam of beauty

soft course voice 

Assignment in Teams chpt 2 

Complete the questions for chapter 2. You will find these in Teams => The Great Gatsby => chapter 2. 

Complete questions 4,5,6 & 7 

in your class notebook. You have 17 minutes 

Goals for today 

We will consider the foil character Myrtle 

We will remind ourselves of the influence of weather on the mood or message of the novel

We will consider settings

We will consider some of Fitzgerald's signature moves  

Rate the word 1 to 4

1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 

2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 

3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 

4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Aberration 

Word of the day

Aberration (n) - a temporary change from the typical or usual way of behaving; a change from what is typical or usual, especially a temporary change

Write three synonyms for the word aberration. 

The police described the outbreak of violence in the area as an aberration. It was not the norm in that neighbourhood. 

deviaton, difference, departure from, peculiarity, oddity, quirk, irregularity 

Chapter 2

4. Myrtle’s transformation

Identify the three stages of Myrtle’s transformation. These are directly related to the setting and her clothes. Find quotes which show this transformation of character and remember to fully analyse what this represents about her character.

Myrtle's transformation 

"carried her flesh sensually" "continually smouldering" "spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine"pg 28 (Valley of Ashes) 

"changed her dress to a brown figured muslin ... rather wide hips" "I want one of of those dogs"pg 29 (New York) 

"now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-coloured chiffon ... her personality had also undergone a change" pg 33 (apartment in NY) 

Myrtle's change of dress is symbolic of the nature of appearance versus reality and pretence that pervades the novel as a whole. Her change from her real self, which is represented through the saturated colour of the blue of her first dress, to her "desired" self which can be seen in the pastel cream of her final dress. This "elaborate dress" is similar to that of Daisy. Fitzgerald highlights, through the symbolism of attire, that this character is pretending to be the one person in the world who she cannot hope to emulate - her lover's wife. 

Act 1

Human Experience concepts Literature  

The Great Gatsby 

Human Experience Concepts: 

Belonging    Dreams    Authenticity    Insecurities 

For each of the characters we've met in chapters 1 and 2, which of these human experience concepts could apply to each character? 

Nick, Tom, Daisy, Jordan, Myrtle Wilson & George Wilson 

Weather and seasons 

Pathetic fallacy 

Seasons and dates

Time of day 

"'In two weeks it'll be the longest day in the year'" (pg 17) 

"a few days before the Fourth of July" pg 29 

Daisy and Myrtle

We are presented with a great contrast between Daisy and Myrtle. Whereas Daisy is presented as faintly ephemeral, dressed in pale pastels with her ‘low, thrilling voice’, Myrtle is charged with sensual and verbal energy. When she comes down the stairs, Nick notes her ‘immediate perceptible vitality… as if her nerves were continually smouldering’. Later on Nick states the following about Myrtle: “Mrs Wilson … was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream coloured chiffon … with the influence of the dress, her personality had also undergone a change. The intense vitality … was converted into impressive hauteur. Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected… and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her, until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air.” 

Based on the quotes above, how would you describe the contrast between Daisy and Myrtle? Write one paragraph using this evidence. Explain why you think that Fitzgerald has made these choices. 

The reader is presented with a significant contrast between Daisy and Myrtle. Myrtle acts as a foil to Daisy. These characters appear to be placed in juxtaposition in order to highlight and pinpoint certain character traits. Daisy is presented as faintly ephemeral,  dressed in white. Her "low, thrilling voice" pulls the listener in in a subtle and refined way. Myrtle, however, is charged with sensual and verbal energy. Nick notes as soon as the appears that she has an "immediate perceptive vitality". unlike Daisy she wears bold, saturated colours to reveal her hot-blooded temperament and her robust femininity. She is straightforward, commanding and overtly sexual. These two characters vie for Tom's attention and embody two ways of being a woman. 

Topic: Appearance versus Reality 

The idea of falseness can be seen throughout chapter 2. 

1. Find as many examples as you can of this falseness at Myrtle's  party in NYC and explain what they tell you about the characters and Fitzgerald’s overall impression of this type of society.

2. Now try to find something that can be seen as a “real” reaction at this party. 

• Lie told by Myrtle about the reason Tom cannot divorce Daisy. 
• The abundance of alcohol serves as a reminder of the characters' need to fill their leisure time with artificial stimulants. 
• Myrtle's discussion of her own marriage reveals her own superficiality: the fact that she was appalled that George borrowed a suit for the ceremony only tells the reader that she cannot see beyond the surface appearance. 
• Her husband "dumbly" adores her, but his status in society is the only thing that matters in her materialistic, greedy world. 

Falseness

• The characters are forced out of their drunken stupor and back to harsh reality with the sound of Myrtle's nose being broken by Tom. 
• This first sign of violence is an open admission of the aggressive behaviour that has been alluded to in the novel so far (bruised finger, physical description). With this action, he signals the permanence of his marriage. 
• The one thing in Tom's life that is 'real' is his marriage bond. Despite his lack of fondness or love for Daisy, it is the one unbreakable chain in his life. This is a stark reality for Daisy and Tom.  

Reality 

AWL

Analyse 

Approach 

Assess 

Settings

Dual Setting: Valley of Ashes vs. Manhattan

Valley of Ashes vs. Manhattan: how are the two settings different? How are they alike?

How do these settings influence the characters or plot? 

The Queensboro Bridge 

Both the Valley of Ashes and Manhattan are mould settings. These settings influence and affect the behaviours of characters who encounter or inhabit these settings. The Valley of Ashes contains "ash-grey" men who work hidden amongst the "powdery air". Mr Wilson lives here and is a member of the downtrodden working classes who are chained to industry and monotony. New York, in opposition to The Valley of Ashes, is described as being "warm and soft, almost pastoral". Nick finds it so rural and pleasant that he expects "to see a great flock of white sheep". Nick and Tom feel at home in this environment and the inhibitions of West and East Egg are temporarily forgotten. Each setting defines how the characters act and what privilege they have.