- Feb 2018
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xroads.virginia.edu xroads.virginia.eduChapter Four10
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"It was a strange coincidence," I said. "But it wasn't a coincidence at all."
This quote reminds me of that scene from The Incredibles where Dash's teacher is playing back a security tape that should have proved Dash guilty of pulling a prank on his teacher. The notorious line goes, "Coincidence? I think not!"
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When Jordan Baker had finished telling all this we had left the Plaza for half an hour and were driving in a victoria through Central Park.
By reading this excerpt, I am reminded of an alarming statistic that I learned in humanities. The Crown Victoria was the most popular vehicle used for undercover policeman across the nation. Obviously at the time Fitzgerald was writing this, the Crown Victoria was but a dream. I could imagine that while people become nervous and anxious around law enforcement whether they had done anything at or not. It occurs the same way for spotting Daisy or Gatsby around town. They are almost celebrities and they are richer than you. I can't think of a person who doesn't at least try, if they are able, to spruce up their appearance upon seeing them.
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sitting up very straight on a straight chair in the tea-garden at the Plaza Hotel)
This reminds me of the terrace the Neal Caffrey conned his way into using while he was on probation. It was a beautiful rooftop garden in Manhattan. There was greenery all around, flowers all the time, and during the spring time, the wealthy homeowner held elegant parties that were networking dreams for businessmen. This is from the tv show, White Collar
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I had on a new plaid skirt also that blew a little in the wind,
The mentioning of a plaid skirt reminds me of a the plaid skirt in Mean Girls. While Cady was talking to Regina, Regina complemented a random girl's skirt but directly after, she turned to Cady and said something like, "that's the ugliest skirt I have ever seen." and caused Cady to have a flashback to when Regina complemented a unique tribal bracelet Cady had from her time in Africa. She then knew her complement was fake. There are truths revealed when one changes sides.
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nd said TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT, in a disapproving way.
Every Sunday morning, my mother would listen to NPR. Specifically the Car Talk show. People from all over the country would call and try to imitate the noises their cars made, hoping that the brothers had heard it before and would be able to diagnose the issue.
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"Who is he, anyhow, an actor?" "No." "A dentist?"
I can connect this to Ocean's Twelve when the twelve is listing the jobs a rival thief has been able to pull off. They are fantastical feats founded on rumor with no proof as to thier legitimacy.
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"Yeah, Gatsby's very careful about women. He would never so much as look at a friend's wife."
This is just a bold- faced lie. Tom is Gatsby's friend and the crux of the entire novel is to bring Daisy and Gatsby together. Why is Tom the only one recognized for cheating? More, importantly, why is no one getting in trouble for breaking their marriage vows? I guess if everyone is cheating, then no one will get angry for the sin they all commit. Unless of course you are an all-knowing third wheel named Nick Carraway who could actually expose people. Unfortunately that wouldn't be in his best interest, as that would make all his friends bad people and Nick doesn't have much for himself if not for his friends.
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Then it was all true. I saw the skins of tigers flaming in his palace on the Grand Canal; I saw him opening a chest of rubies to ease, with their crimson-lighted depths, the gnawings of his broken heart.
This description reminds me of the cave in Aladdin when there are all these exotic treasures and sparkling jewels and historic artifacts all just laying in a cave waiting to be found. These items all have a gilded aspect as well. The tiger skins are just to show that someone has been able to achieve that very exclusive hunting expedition. It takes time, training, and money to actually have pelts. But as the broken heart is described, material things cannot provide happiness.
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and a whole clan named Blackbuck, who always gathered in a corner and flipped up their noses like goats at whosoever came near.
The descriptions of all the different groups reminds me of the scene in Mean Girls where Janice and Damien are explaining all the different cliques to Cady when she is new to the school. All the groups are isolated and unique. They all do their own thing and there is little to no cross communication. They all bring something different to lunch or Gatsby's parties. It shows that while there are work, social, and economic divides, there are also familial divides.
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Da Fontano the promoter came there, and Ed Legros and James B. ("Rot-Gut.") Ferret and the De Jongs
The fact that all Gatsby's guests have nicknames is kind of like how at summer camp, all the counselors have nicknames and some of the campers do too. It creates a feeling of intimacy when you have a name for someone that can y'all remind you of all the good times you had at camp. They are also useful tool for embarrassment when reconnecting in public places.
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xroads.virginia.edu xroads.virginia.edu
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"Well, we're almost the last to-night," said one of the men sheepishly. "The orchestra left half an hour ago."
The use of the word "sheepishly" reminds me of my own sheep, Shaun. Although I understand that, to Fitzgerald, the word means timidly or without much confidence, but to me I recognize the difficulty in dealing with livestock and "timidness" has no place in the show ring. A lot of force and determination is required and sometimes, whether it be the showman or the animal, tantrums are thrown. It could be inferred that, in this case at least, the annoying and argumentative wives are the "sheepish" ones.
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"Ladies and gentlemen," he cried. "At the request of Mr. Gatsby we are going to play for you Mr. Vladimir Tostoff's latest work, which attracted so much attention at Carnegie Hall last May. If you read the papers, you know there was a big sensation." He smiled with jovial condescension, and added: "Some sensation!" Whereupon everybody laughed. "The piece is known," he concluded lustily, "as Vladimir Tostoff's JAZZ HISTORY OF THE WORLD."
The "orchestra leader" has a charming personality that seems would encourage Gatsby to hire him for his parties. He intrigues guests that normally wouldn't be fond of by relating to the interest of the people. His flamboyance reminds me of the talk show host from The Hunger Games. They both represent an emotion or a sign of the times. Everything they do isn't about them, but they talk about it as though nothing could bring them greater joy.
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"Absolutely real--have pages and everything. I thought they'd be a nice durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they're absolutely real. Pages and--Here! Lemme show you."
The literal makeup of a book is quite and interesting process to watch occur. The mentioning of this by owl-eyes realates to my expierince ehen I was little, living in Colorado just sitting for hours watching the Telluride book binding company complete their daily work rebinding ancient books.
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and walked into a high Gothic library, panelled with carved English oak, and probably transported complete from some ruin overseas.
This fantastical and elaborate library that inspires owl-eyes reminds me of the wonderful library that the beast from the Diaey classic Beauty and the Beast, showed Belle when he was trying to impress her with his collection of rare books and artifacts. Just as they impacted Belle, the adventure and the romance and the stories the books tell inspire owl-eyes and make him believe there is more to life than just business ventures and Gatsby's parties. Books are the substance to life.
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A pair of stage twins, who turned out to be the girls in yellow, did a baby act in costume,
There is a special bond that all sisters share, even more emphasized when they are twins. These twins have been brought to our attention as a performing act. I know few females have a bond that is just the right kind of closeness to where they can overcome the trivial and insignificant arguments between sisters that are inevitable. The relationship between two sisters is best sung by two sisters from the fifties classic your family forced you to watch but you secretly loved, White Christmas .
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all over the garden, while happy, vacuous bursts of laughter rose toward the summer sky.
The sounds of joyous laughter reminded me of the most infamous laughter in the world. This laughter comes from a character who is just as wild and annoying as her laugh. She is a persistent gal and like Jay Gatsby's insane parties, it lasts way to long. Of course I am describing the wonderful Janice from the infamous nineties sitcom, Friends.
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As we entered he wheeled excitedly around and examined Jordan from head to foot.
Owl-eyes has MAD game. Jordan is a beautiful, bronze skinned athlete who is single and belonging to nobody. Owl-eyes really is going to take a good long look, up and down on Jordan while she is standing directly next to Nick. This situation poses a most important question. Is owl-eyes just that bold? Or is Jordan just that gorgeous? This meme is what I think about even though Owl-eyes doesn't have a girl.
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"You look at him sometimes when he thinks nobody's looking at him. I'll bet he killed a man."
This vine creates the same kind of mystery conveyed at this party scene. I feel that many of these war heroes have petrifying pasts that they care not to look back upon. They have to just live the life of frivolity that Gatsby does.
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"Sorry you didn't win." That was for the golf tournament. She had lost in the finals the week before.
This particular chapter's annotations and connections will all connect to the beautiful, dead source of comedy all millennials know and deeply miss called vine. This vine reflects the defeat Jordan must have felt while losing her golf tournament but most likely suppressed.
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The party has begun.
"The party don't start 'til I walk in..." - Ke$ha. This gem can be found all the way back in the late 2000s when we all know how to make better decisions. I feel this lyric summarizes this statement because there is a definite start to the festivities and Nick knows that everyone who came as individuals now shares a bond with all the guests.
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xroads.virginia.edu xroads.virginia.edu
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"Oh, do you like Europe?" she exclaimed surprisingly. "I just got back from Monte Carlo." "Really." "Just last year. I went over there with another girl.
The mentioning of Monte Carlo brings to mind the movie called Monte Carlo starring the lovely Selena Gomez. This was a racier, more grown-up version of Gomez that her loyal Disney fans were not prepared for. Just like how in the novel, Catherine grew up and had more adult experiences than what she would have done just waiting for life at home in New York. She probably learned more about herself and what she wanted to do with her life. This thrilling girls adventure is somewhat like what I'd imagine the adventures of Catherine were like.
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It was a few days before the Fourth of July, and a gray, scrawny Italian child was setting torpedoes in a row along the railroad track.
The Fourth of July festivities are an annual reminder of how much Americans love America. American exceptionalism at its finest. Being that the novel was set after the flooding of immigrants through Ellis Island, and that this scene takes place in New York as well, the little Italian boy taking part in typical American independence day traditions just makes the idea of the modern American dream more visible in the climate presented by Fitzgerald. The immigrants celebrating independence day most likely couldn't be found at Gatsby's parties.
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We drove over to Fifth Avenue, so warm and soft, almost pastoral, on the summer Sunday afternoon that I wouldn't have been surprised to see a great flock of white sheep turn the corner.
OMG SHEEEEEEEEEEPPP! Oh, man do I love sheep. I can tell by the description, these sheep were most likely called Dorpers or Hair sheep. These are small, stout, market lambs used for meat. They are relatively inexpensive to buy (dead or alive) and are originally British. They do not have wool like my precious Shaun, who is a Southdown sheep, they have actual hair fibers the same way poodles do not have fur but have hair as well. Attached is an article about a breeding Dorper Just a warning about his life purpose before you view this animal.
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worldly girl of about thirty, with a solid, sticky bob of red hair, and a complexion powdered milky white.
This description here could also be applied to the lovely nad powerful character played by Bryce Dallas in Jurassic World. Although Catherine most likely wasn't the tenacious and successful buisnesswoman that Dallas played, Catherine was "worldly" she had street smarts.
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(after the first drink Mrs. Wilson and I called each other by our first names)
As a minor who does not drink, I look to laboratory studies to determine the results of alcohol consumption. According to the chart I attached the level of impairment is quite staggering. In the novel, Nick and Myrtle had enjoyed just one drink and were already on a first name basis. Also when taking part in illegal activities together, a bond strengthens. In this particular case, bootlegging with a cheating husband and a couple of wealthy associates creates a fun night and a level of trust between the party.
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His acquaintances resented the fact that he turned up in popular restaurants with her and, leaving her at a table, sauntered about, chatting with whomsoever he knew.
This reminds me of another part in this novel when Jordan was discussing the "secrets" surrounding Tom at the Buchanan residence and how they weren't really secrets because of how many people actually know about Tom Buchanan's mistress. Everyone seems to acknowledge that infidelity isn't necessarily a positive thing but they don't really do anything about either it is very matter of fact and they probably feel there is nothing they can do to change the way Tom behaves. Daisy knows which is one thing, but so does everyone else in the next town over.
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we stopped by the ashheaps he jumped to his feet and, taking hold of my elbow, literally forced me from the car.
Ashes are often described as dust and OF COURSE any mentioning of "dust" alludes to the dust mentioned at the beginning of the book. I think Fitzgerald is stopping at nothing to point out the extent or significance of the dust here. He discusses the party stopping here, along "heaps" of ash signifying a large amount and Tom "jumping" and almost gaily frolicking in the foul ash. This entire trip was forced on Nick and Tom is happily dragging him down into the foul dust to meet prostitutes.
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Though I was curious to see her, I had no desire to meet her--but I did.
Why does Nick get himself into these peer pressure situations? He should have told Tom he felt uncomfortable. This is exactly what your mother warned you about in school!!!! Tom is the real problem though. He should have listened to his mother as well and not forced other people to do things! Moral of the story, listen to your mom.
https://www.aacap.org/App_Themes/AACAP/docs/facts_for_families/104_peer_pressure.pdf
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gray
http://www.dictionary.com/e/gray-or-grey/
By using the American spelling of the word, Fitzgerald further paints the All- American image in the reader's mind. Another city that is usually defined as being so bleak, foggy, polluted, and "grey" is London.
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xroads.virginia.edu xroads.virginia.edu
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"Anything to say about what?" inquired Gatsby politely.
Whatever the emotions the young reporter conjured into the infamous Jay Gatsby, fear topped the charts. He doesn't know what the reporter is onto. To quote *Friends**, "He doesn't know, he knows." But what should he know? Its like when your mother asks if you have anything to tell her, knowing she found out about something, but you confess the wrong mistake. Gatsby has a past currently unclear to us and. apparently, investigative journalism isn't in his best interest.
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About this time an ambitious young reporter from New York arrived one morning at Gatsby's door and asked him if he had anything to say.
The "young reporter" character is pushy and he seems relentless. I could see a whole story around this one guy. This reporter probably traveled to see the infamous Gatsby in his natural habitat. Based on the attitude of previous guests, the outrageous parties he throws have non formal invitations that reach everyone wanted at such an event, regardless of Gatsby's knowledge. The parties obviously have booze and most likely involve more illegal entities. This reporter sounds like he is running down every possible lead on whatever story he can get his hands on. The desperation is clear in the reporter's approach.
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