Reading Journal - Chapter 1 - The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

Chapter One 

 

• Nick Carraway is introduced.
  • Narrator of the story.
  • At first he seems "reserved of all judgement" and he's definitely well educated - "I graduated from New Haven" (Yale). 
  • He was a soldier in the "Great War" and "enjoyed the raid". 
  • He appears very hung up on the physicality of people. 
  • He seems to describe his cousin with underlying sexual tones - "thrilling voice," "bright passionate mouth," "'You make me feel uncivilized, Daisy.'"
  • He appears to be quite emotionally detached.
  • He's not as innocent minded as he seems - "a cruel body" "slender, small-breasted girl."
  • He works on Wall Street in the Bond business for a small firm that he's obviously passionate about - "'Never heard of them.' He remarked decisively. This annoyed me."
  • Jealous of/admires Tom Buchanan - "...my own generation was wealthy enough to do that."  
  •  Seems to have a dull persona and doesn't have an original thought about himself.
  •  Exaggerates often - over excited by everything?
  • Thinks rather low of himself - "I'm not even faintly a rose."
  • You know little about him as a person - maybe even to the extent of how much you know Gatsby at this point. 
  • Seems quite childlike. He's quite a blank slate until we meet the other people.
   
•  Gatsby is introduced.
  • Titular character.
  • Has only been seen distantly by this point.
  • He "represented everything for which I (Nick) have an unaffected scorn." - still Nick liked him.
  • At the very end of the chapter, he "stretched out his arms towards the dark water" and appeared to be "trembling."
  • Ghost-like "he had vanished." 
  • Staring at a "green light" across the water - allegory for hope and wanting.
  • "Turned out alright in the end." - interesting.
    
   
•  Tom Buchanan is introduced.
  •  Married to Daisy.
  • First seen with his "legs apart on the front porch" - power and dominance.
  • Cheating on Daisy (who is aware) with "'...some woman in New York.'" 
  • Large, strong and intimidating man. "Two shining arrogant eyes" "great pack of muscles" "gruff husky tenor"
  • Enjoys football "some irrecoverable football game." 
  • Doesn't seem incredibly fussed over his child - interrupts Daisy while she is bragging about her.
   
• Daisy is introduced.
  • Wealth is described through her Settings.
  • Dopey and seems quite childlike - maybe because he husband is cheating on her.
  • Hopes her daughter is a "beautiful fool" so she doesn't get her heart broken like hers was by Tom.
  • Seems to hide her emotions from everyone and only opens up slightly to Nick in this chapter.
   
• Jordan Baker is introduced.
  • "Slender" woman who Nick "enjoys looking at"
  •  She's a model as Nick has seen many "rotogravure pictures" of her around town.
  • She's quiet - when she first speaks she shocks everyone including herself.
  • Seems to know the gossip and knows a lot of things. She's also aware of who Gatsby is indicating that she's an important character in the future.
   
• Setting
  •  East coast of 1920s America.
  •  "East of New York"
  • "Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs... separated only by a courtesy bay... the great wet barnyard of Long Island South."
  • Nick and Gatsby lived in West Egg - Nick lives surrounded by millionaires. 
  • The setting helps to establish how wealthy the Buchanans are. 
• Time passes - indicated by "deep summer".
• Assonance - "crimson room bloomed".
  

   

"When I woke up, the knife was still there."

“When I woke up the knife was still there.”

A short story, as described by Google, is a story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel.

This sentence, although engaging, is not what one would call a short story. This is because it doesn’t follow the typical narrative of a normal story. It doesn’t have a beginning, middle and an end; equilibrium; climax or resolution.

However, like many other stories it can be interpreted in many different ways. For example, the knife could be next to the narrator as it is only as specific as “there”. The unfortunate event of the narrator being stabbed could have been what happened and the knife could still be protruding their body.

The author has also failed to create a relatable character. This can be difficult for the audience to enjoy as there is no way the audience can empathise with what they are reading which usually turns readers off.

There is no build for the story; this means one has no context as to why the “knife was still there”. There is no climax or resolution for the reader’s satisfaction.

No previous setting has been established which causes an eerie feeling and raises questions like -where was the narrator asleep? Why did they fall asleep there?

Ultimately, this sentence cannot be classed as a short story as it doesn't contain the literal attributes in which stories need.