Monday, April 28, 2014

Dreamer Mentality

Please respond to ALL of the following questions-make sure to give a thorough response, end with a question and respond to at least one other person's comment.

Idealism has always been a way for people to escape reality, or to pursue a reality that isn't quite tangible.  Having dreams for something more has many effects.
 If you are a dreamer, do you have to be more careful? Nick says to Gatsby, "You can't repeat the past." What do you think? Are there repercussions? Are people more apt to not get what they desire?
Characterize Gatsby's dreamer mentality and what you see in his idealism (try to use textual support to back up your opinion)

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Money, Money, Money...

Please answer the following prompts in a detailed, fluent response. Make sure to comment on other people's views within your own response. Take your level of thinking higher. Make sure you are being thorough and honest.
What are your perceptions of material wealth/money? What is "wealth"? Do we see too much excess today? If your financial status a reflection of how successful you are? What is success to you? Are we always wanting more? Do we "want" too much? Is being content or fulfilled enough? When is enough, enough?

Commentary over Gatsby (the initial chapters)

Please respond in a reflective writing over the following prompt; I do not want to see you copying other people's ideas.  Think for yourself.  I expect you to have an original thesis, 3 pieces of textual evidence and you must explain the data you use.  Follow the subsequent prompt:

Fitzgerald wrote a 1938 letter: "that was always my experience-a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a rich boy's school; a poor boy in a rich man's club in Princeton...However, I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works."
Just to think about: What is Fitzgerald saying here?  Is he assuming that rich and poor are different?
Are they?  Is it even possible to cross class boundaries and still fit in?  How might Fitzgerald works be criticizing notions of class, wealth and privilege?
This is your question to answer: Where in the first two chapters do questions of class, wealth and privilege come into play?  What is their effect?