Here is our final group from 2B's commentary on the nature and role of the setting in Chapter 1 of our new novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Read it and write a comment in which you respond to one of their observations, then compare/contrast it with some element of the new settings introduced in Chapter 2. You might find it interesting to check out these clips of Tom and Daisy's home and Myrtle's garage-home from the 2013 film version of the novel - they could provide some interesting fuel for different interpretations! ________________________________________________________________________ The Great Gatsby: Chapter 1 Setting Analysis -Symbolic significance of color in the setting: interior of house starts off as a “bright rosy colored space,” creating a facade of joy and tranquility; however, as the chapter progresses, the set is describe a “crimson room.” This transition from light to dark parallels the exposure of Daisy and Tom’s situation as grim and desperate, contrasting the illusion of luxury and happiness that previously enshrouded the scene. -Adjectives placed throughout the chapter describe the scene (and characters) as stagnant, unmoving, i.e. “stationary,” “anchored,” etc. (Fitzgerald 8) . These details contribute to the “frozen-in-time” ambiance of the house. Daisy and Tom reside in West Egg, home to the rich whose wealth is comprised of family money. They are affluent due to maintaining their historical status as a wealthy family, and just like the house, have “frozen” themselves in time. -Tom and Daisy’s house was described as having a “sunken Italian garden, a half acre of deep, pungent roses, and a snub-nosed motor-boat that bumped the tide offshore” (7 Fitzgerald). The roses, in their pleasant but overpowering aroma, also show how Tom and Daisy mask the true stench of their putrid, rotting marriage with the illusion of health and beauty. The genuine, twisted nature of their situation is exposed to the reader by the presence of the “motor-boat” in the scene (7 Fitzgerald). If their lives are as perfect as they assert, why would they need to escape from their allegedly fortunate circumstances? It is clear Tom and Daisy are aware (whether consciously or subconsciously) of the ugly reality of their lives that festers beneath the pretty veil of wealth and grandiose living, and have a suppressed desire to flee from their troubles. -Outside of the mansion, there was “fresh grass… that seemed to grow a little way into the house.” Perhaps this detail foreshadows change soon to come to the Buchanan household. Like previously stated, there are many adjectives and descriptions that indicate stagnancy in Tom and Daisy’s home. But just as plants, constantly growing and changing, are finding a way to pry their way into the home, maybe another force (Gatsby?) will also come to break into the home and disrupt the stagnancy. -The comparison of the “curtains” to “pale flags” alludes to Tom’s territorial nature (8 Fitzgerald). Like a warring nation, he marks his territory with a flag, proclaiming to all that he will fiercely protect his claims. Therefore, this detail may also foreshadow Tom later in the story protecting what is “his” (his home, his money, his reputation, his wife?). The ambience of the room Daisy and Jordan lounge in is quickly changed from a free flowing space to sudden confinement when Tom enters the room where he “shut the rear windows and the caught wind died out about the room” (8 Fitzgerald). The action shows Tom attempting to bring everything back to a stagnant nature. He refuses to accept change, and in doing so, shuts out the world. He wants everything to remain exactly the way it is, and will go to any length necessary to do this. Also, in shutting the window, Tom is cutting off his wife, Daisy, from the world, and the desire for liberation that may come to her if she were to taste even the smallest bit of freedom. Tom keeps her shut up, caged. -Tom guides Nick into a room with a ceiling like a “frosted wedding-cake,” and a “wine-colored rug” (8), both symbolic of the honeymoon-stage, in which the couple was at one point happy together, and now, as their marriage deteriorates, they are attempting to pretend they are still. The “wedding-cake” ceiling represents the couple’s refusal to acknowledge the issues of their relationship, the mental aspect. To parallel, the rug and floor represent the foundation, the physical aspect, of their relationship. The “wine-color” of the rug shows that Tom and Daisy, both incapable of dealing with the hard reality of their dying marriage (like a hard, stone floor), soften the blow of it (like how a rug makes a floor seem soft) by drowning their pain in the intoxicating extravagance of wealth, whether it be through literal alcohol consumption (“wine”) or any other luxury paid for by the couple’s abundant supply of money. -Symbolism of Light as Hope: While Daisy, Tom, Nick, and Jordan are dining outside during this chapter, “four candles flickered on the table in the diminished wind” (11 Fitzgerald). These candles symbolize the little bit of hope left for Tom and Daisy’s marriage, as it is evidently falling apart at the seams. However, Daisy, claiming there is still plenty of light left in the day, plenty of hope left for their relationship, extinguishes the candles. Daisy refuses to accept defeat, that there is so little joy left in their horribly corrupted marriage. As the scene progresses, Tom’s mistress calls the house, shattering the pleasant but false fantasy Daisy had attempted to maintain. Night falls as hope fades, and “the candles [were] lit again,” as the couple at last can no longer pretend there is more than but a morsel of promise left in their relationship, a trembling candle light. Finally, Nick leaves the house, and Tom and Daisy wish him goodbye while “[standing] side by side in a cheerful square of light” (19 Fitzgerald). This displays the restoration of the facade of happiness in the Buchanan home. Nick caught a flash of the truth during his visit, but still the illusion the couple asserts still stands, at least for now.
14 Comments
hannah daitz
2/22/2016 04:42:30 pm
In the second chapter of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it starts off with the use of dark and gloomy adjectives. It describes the land as a "valley of ashes" and "desolate". Also the words "transcendent effort, dimly, crumbling, powdery air, gray cars, ghastly creek, ash-gray men, and an impenetrable cloud" are used to give the start of chapter two an eerie feel. I think this is very different then chapter one when we are inside the home of Daisy and Tom. I personally picture their house white and spotless, so the gray dirt of the desolate land is completely opposite. I also picture Tom and Daisy as clean people who seemingly have their whole life together (which clearly they don't). I think the first paragraph in chapter two somehow reflects the messy and far from perfect life Daisy and Tom are actually living but trying to escape. They try to hide from their reality by surrounding themselves with clean and beautiful material objects, such as their house they live in.
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Trey Soya
2/22/2016 04:52:49 pm
The first chapter of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald has some great descriptions of the settings and great symbolism. One interesting point that was made was about the change of the interior of Tom and Daisy's house. The house started out as "a facade of joy and tranquility"(Setting Group) and changed into a dark and despairing house. It's like wearing a mask. In Chapter 2 the setting completely changes. The setting makes you feel like you're in a ghost town making you feel uneasy. Chapter 1 had you feeling all high and mighty with so much wealth, were in Chapter 2 the world seems so gloomy.
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Olivia Smelas
2/22/2016 05:57:56 pm
The setting of the first chapter of Gatsby sharply contrasts that of the second chapter. The first chapter describes the home of Daisy and Tom, though restricting and concealing, as generally light, lavish, and rich. This is a total facade, as brought to light in my groups analysis of the setting. There are underlying personal tensions and emotional conflicts described throughout chapter one between Daisy and Tom, and the setting at times helps to demonstrate that, but in general the setting of chapter one was as aforementioned, extravagant, and rosy. Chapter two on the other hand was described completely differently. As Hannah pointed out, Fitzgerald's word choice not only portrayed the setting, but also set a certain mood and maybe foreshadowing. Everything in the setting, from the random little Italian boy on the street corner to Myrtle's "husband", Wilson's suit and hair is described as being coated in a film of gray dust. This physical description of the setting of chapter two would parallel the emotional setting and state of the characters in chapter one, particularly Daisy. Overall, chapter one is much lighter and more lavish, while chapter two is the picture of a gray, desolate slum.
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Luke Devine
2/22/2016 06:16:29 pm
The setting of The Great Gatsby is in New York City, from Manhattan to the valley of ashes to the two Eggs. The order of these three regions coincide with American society during the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s respectively. At first glance this interpretation seems to be the opposite of the novel, as Manhattan and the Eggs are elegant like the 1920s and the valley of ashes is gloomy like the 1910s and 1930s, however this is not the case. The valleys and mountains of society refer to relations at the home, rather than amounts of possessions and wealth. In the 1910s and 1930s, America is going through the great struggles of World War I and the Great Depression, and so family ties were strengthened in order to endure the dilemma. The 1920s were the low point of American society, hence the "valley" of ashes. This is because Americans were more focused on themselves as individuals, not about their families or their communities. The Great Gatsby's setting relates to the views American society, which author F. Scott Fitzgerald personified during his lifetime.
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Willow Martin
3/12/2016 04:33:04 am
This interpretation is really interesting. I think it's a creative take on the setting. I also this the New York—Valley of Ashes—West Egg set up also parallels the mind set of the characters in the book, as well as of society as a whole during this time period. Masked on all sides by glittering cities and seemingly infinite possibilities, characters in the story hide their internal suffering beneath a gilded coat. Tom and Daisy, for instance, cover up the deterioration of their marriage with their beautiful house and lifestyle. Gatsby hides his corrupt source of finances (illegal bootlegging, along with other activities) from the world by throwing grand parties and showing off his great wealth. Jordan uses her physical beauty and prideful aura to conceal her insecurities and misdemeanors, which cause her to cheat and lie. Even Nick, the most honest character in the story, has secrets he hides. By forging (or attempting to forge) romantic relationships with women (i.e. Jordan), Nick attempts to mask his true sexuality, along with his love for Gatsby. While homosexuality (obviously) is by no means a dark and ugly thing, like the Valley of Ashes, while one's sexuality is ignored and constantly suppressed, it can lead to great mental suffering.
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Alexis Disbrow
2/22/2016 07:04:23 pm
In the first chapter of "The Great Gatsby" everything is described with such great details and it gives off a happier vibe. In the second chapter, however, everything is described as gray and it is very dark and depressing. Tom and Daisy's house is given this perfect description in the first chapter and makes it seem so desirable. They seem to have the life everyone wants but their relationship fits the second chapter better. They put up an act and have this image that they want to keep even if it means giving up their happiness. Daisy is the main offender of this for example, even though Daisy knows that Tom is cheating on her she is still with him because she doesn't want to lose the "perfect" life everyone thinks she has. The two settings show the different sides to their relationship the first chapter being the false image and the second chapter a true representation of their relationship.
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Olivia Jordan
2/22/2016 07:26:43 pm
The setting description that I found most interesting was "the "frozen-in-time” ambiance of the houseDaisy and Tom reside in West Egg... and just like the house, have “frozen” themselves in time." While reading the description of the house as well as the characters in chapter one, I felt as though Tom and Daisy and their estate were kept at a slow moving pace while the outside world was moving so fast as a result of their nonsense behaviors which felt very dream-like. The two of them have a very immature and childish way to them which helps me relate them to A Rose For Emily. Like Emily who has chosen to be entrapped inside her home where time ceases to exist, these two are kept holding on to their life where they rely on family wealth to keep their heads above water. In the clip from the movie, Daisy seems to be frozen in time when she recognizes the name Gatsby. Maybe he was once a significant person in her life and now Nick is here to bring the two back together. In chapter two I began to feel more of an exciting and fast paced feeling as we left west egg to meet up with Tom's mistress. Maybe the reason why he's with her is because she allows him to escape from the molded and slow day to day life that he has back at home. She forces him to have to hide from the fellow wealthy people that always seem to find out everything.
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Kelly Farley
2/22/2016 08:10:30 pm
At first I had not thought much about the setting, but now I see it foreshadows what is going to come and what the mood of the story is. The setting analysis for chapter pointed out the color of the room changing to appear darker as an example of Daisy and Tom's relationship. It started out really well, all rosy and pink, but then slowly the room appears a darker crimson color as the relationship becomes more violent and unsteady. I automatically noticed the change in the tone at the start of chapter 2. The adjectives used in the first paragraph in chapter 2 suggest a mood that is more on the negative side using words such as, "desolate", "valley of ashes", "dimly", "gray", and "ghastly". Right away I could tell from the setting that was set up that it was not going to be as cheery as in the first chapter. The first chapter showed the pretending side of things, where everyone knew that their relationships or situation was not perfect but used their money or false sense of pride to cover this up. For example, Daisy and Tom do not have a good relationship. Nick and the other people can see this from the hints but it is ignored because both Daisy and Tom choose to ignore it. Right away in chapter 2 you can tell, as Trey put it, the "mask" has been taken off to reveal the truth of the situations.
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Ford Zacks
2/22/2016 08:19:55 pm
The setting in the first and second chapter of The Great Gatsby are complete opposites. In the first chapter the setting is Tom and Daisy’s house. It is basically an Eden. Time almost stands still in this perfect and extravagant mansion. However, this is a facade for the true issues between Daisy and Tom whose days are numbered because of Tom’s mistress. Their lives are not perfect and their lifestyle tries to make up for that. The second chapter takes place more towards New York city. Darkness and ash are a large focus of the description of the setting. It is almost like the ash represents reality. Once the ash is described Tom’s true personality is shown. He is a terrible abusive person, not a perfect member of society. I agree that the light represents hope because the darkness and ash in chapter 2 represents reality. Sometimes reality can smack you in the face and take away all hope, much like how Tom slapped Myrtle in the face.
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Will Spencer
2/24/2016 05:33:13 pm
The setting of the Great Gatsby expresses an immense amount of class, and the difference between them. We have East Egg and West Egg, two areas of Long Island that are extremely wealthy. In East Egg, there is Tom's house. Tom's house is just magnificent. It hits luxury on a whole new level. When you travel to West Egg, there's a different feel for it than East Egg. There are still big mansions, but it's not as classy as East Egg. After we meet Tom, we head towards the city. On the way, they go to a place called Wilsons garage. When I first read about the garage, I pictured a small workshop in an alley way of the city, but that's not what the movie showed. The movie showed a workshop, with bright colors, in the middle of a works zone. It stood out among the other landmarks. The only building that came to par with it was the diner. The diner also had vibrant colors. Overall, the book and the movie both illustrate the setting very well, however there are a few minor differences.
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Shelley Banfield
2/24/2016 06:41:35 pm
The scenes in chapter one and two are opposites and they reflect different aspects of character's personalities. Tom and Nick are present in both chapters. I noticed the chapter's settings mostly reflect Tom's personality while Nick simply observes everything. Everything in Daisy and Tom's house reflects their elegant nature yet has a dark side. The pale curtains lusciously show their prominence in society yet their description as 'flags' portray Tom's need to rule and protect his belongings(as said in the group's description). This foreshadows what happens in the apartment, where Tom breaks Myrtles nose when she mentions Daisy mockingly. Tom would do anything to protect his most prized possession, Daisy. In chapter two, the apartment was described to be small but with generally large furniture which doesn't belong. This description mimics Tom's relationship with Myrtle because it shows how they want more things than physically possible and eventually if they keep adding to their collection, they'll have to move or make more space in the cramped apartment. I think this shows how they have almost no freedom in their relationship because of the social standard about Tom marrying Daisy and how he should stay with Daisy. Myrtle and Tom can't move out of their apartment without trekking into the unknown and leaving everything their old known relationship in the past. They will soon grow tired of the cramped space and either move out or take other measures to stop their messy relationship.
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Ash Riegler
2/24/2016 06:46:02 pm
In my opinion, the ways Fitzgerald has chosen to describe each setting really is a peek into the character that goes along with that setting. For example, Tom's character is constantly surrounded by phoniness. The perfect house, pristine white and seemingly full of life. Yet even the color choice, white, seems to be a clue. To me, the color white- while it could be described as bright in some senses, it is an empty color- lacking depth. Much like both Tom and Daisy's character. They are both so artificial, hiding behind the lies of a perfect marriage, a perfect life. Even Gerorge's character, living in the valley of the ashes- where everything is described as grimy and desolate. That reminds me of the marriage between George and Myrtle. One that seems pure to George himself (hence the use of contradicting positive adjectives in front of negative ones) and is in fact as filthy as the land itself, with Myrtle's actions of cheating on her husband. The defiling of two marriages.
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Sydney Gannon
4/7/2016 06:21:45 pm
The settings in the beginning of The Great Gatsby are very contradictory. You see Tom and Daisy's mansion of glory and money and a small view into Gatsby's castle of parties and secrets. Then you see Nick's small home on the "less fashionable" side of town and Myrtle's garage in the valley of ashes which explains itself. The two greater estates are what may be called a dream which is just like what the people living in them act like. They act like everything is perfectly okay and that they have amazing lives. On the other side of the spectrum, Myrtle in the valley of ashes cheats on her husband because Tom gives her everything she wants and is spoiled by him and thinks that is the ideal life. She also has access to a small, but wild apartment in New York. That is where Myrtle can let loose and have as much fun as she wants and have the life she believes is best.
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Erin Ostrowski
4/8/2016 06:50:43 am
In chapter 1 of the Great Gatsby, the scenery of the two eggs is very light, describing Tom and Daisy's beautiful home. The first chapter is almost completely light imagery and is the complete opposite of chapter 2. In chapter 2, it starts off in the valley of ashes, a dark and desolate place. Although the imagery of light and dark are completely opposite in these two chapters, they also connect in a very interesting way. During the dinner at daisy and tom's house, everything slowly gets darker and darker as the night progresses and we learn how unstable their relationship really is. After the first chapter gets darker, the second chapter is completely dark with the valley of ashes and the home of tom's mistress. Thus, the light and dark imagery of chapters 1 and 2 are very different but also connect at the same time.
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