So far, my main observations have been about our narrator, Nick. I feel that Nick is very observant. He seems to notice a little about everything. He describes Jordan, the professional golfer who is friends with Daisy, as having a "jauntiness about her" even in evening dresses. Nick goes into great detail about Jordan's face and the secrets it hides, "the bored haughty face that she turned to the world concealed something" (page 57). Although many people wouldn't find Nick's analysis of Jordan's body odd, simply because he fancies her, I find his analyzing quite odd because he analyzes everything and everyone. In chapter 1 he takes great note to describe Daisy's voice and mannerisms. In chapter 2, he analyzes the mess out of the apartment Tom and Myrtle share.
Another thing I have taken note of is the symbolism and figurative language. One example is the green light Gatsby sees in the woods. The green light symbolizes a longing for Daisy: his hopes and dreams to be with her. Another thing I noticed (and actually found quite interesting) was the Valley of Ashes. At the beginning of chapter 2, there is an apparent running theme: the remnants of fire, or destruction. Fitzgerald uses many words, such as desolate, ashes, smoke, crumbling, etc., to emphasize the "post-fire theme". The Valley of Ashes is a place where people who are often forgotten live, and this is also where we meet Myrtle, Tom's mistress (Tom is cheating on Daisy). Myrtle lives in the Valley of Ashes with her Joe-blow husband, George. Myrtle dislikes George greatly and wants to be with Tom; however, Tom told Myrtle that he can't get divorced because Daisy is Catholic (Daisy isn't Catholic). Tom is also abusive to Myrtle, who doesn't seem to really mind, in my opinion.
So far, I am a little bored with the book and I hope it gets better! I've heard the ending is great, but I've also heard it's horrible... Regardless I can't wait to find out!
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