Gatsby Station Debrief by KOURTNEY WATSON

I was able to better understand the underlying meaning of some of the important scenes in the novel and how a characters action shows their character

2024-02-29 15:10:06 UTC

2024-02-29 15:10:29 UTC

I found it interesting to analyze Tom's argument because that scene was where all the tension in the novel was released so it felt like a pretty important moment in the book.

Relevance of Yellow

2024-02-29 15:11:03 UTC

I didn't realize the heavy usage of the color yellow was utilized by the author to signify the pervasive effects of corruption in the society that TGG takes place in.

2024-02-29 15:11:16 UTC

I understood more about the underlying themes and motifs of the book, and how Fitzgerald used certain literary tools to emphasize specific details.

How people address Gatsby

2024-02-29 15:11:29 UTC

Throughout the whole novel, I noticed only one person, Daisy, calls Gatsby by his first name, Jay. Everyone else only calls him by his last name because they don't truly know who he is.

Daisy

2024-02-29 15:11:35 UTC

I was able to truly understand the character of Daisy, especially her voice. I understood why her voice was used for the things it was used for and we further analyzed why Fitzgerald chose to use the language he did, to develop her character.

2024-02-29 15:11:36 UTC

It was really interesting to see how the author incorporated variations in Daisy's voice. I thought this was not relevant at first, but it turned out to be symbolic of Daisy's personality and reflects certain choices Fitzgerald makes when writing.

2024-02-29 15:11:37 UTC

I thought that the way the characters were portrayed in the text had a deeper meaning that Fitzgerald implied but reading closely with an intention is the only way to see that. These stations helped me fill in blanks with some of the characters including Daisy and Tom.

I was able to understand how the author has an intended meaning behind each of his characters and how he displays the meaning of each of his characters in a different way

2024-02-29 15:11:40 UTC

2024-02-29 15:11:45 UTC

Something I found interesting was Gatsby's determination to hold on to the fantasy he had about Daisy. He still fully believed that she would want him to save her from Tom after the crash, standing in the bushes by her house until 4 in the morning waiting for her signal.

Stations Reflection

2024-02-29 15:11:45 UTC

Yesterday's stations helped me gain appreciation for Fitzgerald utilization of symbolism and characterization.

Eyes

2024-02-29 15:11:58 UTC

Something that stood out to me yesterday was the frequent motif of sight; whether it be focus on describing characters' eyes and what's behind them or how countless characters were blind to so many things. When I was reading, I didn't pay too much attention to its significance, but when it was pointed out in the station, I made the fascinating realization that the theme of vision was more common than I imagined.

2024-02-29 15:12:16 UTC

I found Tom and Gatsby's altercation very interesting when we broke down their argument piece by piece from Tom's perspective.

I was able to see the faults in all the characters, and how all of them were at fault for all the conflicts within the book. At the beginning I believed it was all Tom's fault for the issues, but after discussing with my table I understood that both Daisy and Gatsby had equally, if not bigger, roles in the 'love triangle'.

2024-02-29 15:12:24 UTC

2024-02-29 15:12:30 UTC

I was able to understand better how the characters motivations in the story, like Gatsby's, ties into the themes of the story overall.

Daisy

2024-02-29 15:12:41 UTC

Daisy is one of the most complex characters and is more important than she might seem. You might have to re-read once or twice to find every single point that Fitzgerald makes about her.

2024-02-29 15:12:41 UTC

Something that stood out to me was the intricacies that F. Scott Fitzgerald put into the characters and how they each stand for something. They all have a hidden meaning that you have to look into.

2024-02-29 15:12:50 UTC

It was interesting to learn more about the themes and meanings about the book that I had not really thought about before instead of just events that happened in the story

It was interesting to discuss about how much information Gatsby is hiding throughout the book in order to win over Daisy and how Fitzgerald is trying to show the message that Gatsby cannot win over Daisy even if he is immensely successful.

2024-02-29 15:13:03 UTC

2024-02-29 15:13:09 UTC

The stations made me realize how much integrity is just not a thing throughout the book. Tom, Daisy, and Myrtle all had affairs. Also, while Gatsby wasn't married, he still coveted and pursued a married woman.

Daisy's Voice

2024-02-29 15:13:25 UTC

I don't think I was really able to understand the importance and nuance of Daisy's voice because I didn't really pick up on the fact that there was a deeper meaning to it, I thought it was just a way to create imagery. But seeing how it changes and has different perceptions and tones really demonstrated to me that there was more than met my eye. 0_0

Gatsby Station Debrief

2024-02-29 15:13:31 UTC

Something that stood out in our Gatsby stations yesterday was how interesting it was to see how much Fitzgerald used weather to portray emotions. (Like when the rain stopped after Daisy met Gatsby, or the Hot day at the Plaza).

2024-02-29 15:14:31 UTC

Yesterday's stations aided my realization of the deeper complexities amongst the characters within Fitzgerald's vision. Certain elements like Daisy's voice, the repetition of colors, and the motif of eyes often go overlooked when only reading on the surface level.

Materialism

2024-02-29 15:15:20 UTC

I was able to understand the connection between materialism and happiness much better with the stations. Specifically, in the case of Myrtle and Daisy, they seek money and status, or material things, above all else. They believe that these are the only things that will make them happy.

2024-02-29 16:48:20 UTC

I learned a lot more about the symbolism and underlying meaning of some aspects of the novel, specifically for eyes and windows. It helped me better understand the purpose of those motifs and the theme Fitzgerald was conveying.

I learned more in depth about Tom's argument as we talked about deeper levels of it

2024-02-29 16:48:40 UTC

Relevance of Eyes/Windows/Sight

2024-02-29 16:49:05 UTC

The stations helped solidify my understanding of the relevance of eyes in The Great Gatsby. The eyes show how characters perceive different situations, with Dr. TJ Eckleburg seeing all without bias.

Gatsby Stations Overview

2024-02-29 16:49:07 UTC

After yesterdays activity, I took that The Great Gatsby has so many complexities. Its seeming one sided story has lots of interesting twist and hidden meanings to truly portray the events which can be interpreted in different ways.

Song Analysis

2024-02-29 16:49:13 UTC

I did the song analysis to young and beautiful which was so much fun because if you analyze the lyrics you can see how it relates to the Great Gatsby and how Daisy views Jay.

Eyes

2024-02-29 16:49:13 UTC

I was wondering if the purpose of the eyes is to show the lack of integrity in each of the characters. Is it to show they are being watched, so they must have integrity?

2024-02-29 16:49:28 UTC

I honestly was not focused on anything yesterday, but even just discussing the stations with my group helped me to better understand the plot, characters, and meaning of things in the book.

2024-02-29 16:49:38 UTC

I understood more about how Fitzgerald uses colors as symbolism for different aspects of the novel. For example, the use of the green light showcases his love for daisy and how he is willing to do anything for money to get her

2024-02-29 16:49:43 UTC

The stations yesterday helped me to understand the significance behind Daisy's voice and how she utilizes it in order to get what she wants. I also learned more about how Fitzgerald has implemented symbolism throughout the book in order to show the reader the deeper meaning behind certain elements.

2024-02-29 16:49:46 UTC

I find it interesting how daisy uses her voice to put up an innocent front when in actuality she's using her femininity to manipulate the people around her.

Tom Argument

2024-02-29 16:49:53 UTC

Analyzing tom's argument helped me understand the book better and helped develop insight into the intricacies of the book.

Materialism Analysis

2024-02-29 16:49:57 UTC

I found it interesting to think about how materialism has affected America and how the morals and integrity of its citizens has slowly degenerated over time and how to be at the top know one must sacrifice their integrity.

Daisy

2024-02-29 16:50:04 UTC

one thing that really stood out to me yesterday was the importance of Daisy's character. I feel like when we're talking about the plot we forget how significant Daisy is. I connected her to Zelda, and I feel like Fitzgerald probably did to as she was almost magnetic. Kind of like a siren luring sea men into the ocean due to her charm and voice.

2024-02-29 16:50:11 UTC

I was able to analyze Daisy more in depth by analyzing the song "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey. I observed each lyrics and tried to connect it back to a character in The Great Gatsby, and most of the lyrics connected to Daisy. I felt that by understanding the lyrics of the song, I was able to understand Daisy on another level.

2024-02-29 16:50:20 UTC

I was able to really dive deep on the intricacies and important aspects of the book with the in depth stations we did yesterday.

2024-02-29 16:50:31 UTC

The stations really helped me to set up the chronological order of the events and how they occurred in the book. It really helped me to clearly understand exactly what was happening in the book by going through the exercises that were set up

The Duality of the Characters

2024-02-29 16:51:13 UTC

From yesterday, I really saw that pretty much every single main character that lives with success and wealth is two-faced, living a life of luxury which requires them to put on a facade while harboring darker misdeeds and personalities. They all have some ulterior motive which doesn't benefit anyone except for a select few or usually themselves, and their masks begin to slip as more and more things happen in the story and their boundaries are pushed beyond their comforts of everyday ease and control over others.

Daisy's Voice

2024-02-29 16:51:41 UTC

I learned there is more to Daisy's voice than what meets the eye. Often her voice is described as a "ripple" or "tonic", kind of like a Violin vibrato or musical instrument. Orchestras are associated with prestige and luxury and general fanciness, so I believe this might be intentional.

2024-02-29 16:52:06 UTC

Through the stations done yesterday, I learned that Fitzgerald was truly so intentional in his writing. For all the characters, he gives them a specific personality and uses specific words when speaking of that person. For example, the way Fitzgerald writes Tom throughout the book is so critical and important to the story. Also, I learned how odd Nick really is. Nick is not relevant to any of the main plots throughout the book, whether it is Daisy and Gatsbys romancce, Tom and Myrtle, and the relationship between the 4. Nick is really just watching this train wreck occur in front of him, and this is evident through fitzgeralds writing as well.

2024-02-29 16:52:09 UTC

I was better able to understood why artifices were significant in the Great Gatsby. I realized how it is better able to show the mentality of the characters in the book and who they truly are behind their masks.

2024-02-29 16:52:37 UTC

I didn't really understand the significance of Daisy's voice until the stations yesterday. Daisy's voice is described as innocent yet siren-like which shows how she lures people in, like Gatsby, by putting up a front. We know Daisy is smart and purposefully acts ditzy and we can assume that she does the same with her voice in order to be liked and gain a social reputation which we know she values a lot.

2024-02-29 16:54:22 UTC

After looking over the scene where Tom was questioning Gatsby about him going to Oxford, it really stood out to me since that point was very tense and Tom's questioning further increased tensions between the characters

Integrity

2024-02-29 16:56:15 UTC

The integrity of the characters in TGG wasn't originally something I thought about, but all the characters are lacking integrity in their own ways, trying to achieve things through underhand methods, such as Gatsby trying to hide his original intentions to disguise his original desires. The entire book is centered around how people are cheating and lying about themselves.

Value of Integrity

2024-02-29 16:58:29 UTC

The value of integrity stood out to me because it highlights the contrast between Nick, the narrator who is open and honest, and Tom + Myrtle, who are hiding things from the rest. I like the omniscient perspective we get on the story because we can discuss the integrity of the actions of characters and see the effects of it. I think the general actions of the characters don't have an impact on them directly but rather the contribution to the society that in turn distributes the disparity of the disposition of different classes shown throughout the novel.

2024-02-29 18:54:48 UTC

I was able to better understand how Fitzgerald uses supporting characters to add to the plot more so than what is just at the surface.

2024-02-29 18:54:58 UTC

Something interesting I learned was the importance of windows in the Great Gatsby. As I first read the book, I never realized any meaning behind the windows, but when I went back to look for where windows were specifically mentioned, I realized that they have a much deeper meaning.

Something interesting

2024-02-29 18:55:05 UTC

I found it interesting when we were analyzing song lyrics and how strongly the song, Young and Beautiful, correlated to the relationship between Tom and Daisy.

2024-02-29 18:55:15 UTC

I found it interesting how after analyzing the motivations of the characters and events in The Great Gatsby, several common themes can be found. It was interesting how various seemingly unrelated elements of the book came together to form an idea.

2024-02-29 18:55:18 UTC

I thought the station where you had to choose a character to go into was good. Especially with the harder characters, it was interesting to figure out how they connected to the American dream. Overall, the stations helped with connecting the story to real life

Off-white lies

2024-02-29 18:55:33 UTC

Something that stood out to me yesterday was realizing that almost every single character in the book has untold truths and lies about something or someone to fulfill their desires.

2024-02-29 18:56:01 UTC

I was able to better understand Daisy's voice and the relevance of it. I was able to understand the message that Fitzgerald was trying to get with Daisy. How her voice is the main description of Daisy and how her voice is a front that she puts up.

Fitzgerald and the American Dream

2024-02-29 18:56:33 UTC

Fitzgerald uses the Great Gatsby as a means to show the value of the American dream. Gatsby is an example of a self-made man, as he accomplished so much and amassed such wealth that was once only for the aristocrats. However, he used illicit/bootleg methods in this acquisition, calling to a greater question about maintaining integrity in the achieving success.

Daisy

2024-02-29 18:56:34 UTC

As I read through the book again, I really noticed Daisy communicating her emotions through how Fitzgerald wrote through her voice. I also confirmed about Daisy's true nature of being shallow as I looked at how she was an opportunist and would use other people to get what she wants. An example of this would be her marrying Tom for the money and also take advantage of her opportunity with Gatsby to feel love that she could not feel when she was with Tom due to the constant abuse.

2024-02-29 18:56:42 UTC

I was able to realize that trickery was a major part of the book, not just because of Gatsby's persona, but also with the lack of integrity with Tom.

2024-02-29 18:57:17 UTC

The activities helped me think about the book in a different manner. Instead of just reading the book on the surface level, it helped me understand that almost every decision a character makes has a motive and may reveal something about their character. Therefore, when reading, the specific word choice that Fitzgerald uses should be carefully examined as it can reveal important things such as Daisy's voices.

2024-02-29 18:57:21 UTC

I personally enjoyed the station about happiness. The question asked whether or not chasing the goal of happiness could be detrimental, and I think that this really made me think about the different goals in life the characters had. Gatsby being daisy, Daisy being status, and Tom being power.

Relevance of Eyes

2024-02-29 18:57:37 UTC

The stations helped me understand the meaning of the eyes in the story. The eyes are all seeing and are constantly watching the characters. The eyes see the characters true intentions and symbolize the reader in a way. The reader sees what the characters are really like and see what goes on in the novel.

Voice

2024-02-29 18:58:17 UTC

I learned how Daisy's voice is can be an indicator of tone, characterization, and purpose. Something I want to know the meaning of is the quote "The exhilarating ripple of her voice was like a wild tonic in the rain."

Significance of Eyes/Windows/Blindness

2024-02-29 18:58:19 UTC

The continuous symbolism of eyes and being watched over was surprising, especially at the reference of Dr. TJ Eckleberg's eyes on the billboard watching over the Valley of Ashes and "witnessing" Myrtle's death, because it signified a major theme within the novel; the idea that nothing is truly ever hidden. This is seen over the course of the plot as Gatsby's past and shady conduct begins to get revealed, as Daisy's love for Gatsby resurfaces, or as Myrtle's affair gets found out. Every main character in the novel has an artifice that begins to reveal itself as the plot progresses.

Windows

2024-02-29 18:58:21 UTC

I learned the importance of windows throughout the novel. Windows are a glimpse into and out of a person's personal and external lives. Windows act as a barrier between the personal and external life. However, if driven by a singular and intense passion as seen with Gatsby, the personal seeps into the external. "A sudden emptiness seemed to flow now from the windows and the great doors" (Chapter 3). Gatsby put his all into finding Daisy, without Daisy he feels empty. All of these characters are empty, simply living the materialistic life.

Voice

2024-02-29 18:58:51 UTC

Fitzgerald actually describes Daisy's voice with a whole lot of adjectives, which is really cool because the words he uses help characterize Daisy. During the stations yesterday, I learned a lot more about how deep these characterizations go, and how much care and detail is put into the characterization of Daisy through the description of her voice!

2024-02-29 18:59:13 UTC

I learned that Gatbsy is kind of pathetic, but Daisy is the worst of all, even worse than Tom. Tom is clear about who he is and knows what he wants. Daisy seems to want a little bit of everything throughout her life and messes with everyone in the process. From the beginning of her story with Gatsby, she declares her love but continues with the marriage, and never really has anything complete and meaningful with either Gatsby or Tom (not that it would matter too much to Tom anyways, though she knew who she was marrying). Tom and Gatsby don't know what's going on until the end. Daisy seems to judge her self worth based on who she knows and her status, as if that's what she'll be remembered for. She doesn't even make use of her connections and her status, she just sits at home. I wonder what kind of long term planning these people have.

Toms Argument

2024-02-29 18:59:32 UTC

The most beneficial part of the stations we did yesterday was when we unpacked Tom's Argument in his fight for daisy. Understanding the various claims Tom made while insulting Gatsby was beneficial in my understanding of the scene as a whole.

nick

2024-02-29 19:00:10 UTC

i'm curious what nick's specific perspective fits into the story. even though we read through his point of view throughout the whole book, it is easier to understand the intentions and motivations of characters like gatsby, tom, and daisy. at the happiness station i considered writing about nick, but i realized i don't really know what he's thinking as he makes certain decisions.

Tom is congruent to Daisy

2024-02-29 19:00:12 UTC

Daisy justifies her adultery with Gatsby on Tom's infidelity with Myrtle, however, this is ultimately corrupt and unfair and makes Tom and Daisy equally hypocritical. There are many parallels between Tom and Daisy in being manipulative and corrupt throughout the book, such as Daisy using her voice and actions to appear dumb or like a "damsel in distress" to use Gatsby. This creates a connection between Daisy and Tom and perhaps reasons why they work better than Daisy with Gatsby. Gatsby is desperate and Daisy is not; yikes.

Artifice

2024-02-29 19:00:38 UTC

I learned just how shallow and deceiving all of the characters are. Every major event in the book is from some form of trickery or deception to have a character get what they want. Even the main driver of the plot, Gatsby's love for Daisy, is built on Gatsby's illegal wealth and Daisy's need for money and status. The only person not directly organizing trickery is Nick, who still participates in Gatsby's plans and he comes to resent all of the people that he spent his time with after the death of Gatsby.

2024-02-29 19:01:08 UTC

I think the stations were helpful as it helped analyze the book and characters with more details and help comprehend some difficult parts. The character station was interesting as I went into depth on Gatsby's butler and learned a lot more.