Fractiousness~ the trait of being hard to influence or control; stubborn/irritable 

“Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face...It was a body capable of enormous leverage — a cruel body”(Fitzgerald, pg. 6).

Throughout the chapter, the colors red, white, and gold are mentioned. I believe that red is associated with the emotions of hate, rage, and passion. The color red can also be associated with Tom’s character. So far, Tom has shown all these emotions in Chapter 1. I believe that white is associated with simplicity and innocence and reflects Daisy’s character. Gold is also mentioned and represents the wealth of the couple. 

Just based on how Nick started to describe Tom in Chapter 1, I knew that Tom wasn’t going to be even close to one of the favorites. At first I thought, “well maybe he’ll go through character development and change, but um...yeah no.” It’s barely Chapter 1 and I don’t think Tom will become a good person (we’ll see soon).
Word Count= 200

Another thing is that I feel like Myrtle is one of those people who plays down her beauty to just receive compliments. For example, "It's just a crazy old thing," she said. "I just slip it on sometimes when I don't care what I look like."

"But it looks wonderful on you, if you know what I mean," pursued Mrs. McKee (Fitzgerald, p.g 26).
Word Count= 211

Nick was being used by Gatsby to get closer to Daisy, but at the same time, we don’t see Nick getting angry about being used. If it were me, I would be upset. Nick was the only one to receive an invitation to Gatsby’s party because Gatsby knew that he could use Nick for his Plan B. Gatsby’s first plan was to have these large parties so that maybe one day Daisy would eventually show up. She never did so he thought of another way to get closer to Daisy. 

Gatsby is chasing the past but Daisy has changed. She has a daughter to think about and she’s married already. I don’t think she’ll leave Tom for Gatsby. I just wish Gatsby had someone who would tell him the truth.

We now have a greater understanding about the green light. The green light represents Gatsby’s ceaseless pursuit of his dream. It also stands for his hope and desire to finally be with Daisy. But now that he’s finally reunited with Daisy, he feels that there is no significance to that green light anymore. 

I believe that the green light still has significance even though Gatsby doesn’t believe so. I have a feeling that the green light didn’t just represent Daisy and his longing to be with her. I think the green light also symbolizes Gatsby’s envy of Tom’s life. Tom didn’t have to work for his wealth and he has the one person that Gatsby wants most. Tom has a life with Daisy that Gatsby will never be able to have. 

In our culture, green symbolizes money, jealousy, and even health. 

I also think it’s kind of funny that they drag Nick along when they go to show Daisy Gatsby’s house. Nick keeps asking if he should leave but both Daisy and Gatsby keep insisting he stay, even though they’re too busy with each other. I mean he could have left but I think he kind of wanted to see how things would play out so he agreed to stay. 

At first Gatsby told Nick that his family died and left him with a large inheritance that left him with a lot of money. He also told Nick that his family were Oxford graduates and that’s why he went to Oxford for a couple of years. But what we really find out is that Gatsby’s family were North Dakota farmers and that he went to community college. He refused the life he had so he ran away to create the life he believed he deserved. After, he ended up working for Dan Cody where he gained knowledge but no money. Gatsby spent five years with Dan Cody, sailing and taking care of him. Gatsby also served in the war where he earned some war medals. Gatsby also said that he works in the oil and drug store industry but it’s likely possible that Gatsby works as a bootlegger with Mr. Wolfsheim. As a young man, Gatsby shows determination when working for a better life but kind of shows his selfish/self absorbed side when stated that he thought it was his destiny.

I found it so rude that the couple that Tom was with invited Gatsby to go with them for dinner but left him. They didn’t even wait a minute for him. Nick says that the woman who invited Gatsby for supper did so unenthusiastically but why didn’t Gatsby catch that. Gatsby really wanted to go but it was obvious that they didn’t want him to. Also why didn’t Nick say anything to Gatsby. 

This chapter really showed us more about Tom based on who his friends are. You could tell what kind of person someone is by the company they keep. We already knew from previous chapters that Tom was not a nice guy, but now we see more of the snobby side of him. He also said something that shows us a little more of his beliefs. He said, ‘...I may be old fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me’ (Fitzgerald p.g. 89). This line that he stated didn’t sit well with me. 

Everything that Gatsby worked toward and his dream were all shattered in this one scene. Everything just slipped away from him, his reputation and Daisy. After Tom had revealed how Gatsby actually got his money, he knew that he had won. He was so confident that Daisy was not going to leave him that he sent her to go with Gatsby. I felt bad for Gatsby but at the same time he was dealing with something that was illegal.

I also can’t believe that Myrtle died and Daisy was the one driving. They had no idea that one was the other. Gatsby still thinks he could win Daisy back but it won’t happen. After what Nick saw through the window, Gatsby is no longer running through Daisy’s mind. It seems that after what happened in the hotel room, Tom and Daisy have rekindled their relationship.
Word Count: 207

Gatsby’s death was unexpected and shocking. It was a major plot twist. Because he was tangled up with Daisy and Tom, his life was unexpectedly cut short. I feel like everywhere that Tom and Daisy go, bad things happen. 
Word Count: 221

What made me feel even more bad about what had happened was the visit from Gatsby’s father. Mr. Gatz was proud of what his son had become. Nick describes the picture that Mr. Gatz carries with him, as being “dirty with many hands.” From this I believe that Mr. Gatz was so proud of his son that any chance he had, he would show the picture. Mr. Gatz also stated that Gatsby bought him a house where he now lives. This to me shows that Gatsby was different from the stuck-up wealthy people in this novel. 

Although, my family‘s story contradicts what Fitzgerald is saying about the American Dream. I grew up in Los Angeles in a neighborhood where all there was was poverty. All the odds were against us. The school systems were the worst, there was constant violence, and the loss of hope everywhere. My parents decided to move out of Los Angeles because they believed that we would have better opportunities elsewhere. It was hard finding somewhere to live, but we eventually did. In Los Angeles, I would barely see my Dad because he would go to work from early in the morning to late at night trying to make ends meet. When we moved out of that area, my Dad was still working but he decided that he wanted to be his own boss because he wasn’t getting paid the money he was supposed to. He got his business license and started his business. Now he’s his own boss. And I thank my Dad and my Mom for giving me a life where I have the opportunity to accomplish my own dreams.

Many people might say that the ideas that are portrayed about the American Dream can be compared to how many people feel about it in recent times. Nowadays, many people are losing hope in the American Dream. Especially now that we are living through a pandemic. Some people who were working towards their American Dream, lost all progress because of the pandemic. Many people lost their jobs and businesses. The pandemic caused many people to lose hope in themselves and the world.