Gatsby Character First Impressions 3rd Block by Ms. Zamkinos

Onyx Folder

Zamkinos — 2025-02-20 04:54:58 UTC

Nick describes Gatsby as having "some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away. . . it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness" (2). Nick introduces Gatsby as an optimist and a romantic. The simile here compares him to a highly sophisticated seismograph, thus priming the reader to see Gatsby as particularly sensitive and reactive--and perhaps as a warning of earthquakes to come.

Onyx Folder

Zamkinos — 2025-02-22 16:54:22 UTC

Nick describes himself as " victim of not a few veteran bores" (1) due to how great and nonjudgemental a listener he is. On the surface, he is saying he is magnanimous, but his word choices and tone show that he is not that at all. Calling himself a "victim" means he is saying he suffers because of these "bores" he is stuck listening to. It makes him seem like exactly the kind of judgemental politician he says he is not.

Onyx Folder

Zamkinos — 2025-02-22 16:58:08 UTC

Our first glimpse of Daisy in the text is of her is when she is "buoyed up" with her friend Jordan "both in white and their dresses were rippling and fluttering" (8). White is often associated with innocence and maidenhood, and the fact that they are buoyant, rippling, and fluttering makes them seem like they are either easily swept up by other forces (like the wind) or nearly angelic (floating, white, and glowing).

Oren, Senai, Anthony

2025-02-24 19:03:44 UTC

JORDAN "You live in West Egg," she remarked contemptuously.

"I know somebody there."

NICK "I don't know a single-"

JORDAN "You must know Gatsby"

DAISY "Gatsby?" demanded Dasiy. "What Gatsby?" (11)

This key quote indicates Gatsby is notably known throughout West Egg, and Daisy's reaction to his name leaves her flabbergasted.

Daisy

26jamisonr — 2025-02-24 19:03:54 UTC

"I woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling, and asked the nurse right away if it was a boy or a girl. She told me it was girl and so I turned my head away and wept. Alright I said, I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." This quote shows Daisy's perspective on the world and how a woman should make her way. She could be talking about her life with Tom and their patriarchal relationship or be explaining the gift of not understanding the horrors of their world. This is projecting her reality of being with Tom and how little their relationship truly means to both of them.

Chloe R, Savvy, Clover

2025-02-24 19:05:21 UTC

"Well it's a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don't look out the white race will be -- will be butterfly submerged. It's all scientific stuff." (Page 13) Using scientific language to uphold discriminatory ideals (similar to other people of the time - Eugenics and critical race theory). He's also taking credit for work he didn't do himself to uphold how powerful he is as a white man. This is similar to the source of his wealth, he is using the work of others and criticizing marginalized groups to uphold his status and ideals. Tom generally symbolizes someone who 'has it all' during this time and has a sense of arrogant privilege because of it. On page 7, when Nick recalls their interactions during college, it says "He seemed to say "Just because I'm stronger and more of a man than you are", suggesting he had this attitude since he was young.

Yellow folder

2025-02-24 19:05:34 UTC

When Nick recognizes Jordan, he describes her knowledge of her from the media: "It's pleasing contemptuous expression had looked out at me from many rotogravure pictures of the sporting life... I had heard some story of her too, a critical, unpleasant story, but what it was I had forgotten long ago" (18). Him saying that he had forgotten about the stories shows how either he had heard them in passing, or that he was so taken aback by her beauty that they slipped his mind. It also shows how she has a strong personality that anyone who meets her can see right off the bat.

Miku, Anfal, Gil

2025-02-24 19:06:57 UTC

Our first glimpse of Daisy in the text is of her being happy when she saw Nick come in. The quote states, "I'm p-paralyzed with happiness" (8). It shows her characteristic of being happy and bubbly almost resembling a Golden Retriever. The juxtaposition of the words paralyzed and happiness is odd because of the completely opposite definitions of the words. It's not common to use those two words side by side to describe Daisy's exciting character, therefore it could be foreshadowing something later on in the book where a problem can be seen as the glass half full or half empty.

Pink

26naomiw — 2025-02-24 19:08:10 UTC

After Nick walks into the room and talks with Daisy, he notices Jordan and narrates "Again a sort of apology arose to my lips. Almost any exhibition of complete self-sufficiency draws a stunned tribute from me" (9). The word "stunned" suggests that he himself is not self-sufficient and he is impressed and surprised by people who are. His almost-apology part implies that he is not sure of himself, and always feels like he is interrupting something.