Kapasi and selfishness

        Interpreter of Maladies by Lahiri displays the inner feelings of selfishness of Mr. Kapasi. Mr. Kapasi is a tour guide in India and is currently offering a tour for an American family. He sees the poor relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Das. As he is driving them across India, he envisions himself with Mrs. Das. He imagines being with her and making her feel happy unlike the way she is with Raj. He plans his affair out. He believes that once they leave for America in ten days, "he would hear from Mrs. Das in approximately six weeks' time." (Lahiri, 159). His situation becomes worse as he learns that Mrs. Das has already had an affair and that Bobby is not Raj's son. Now, he is tied between trying to end the marriage between the Das's or doing the right thing and trying to get them back together. He is not given the chance, however, because he infuriates Mrs. Das with a question about guilt. In the end, Kapasi sees that his selfishness got the best of him and he needs to let it go. With the symbolism of the paper leaving Mrs. Das's purse, Kapasi needs to let go of his selfishness and move on with his happy life.

To love or to hate Dee

          Everyday Use by Alice Walker displays the harsh relationship between Dee, her mother and Maggie. Dee seems to be unsympathetic to her family. She seems to have hostile feelings for them and only wants to go away. However, Dee shows a more apologetic attitude once she realizes that the quilts cannot be hers and mean more to Maggie. Dee's character seemed to change with the mother's victory. The mother never had been harsh to Dee and this radical behavior changed Dee. Dee became shocked and learned that she is not the only person that matters. The mother and Maggie share both feelings of love and hate toward Dee. They both love her as she is a member of their family. She is wanted and she does not visit often. She is hated because of her actions and attitude toward their family. Dee does not like her family that much. She always wanted to go away. She wants her family to change to the way she wants it: modern and normal. Maggie and the mother love Dee for herself but also wish that she would be a part of the family.

Pity Z Fool

          Mr. Z by M. Carl Holman is a sad poem. Holman's attitude toward Mr. Z was one of sadness. It is sadness because Mr. Z was tricked by society to become the person he was. Mr. Z was black and this conveys that the poem is satirizing society. Society believes that people should abandon their past so that they move on to bigger things. Society taught that being wealthy and successful was the only true happiness and fulfillment of life. Mr. Z was convinced of this and motivated himself to become wealthy and successful. At the same time, society condemned the color black. Essentially, Mr. Z became white so he could live out this false dream. In the end, he forsake his culture and heritage only to become: " 'One of the most distinguished members of his race.' " (Holman, 848). Furthermore, the ironies in the poem contribute to this loss of identity that society encourages. the last statement shows that he had tried to escape his past only to become a part of it once again. Additionally, Mr. Z is a general name as it refers to the many people that become confused by society's trickery.

Frog Prince? Yeah. Right.

          Hazel Tells LaVerne by Katharyn Howd Machan is written entirely in colloquial text. This aspect of colloquialism contributes to the meaning of this poem. From the poem, we can tell that the speaker is most likely a maid: "howard johnsons ladies room" (Machan). We can also tell that she is most likely of lower class and has not received much of a formal education. The colloquialism also contributes to the poem's humor. Imagining her speaking in this way creates a funny and happy mood in the poem. I find it very ironic and humorous that the speaker is more surprised that she could be princess rather than the fact that a frog is talking. Furthermore, the colloquialism contributes to the realism of this revision of the fairy tale "Frog Prince". In most cases, I would think that a woman would not kiss a frog in real life. I also believe that a frog would not magically transform into a handsome prince. The colloquialism conveys a sense of realism that we can all picture in our heads.

Exploding Dreams?

          Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes has five similes and one metaphor. The metaphor, "Or does it explode?" (Hughes, 805), is placed at the end of the poem by itself. Its placement and italics suggest that it has a different tone than the rest of the poem. It seems to have a positive connotation, contradicting the beginning of the poem. The five similes describe the deference as harmful towards the dream. The dream may become unrealistic to people. It may become repulsive. It might disappear from the people's minds. It may become a nightmare. It may seem to become better than it really is. It may become a burden to people's minds. What the metaphor explains that if a dream is delayed long enough, no one can prevent it from becoming a reality.

Perrine's View on Interpretation

          At first, I believed that a poem had abundant interpretations. I believed that an interpretation could almost never be wrong. As I read the first paragraph, I thought that Perrine was wrong. As I finished the article, I realized that Perrine was right. I realized that a poem can only have, at the most, a few correct interpretations. Perrine's argument and logic make complete sense. His criteria for interpreting a poem were simple and few. All the interpretation relied upon was that it must account for any detail and that it must make the fewest assumptions. I found it very interesting how these two criteria are very similar to the criteria for judging a scientific hypothesis.
          As I read the article, it was interesting to see the correct interpretations of the poems that were given to us in class. I was surprised and shocked that Dickinson's poem was about a sunset. I never would have thought of that. I never would have thought that Melville was referencing stars in his poem. When I read the interpretation of The Sick Rose, I felt awesome because I interpreted the poem correctly. An idea that I agree with is that "A poem- in fact, any pattern of words- defines an area of meaning, no more." (Perrine, 4). Even before this article, I believed that a poem had a range of meanings. I knew that some interpretations were right and others were dead wrong. I know now that as the poem becomes longer, the possibilities of meanings shrinks. My hope is that this article has helped me see how to correctly interpret poems or at the very least, help me to get on the right track.

GG Chapter 9, p. 170-180

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

          “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald, 180). The Great Gatsby was a much better book than The House of Mirth. It was easier to follow the story. It was much shorter. The story did not jump from one character to another. Rather, it concentrated on Nick Carraway and his actions. Moreover, the book was easier to comprehend than The House of Mirth. I found it sad that Jay Gatsby died. It dampened my spirits and sort of ruined the ending. However, I found the ending, specifically the last sentence of the book, to be truly profound and enlightening. It reminds me that we need to move on, continue life, and let go of past feelings. This will stick through my head as I conclude my final year of high school and as I head off to college. 

GG Chapter 9, p. 163-170

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

          “After two years, I remember the rest of that day, and that night and the next day. . .” (Fitzgerald, 163). Gatsby and Wilson had just died. Nick Carraway was in charge of planning Gatsby’s funeral and it seems that he can only get his father, a couple of servants, and himself to go. This seems to apply to the theme that money cannot buy happiness. Gatsby seemed happy on the outside. He had plenty of money. He had an amazing car. His house was huge. Everyone wanted to be at his parties. However, Gatsby was not really happy. The one love of his life was with Tom Buchannan.  He knew that they loved each other but they really could not be together. The one thing that Gatsby really wanted was the one thing he could not obtain through money: Daisy. Before he died, it appeared that Daisy was going to run off with Gatsby, but it did not happen. When he died, we see that his money remained. His estate remained intact. We observe that our material possessions cannot go with us when we die. All Gatsby’s money could not even prevent his death either. 

GG Chapter 8, p. 147-162

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

           “I couldn’t sleep all night” (Fitzgerald, 147). The night before, Mrs. Wilson was hit by a car and died on impact. Earlier, we had Gatsby declare his love for Daisy. Then he declared that Daisy never loved Buchanan. This is the climax of the story. Before this, we had Gatsby trying to reconnect with Daisy. He was trying to see if she still loved him. This sequence of events is a part of the rising action that led to the climax. The beginning of the book was exposition. It fed us background information so we would understand the climax. I believe that the death of Mrs. Wilson was a major turning point in the book. It foreshadows Gatsby’s demise. Fitzgerald’s narrative hooks are not as good as Wharton’s hooks but he does end each chapter with a small mysterious element that suggests that the answer might be in the next chapter. 

GG Chapter 7, p. 129-145

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                
           “I tried to make her stop, but she couldn’t, so I pulled the emergency brake” (Fitzgerald, 144).This death came as a complete surprise to me. I never really expected it. As I was reading, I remember a very frightening incident I saw as a child. My younger brother was about three. We just got back from a trip. My family left the car, but my brother was still in the car. Our driveway is on a massive hill and we parked the car on its crest. Somehow, the car shifted out of park, went down a small part of the driveway, into our lawn, and hit a tree. My brother was fine. In fact, he was laughing when we opened one of the two undamaged doors. My parents were freaking out. Who would not be freaking out? The car was totaled but everyone was okay. Even though the situations were completely different, the aspect of the crash reminded me of that scary day

GG Chapter 7, p. 113-128

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

         “. . . I realized that so far his suspicions hadn’t aligned on Tom. He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world. . .” (Fitzgerald, 124). Tom Buchanan and George Wilson are interesting characters. They are very similar, yet very different. They are very similar since they are in the same predicament. They both have wives who are having an affair. Ironically, Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson. Both Wilson and Buchanan are wising up to the affair but are not quite sure yet. They are also very different. Buchanan is wealthy and in the upper class of society. George Wilson is lower class and struggling to get by. George wants to move west and start over, but ironically, Buchanan has the car that Wilson needs. 

GG Chapter 6, p. 97-111

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

          “His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own” (Fitzgerald, 110). Gatsby is now reveling since he and Daisy appear to be getting back together. He embraces her when they kiss and is always excited to see her. Gatsby is preparing to repeat the past and set things straight. He plans to marry Daisy as soon as he gets the chance. One of the important symbols that led to this part of Gatsby’s life is the green light. The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock represents a fleeting hope. It is a hope that is slowly disappearing and with every passing day, the chance may be lost. It has kept Gatsby hopeful that Daisy could be his again. He also realized that he would also need to find her love again because he could easily lose the chance to be with her forever. That green light inspires us to do what we can today because tomorrow could be one day too late. 

          I also feel that the song One Day Too Late by Skillet would be perfect here. 

GG Chapter 5, p. 88-96

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

         “Then I went out of the room and down the marble steps into the rain, leaving them there together” (Fitzgerald, 96). This scene is full of love. At first, Gatsby thinks it is a terrible mistake. Nick convinces him that it is all right and that they are both embarrassed. Gatsby continues to talk to Daisy and the two become hypnotized by each other. It is apparent that they love each other greatly. This scene reminds me of a song by Red: Start Again. The speaker in the song is asking for another chance at love. He acknowledges that mistakes have been made. He asks innocently if he could start again. He continues to mention that he is nothing without her. This song effectively describes the feeling that both Gatsby and Daisy are feeling. 

GG Chapter 5, p. 81-87

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

          “When I came home to West Egg that night I was afraid for a moment that my house was on fire” (Fitzgerald, 81). As I have read The Great Gatsby, I have noticed that Fitzgerald’s writing style appears friendly and easy-going. Those descriptions also happen to match the narrator: Nick Carraway. Fitzgerald’s diction is simple and understandable. It does contain a sense of sophistication, though. His imagery, the words that create a picture in the mind, is also simple. It allows the reader to come up with a more personal image rather than Wharton’s imagery. Wharton’s imagery was very descriptive and was concise. There was a set image and the reader could not venture far from it. Fitzgerald allows the reader to open his mind and create more than what he describes. Most of the sentences are long, but they flow very well. The dialogue seems to use more common words and phrases than Wharton’s dialogue. Fitzgerald’s dialogue and diction was simple and could be easily read and understood by people with a little education. 

GG Chapter 4, p. 72- 80

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

          “ ‘ He’s the man who fixed the World’s Series back in 1919’ ”(Fitzgerald, 73). I am astounded that a man like Gatsby is friends with the man who fixed the World Series. Mr. Wolfsheim now shows an even darker element to himself. This also plays on the stereotype that all Jews are greedy. Gatsby had gotten himself into a rotten crowd. As surprised as I am about the wrongdoings of Mr.  Wolfsheim, I am more surprised by the people Gatsby is friends with. I thought that Gatsby was a different. I thought he might me a rich outcast with loads of money and a sad past. Sadly, Gatsby is no different from the rest of the wealthy people. I found it even more tragic that later in the book, Mr. Wolfsheim did not even go to Gatsby funeral. I found that cruel. I truly believe that Mr. Wolfsheim is one of the worst people that Gatsby befriended. 

GG Chapter 4, p. 61-72

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

          “ ‘Mr. Carraway, this is my friend Mr. Wolfsheim’ ” (Fitzgerald, 69). Here we are introduced to Mr. Wolfsheim, Gatsby’ s Jewish business partner. Mr. Wolfsheim raised Gatsby from a poor soldier to what he is now. Mr. Wolfsheim plays a corrupted aspect of Gatsby. Gatsby became rich because of Mr. Wolfsheim’s bootlegging schemes. Bootlegging was the illegal selling of alcohol during prohibition. Mr. Wolfsheim still supplies and connects Gatsby to other potential business partners around the U.S. At the time, Gatsby most likely believed that the only way to get Daisy back was by being rich. The shady dealings clouded Gatsby’s mind about being an honest person. He ended up using his acquaintance Nick to get to Daisy and became arrogant around Tom. Although Mr. Wolfsheim was a friend of Gatsby, he led Gatsby down a not so great path. 

GG Chapter 3, p. 53-59

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

          “ ‘You don’t understand, ‘explained the criminal. ‘I wasn’t driving. There’s another man in the car’ ” (Fitzgerald, 54). I do not understand the significance of the accident. I am rather confused as to the point of its inclusion into the story. It does not contribute anything to the plot. It seems very random. There are two drunken fools driving near Gatsby’s house and they crash in a ditch. The driver is so drunk that he cannot comprehend that one of his wheels is missing. He tries to back out of the ditch by going in reverse. He keeps thinking that he needs gas. Admittedly, it is hilarious. Other than the situation being funny, I do not see any other purpose for it. 

GG Chapter 3, p. 39-52

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                

        “There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer nights.” The setting at Gatsby’s parties sets him up to blend in perfectly in the crowd. His house is very large with a beautiful garden in the back and the ocean even farther behind the house. He has a large jazz group playing and large amounts of food. Several groups of people attend, most of which are people who are attending uninvited. Several people are drunk. It is close to midnight and people have already gotten into their social groups. Since many people do not know what Gatsby looks like, he is able to blend in with the crowd. This allows him to approach Nick Carraway unnoticed and inconspicuous. He knows that Nick’s second cousin is Daisy and wants Nick to help him get Daisy back in his life. First, though, he introduces himself and makes sure they are at least acquaintances by the time the party is done. This setting allows Gatsby to hope that he will be with Daisy again.

GG Chapter 2, p. 23-38

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

               
          “Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (Fitzgerald, 37). The previous quote surprised me. I never thought Buchanan would get this angry and hit a woman. I would think he would have a lot more self-control. He knows he is strong. He knows he has a temper. He should have had more self-control. To make matters worse, he hit the nose of Mrs. Wilson, his mistress. I was also surprised that this was not a widespread rumor. I am even more shocked that Daisy did not hear it. Tom needs to be more careful. Otherwise, he will cause major problems for himself. 

GG Chapter 1 p. 13-21

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

               
          “I said lightly that I heard nothing at all, and a few minutes later I got up to go home” (Fitzgerald, 19). The narrator of this book is Nick Carraway. It is told from his point of view in first person. Since the narration is in first person, it also makes it limited. He does not know what other people think. He only knows what he thinks and what others say aloud. I think it would be interesting to see this novel told in third person omniscient point of view. It would be interesting to see the thoughts of the other characters. I would especially like to know what Gatsby was thinking when he was at the pond next to Nick. Nick mentioned that he seemed to be trembling. I can imagine that he was looking at the green light and thinking about Daisy.

GG Chapter 1, p. 1-13

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“ ‘What are you doing Nick?’ ” (Fitzgerald, 10). It is not until page ten that we learn the protagonist’s first name. He also happens to be the narrator of the book. Daisy is Nick’s second cousin and Jay Gatsby is a neighbor of Nick. Nick is a static character. His personality and character remain constant. He is always a kind, caring, and honest man. Nick is also a flat character. He is an easy-going person and stays that way through the book. His main point of confliction is with Jay Gatsby. Nick, on the inside, seems to dislike Gatsby. On the outside, he seems fine being around him. There is something about Gatsby that caused Nick to dislike him: “No—Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby . . .” (Fitzgerald, 2).