Gender and Relationships

In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, gender pours an important role into the "pool" of relationships seen throughout the story.  Most noticeably, the women in this story are never seen without a man. Daisy has Tom, Myrtle has Wilson, and even Jordan begins to peruse a relationship with Nick. (Even though they were "set up" by the Buchanan's). Since this book was written before the rise of women’s rights, it demonstrates that the social normality was to assume that every woman depended on a man. 

There are always relationships that occur between the same genders as well.  Gatsby and Nick learn to understand each other greater than any other pair of people in the story- independent of gender.  There is a difference in relationships between all men, all women, and then a mix.  Similar to Lord of the Flies, by William Golding who stated in an interview that including men and women in a story adds the underlying possibility of reproduction- which takes away from real and focused conversation.

Gatsby-a man-becomes successful by himself.  Yet, the women in this story all rely on family or married in wealth to become successful. Not surprisingly this story does not pass the Bechdel Test.   To pass this test a piece of literature has to have at least two woman characters-who are named-that must carry on an extended conversation that doesn't have to do with men.  This demonstrates that in the 1920s women were still seen as inferior, and evidently influence the outcome of The Great Gatsby- yet they remain static characters throughout.

Analyze or Bust

It seems today that all teachers talk about is analyzing.  Analyze this or that situation. Analyze a picture. Analyze this movie. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby's appearance and description in the story could deem him as having something to hide.  Though many times out of English class, analyzing seems out of place.  In some ways, analyzing in everyday lives removes a person's focus from key things.  For example; if people are watching a movie and you decide to analyze a scene, you will most likely miss an important line that's either important to the movie- or just flat out funny.  Google defines analyze as to discover or reveal (something) through detailed examination.  That brings about an important question, is analysis dependent on opinions?  If you’re attempting to analyze a situation that constantly changes, is it even possible to analyze?  The first situation that comes to mind that flows with this idea is analyzing a person.  People’s opinions are constantly changing.  To analyze a person in a story is simple, they only have one personality in which the author portrays exactly how they want you to see the character.  However, in everyday life you will not be able to fully understand what another person is feeling or thinking about.  Its impossible to create one analysis of a person without having to constantly change it to match situations.  If you had it would be considered stereotyping.  Therefore, analyzing in literature is great and relevant, yet if you analyze a person- you just might end up “putting words in their mouth.”

Punctuation: Changing or Not?

In a constantly changing world punctuation rules must change with different interpretations as time and language evolves.  Punctuation changes with language and culture because different dialects, words and discoveries come about. (Source A).  Punctuation should change between different literatures depending on the context.  For Example; the poem On Punctuation, source B, contains no punctuation and yet still clearly conveys a message.  Poems, songs, and stream of consciousness writing should not necessarily need punctuation.  What does punctuation really do?  Quite honestly punctuation could be compared to the same as a rest in sheet music.  It serves for a break in flow which allows time to breath and adds some effect.  If a literary work was read aloud,  a person listening wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a period at the end of a sentence or 12 parentheses. (Source D). Since time and punctuation change, it should thereby be used as an option.  In a formal write-up punctuation may be useful to convey ideas, however, in a song it might be more dramatic to refrain from using punctuation.  It is an interpretation, just as the oxford commas use is constantly debated, punctuation should be debated as opinions and language change.

The Bluest Eye: An In Depth Look

“I got blues in my mealbarrel

Blues up on the shelf

I got blues in my mealbarrel

Blues up on the shelf

Blues in my bedroom

‘Cause I’m sleepin’ by myself” (Morrison 51).

Blues is a reoccurring theme in The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison. The section above is but one quote of many examples of that musical style.  Blues is a form of gospel music derived from the “deep south” (Google sources).  The characters in The Bluest Eye move to the north in order to find more peace but discover it is no different than the south.  Morrison includes the reference to the Blues Music in order to convey that the south is still very present in the characters and brings about the theme of heritage.  No matter what skin color a person is, everyone has some sort of past or heritage.  Heritage is one thing that unites every person.  Lastly, Morrison connected the theme of blues into the opening of the book.  The story describes a “cat” and “dog” which are actually nicknames that originated from blues/jazz artists (Blues and Jazz History).  Therefore, Morrison uses the blues musical genre-throughout her novel- in order to serve as a heritage trait from the south that unites all people: white or black.

Flowers

Several stories describe flowers for imagery or as a symbol.  Flowers are all unique and all contribute to a story in their own way.  If someone is described as having rosy cheeks, that beautiful appearance is actually derived from the Rose flower.  Yet, color affects the meaning of a flower as well.  A dark colored Rose would have a more negative connotation than a light colored Rose.  Flowers are important because they “[remove] carbon dioxides and toxins in the air” while “feed[ing] the honeybee population” and “provide soothing sympathy to many of life’s ceremonies”(Pro-flowers.com).  When a person brings a flower into their house, it represents the outdoors and indoors coinciding. It shows how nature and humans can interact without destruction.  To another point, a flowers smell is a powerful as a potent drug that comes over you, and lulls through your mouth, and deep into your throat.  In the story The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, she describes “marigolds” in the prologue of her book. By researching the meaning of Marigolds the definition is “pain and grief”(Google-dictionary/search).  Morrison uses this flower which ties into the rest of the book which also has much pain and grief throughout it.  Therefore, flowers are one of the most symbolic references in nature, and can be used in any context.