The Great Gatsby Films

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For every amazing book comes the movie adaption of it. The Great Gatsby has been adapted into two versions. One was released in 1974 with lead characters Robert Redford (Gatsby), Mia Farrow (Daisy), Bruce Dern (Tom), Sam Waterston (Nick), Karen Black (Myrtle), Scott Wilson (George), and Lois Chiles (Jordan). This version of the famous novel stayed true to how the book was written. Most of the scenes were acted with verbatim from the book. When I watched it, I remembered some of the lines from the reading. Though, the 1974 film didn't stray from the original publishing, the scenes didn't seem to flow together. The transitions weren't fluid and added a black cut screen every so often which made the movie somewhat boring at times. Nevertheless, it was still a great film to the end and should be cherished by millions who love the novel.

The other version, which is the most current one, was released in 2000. This version had leads Toby Stephens (Gatsby), Paul Rudd (Nick), Mira Sorvino (Daisy), Martin Donovan (Tom Buchanan), Heather Goldenhersh (Myrtle), William Camp (George), and Francie Swift (Jordan). This "Great Gatsby" film didn't go in order of the novel and had scenes from the end at the beginning and rearranged many of the scenes altogether. This adaption was a more fresher version and some of the attire people were wearing was a more modern look. This "Great Gatsby" was a good version, but lacks order and one who has only watched it will not get it the first time. In conclusion, the Gatsby films are good adaptions that retell this fabulous American tale of the 1920s.

sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210719/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby_(1974_film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby_(2000_film)

Selfish People

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Many selfish acts happen in the Great Gatsby. Like when Gatsby wanted Nick to invite Daisy over to his house, Myrtle being with wealthy Tom Buchanan, Daisy goes of with Gatsby while still being married to Tom, and George Wilson kills Gatsby, who didn't really kill Myrtle. With wealth comes selfish pleasures and consequences. Two of the most selfish people in the novel are Tom and Myrtle. Tom is dissatisfied with Daisy and confides in Myrtle Wilson's love. He gives her everything and she takes it without a second thought. As for Myrtle, she uses Tom Buchanan's money to get what pleases her. For example, getting lavish dresses and a dog in the middle of the street while Tom was driving. It seems this couple is one of the most selfish people in the book.

Also, the main character, Gatsby, is to obsessed and selfish to realize Daisy's feelings have moved on. Though they might have known each other in the past, their lives our different and things in between happened that they can't erase. Gatsby wants so much to fix everything. To make things his way and have Daisy in his life instead of Tom. Also, Mr. Wilson kills Gatsby just because he assumed her killed Myrtle with his car which in fact he was not driving. In conclusion, selfish people shape the world of the Great Gatsby.

sources:
"The Great Gatsby" - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Old vs. New Money

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Much like East vs. West Egg, Old and New Money play sides in the Great Gatsby. When someone refers to a class of people having "Old Money", they have had generations of fortune from their families. In short, people who are descendants of money who lounge around spending without a care in the world. For example, Tom and Daisy Buchanan represent old money because they live on East Egg, where all the "Old Money" people reside. “Old Money" people tend to be more vulnerable and don't like people with "New Money". A quote that exhibits this is: “ Self control, I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife.." Old money was also described as high society which separates them from lower ranking classes who aren't around a wealthy family background.

In contrast, "New Money" people had to, in some way, earn their money because their families weren't lavishly wealthy. Jay Gatsby, who is labeled "New Money", earns his money through illegal means by bootlegging, or smuggling alcohol, and getting involved with mobs. During the 1920s, prohibition was happening and no one could sell, drink, or manufacture alcohol. However, Gatsby and many others secretly distributed alcohol at parties and underground clubs. Also, West Egg is home to those who are labeled "New Money. "The two classes were so different that marrying someone of a lower class was unacceptable. In the past, Gatsby and Daisy hit a rough patch where he confessed his love for Daisy and she rejected him because she said rich girls can't marry poor boys. In conclusion, old money vs. new money keeps separate social classes, attitudes, and ways of earning or receiving money.

sources:
http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=7079
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/LesleyTodoric/007344.html
http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2004/5/15/141559/670

Dan Cody plays an important role in Gatsby's life. He gives him his wealth and stuff. Gatsby first met Dan when he pulled up to shore on his big ol' yacht. Gatsby and Cody's friendship symbolizes the good ways Gatsby made his money. Like taking care of Mr. Dan Cody Cody was 'an old man' and Gatsby took care of him. This shows that Gatsby does care about other people.
Dan Cody and Gatsby's relationship back then was a soprt of common place. But now, in the 21st century, Gatsby would seem like a sort of gold-digger who prayed on people he figured were about to die soon, and to whom he could poach some money off of. Gatsby has a picture of Mr. Dan Cody in his house, which must show that that he meant something to Gatsby, because the only other persaon Gatsby seems to have pictures of in his house is Daisy.
Although F. Scott Fitzgerald never really divulges in to who exactly Dan Cody was, we do know several things about him. He made a good impression on Gatsby. He may have given Gatsby some money. Gatsby idolizes him.
All thoughts are property of Nicki D. McElroy
thanks =0

East vs. West Eggs

sources from google images :)

The sides of East Egg and West Egg are an important factor in the Great Gatsby. These two places symbolize the wealthy class and the middle class. East Egg, Long Island is mainly made up of the higher-paying class and West Egg, Long Island is mainly made up of the middle class. Jay Gatsby, though the very definition of rich, lives in West Egg right next to Nick Carraway. During this time period, social standing meant everything from what you wore, what you drove, which people were your friends, and finally what you were drinking.

The East and West Eggs also symbolized the separation as well as the desires of Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby's love for Daisy has been long overdue and Daisy has "moved on." How the bay separates the two Eggs and the use of the green light show how close Gatsby's desires are to him. However, for many years he couldn't show his feelings because he was afraid of her rejection and didn't know how to approach her properly. He sought Nick's help when he heard Nick knew Daisy and invited her to his house where Gatsby waited for her arrival. All in all, the two Eggs symbolized separation, social class, and wanting.

sources:
http://www.enotes.com/great-gatsby/q-and-a/what-do-east-egg-and-west-egg-represent-and-why-1597
http://www.homework-online.com/tgg/symbolEggs.html

the green light.

In the novel Great Gatsby, Jay gatsby saw a green light at the love of his life, daisy's house. To jay Gatsby that light was a sign that said she was waiting for him.
He had based all of his hope on the fact that she left that light on.
There are many other meanings for the greenlight in life. One such meaning is that its time to go. whether that means taking chances and trying something new, or leaving everything you know in the pursuit of a better life. And in the case of Daisy, her green light was marrying Tom even though she was still in love with Gatsby.
Another character, Jordan Baker, takes every green light that comes her way. She is a flapper, and would lie, cheat, and steal to get to the top. However, she shows a soft spot when she falls in love with Nick.
all of this i decided for myself. that is my source

Gatsby Males

Tom Buchanan is Daisy's husband. They married, but didn't really love each other. Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson's wife who is a station attendent, and dismisses Daisy everytime they talk. He is very impulsive and has punched Myrtle for talking about Daisy.
Jay Gatsby is the main character who is mysterious, loyal, hardworking, misguided, and he has a hard time reviling his feelings to Daisy Buchanan. He had to get Nick to help him by inviting her to his house. He owns a mansion in West Egg right next to Nick Carraway and hosts lavish parties on the weekends. His parties are the envy of many guests that go there.

Nick Carraway is the other main character. For most of the novel, he is the narrator and witnesses all the incidents of the various characters. He is distantly related to Daisy Buchanan and call each other cousins. Nick is infatuated with Daisy's friend, Jordan Baker, who is a flapper. At first, he doesn't understand why he has to be Gatsby's "wingman" when he meets with Daisy, but realizes that they have a deep connection instantly.

all images from google. :)

the 20"s womens fashion

women in the nineteen 20s began to let loose. They cut there hair, and their clothes short. They began to accept different rules of the house hold.
A big part of women s fashion was short hair. They kept their hair short so that they could move around and show off their well made up faces. They wore lots of makeup and eyeshadow. They were not afraid to show off their bodies, and most women were flappers.
In the novel great Gatsby, Jordan Baker is our head flapper. She is also my favorite character. She goes out and parties all night, makes guys, including nick, fall in love with her and doesn't think twice about it. She is my hero

Unrequited Love

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There are many instances where someone has loved another but didn't like them back. For example, in the "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien, the main character, Jimmy Cross, loved a girl named Martha. He went to the war in Vietnam and received letters from her. However, the things she gave were one sided and meant only what it contained. Nothing more. Love can be rough when the person you like doesn't feel the same way. Another example, is in the movie, book, and musical "the Phantom of the Opera". The phantom haunts the Opera Populare where he secretly loves Christine Daae, an opera dancer/singer. His love for her becomes known and turns obsessive when he whisks her away into his lair under the opera house.

In the case of "The Great Gatsby", Jay Gatsby's love for Daisy Buchanan is still unrequited. He can't bring enough confidence to tell her his feelings. He hides inside his enormous mansion throwing parties in the hopes of her to come. Yet, he thinks if he does something wrong, Daisy will not show her face to him, even from afar. Unrequited love is very hurtful but at the same time brings a hope inside that the person who holds it can still be happy.

sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrequited_love
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

F. Scott Fitzgerald

http://chendrickson.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/f-scott-fitzgerald.jpg




F. Scott Fitzgerald was an author who wrote about the jazz age. His greatest accomplishment was the novel The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby was written about the jazz age, and involves tragedy, death, and love. Fitzgerald was born from Irish heritage and was a catholic. He was born in Saint Paul Minnesota, and moved to new york later in his life. He got married and also had children.
Fitzgerald started to manufacture wicker and failed, but moved to New York and became a proctor. He is a great example of how even if you don't succeed at first, you will eventually. He latter became a famous, and world re nound author. And his books went down in history as classics of their age.
Fitzgerald was also a playwright and wrote a play called The Vegetable. He moved to long island to become closer to Broadway. Fitzgerald also moved tyo canada and Hollywood in his life time, but always loved New York the most. And who could blame him!
http://chendrickson.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/f-scott-fitzgerald.jpg

Mafia and Gangsters

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During the 1920s, being a gangster was considered cool and the "it" factor. The lifestyle brought money, clothes, women, fame, cars, and a home. Fashionable suits and accessories were important to wear and a key asset to a gangster lifestyle. The best dressed gangster of the 1920s was Al Capone. A typical style for gangsters were described as:"The star wore a sumptuous blue suit, accented by a white silk hankie, pearl gray spats and diamond studded platinum watch chain."

Other famous names of gangsters included "Scarface" Capone, "Lucky" Luciano, "Bugs" Moran (AKA Jack "Legs" Diamond), and "Dutch" Schultz. Every gangster had a nickname and is the creation of mass media. With prohibition in 1919, the gangster lifestyle changed and they could no longer make senseless beatings to get money from other people. Also, they integrated to Chicago, Detroit, and New York. Gangsters are a significant part of the 1920s for their fashion, nicknames, and a point in history that influenced our generation.

sources taken from: http://www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/1920s-gangsters.html

FLAPPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

During prohibition, women took a more prevalent place in society. They cut their hair short, wore short dresses, and went out all night drinking illegal alcohol. Flappers could be just about any woman you saw on the street during the 20's.
One of the main characters in F.
Scott Fitzgerald's book, The Great Gatsby was a flapper. Her name is Jordan Baker. She would often cheat and had no morals, or ethics at all. Jordan was a person who cared about status over substance. Jordan can be recognized as a flapper not only by her behavior, but also by her short hairstyle.
Jay Gatsby also had a lot of Flappers at the parties that he hosted. Many Flappers would show up to meet men. They would stay until late in the night and drink and dance. Nick actually builds his relationship with flapper Jordan Baker at parties.
Flappers made a huge difference during the Prohibition movement, and eventually led to the end of the ban of alcohol.

The Prohibition Era

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Prohibition was the time when the selling, manufacturing, and drinking of alcohol stopped during 1920-1933 The Prohibition Era was one the most infamous times in American history. Since everyone was in need to drink bootleggers and speakeasies were created. Bootleggers are people who smuggled alcohol in either their clothes, pitchers, or in any other way possible. Speakeasies were secret clubs that served alcohol. Speakeasies were very easy to find, but very hard to get into. People needed either a code, password, or handshake to get in. Before Prohibition, there were 16,000 saloons in New York. When Prohibition started, speakeasies we increased between 30,000 to 100,000.
Prohibition was also called the 18th Amendment. The first part of the amendment stated: “After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.” Although the amendment took away the selling and manufacturing of alcohol, it was allowed for personal use. As long as the alcohol stayed inside peoples’ homes and wasn’t traded, it was perfectly legal. In relation to the Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby was a bootlegger and it helped him gain money. In the end, many considered Prohibition a failed attempt to stop people from drinking and changed the views of alcoholic beverages. It displayed that you can’t always change people’s ways even if you wanted to.

information provided by:
http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00492/Speakeasies.htm
http://cocktails.about.com/od/history/a/prohibition.htm

the 1920's!

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the 1920's were a time of prosperity and corruption. However, some things that changed for the better were toys, sports, and leisure. Mark Twain deemed it the " gilded age" because underneath the surface lied corruption and poverty. which we will talk about later.
In the 1920's cars were a big part of society.As in the case of Jay Gatsby's car, they would often represent wealth within the family. Because cars were new, not many people had had them before. However, when Henry Ford created the assembly line he was then able to make cars at a less expensive price so that more people could get them!
The toys in the 1920's became more advanced, and often began resembling cars. Never before had they had cars, and with this invention, toys advanced as well
Sports were also a large part of culture in the 1920's. The world series was rigged in 1919. and-in the 20's people began to have doubts about the sincerity of people in the sports industry.
Jay Gatsby had a nice car, and had had lunch with the man who rigged the world series. To me this is kind of fishy. And this leads me to believe that Jay Gatsby is weird.
Thank you!

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hello our names are shari and nicki. we have created our blog to appease our wonderful english teacher Ms. Donahue.