The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a literary work for many different reasons but in my opinion it is because it is such a multi dimensional text. There are different levels that this story can be read on. It has a basic entertaining story, one that any reader would enjoy.  But this is not why we love to study The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald has a way of bringing you into the story that most authors strive for. His way of describing the characters are relatable and engage you in the reading on a more personal level. The combination of the readers connection to the characters and the vivid imaging of the twenties lifestyle sets us up to take the journey along with Nick, our narrator.

            Fitzgerald’s creation of Nick was for the reader to trust the narrator, without this the different characters and situations would read more and an illusion than a accurate representation of what Nick’s experience was. This is because the nineteen twenties as a generation were all about illusions, people were more focused on others perceptions of themselves rather than who they really were. This theme is carried out throughout the text when we see examples like, the character of Tom Buchanan. Everyone perceives Tom as this powerful great man because he has a good job, and a family that he provides for. When in reality he is dishonest and cheats on his wife, seemingly without guilt.
            Every character in this story has something that they are hiding, but the biggest illusion of all is Jay Gatsby. He is portrayed as this rich and successful man but he is really a mystery to all those around him. But Gatsby is putting up this illusion of himself to attract Daisy, his long lost love and Tom Buchanan’s wife. There are so many false perceptions and secrets in this story that having a reliable source such as Nick helps us keep reality and fantasy separate. The concept of illusions is one of the backbones to The Great Gatsby as well as the nineteenth twenties. Fitzgerald’s writing style allows us to immerse ourselves in this idea while still keeping our grasp on reality.

Look at first level observations
where emphasis in the work

Wizard of Oz vs. The Hunger Games

There are many different parallels between The Hunger Games and The Wizard of Oz. They are both stories about great journeys that the female protagonists undergo. I feel like both of these stories are coming of age journeys for these girls, they have been thrown into situations that are extremely abnormal circumstances and force them out of their comfort zones and to grow up.

         The settings of the stories both start out very similar, they are at their homes, which are both dreary and depressing settings. Dorothy’s home in The Wizard of Oz is constantly described as gray and depressing. Katniss’s home in The Hunger Games is full of starving people controlled by a higher power. The people are unable to overthrow this power and are struggling to stay alive. This is much like the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz; they have been controlled by the Wicked Witch of the East and celebrate when Dorothy kills her with her flying house. The people in the separate cities are also another similarity in the two stories. Both Katniss and Dorothy have never seen anything like them before. The life that they live is very different from the girls. They both look to the girls as a higher figure and admire them; Dorothy as the good witch that saved them and Katniss as the girl on fire.

         Although Katniss’s journey is much scarier and dangerous than Dorothy’s, Dorothy is still going on a journey that makes her grow up a lot. In the beginning of the story she wanted to run away from home and once she is in Oz there is nothing she wants more than to go home. She starts out very immature and realizes throughout her journey that she should not take those things for granted. Katniss on the other hand is not immature; she has had to take care of her sister after her father passed because her mother would not. This hardened Katniss to life because she had to grow up a lot quicker but in the process she lost her sensitivity and feelings. Through Katniss’s journey she learns to tap into those skills for the benefit of herself in the games as well as her love for Peta. Both of the girls develop in several ways that really help them mature into women. 

I feel that going into this I grew up with the Wizard of Oz but I have not seen it since I was much younger. It was my Grandfathers favorite movie so every time we would visit him we would watch the movie together. Since I have gotten older our visits are not as frequent as they once were so I have not seen the movie for probably 5-6 years. A lot has changed in those years which in turn has drastically altered my impression of this movie. When I was younger I remember someone admiring Dorothy. Now that I have seen it again I question everything about her character. She seems foolish and childish, it is not a character that I would like my daughters idolizing. Katniss in the Hunger Games is a character I would like my daughters to idolize, she is a strong, confident and brave young woman. She is responsible as well as caring. I was somewhat shocked about my change in opinion of the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy's character, I never expected this character I grew up loving to have so many qualities I did not admire. 

My defining characteristics of a reader is that when I am reading I look for qualities and behaviors that I admire and ones that I dislike. Reading for me is having a view of the world without an tight emotional connection that may alter my view. I feel like in the real world I can be judgmental of people because I have an innate reaction to their behavior and their history. In reading I have to put all these judgements away because I don't have the ability to do that. This allows for me to learn from the characters without having the true emotional connection as to why I feel this way. 

Literature and Media Studies