Theme+&+Discussion

=Chapter 8-Central Theme=

__**Theme:**__ **Contentment- satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.**
===For the most part, the common goal of all the characters is to be content or satisfied. It was no longer a goal to be happy; the characters strive to be in more comfortable, stable environments. The deciding factor in the lives of the characters is their work towards being in situations that fulfill themselves and make them feel content.===

[[image:http://www.contentmine.de/cmi_dt/portfolios/_img/lovers/00359514.jpg width="171" height="200" align="right"]]
===An example of this would be Daisy’s decision to stay with Tom Buchanan rather than being with Gatsby. Daisy and Gatsby had once been in love and when they rediscovered each other, they rekindled a romance they thought had been lost. They made each other happy and while they reminisced, they were also having an affair. Although they were obviously still smitten with each other, Daisy decided to keep her lifestyle instead of trying to start a new life with Gatsby. She didn’t consider her happiness; she was worried about her social standing. By staying with Tom, she could maintain the lavish lifestyle she was accustomed to and keep her standing in society, but if she decided to leave Tom for Gatsby, she would be seen as a woman who had and extramarital affair while married to a “great man” like Tom. So, she didn’t really appeal to being //happy//, but she functioned to stay //content// in the lifestyle she was accustomed to.===
 * ===“They weren’t happy . . . and yet they weren’t unhappy either. There was an unmistakable air of natural intimacy about the picture, and anybody would have said that they were conspiring together.” -Nick (p.145)===


 * ===“I don’t think she ever loved him.”-Gatsby (p.152)===
 * ===“I can’t describe to you how surprised I was to find out I loved her, old sport. I even hoped for a while that she’d throw me over, but she didn’t, because she was in love with me too.”-Gatsby (p.150)===

=Chapter 8-Discussion Questions=

===1. Some of the characters in the novel symbolize a production ethic; others symbolize a consumption ethic. Classify the characters accordingly, and draw a conclusion about the American Dream, as you understand it, from Fitzgerald.===

When the characters are separated in terms of production and consumption, Gatsby, Tom, and George Wilson fall into the category of producers and everyone else falls into the category of consumers. The producers are in that category mostly because of their drive and tendency to earn a living, be it honest ways or not. Consumers would have to be those like Daisy and Jordan who tend to rely on the production aspects of those who actually do more than lounge. Daisy and Jordan are accustomed to a certain lifestyle and tend to live it that way either by marrying a provider of such a lifestyle, like Daisy, or just mingling with the higher class and attending lavish parties, like Jordan.

From Fitzgerald's point of view, during that time, the American Dream was no longer of just being self-sufficient, he expressed the American Dream as turning into the drive for material things and wealth. In Fitzgerald's eyes, the world became dominated by social status and a person's economic standing. It was no longer about love or feeling or being happy, it was just about being content and doing what satisfied, which to them was living in the upper class and enjoying all it came with.

2. Eyes and sight recur frequently in the novel. What is Fitzgerald’s statement about the ability to distinguish between illusion and reality?


//“I spoke to her,” he muttered, after a long silence. “I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God. I took her to the window.”—with an effort he got up and walked to the rear window and leaned with his face pressed against it——” and I said ‘God knows what you’ve been doing, everything you’ve been doing. You may fool me, but you can’t fool God!’” (p.167)

“God sees everything...” (p.167).//

George Wilson refers to the eyes on the billboard when he says God is watching ^. The people who see Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes as "God" are the people who feel guilt or need a sign of comfort. Fitzgerald used both reality and illusion. He also makes it apparent that our hearts can block our judgement. Something that our heart wants can block the true sight of things. With our sight of reality blocked we might inturn get the exact opposite of what we wanted. Illusion takes place when Fitzgerald made Gatsby live in his own little dream world over Daisy. Gatsby was very content with his past and believed that he would be satisfied in his future with Daisy. Then the reality took over, George Wilson got his revenge, he believed that the "billboard eyes" are the eyes of God and he leaped to the conclusion that whoever was driving the car that killed Myrtle must have been her lover. George Wilson then shot Gatsby because he believed that his yellow car hit Mrytle. (For Gatsby) Fitzgerald distinguishes both reality and illusion by telling the past which is what actually happened and the present which is all blocked by want.


 * Are these illusion or reality?**
 * George Wilson's belief that the billboard of T.J. Eckleburg is God
 * Gatsby's view of Daisy in his mind
 * Gatsby's view of Daisy in the present
 * Tom and Daisy's "happiness"
 * The story through Nick's eyes


 * Why does Fitzgerald put alot of illusion in the book?**
 * To make it more interesting.
 * To reflect with the time period*** A lot of people had a mentality of materialism, society was lacking in idealism and vision.

3. How is this story an ironic inversion of a knightly quest for the grail?
//“[Gatsby] found that he had committed himself to the following of a grail. He knew that Daisy was extraordinary but he didn’t realize just how extraordinary a ‘nice’ girl could be. She vanished into her rich house, into her rich, full life, leaving Gatsby—nothing. He felt married to her, that was all,” (p.156).//

In this story, Gatsby was questing for Daisy’s heart as the knights of King Arthur were for the grail. There are risks in the quest for the grail and for Daisy’s love. The knights must travel far in search of the grail and risk their lives. Gatsby knows that Daisy is married and is living a rich life, and Gatsby grew up poor. Gatsby had spent the rest of his life on dreaming of being with Daisy, and the knights spent the rest of their lives questing for the grail. Gatsby had always loved Daisy and wanted to be with her and he thought that Daisy felt the same way. Daisy ended up marrying someone else and started a family without Gatsby. Gatsby, “must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream,” (p.168). Like, the knights, Gatsby sought Daisy’s love in order to feel content with his life.



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