Gatsby Listening Guide :)

1.) The theme could be about America and how the American dream interacts with the social classes. I think the main theme is the huge social divide we have in the United States and how we're all separated, no matter what we think the "American Dream" really is. The novel "The Great Gatsby" is all about being rich and having money. It's about how there is a huge difference between the social classes we have and how we control our money. The main point is how inherited money and earned money are two totally different things, but are seen the same way in the U.S.
2.)  Fitzgerald grew up in the area where the story was based off. He went to Princeton University, but never graduated for other reasons. The first idea and first drafts of The Great Gatsby were thought up there. Fitzgerald and his wife were trouble together, and they were always evicted from a lot of places they were able to stay at. The news always revolved around them; they were very popular.
3.) Many Americans and other people around the world can related to this book because there are so many similarities around us. The events the book describe are happening everywhere. Social and economic differences happen everywhere in the world. Many readers find the book relevant to economic issues happening in the government. 

4.) At first, this novel wasn't going to be named The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald was thinking about naming the book Red, White, and Blue, but instead changed his mind.

5.) To me, I think celebrities are very similar to characters in The Great Gatsby. Many of them change their appearance, their names, and even their lifestyles to impress the people around them. (ex. their fans.)

Works Cited Pages :)

1.) Ace. Is Wikipedia A Scholarly Source? 04March2006. 25October2011. <http://itgsonline.com/?p=224>
2.) Q. Seelye, Katharine. Reliability of Wikipedia. 04December2005. 25October2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia>
3.) Rosoft, Mike. Wikipedia: Credibility. 08April2005.
25October2001. <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Credibility&action=history>
4.) Finin, Tim. Evaluating The Credibility of Wikipedia Articles. 23November2006. 25October2011. <http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/blogger/2006/11/23/on-evaluating-wikidedias-credibility/>
5.) The UK Register Newspaper. Wikipedia Credibility. 09July2007. 25October2011. <http://www.bircham.us/discussion/wikipedia/wikipedia-credibility.html>

Identity :)

1.)   In all honesty, I do have a different identity in different places; I think everyone does whether they like to admit it or not. I think I act differently in different places because I want others to see who I am in the way I want them to see me. Most people aren’t comfortable with themselves because they still don’t know who they are. So they keep trying to act like someone they’re not to be accepted in a group of any sort. In a way, we’re like animals; we try to adapt to our surroundings so we can fit in. Everyone in society wants to be accepted, we’re willing to do anything to be liked by a certain group of people. That’s why acting different in different places/situations is a good and bad thing. Good, because you’re ‘testing the water’ to try and discover yourself; bad, because people tend to be someone they’re not.
2.)   I do believe that our identities are like diamonds instead of mirrors. When a light shines through a diamond, many different colors shine through. This could be taken in a positive or negative way. A diamond is hiding all it's beautiful array of colors, until light goes through it. This is like people, we hide what we don't want anyone to see, but once we're in the spotlight and things tend to go our way, we start to show our true colors. In the sense that it's a bad thing is that we hide our true selves within us, and try to reflect many different personalities.
3.)   I think you can't change your identity mentally, but physically, yes. Gatsby may have changed his appearance to look like a popular socialite, but inside he still knew he was a poor farm boy. You can't change the person you are, but you can change the decisions you make to improve yourself, which is what Gatsby exactly did. He was still the farm boy from when he was a child, but he knew that's not who he wanted to be. So he made decisions to better himself to become the man he always wanted to be.
4.)   We are people. Simple as that. All of us are trying to find our place in life and I think that's what everyone is hoping to find out of it: a place of belonging.
5.)   I really don't think people can change. Who we are is who we are. We can have a "mind-set" to change ourselves, but we can't do that. We can make good decisions to IMPROVE ourselves, but NOT change. It's hard to explain, but humans like to have habits. If they find a habit that they like, they'll stick with it. Whether if it is a habit they realize or don't, they still follow a routine. Humans like to have consistency in their lives.

Class in America (:

My Article:  http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/18/arts/does-class-count-in-today-s-land-of-opportunity.html?src=pm

Do we operate under a hidden class system in the United States?

   Yes, because in America, you can't tell if someone is wealthy or not. The majority of people living in America are part of the middle class. So whenever people are looking around, most of us are in the middle. Many people in the U.S. go to school and can go to college, while in other countries this is a like a privilege. For example, in Europe, if you are able to go to a university, you are considered wealthy, while in the United States it's a regular thing.  

In what way is this theme present in Gatsby?

   In The Great Gatsby, the amount of money determined what social class you were placed in and also gave those people a sense of power over others. Jay Gatsby wasn't wealthy at first, he "became" wealthy as the story goes on. The thing is, Gatsby really wasn't rich, he had the appearance of having money which led people to think he should be in a higher social class.

A New Leaf and The Great Gatsby

A New Leaf and The Great Gatsby have a lot of things in common, like having a good life, money, romance, power, and things usually end badly for them. They both tell a story about romances that are forbidden or people who can't be together. Both of these stories prove that not all good things are always what they appear to be. They usually are too good to be true and end in a sad way.
         The Great Gatsby is about a man named Jay Gatsby. Gatsby was in love with Daisy Buchanan, but knew he couldn't have Daisy because of his financial problems. Gatsby knew that he had to do something to regain her love. He thought if he could find a way to become rich and throw the greatest parties he could attract her attention. Gatsby's plan worked and he was able to get everything he always wanted, but all of a sudden, he was murdered for a crime he didn't commit. After Gatsby died, Daisy continued to live life like she alway had, living life to the fullest and not worrying about anything. She acted as if nothing ever happened to Gatsby or like she even loved him. Daisy lives her life with her other husband and pretends nothing ever happened. In the end, Gatsby had everything he ever wanted; he had money, power, riches, and love, but his story came to a tragic end. 

A New Leaf tells a story about an unlikely couple. The guy has a bad reputation, while the girl sees him in a different perspective and decides to give him a chance. Their love begins and Dick decides to stop drinking for her. Dick's lover is gone away for a many months, and while she was gone, he cheated on her. Blank sees that any girl can help Dick with his loneliness caused by him being sober. At the end of the story, Dick leaves and dies all of a sudden. The romance they had together would last so she thought, until it came to a tragic end. A New Leaf and The Great Gatsby both deal with a love that was meant to last forever, but took a sad toll on both of the lovers. 

The Great Gatsby ASSIGNMENT :)

The Great Gatsby

By: Ana Jimenez

Chapter 1:

         In chapter one, Nick Carraway is one of those people who doesn’t like to judge people, but he isn’t very forgiving. From the novel’s opening paragraph, I can tell that there will be tension in Nick’s voice as he narrates. When Nick meets Gatsby, he is everything that Nick doesn’t like, but can’t help but admire him. Gatsby presented and still presents a challenge to the way in which Nick is accustomed to thinking about the world. Nick describes Gatsby’s personality as “gorgeous.”

            The book’s characters are obsessed with class and privilege. Nick comes from an elite background. He graduated form Yale, but doesn’t want others to judge him because of the advantages he has had above others. Nick fears to be misunderstood by others who haven’t had the same opportunities as him. He tries to understand people for who they are, instead of trying to hold them up to his own standards.

            The first appearance of Gatsby has a religious vibe about him that makes him seem almost godlike. Nick thinks that Gatsby has “come out to determine what share of our local heavens (was his).” Gatsby is alone, independent, and a self-contained person who is in a position of a mysterious worship. While I was reading, I noticed Gatsby was trying to reach out towards the green light. I think the green light symbolizes what Gatsby is hopelessly striving.

Chapter 2:

            In chapter two, Nick talks about the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes is a place half way between the East/West Egg and New York. The valley is filled with ashes that rise into the air and cover anything and everything around it. There is so much of it that the author states the “ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys,” as to say the ash is the most dominate thing in the city instead of the actual houses. I think it represents the grey area between the East and West Egg because of the high, moral standards and the low moral standards. It could also mean all the deserted morals for everyone in the book because their lives are all about the materialistic things and the affairs they are having.

            Nick says a statement, “I think he’s tanked up a food deal at luncheon, and his determination to have my company bordered on violence.” (pg. 24) He says this when he’s on the train with Tom and Tom takes him off the train to meet Myrtle, who is Tom’s mistress. Nick starts to notice how much Tom has to always be intimidating and how he always has to have control over someone. Nick starts to rethink the idea of judging people here in New York because everyone has such a distinct personality. Nick seems to remain “inside and out” of this world: although he is disgusted by the vulgarity of the parties, he is still drawn in by them that he can’t seem to make himself leave.

            Gatsby, on the other hand, has a different perspective of the Valley of Ashes. There’s a billboard with eyes on it to symbolize the eyes of God: they watch, but they don’t see. He really isn’t mentioned that much in this chapter, but the green light he tries to reach in one of these scenes makes the green light look like two eyes overlooking the Valley of Ashes.

Chapter 3:

            In chapter three, Gatsby still remains a mystery. Many of the partygoers have met him and Gatsby watches them from a distance. He doesn’t dance nor does he drink. He is more of an observer than anything. Nick hears a lot of rumors about Gatsby. Gatsby is a young and handsome man with a beautiful smile that seems too radiant and seems to give the illusion that there is hope/optimism.

            Nick “falls in love” with his smile, meaning that it has “a quality of eternal reassurance in it.” Gatsby’s enthusiasm he has of hopefulness is very contagious. Nick says throughout the chapter that wealth and flashiness tend to mask immorality and decay, but Gatsby’s wealth seems to serve a different purpose.

            I can tell already from what I’ve read is that everything about Gatsby isn’t always so clear: his books are real, along with his smile. The thing is that he has a fake English accent that obviously isn’t real. I think Gatsby at this point in the novel remains as a person of contradictions.

Chapter 4:

            In chapter four, it mostly talks about the mystery of Gatsby’s background, and the source of this wealth. When Nick first met Gatsby, he was swept away by his purity and optimism, but soon, Nick started to realize he was more mysterious and not entirely trustworthy.  Gatsby seems to exaggerate about how he lives his life.

            When I was reading this chapter, I start really questioning Gatsby’s integrity. Nick even starts to suspect that the rumors of Gatsby being involved with crime and “bootlegging” may not be entirely false. Gatsby is one of those “romantic” people who was going to get married, but couldn’t because he was a soldier going off to the war, brave and handsome, young and pure.

            Nick’s uncertainty towards Gatsby in which he finds himself always alternating between admiring him and then disliking him is emphasized in this chapter. Also, Gatsby’s contradictions in his character between his optimism and moral corruption is reinforced. This chapter also reveals that Gatsby’s yearning for Daisy, and his love for her. She is the reason why he is reaching for the green light. The green light is a symbol for the American dream he is trying to chase.

Chapter 5:

            In chapter five, Nick seems to be a little bit more on the aggressive side, but not sure about what he wants. Gatsby seems to continually act cowardly and still tries to impress everyone. When Gatsby met Daisy, he was nervous and afraid of what her response would be when she sees him. Nick really wants to have a job offer, but doesn’t want it to be so obvious about it to Gatsby. Gatsby and Daisy are in a conversation that Nick seems to be drawn into and at the same time not caring about it at all.

            Gatsby tries to offer Nick a job, but the job is more a favor he is doing for a neighbor. The pay wouldn’t be as good, but it was still a job.  Nick isn’t sure if he wants to take the job or not. He realizes how under different circumstances, that taking the job could change his whole life around, but considering that it was for more of a service than a job, he declined the offer.

            Gatsby is very afraid with the meeting he has with Daisy. He is pretty much willing to do anything to impress her. At one point, Gatsby is so nervous that he decides to call it off, but Nick reassures him to keep going with the plan. He was just afraid Daisy wouldn’t like him. So Gatsby showed Daisy around his mansion and he was relieved to see how impressed she was.

           

Chapter 6:

            In chapter six, Gatsby is finally revealed. It turns out that his whole life was a lie. His name wasn’t even real and his wealth wasn’t even inherited. When hearing this, I could come up with the assumption that Gatsby was trying to make a name for himself by trying to impress everyone. Since he reunited with Daisy, I think Gatsby is more sure of himself now that everything is out in the open now. Nick starts to gain trust from Gatsby. He seems to start to be everyone’s friend if they need any help.

            Gatsby seems to be really popular when Tom approaches him with the Sloanes; he thinks that they want to have lunch with him. The Sloanes tried to be nice and told him that they didn’t want to eat lunch with them, although Gatsby was so sure of it. Then Gatsby mentioned to Tom that he knew his wife, which was brave to say because he wanted his wife. Gatsby invited them to a party, where Nick tells of the past.

            Nick always seems to be the person Gatsby always turns to for advice. He is told that he loves Daisy and wants to renew their love. For some reason, people seem to trust Nick a lot with their secrets.  Gatsby tells Nick that he wants to recreate the past so his love for Daisy will be present. Nick knows that this will be kind of impossible to do, but he is a good friend and is willing to do anything for him.

          

Chapter 7:

            In chapter seven, Gatsby finally gets Daisy back and decides to cancel all his parties. He seems to be so in love that he doesn’t want to get involved with the wild life he was so used to living. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is quite strong that he can’t hold back his feelings, no matter what problems they may cause. Nick can’t seem to step away from everything when he feels uncomfortable because he wants to finish his story.

         Nick and Gatsby both drive to a hotel with Daisy, Tom and Jordan because they are so bored. Meanwhile, Gatsby has the nerve to tell the truth there; to express his feelings towards Daisy. Now all that he’s waiting for his for is for Daisy to leave her husband. The thing is, Daisy loves both of them and Gatsby thinks her love should only be for him and him only. The mad feelings end up with Tom’ s mistress being accidently killed. He is very surprised and can’t believe she could have some feelings for Tom. The emotions all over the room are going to cause him problems for the rest of his life.

            Nick decides to stand by and watch the scene unfold. He choses not to leave, but to listen, and see what happens. The scene is too interesting for him to leave; he becomes so interested in their lives that he forgets it’s his birthday. Nick isn’t really interested in himself, but more in the lives of other people. He wants to know how the story will end.

           

Chapter 8:

            In chapter eight, the accident seems to have taken its toll on everyone. Gatsby becomes very loyal and true to his love Daisy. He made sure Daisy wasn’t hurt in the process of what happened. On the other hand, Nick is emotionally scared to everything that has been going on. He isn’t so sure about Gatsby and Daisy. Nick becomes sick of everything that has been going on that he can’t focus on work or Jordan.

            Gatsby was loyal and took the blame for what his love, Daisy, did. Mr. Wilson killed Gatsby and himself. This shows that he stayed dedicated to Daisy no matter what. His death resulted in a large amount of love he had for Daisy. Gatsby loved her so much that he would change himself for the sake of her life to be risked.

            Nick couldn’t help, but care so deeply for Gatsby. He turned down lunch with Jordan because he knew he had to be a friend and good listener. He was interested in learning about people. He believed in that so much, that when he saw Gatsby floating there, he could imagine that Gatsby thought he couldn’t live a life without Daisy. Nick really cared for Gatsby and it really shined through in this chapter.

Chapter 9:

            In chapter nine, Nick realizes that he doesn’t want to be involved with these people any longer. He has discovered the nature of the people and he isn’t pleased with the East’s way of life. Nick notices that people like Tom  and Daisy can forget about their problems so easily, while him and Gatsby want to keep those people in their lives forever. Gatsby’s father told him that Gatsby was always trying to find ways to improve himself. He did this out of love, and he ended up being killed for it.

            Gatsby died for his love Daisy, but she doesn’t even acknowledge the fact that he died for her. She doesn’t attend the funeral, sends flowers or even tries to involve herself with anything that deals with Gatsby. Nick sees this and isn’t pleased with it, but he also doesn’t want to confront the fact that his best friend is dead. Nick is still a quiet guy, but seems to handle himself very well due to the situation.

            Gatsby tried to improve his financial standing to gain the love he always wanted. He tried this all his life to improve himself. Gatsby wanted to have poise and he wanted to seem interesting to everyone. He knew what people wanted, and he believed he could find approval through the process of improving himself.

           

           

History of the English Language- Draft 3 (:

The History of the English Language

By: Ana Jimenez

The history of the English language started when three Germanic tribes arrived and invaded Britain during the 5^th century AD. The tribes were the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. These tribes crossed the North Sea from what today is called Denmark and Northern Germany. During this time, the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language, but most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders; mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. “The Angles came from “Englaland” and their language was called “Englisc” - from which the words England and English are derived.” (What is English? http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm)

The invading Germanic tribes all spoke similar languages, which later developed into what we call now old English. Old English did not sound or look like English today. “People who speak regular English today would have great difficulty understanding the old English of back then. Actually, about half of the most commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots.” (What is English? http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm) The words be, strong and water, for example, derive from Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100 A.D.

In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, invaded and conquered England. The new conquerors, who were called Normans, brought with them a dialect of the French language. This became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. “For a long period, there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. In the 14th century, English became dominant in Britain again, but with many French words added.” (What is English? http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm) This language is called Middle English. It was the language of the great poet Chaucer, but would still be difficult for native English speakers to understand today.

Towards the end of Middle English, a change in pronunciation started, with vowels being pronounced differently. From the 16th century the British had contact with many peoples from around the world. This meant that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of the printing press also meant that there was now a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Printing also brought standardization to English. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the language of London, where most publishing houses were, became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary was published.

“The difference between the two styles of English was vocabulary. Late Modern English has many more words, coming from two principal factors: first, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words and second, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the earth's surface.” (What is English? http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm) The English language adopted foreign words from many countries.

Another difference between English spoken in England and the English we speak in America is that British English has a royal academy to determine the allowance of new words into the language. In America, our language is alive and vibrant. This means that our language doesn’t have a royal academy and is always changing. Many words in our language have a different meaning for the same word. Our language is constantly changing because of American inventions, new technology, and immigration. These factors and changes in society shape language.

Today, American English is influential due to television, media, trade, technology, and popular music. Although, American English is the type we use in America, there are different type of English used around the world including Australian English, New Zealand English, and South African English.