BONUS: Blogging

I think blogging is a very effective way for students to turn in assignments. It helps the student by saving paper, ink, and having to carry home more binders. It benefits the teacher by making the grading process easier and more organized. It also allows the teacher to clearly see who has posted their assignments on time, and there are no excuses for late work. However, if a student claims his or her internet is down, the teacher should expect the hardcopy of the assignment the next day in class. Lastly, in my opinion, typing is easier and faster than hand writing, therefore blogging is my preference in turning in assignments.

#4 Outline of Essay (Try 2...)

Thesis: In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby represents Cinderella.


I. Rags to Riches
A. "For over a year he had been beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam-digger and a salmon-fisher or in any other capacity that brought him food and bed" (page 98).
i. In the beginning of the novel, James Gatz had no money, and labored to receive food and shelter.
ii. James Gatz originated from a poverty stricken family.
iii. Gatz made a decision that he wanted better for himself, so he altered who he was.
B. "So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end" (page 98).
i. At age seventeen, James Gatz changed his name to Jay Gatsby.
ii. Gatsby's reasoning for this was to start over as a new person, and acquire wealth.
iii. After falling in love, Gatsby did everything in his power to gain wealth and fame in order to sustain the woman's attention.
C. "And it was from Cody that he inherited money- a legacy of twenty-five thousand dollars" (page 100).
i. Gatsby inherited his money through illegal actions known as "bootlegging."
ii. Gatsby achieving the money in this way is in contrast to Tom and Daisy, who inherited their money from family members.
iii. Because Gatsby had to illegally gain money, it shows that his wealth is superficial.


II. Rejects Family
A. "His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people-his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all" (page 98).
i. Gatsby did not want to be associated with his parents because they were not prominent or wealthy.
ii. This shows that Gatsby is a very materialistic person and has no moral integrity.
iii. Gatsby relies on money rather than a family to bring comfort and security to his life.
B. 
i.
ii.
iii.


III. Gatsby's Parties/Balls 
A. " In the main hall a bar with a real brass rail was set up, and stocked with gins and liquors and with cordials..." (page 40).
i. Gatsby's parties were very lavish and the attendants came only to 
ii. He had parties only to flaunt his wealth, not for social purposes.
iii. Gatsby used his parties to try to impress Daisy.
B.
i.
ii.
iii.

#5 Body Paragraphs

For the first example, Jay Gatsby represents Penelope, who is the Goddess of faithfulness. Gatsby demonstrates this by being determined to stay faithful to Daisy while he is away at war. Gatsby is so devoted to Daisy that he did not try to meet any other women while he was away, even though Daisy was out dating dozens of other men. Also, even after Daisy says she loves her husband, Gatsby still waits outside of her house all night to make sure she is safe from him. Gatsby is still hopeful that Daisy will need him in the middle of the night, and although she never comes outside, he stays there until the next morning. Gatsby continually proves his love for Daisy through the actions that he takes in order to remain fully committed and faithful to her.


Second, Tom represents Achilles, who is, in essence, the God of war. This means that Tom likes to feel superior to everyone around him, and he does not like it when another person has any advantage over him. At one of his parties, Gatsby introduces Tom as a polo player, which is offensive towards Tom. Being a polo player during this time was considered "a blow" towards Tom because most of the men at Gatsby's parties did not have to work to acquire wealth, they inherited it from fellow family members. Next, Daisy disrespects Tom by having an affair with Gatsby. Daisy having an affair with Gatsby puts Tom in a position where he is not considered as important to her as Gatsby is. Furthermore, Daisy thinks that Gatsby is wealthier than Tom, which put Gatsby at a financial advantage over Tom. In addition, Myrtle Wilson makes Tom feel patronized when she talks back to him at their shared apartment. Tom is used to having an advantage over the women in his life and it caught him off-guard when Myrtle mocked him.

Finally, Daisy represents Venus, who is the Goddess of Love and Beauty. Daisy is a very beautiful woman, and she coerces Gatsby into falling in love with her. The text states that Daisy was going on many dates with many different men. This proves that Daisy was very appealing to men and she was considered a prized possession. In addition, Tom is also allured by Daisy's beauty and charm because he fights for her love even after he finds out she has been having an affair with Gatsby. In this period of time, most men would have gotten a divorce after finding out about their wives affair, but instead Tom fights even harder for Daisy until he has her back. These examples show how Daisy lures men into falling for her and how truly superficial she is.