Blog Entry 11: The Great Gatsby

I enjoyed reading the beginning of the novel because I love it when an author begins a novel with a story or an anecdote. Beginning like this captivates the reader and urges them to read on in order to see whether the main character learns from this anecdote or not and how it affects their life. I like how the author gives background information about the main character and portrays Nick Carraway as honest and from a good family. Each of the characters in this novel have some sort of conflict that controls their actions and their interactions with the characters around them. The connections between them surprised me as I read as well. Jay Gatsby is in love with a married woman, Daisy Buchanan, who is Nick Carraway's cousin. Jordan Baker, who is Daisy Buchanan's friend, becomes Nick's lover. Myrtle Wilson, who is married to George Wilson, is having an affair with Tom Buchanan, who is Daisy Buchanan's husband. The ending was wonderful because all these characters meet but unfortunate because one of them dies. Even though Gatsby and Mr. Wilson do not really interact with each other, they connect in that they love women who love Tom Buchanan. In the end, Daisy rejects Gatsby and remains with Tom because she realizes that having a relationship or love affair outside of marriage was a dumb fantasy. She realizes that she would not be happy with Gatsby and that Tom is her husband and her duty. Myrtle is an interesting character. I believe that she was with Tom just because she wanted the fantasy of falling in love. She married a dumb man, George Wilson, and was just looking for something better, someone to love her. Unfortunately, Tom obviously does not truly love her and uses her for his desires but then again this view can be argued through the way he claims to cry and mope after her death, at least that is what he tells people around him. The character that I dislike the most in this novel is Tom because he is, quite bluntly, a sexist pig. He cheats on Daisy with Myrtle, knowing that Daisy knows because Myrtle even calls him home but when he finds out about Daisy and Gatsby, he gets angry and confronts Gatsby and his wife about it. I find it sad that Daisy listens to what he says about Gatsby and does not realize the gravity of what her husband has done to her. I had no difficulties reading this novel. I really enjoyed it!

Blog Entry 10: The Roaring 20s!

I enjoyed the game a lot more than I thought I would. It was wonderfully insightful into the lives of Canadians and Americans during the 1920s. I first played as the woman and then the man. The woman obviously has less rights than the male, especially when it came to education but what I found surprising was that the women could smoke cigarettes, which currently is not seen as a polite thing for a woman to do, at least in Muslim society. However, women still enjoyed greater rights during this time especially because they received the right to vote, in America, in 1920. I noticed how important dress was during this time as well as music. Jazz was just coming along and everyone was learning new moves and becoming more modern when it came to entertainment. The classical waltz was not a favorite anymore! New trends like tanning were also gaining more importance. Before, women used to powder their faces even when it was known that that powder was full of lead and dangerous for the skin. Being as pale as possible showed the difference between royalty and peasantry. However, during the 1920's, it was the style to run to the beach and get a golden tan to show off to everyone. Shopping also changed drastically as buying on credit became the trend. "Get now, pay later" was the motto. New appliances like the electric washing machine became a must-have for every home as women could do their laundry more easily and not have to scrub each article of clothing. The 1920's was a wonderful time full of prosperity but it also caused a major issue in American history, the Stock Market Crash because of everyone buying on credit.

Blog Entry 9: Mythology Parts 5 & 6

Reading about the important families of mythology was interesting. It seems that family honor was very important to the Greeks and Romans even if it were stained by mistake. This is especially seen when the gods fall in love with mortals, married or not, and cause illegitimate children to be born. Many of the mortal girls gave up their children for fear of their fathers' and husbands' wraths. Another important aspect of family honor is seen when it comes to avenging a loved one's death, especially if it is a parent. It is interesting to see these morals, which many religions today uphold, having been upholded in the ancient world without a holy book or specific set if rules. These morals were mainly created by the philosophers, the thinkers of the time and not necessarily proclaimed by a prophet, which to me is admirable. A third aspect of family issues in the ancient world has to do with the effects of one family member's deeds, which can end up cursing the whole family for centuries. This further emphasizes the family being made up of a group of people who work together and how when one family member strays from the path, destruction ensues. The short myths introduced in part 6 were wonderful to read. I like how, as usual, the gods intervene in the mortals' lives in good and bad ways and found it interesting how if a mortal makes a god angry, there is no mercy for them and suffering is sure to follow. I really enjoyed reading these stories and cannot wait to read more about mythology during the school year.

Blog Entry 8: Mythology Parts 3 & 4

I loved reading about the ancient heroes. The only one familiar to me was Hercules. I had always loved Hercules as a child and even enjoyed playing the game on PlayStation. Some of the stories reminded me of different levels in the game. I was pretty bad at it though. My younger brother always beat me. Reading about the other three heroes (Perseus, Theseus, and Atalanta) gave me more insight into the heroic adventure stories the Greeks and Romans wrote. I really enjoyed reading the story about Perseus and how he kills Medusa without getting turned to stone. Theseus' ordeal with the Minotaur was also an interesting read. I like the mythical creatures that are introduced in this part of the book and throughout. I have heard of most of them but reading their stories has been insightful into the ideas of the ancients. Atalanta's story with the golden apples was wonderful and humorous. I also really enjoyed reading about the Trojan War. Many of the events made me remember watching the movie, Troy which focused on the events leading up to Achilles' death. Odysseus' ordeal of not reaching home after the Trojan Wars for year is unfortunate but I liked how the gods and goddesses help him get home and finally reunite with his wife and son. Magic plays a big role in these stories, it enchants and weaves interesting twists and turns between characters. The adventures of Aeneas are wonderful and I especially enjoyed the love story that develops, unfortunately ending in his lover's death. I cannot wait to read the rest of this book!

Blog Entry 7: Mythology Parts 1 & 2

I have always loved ancient Greek and Roman mythology. I love how the ancient people made their gods have human qualities. Most people today do not see God that way. God is seen as an amazing, great being that no human, no one could match. I also like how the gods constantly interact in the daily lives of the humans. Zeus keeps falling in love with mortal Greek women and having children with them. Many of these children turn out to be heroes who leave legacies in their interesting stories of great adventure and romance. I adore the love stories in this book as well. Unfortunately, most of them are sorrowful and end in death. I also like how the ancients related some of these deaths to the births of certain types of flowers or berries. In the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, the beginning says how mulberries were white as snow and how due to the two lovers' blood spilling, they turned red. This story is similar to Romeo and Juliet in that the families did not want them to get married and that Pyramus kills himself thinking that Juliet had died, which also happens with Romeo. The story of Baucis and Philemon ends with the joining of their bodies and their transformation into a tree. This shows the ancient view towards love making two bodies become one. I had some trouble reading this book at first because I was expecting just a collection of the classics, not stories made up of a mix from different authors. However, as I read more I became accustomed to the writing style.