Gatsby: Chapter 5

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In chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby it rains...and then it stops.  How does the weather mirror Gatsby's mood in this chapter?  Give specific examples.  Also, if Gatsby is so ecstatic about seeing Daisy again, why does it start raining again at the end of the chapter?  What can you make of Fitzgerald's conscious decision regarding the weather?

Taken from Google Images



Next, we have to talk about the shirts - the shirts!  Why does Gatsby throw all of his shirts out of the closet?  What purpose does this scene serve?



Nick: a reliable narrator?

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Based on the first three chapters of The Great Gatsby, determine whether or not you think Nick is a reliable narrator.  Give specific reasons for your assertions.

Also, discuss how Gatsby is portrayed in chapter 3.  What about his character generates more questions than answers?  Why do you suppose Fitzgerald chose to introduce his main character this manner?

"The Horror..."

"The Horror!"
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The words uttered in Kurtz's final breaths were "The horror!  The horror!" and have become one of the most famous phrases in literary history.  What do you make of Kurtz's last words?  What is the importance of them?  How they tie into the message in which Conrad was sending to readers?  Why do you suppose Marlow lied to Kurtz's Intended and told her that his last words were her name?

Heart of Darkness

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What do you think Conrad's "Big Picture" message was when he wrote HOD?  What does this story say about good and evil?  What purpose does the title serve?

HOD & Moral Darkness

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After reading the first ten pages of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, I want you to consider the following questions and respond in your journals:

•What details suggest that this novel will be a tale of darkness?  What is the tone of the novel?  How is this tone created?

•Take a few minutes and work with a partner to locate these suggestive details from the text.  How does Conrad's story foreshadow moral darkness?

Austen's Big Picture Idea

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You have finished Pride & Prejudice!  Congratulations! 

AP English is all about looking at the "Big Picture" idea of a text.  It's great that Elizabeth and Darcy both got what they wanted in the end, but it's time to ask yourself the "So what?" question.  Based on the events and outcome of the novel, I want you to discuss in your journal what Austen's overall message was in Pride & Prejudice.  Why did Lizzy and Darcy end up together?  What moral or lesson is Austen teaching to her readers?  By writing this novel, is Austen saying anything else about England during the Regency Period?  Be specific and use evidence from the text!

Tuesday Journal Prompt

Sarcasm is Mr. Bennet's First Language
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I know what a lot of you may be thinking about Pride and Prejudice: it's just about a bunch of chicks trying to get married.  And you're right - they are; however, you're also wrong.

Austen uses literary devices to illustrate the fact that her characters are flawed, and oftentimes, quite ridiculous.  AP is all about thinking "big picture".  What message is Austen conveying to readers about these "chicks" who are only trying to get married?

Austen's satire begins with the very first line of Pride and Prejudice: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" (1).  Is she being serious?  Did Jonathan Swift really want the aristocrats to eat the beggers' children?

Why does Austen use literary devices like satire and irony?  If you had to determine the tone of P&P, what would it be and why?  Think "big picture".  What is she telling us about life during The Regency Period in England?