Gatsby blog #3

Was Gatsby devised to represent Fitzgerald's failed dreams? I think he was. Gatsby accomplished most everything Fitzgerald wanted to in his life. Fitzgerald could easily live out his dreams through Gatsby, so it is plausible. What was the purpose of Gatsby's death? It was used to represent the American dream and how difficult it is to attain it. Was Gatsby created as a villainous character? Yes. Gatsby goes through a change from a tragic hero into a villainous character through his actions and goals. How effective was the setting of the story? Very effective. It represented the division between the two classes and the different lives they lead. It effectively showed how Gatsby was different from Daisy or Tom.

Great Gatsby #2

I think the purpose of Wolfsheim is to reveal and embody Gatsby's past, and to taint the pristine quality Gatsby gives off at the beginning of the novel. Jay and Daisy's backstory makes me sympathize with Gatsby. I feel bad for him. He's mad for recreating the past, and I doubt he'll get over that. My impression of Gatsby became more rounded and less one-sided, as learning more about him made me feel like I could have a better impression of him. My overall impression of Gatsby changed drastically. At the beginning of the book, I wasn't sure whether or not to like Gatsby. I adored the way he was talked about, but he seemed off and distant. He was delightfully awkward at first, and learning of his past made me like him a lot more.

Great Gatsby #1

I believe Tom is to be a villain because he seems to be a terrible person. He cheats on his wife and he "broke [Myrtle's] nose with his open hand" (37). Gatsby seems to be either an anti-hero or a hero. He is incredibly nice to Nick, even inviting him to his party without really knowing him (41). However, he was "standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes," (50) which makes him seem a bit creepy. Also, Nick points out that he doesn't drink (50), and even though Nick says he could "see nothing sinister about him," I can't help but feel Gatsby's a shady person.

Justin Bua

His style is distorted, but not entirely abstract. All three of his paintings seem to be caricature-esque and look as though they are through a fisheye lens. There are sharp angles, heavy shading, and many different colors. His paintings seem to be oriented towards African-American culture.

"Sixteen Military Wives" by the Decemberists

This song is literally about people dying and pain it causes other people, and other people not caring. Its theme is that people are losing sight of important things because they are becoming so superficial and self-centered. The news is reporting things we don't need to know. Celebrities are too wrapped up in themselves to actually care about things. All this is happening while people are losing their families to war and disease and various other things. The music is light and happy which contrasts with the heavier lyrics. The cannibal kings represent normal people who are taking in the destroyed celebrities and desolate military wives as fuel to entertain themselves and (per se) quench their thirst.

"Race for the Prize" by the Flaming Lips

The theme of this song is hope and determination even if the situation fails to support the best outcome. The sound of this song in general is upbeat and happy which alludes to it being about something generally happy. It begins by talking about "two scientists...racing for the good of all mankind...so determined/locked in heated battle for the cure that is their prize.../Theirs is to win if it kills them." These people are determined to cure the whole species of all diseases, and this is an incredibly difficult feat; but they are still trying and are still determined. In the end, it says "forging for the future/but to sacrifice their lives/both of them side by side/so determined." The scientists are about to die, which usually is not the most ideal outcome, but are still going through with this in order to do something much bigger than themselves.

"Duck and Cover"

The overt message is to duck and cover when threatened by a bomb.
The covert message is essentially that you can die from the bombs.
This is informational because it was used to teach people things and is clearly teaching people about something.

Propaganda

The overt message is to stop eating bread.
The covert message is to sacrifice certain things in order to support troops.
The disparity makes it propaganda because it only displays one way to help the country but alludes to many more ways.

"Clampdown" by The Clash (1979)

• This song is about discrimination in society and brainwashing to believe certain things. "Taking of his turban..." and "We will teach the our twisted speech" support this.
• Musical elements that add to my interpretation are the angsty sound and the rebelling voice straining the lyrics, as well as the rough guitar.
• This song relates to propaganda/persuasion/deception because it is talking about how the government makes people believe things, whether it be through propaganda, persuasion, or deception.

Propaganda, Persuasion, Rhetoric, and Argument

Four quotes: #655, #662, #723, #750

Chosen quote: 662. Television feeds us poison ivy by lying to us about what life is really like, what people are really like.
Communication between people is increasingly out of sync. Television has lied to us about
ourselves, and because it shovels information at us in such quantities so relentlessly and with such
impact, we believe it instead of believing our own guts. We find it harder to understand each other.
We find it harder to understand ourselves. LORING MANDEL, “Television Pollutes Us All”, New York
Times, 25 March 1970

Analysis: Television puts forth a view on life that becomes the norm for society. Its audience begins to see the life portrayed on TV as the "normalcy" and as something they should follow. This is the overt aspect of television--its main goal is to set forth a life that is worthy of following in a forward way. Propaganda comes from the constancy in most TV shows, considering there are many aspects of all television programs that are comparable. Many people would not go into so much detail as to compare crucial plot, characterization, and structure points. Although a person may not pay too much attention to these things, he or she is thereby affected. He or she begins to obliviously take on these "normal" characteristics displayed on television. During his or her adaptation to normalcy, he or she begins to lose himself or herself; succumbing to the life portrayed on television.