Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby have ideas and thoughts of what they vision to be the ultimate "dream". Both of these men have different dreams that they are trying to eventually reach. They seem to be very different.
Jay Gatsby's dream is almost what every other American's at this time was, that if he has enough money then love, beauty, time, happiness, and youth can be his forever. He is willing to go do whatever it takes to make him happy even if it involves cheating. Jay Gatsby doesn't seem to have a care in the world for other people's feelings besides his own. He is out to make himself happy and that is about it. His ultimate dream is to have Daisy to himself.
Nick Carraway has a diffent dream than that of Jay Gatsby. Nick's dream is to work hard and eventually make his way to the top. He believes in hard work. He is kind of the mediator throughout the whole novel and is trying to make sense of everything that happens during the story. Nick realizes that everyone isn't who they appear to be. Eventually Nick learns that people need to learn from the past and not make the same mistakes.
The values of Americans can be and sometimes are morally incorrect. Most Americans think that money will make them happy and give them everything they want. The values need to sometimes be reconsidered and prioritized depending on the person. For some people it is family that is the top value and for others it is material things like money that is the top value for them. Depending on someones top values, may determine if they ever get what they desire. Sometimes things are impossible for someone to reach in their lifetime.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Blogger #9 Gun Control
Our United States constitution was made by our founding fathers to help keep our country in order. We made the amendments to the constitution to help protect our citizens and keep everything fair. The 2nd amendment states, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
If our government decided to control guns within the United States, they would be violating our constitutional rights. Now, I understand that people are upset with all of the recent shootings that have happened, but it is not the guns fault. The blame needs to go to the people who are providing mentally unstable people with firearms. We need to focus on prosecuting the people who are providing guns to people who shouldn't have them and to people who have illegal guns, such as automatic firing guns. A gun doesn't aim and pull the trigger by itself. It is a person who aims the gun and pulls the trigger. I will agree that our nation should implement stronger laws that go towards people purchasing guns. Some ideas that have came about are background checks and limiting the amount of ammunition someone can buy at one time. Taking guns out of the hands of United States citizens will cause an uproar. The gun control laws that Congress and President Obama want to install in our nation would mainly effect the law abiding citizens. The people of our great country that follow the laws and use their weapons for hunting, target shooting, recreational purposes, and self defense. Another issue with guns is concealed carry. Concealed carry is allowed in Texas, where it is warmer and people are out and about in the city more often than what people are in Chicago. The crime rate is much lower in Houston than it is in Chicago because there is a presence of guns. It scares people to do crimes because you never know who has a handgun on them. Other countries are more weary of the United States because we have gun bearing citizens, that if there comes a time and need for it, that would grab our rifles and fight for this country and protect it. The point I'm trying to get across here is that, with the presence of guns in our society it puts a fear into criminals. Controlling guns is not the answer, controlling the people who unlawfully use them is.
If our government decided to control guns within the United States, they would be violating our constitutional rights. Now, I understand that people are upset with all of the recent shootings that have happened, but it is not the guns fault. The blame needs to go to the people who are providing mentally unstable people with firearms. We need to focus on prosecuting the people who are providing guns to people who shouldn't have them and to people who have illegal guns, such as automatic firing guns. A gun doesn't aim and pull the trigger by itself. It is a person who aims the gun and pulls the trigger. I will agree that our nation should implement stronger laws that go towards people purchasing guns. Some ideas that have came about are background checks and limiting the amount of ammunition someone can buy at one time. Taking guns out of the hands of United States citizens will cause an uproar. The gun control laws that Congress and President Obama want to install in our nation would mainly effect the law abiding citizens. The people of our great country that follow the laws and use their weapons for hunting, target shooting, recreational purposes, and self defense. Another issue with guns is concealed carry. Concealed carry is allowed in Texas, where it is warmer and people are out and about in the city more often than what people are in Chicago. The crime rate is much lower in Houston than it is in Chicago because there is a presence of guns. It scares people to do crimes because you never know who has a handgun on them. Other countries are more weary of the United States because we have gun bearing citizens, that if there comes a time and need for it, that would grab our rifles and fight for this country and protect it. The point I'm trying to get across here is that, with the presence of guns in our society it puts a fear into criminals. Controlling guns is not the answer, controlling the people who unlawfully use them is.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Edna Pontillier is an interesting character. She definitely changes throughout the novel. My opinion of her is that she is sort of undecided in her life and doesn't know what she really wants. She is not very happy with where her life is at, at this point either.
I think Edna is somewhat justified in her choices. I think she is in the wrong in leaving her husband and family behind for her own interests. She is putting herself, her life, in front of the people that she supposedly loves. In a sense it is okay because it is Edna's life and she needs her life to be happy, not depressing. I think she has done harm to Leonce even though he might not show it. Some people have strong feelings, but don't know how to express them very well.
I would not act this way if I was in Edna's shoes. I personally believe the way she went about this whole situation is wrong. I think she should have never associated herself with Robert in the first place. Especially because she was warned by the others that Robert picks out a girl to go after every summer. Robert really is the root to the beginning of all of Edna's problems, granted that there were some before he was even in the picture. After Edna discovered that she had feelings for Robert, she completely blew off her husband and children. Moving out of her house into one of her own was out of line in my opinion. She should have tried to talk to Leonce first and valued his opinion before she made such a drastic change. Once Edna moved out, it was a downhill wreck. Honestly, she became a slut, or in today's term, the town bicycle. She didn't know what she wanted in her life besides Robert and I think that it really confused her. If I were in Edna's shoes, I would try to talk about all my issues with someone I trusted and really figure out what I wanted.
All in all, Edna took her own life because of love. She was not happy with the man she was married to and the man that she wanted, wouldn't take her.
I think Edna is somewhat justified in her choices. I think she is in the wrong in leaving her husband and family behind for her own interests. She is putting herself, her life, in front of the people that she supposedly loves. In a sense it is okay because it is Edna's life and she needs her life to be happy, not depressing. I think she has done harm to Leonce even though he might not show it. Some people have strong feelings, but don't know how to express them very well.
I would not act this way if I was in Edna's shoes. I personally believe the way she went about this whole situation is wrong. I think she should have never associated herself with Robert in the first place. Especially because she was warned by the others that Robert picks out a girl to go after every summer. Robert really is the root to the beginning of all of Edna's problems, granted that there were some before he was even in the picture. After Edna discovered that she had feelings for Robert, she completely blew off her husband and children. Moving out of her house into one of her own was out of line in my opinion. She should have tried to talk to Leonce first and valued his opinion before she made such a drastic change. Once Edna moved out, it was a downhill wreck. Honestly, she became a slut, or in today's term, the town bicycle. She didn't know what she wanted in her life besides Robert and I think that it really confused her. If I were in Edna's shoes, I would try to talk about all my issues with someone I trusted and really figure out what I wanted.
All in all, Edna took her own life because of love. She was not happy with the man she was married to and the man that she wanted, wouldn't take her.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Blogger #7
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine in 1807. Longfellow became a national literary figure by the time of the 1850's. Henry died in 1882. His writings had to do with European literature and thought. He was a very successful poet.
Walt Whitman was born May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York. He died on March 26, 1892. He is considered one of America's most influential poets. In 1855, he published a collection called Leaves of Grass, which is now a landmark in American poetry. Whitman was the 2nd of 8 children.
Longfellow's poem Voices of the Night brought him popularity. Other poetry works such as The Village Blacksmith, Evangeline, and Hiawatha also helped him become well known. Henry Longfellow's poems were known for there simplicity and gentleness. Walt Whitman is known as the creator of free verse poetry. Whitman did not follow the typical poetry style that was being written during his time. He created his own poetry to accomodate all of the different nationalities and cultures that were in America during his time. He thought that everything was equal to everything, no one or no thing is less or greater than another.
These two poets are similar because they were born around the same time, Longfellow in 1807 and Whitman in 1819. Both of these men were well known and well liked poets during their time. Also, both of them hold places in history for their work. These men had different writing styles. Henry Longfellow wrote with simplicity and gentleness while Walt Whitman wrote in a much different style than any poet at the time. Whitman wrote poems that were "out there" in a sense. Some of Walt's poems included sexual content, which had never been done before. Henry Longfellow would write about life events, especially the deaths of loved ones. Walt Whitman wrote his poetry about democracy as a way of life, the cycle of growth and death, and the beauty of the individual.
Walt Whitman was born May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York. He died on March 26, 1892. He is considered one of America's most influential poets. In 1855, he published a collection called Leaves of Grass, which is now a landmark in American poetry. Whitman was the 2nd of 8 children.
Longfellow's poem Voices of the Night brought him popularity. Other poetry works such as The Village Blacksmith, Evangeline, and Hiawatha also helped him become well known. Henry Longfellow's poems were known for there simplicity and gentleness. Walt Whitman is known as the creator of free verse poetry. Whitman did not follow the typical poetry style that was being written during his time. He created his own poetry to accomodate all of the different nationalities and cultures that were in America during his time. He thought that everything was equal to everything, no one or no thing is less or greater than another.
These two poets are similar because they were born around the same time, Longfellow in 1807 and Whitman in 1819. Both of these men were well known and well liked poets during their time. Also, both of them hold places in history for their work. These men had different writing styles. Henry Longfellow wrote with simplicity and gentleness while Walt Whitman wrote in a much different style than any poet at the time. Whitman wrote poems that were "out there" in a sense. Some of Walt's poems included sexual content, which had never been done before. Henry Longfellow would write about life events, especially the deaths of loved ones. Walt Whitman wrote his poetry about democracy as a way of life, the cycle of growth and death, and the beauty of the individual.
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