Gatsby Two

Meyer Wolfsheim serves to maintain a level of intrigue around Gatsby that is not entirely positive. Wolfsheim seems a shady character: engaged in almost certainly illegal business dealings, the man impresses Nick with the scope of his activities and the gumption with which they are carried out. When told by Gatsby that Wolfsheim had fixed the World Series Nick ponders, “The idea staggered me….It never occurred to me that one man could start to play with the faith of fifty million people- with the single-mindedness of a burglar blowing a safe” (73). Wolfsheim thus contributes to Gatsby by creating a mysterious, not entirely positive aura later confirmed by Tom’s revealing of Wolfsheim and Gatsby’s business dealings.

Daisy humanizes Gatsby, thus allowing a level of personality and relatability missing beforehand. Rather than merely being a wealthy, removed, and mysterious man, Gatsby becomes someone capable of “creative passion” (95) and “a rush of emotion” (96). He becomes human, capable of emotions—manifesting later in anger, nervousness, and happiness—and of faults in a manner lacking earlier in the story.

Gatsby’s past adds to the charm of the man but also makes the reader question somewhat the gaps still missing. Clearly skilled with people, the story of the yacht paints Gatsby as resourceful and affable. The story of his time at St. Olaf’s characterizes him as arrogant and ambitious, while his Oxford days serve a similar purpose. And yet, overall, the back story now revealed helps the reader sympathize with this strange man who rose to such wealth and prominence through a combination of luck and talent—not through family connections or inheritance.

The reader’s overall impression of Gatsby is dependent on the specific reader. I have a more positive image of Gatsby, because he now seems to possess substance and work ethic. The substance is provided by his romantic past, while the work ethic, even if bolstered by shady dealings, is evident from his wealth and how he went about its accumulation. And yet, I also view Gatsby as more emotionally volatile (a view confirmed by reading on slightly) and perhaps given to poor judgment.

Jelly Roll Morton- "Black Bottom Stomp"

-This music sounds like dance music. At Gatsby's, it would've been played live by a full band. It seems both generally non-objectionable and also non-meaningful.
-The mood is upbeat and cheerful. The song has a fast tempo, mostly major scale notes, and a variety of instrumentation that seems to contribute to a cheery mood throughout.
-The music seems intended chiefly as dance music, although practically, it would probably serve as dinner or conversation music for those not on but near the dance floor.

Gatsby One

Based on the first 60 pages of the book, Nick, Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby are the most important.

Nick is a hero. He seems to be a kind, intelligent individual, albeit perhaps awkward and easily confused. Although by no means perfect, he is characterized as being, “inclined to reserve all judgments” (1). When speaking with Daisy, she exclaims that, “I love to see you at my table, Nick. You remind me of a- of a rose, an absolute rose” (14). Thus, both Nick’s characterization of himself and Daisy’s characterization of him suggest that Nick is a fundamentally good individual, and so at this point in the book, I would predict that he is a hero.

Tom, on the other hand, seems a cruel, unpleasant figure. From his physique- classified by Daisy as “hulking” (12) - to his demeanor, he seems to be arrogant and mean. His demeanor is perhaps best characterized as exploitative, as he cheats on Daisy with no pretense of shame and his interactions repeatedly are tinged with a sense of bullying. When discussing cars with George Wilson, for example, Tom switches quickly from joviality to abusiveness as he responds, “…if you feel that way about it, maybe I’d better sell it someplace else after all.”All of his interactions seem to abuse a power disparity, leaving the audience unfavorably impressed.

Frankly, Daisy cannot be easily characterized in any of these three categories. But were I to do so, I would place her within the category of antihero. She seems fundamentally good, but is jaded and cynical, even going so far as to tell Nick that she is, “pretty cynical about everything” (16).

Gatsby is discussed less in this section than the three characters mentioned above, but his importance to the story is foreshadowed. At this point, Gatsby seems a hero. Despite rumors about him having “killed a man once” or that “he was a German spy during the war,” the man seems fundamentally good, and there seems no basis for these rumors (44). However, it is conceivable that he will have some sort of baggage revealed later.

Bua

His style seems very angular and linear. Bua depicts people as being lanky and skinny, and similarly, objects are stretched out. Both the bass player and the bass, for example, are longer than the audience would expect. His color choice is vivid, with a high emphasis placed on contrast, as exemplified by the piano player's white shirt, black jacket, and red under-shirt. Light seems directional, with shadows apparent in all three of the paintings. He also makes frequent use of patterns throughout.