A common theme that was shown in all three of Fitzgerald's pieces was a man's disillusioned chase after wealth. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby chases after the dream of Daisy and struggles in re-living the past he had with her. He becomes obsessed with wealth, money, and luxury. When he first meets Daisy, he is amazed by her beauty, wealth, and status. In The Diamond As Big As the Ritz, John has a similar obsession with wealth as he falls in love with Kismine. Fitzgerald exposes how corrupted a person can become as a result from the chase after wealth. Gatsby dies, and Kismine's whole family dies but she's happy with the fact that she's poor now because it gives her a new sensation.
I feel like all of Fitzgerald's stories are the same! Hahaha but nice job Tiff! I like your little anecdote about George Lily and Carol:)
ReplyDeleteTiffany, interesting post. I actually find this post quite humorous;. You make George sound so villainous, but I'd think that my good friend George found something different in Carol regardless of what his friends think. I think you might forget that George isn't that bad a person either. He holds quite a few "redeeming qualities" too, so it's not like he's just fishing around for random celebrities. George is like Gatsby; he becomes interested with a Daisy that he thought was a perfect fit. He's a great guy, and you can't just say that George put off Lily just for that. If somehow your idol fell in love with you, would you immediately say no to that person? Anyways, good post and nice anecdote to help your analysis.
ReplyDeleteVincent, I never meant to make George sound villainous. That's why I stated above, "He is one of the most humble guys I know." I never said he didn't have any "redeeming qualities" because he definitely does have them. He's one of my best friends and I was just stunned by this action of his. And as for the last part- even if my idol fell in love with me, I'd judge him based on personality as well, not just exterior appearance/status/wealth. But thanks vince :)
DeleteHaha okay Tiffany! I am glad to hear it, but I would think that you would get a pump of adrenaline and a sort of frenzy if you met your childhood idol (for example, 1D or whatever), if I may say so. Besides, Carol is actually a really nice person, and I'm sure that if you knew her, you would probably say the same! I guess we just differ in viewpoints!
DeleteCarol isn't one of George's childhood idols so I don't understand how that is relevant at all. Well I haven't met Carol before but I have a mutual friend with her so I guess I have an inside scoop! Also, George didn't meet her before he decided to go after her. Therefore, at first he merely judged her on her appearance/status! That's the point I am trying to get at. Sure, Carol may be a nice person but he didn't know that before he was attracted to her! Just as Gatsby was attracted to Daisy's appearance and wealth before he got to know her personality!
DeleteOk well Carol's dad was; I mean he's you know! Wait, so you're judging a girl based on some random friend's gossip. That ain't right!!! By the way, if you text someone constantly, you get to understand that person and her personality. If you get a guy knocking on your door suddenly (and if Steven was not there, of course), you'd naturally be interested to see who it is!
DeleteIt's not some random friend; in fact, it's Carol's best/closest friend and if you asked George he would know that too. So, it's not "some random friend". Also, remember when Ms. V showed us the video of that poet reciting "touchscreen"? You cannot receive the same things through technology vs. face to face contact. An example would be how sarcasm and emotions are often misinterpreted through texts. So, you cannot truly know a person's personality with technological devices. Are you implying that if a complete stranger texts you, you will understand their personality? Have you ever heard of catfishing?
Delete1. Catfishing
DeleteThe phenomenon of internet predators that fabricate online identities and entire social circles to trick people into emotional/romantic relationships (over a long period of time).
I happened to meet that person,and I can tell you she was a nice person, so somehow, the texts that she sent George reflected her personality! Yes, I know what catfishing, and I can guarantee you that a celebrity's daughter is not an "internet predator" nor is she a person that has the time to do that when she can easily find someone else!
DeleteWOW yay! a nice person! good for her!...George is lucky that her personality matched her appearance; good for him! But was this the case for Gatsby? Was Daisy a nice person? Does a nice person cause a person's death? My point here is that often people chase after other people disregarding personality at first. Gatsby was distracted by Daisy's wealth and beauty and as a concerned friend, I was worried that George was disillusioned as well since he barely knew her! I'm glad that Carol is a nice person, but this isn't always the case.
DeleteSo perhaps your anecdote didn't perfectly match the Great Gatsby and instead took a cheap shot at my good friend George!! Case closed.
DeleteIf your read my entire post, I clearly stated that George had a happy ending where he didn't fall into the corruption. As I have stated many times already, George and Gatsby match in the fact that they both were attracted to appearance and status at first. George, however, did not end up like Gatsby and I am grateful for that fact. Also, how long have you known George? OH, that's right, ONE year. George has been my dear friend since 6th grade. Is a "good friend" someone who advises their friend to chase after a stranger? Yes I know that you're going to say, "A good friend is someone who advises their friends to chase after their dreams and never give up." However, you cannot chase after a disillusioned dream, just as Gatsby was with Daisy. How did he end up? Oh yeah, dead. Anyway, it's late and I have reiterated my claim several times and you still misinterpret my point. Am I not speaking english? So, let's agree to disagree.
Delete1) No, you may use this anecdote to "prove your point," but this anecdote doesn't completely reflect The Great Gatsby because George is not the man you ORIGINALLY portray him. George is a great guy and a great friend and by taking shots at him AND me, that just doesn't mix well with me. 2) It's been 3 years and there are things that guys leave with guys that they don't necessarily tell girls, just saying, just like how some girls gossip and whisper in front of guys. 3) No, that's not what I was going to say. I would say "A good friend is someone who advises HIS/HER friend to make a choice that he wishes to pursue. If that happens to be going for a girl that showed strong interest in him, then so be it. 4) Wait, pursuing a good girl who has a great personality is not going to make George die. I think you are mixing fiction with reality. It was not love at first as you may say, but a healthy developing relationship.
DeleteTiffany, your anecdote is interesting and can be aptly applied to The Great Gatsby. Clearly this anecdote is benign. *sarcasm
ReplyDeleteHaha thanks Ms. Valentino! I clearly wasn't getting heated at all while writing this...*sarcasm
DeleteHahaha its okay Ms. Valentino. Just the usual high school drama. It adds a little spice to school life!!
DeleteI can't be the only one who wants to know who George, Lily, and Carol are now!! Besides that, I really liked this post and I agree with you that people many times become disillusioned and believe that material things will bring them happiness.. even though sometimes they can come close.. i mean... CHICKEN NUGGETS AND CHIPOTLE TASTE SO GOOD!
ReplyDeleteIndeed...fries are delicious as well. Food is an essential part of life though!!
DeleteI am assuming your friend George is our age? If so, you already know George's friends want to party @ Carol's house because it's probably pretty nice there. Maybe they want to meet her dad too? Is her dad Eminem? Cool.
ReplyDelete