SocraticSeminarNotes:English1

5/11/15

Abby:canwetalkabouttheeyesofT.J.Eckleberg?Iwaskindaconfusedaboutit.Wilson
andMyrtle.
Reegan:Youcanfoolme,butyoucan'tfoolgod.
Abby:obviouslyT.J.EcklebergisasignofgodbecauseWilsoncallsthemgod.buttheydont
feellikegodinthebook.

Sam:Theyconfusemetoo.Theyretherebuttheyalsodon'thavethatmuch...um...123.
readsquote.

Alex:thefirstfewchapterstheybringupthebigeyeswhichsetsupsomethingoverlooking
this.There'sgoingtobeanoverarchingpowerlookingovertheeventsthathappenedhere.
Chapter7isallwitnessedbyanoverwhelmingforcethatkindofrepresentsgod.Itsetsupa
placementforaction.

Abby:it'switnessedbytheeyes.Whatisthesignificanceofthat.'

Alex:Thesignificanceistheplacementofit.Attheendwhenthey'retalkingaboutGatsby
whenGatsbyrunsoverMyrtle.It'sseeingwhathappens,seeingthecrime.Tomobviously
knowswhathappens.TheeyesarewatchingovertheminthesensethatNicktellshimto
getoutoftown.Theycantracehiscarandtheycantracehim.

Abby:Eyescan'ttracehiscarbecauseeyescan'ttalk.

Aviv:Iftheeyessaweverything,thentheywouldknowitwasDaisyandnotGatsby.

Reegan:Peopleputmeaningintothingsthatarentnecessarilymeaningful.It'sacooltheory
thatWilsonseestheeyesasgodbutinrealityit'sjustaposterboardofeyes.

Alex:itbearswitnesstoeverythingalltheeventshappeningattheWilsons.Overlapping
bigpartsofthestory.

Alia:Idefinitelythinkit'sgod.Obviouslythesepeoplearen'treligious.WhatNickisjusttrying
tosayisthatpeoplearealwaystryingtohidesomething.therearealwaysthingsnoonecan
seebutgodknowseverythingandtherearenosecrets.Godonabillboard.Godisreplaced
bycapitalism.

Abby:thecharactersinGatsbydon'thavethebestmorals.Itcouldjustbethattheeyesare
watchingoverthehumanrace.Remindusthatthere'salwayssomethingthere.

Alia:youcan'thidefromgod.


Aviv:Reegan'sidea.Thebookisfullofunansweredquestions,forexampletheOwlEyed
man.Hehadmoresignificancethantheeyes.ButIdon'tunderstandthepointofthis.

Reegan:they'rebotheyes.

Aviv:ithoughtattheendofthebookIdseethesignificance.

Abby:heshowsupatthefuneral

Aviv:maybethepointistohavepeoplelikeussittingaroundatabletalkingaboutideas.

Sam:istheresomethingtotheeyes?Justliketheeyesofthebillboardsaweverything,this
manalwaysappearsinthestory.Hejustkindaappears.HemighthaveinsightintoGatsby's
life.

Corey:Heonlycomesout

Talia:There'seyeswatching.Thebillboard.TheOwlEyedman.Thedeepermeaningcould
bethattheyfeellikethey'rebeingwatched.

Corey:theyseetheseeyesstaringoutatthem.Theycan'thide.

Sam:chapter3Ifoundhisnamehe'sthedrunkguyintheroom.He'salsoinacarcrash.
There'stwocarcrashesinthebook.Oneisreallybigandonenooneknewabout.Hecomes
againatGatsby'sfuneral

Aviv:Hissteeringwheelcomesoffwhichmeansthathedoesn'thavesenseofdirection.

Aliya:Thisbookhasalotofveryimportantcolors.Gold/yellow.Daisyisthegoldengirl.

Sam:Goldsymbolizesmoney.

Reegan:It'sprettycoolthatdaisyandtom'shousereflectsgold,notitisgold.Thethings
goingoninsidearenot"golden"

Talia:They'rethe"golden"family.Reflectingwhatsocietysees.

Alex:Houses.Quiz.HedraggedNickaroundtoshowhimthewealth.Theoutsidecoversup
thetensionthatDaisyisholdingin.

Abby:WhydoesTom"drag"NickintothecitywithMyrtle?

Alex:Heestablisheshimselfwithawife,hehasamistress.

Abby:Wealthmasksalotofthings.

Alex:That'slikeAzarNafisisaysthat'snotright.

Abby:WealthmasksGatsby'spast,Daisy'swealthmasksherlife.Thereflectedgoldthe
fakeivyontheoutsideofGatsby'shouse.Allofthisismaskingsomethingwithin.

Corey:GatsbygivesDaisyadifferentperceptionofhimselfthatistrue.Hewantstoshowher
thathe'swealthy.

Alex:thelistthatMr.Gatzfinds.

Sam:Itshowsthatthefatherhasprideinhisson.

Alex:There'sabunchofreallyspecificthings.Alotofithadtodowithwhenhewasyounger.
It'swhathehadinthearmy.

Abby:itwasbeforethearmy

Reegan:thelistshowshewasaproductivepersonbeforehemetDaisy.Everythingafteris
forDaisy,buthehadalifebefore.hedidthingsbeforehemetDaisy.

Abby:ThisishowweknowthatGatsbydidn'tjustgetwealthforDaisy.thiswashisdream
beforeheevenmether.Hewaslookingforsuccess.

Alex:Readinglist:elocution,poisehewasn'tapoisedperson.Hemadealistofthingsto
practice.

Talia:Aliawroteapaperonwhite.Iwroteapaperonwater.Gatsbyandwater.Hediedina
pool.

Abby:DanCody'sboat.

Talia:ThewaterisimpactfulinGatsby'slife.

Abby:Watercanrepresentlifeandchange.Thereseemstobewatereverywhere.

Aviv:Whatwasthepointofthebook?

Alia:Thewholebookisabouthimlookingatagreenlight,himlookingatadream,himtrying
topursuesomething.It'sliketheAmericandream,chasingyourdream.Ifit'sawoman,ifit's
moneyanythingbutitdoesn'tendwithhimmarryingDaisy.It'slife.

Corey:it'snotalwaysahappyending.

Abby:thepointmaybethatit'saboutfindingandreachingyourdream.It'saboutreallife.You
don'talwaysgetwhatyouwant.NickcomestoNewYorkanddoesn'tsucceed.Tomwanted
tobeafootballplayer,hewantsgloryandfameandappreciation,andyouseeGatsbywho
wantsDaisyandyouseeDaisywhooriginallywantedGatsbyandDaisycan'tfindaplaceto
settledowneventhoughshemarriestosettle.Theydon'tgetwhattheywant.They'rereal
humanbeings.Youdon'talwaysgetwhatyouwant.

Alia:Theyhaveadreamandtheybasetheirwholelifeonthatdream.Gatsby'slifebecomes
Daisy.Ifeellikemanyofthepersonalitiesinthisbookareobsessive.

Corey:onetrackyouneedtodothesethingsinordertodothis.

Alia:itleavesyouwithaquestionofwhetherornotyoucangoforyourdreams.Isitworth
givingupyourlife.

Corey:Theytryandnevergettheendresult.Peoplearen'talwaysgoingtogetwhatthey
want.

Alex:I'mnotonthesamenote,butit'sparallel:it'saboutpeoplecreatingtheirlives.Theexact
creationofthestorythatGatsbyhas.Hedoesitforthegreenlightattheendofthedock.

Aviv:He'splanningouteverything.Butthenwerealizethathegotwhathewantedbecause
hecheated.He'samobster.

Sam:Hehadawholelifeplannedout.It'saschedule.WhenhemetDaisy,that'swhenhe
switched.Theydon'thaveplannedoutlives.Maybethisiswhereheswitchespaths.He
becameamobsterandthisisthecatalystforhimtostoptheschedule.Hewantedthelife.He
wastryingtocopytherichpeoplebuthewasn'treallylikethem.Itwasallforshow.Tolook
rich.

Alex:Hedidn'tknowhowtoberich

Abby:WhenhemetDaisyhecheated.Gatsbyalwayswantedtofollowhisplan.Hewantedto
doitmorallyandthroughtherightmeans,butoneofthereasonswhyhebecomesamobster.
Hedoesitbecausehewantstogetrichfast.

Alia:theAmericandreamjustendsupbeingadreamsometimes.


Alex:nowthathehasthispersonahecanpretend.Heplaysthepersonaluntilheschemes
thewayofbeingrich.

Alia:soisthisbookaboutmorality?

Sam:It'stheopposite.Everyoneinthebookisprettyimmoral.everyoneissetonaspecific
dreamandsometimesthewaytoreachthatdreamisthroughimmoralmeans.

Corey:Peoplewillgotoextremeandcriminallengthstogetwhattheywant.

Abby:Capitalismisn'tmoral.

Aviv:Inthebeginningofthebook,weallhadtheseexpectations.ButnothinghappenedlikeI
thoughtitwould.It'sthesameasthebook.EveryonehadthesecertaingoalsthatNicktells
usabout,butbytheendtheychangedtheirgoalsandideas.Daisyforexample,inthe
beginningIthoughtshewasdoingallthisstufftogetawayfromTomandstillkeepherlittle
facade,butthenattheendIfeellikesomethingmighthaveswitchedinherthatchangedher
initialgoal.

Alia:Nickiscrazy.
Sam:He'saboringdude.
Alia:he'spassiveaggressive.
Talia:couldNickbetheeyes?