Dan Cody

Dan Cody was the creator of Gatsby. He gave him the name of Gatsby, he first called him Jimmy Gatz, but then started to call him Jay Gatsby. Gatsby met him when he was trying to warn him about a storm that was coming his way. Gatsby saw Dan Cody's yatch and rowed his little boat out to the yatch to tell him to be careful because a big storm was going to hit. When Dan Cody saw Gatsby, he offered him a job on the Yatch.

Gatsby took Dan Cody's offer and began to work on his yatch. Gatsby had to look after Dan Cody while he drank. Dan Cody was a heavy drinker, but was also rich. Gatsby worked for a rich man and while he worked for him, he saw how the wealthy live. Ever since Gatsby worked for Dan Cody, he longed to live the wealthy live, so Dan Cody was his inspiration for becoming rich.

After the death of Dan Cody, Gatsby did whatever he could to live the lavish life. He knew how to live like the rich before he even got rich because of Dan Cody. Gatsby looked up to him, and vowed that he would never become an alcoholic because he saw how Dan Cody was whenever he was drunk and Gatsby didn't want to live like that.

sources: The Great Gatsby

The Green Light

In The Great Gatsby, the color green is not only used for jealousy, it is also used to represent destiny, dream, and the future. The green light is used in chapter one, when Gatsby reaches for the green light, it is towards Daisy's house. It represents Gatsby's longing for his love of his life, Daisy. The green light was at the end of Daisy's hose and was in the view of Gatsby's house. Gatsby longs for Daisy's love, which he once had, but is now lost to her husband, Tom.

F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the Green light to represent the American dream which is going to the end of the world to obtain what you want or long for. Both Gatsby and Tom are fighting for the love of Daisy. Gatsby is doing anything he can to win the heart of the love of his life back. Tom is angry that Daisy is torn between the two and so is Gatsby, they both want her for their selves. They both are willing to sabotage each others' chances by filling each other's head with nonsense.

The Green represents the future that Gatsby wants to have with Daisy. It represents the future that all the characters want, happiness. Gatsby tries so hard to get Daisy back and believes that the green light is going to help him get her back. He is trying to do anything he can in his power to get her back. Gatsby feels like there is a future for him and Daisy, but even though Daisy loves Gatsby, she also loves Tom and doesn't want to leave him.

jealousy

In the book, Fitzgerald uses the color green as the jealousy color. Money is green and in the story, Daisy marries Tom because he is rich and Gatsby was poor. Gatsby is jealous of Tom because he won the hand of the love of his life and Gatsby feels that Daisy doesn't love Tom. Tom senses that Daisy and Gatsby has something going on on the down-low. Tom sees Daisy touch touch Gatsby's coat in chapter 7 and Tom also sees Daisy's eyes meet with Tom's eyes. As Tom suspects something is going on with Daisy and Gatsby, he continues to be jealous of them, but still continues to cheat on Daisy with Myrtle.

When Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby are all in a room together, Tom can feel the vibe of Daisy and Gatsby. Then the phone rings, and Tom goes to answer it, when Tom leaves, Daisy and Gatsby lock eyes. After they lock eyes, they kiss. Then Tom hears Daisy tell Gatsby she loves him and Tom goes crazy. Tom immediately lets out his jealousy and whenever him and Gatsby get around each other, they act weird and can feel each other's tensions.

Gatsby is so jealous that he even tells Tom that Daisy never loved him and only married him for his money. This makes Daisy look like a gold digger and makes Tom upset. But Tom took the gentleman approach and just brushed it off and returned to being his self-centered, competitive self. Both Tom and Gatsby are jealous of each other because they both have and want Daisy for their selves. As for Tom, he's not a 1 woman kind of guy because he cheats on Daisy with his mistress Myrtle and he finds no problem with it. Gatsby had Daisy once and is willing to do anything to get her back and Tom is losing Daisy because he's a cheater.

source: http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=14600

The Great Gatsby film versions

There were 2 movies made for the book "The Great Gatsby". There was one film made in 1974 and another one made in 2000. The book was such a hit that producers wanted to make a movie out of the book because it's an American classic. The genre of the films were dramatic dramas. The Great Gatsby was written with life meanings behind each character and the characters' actions.

"Soapy though it may sound, the story takes on numerous levels of meaning in Fitzgerald’s deft hands. “Gatsby” is a story about identity, the American dream, second chances, and most famously, the impossibility of repeating the past. Though the film takes a long 2 hours and 24 minutes to work its way through the plot, many of these areas are left unexplored or unfelt." (a part of a review i read for the movie)

The 1974 film version of The Great Gatsby won 2 Oscars, 5 other award wins and 3 nominations. The film was a HIT ! People felt this film version looked great, but tasted awful. People liked the film but felt that it could have been better. The director of the movie was, Jack Clayton & the screenwriter was Francis Ford Coppola. The main characters, Jay Gatsby was played by Robert Redford, Daisy was played by Mia Farrow, and Nick Carraway was played by Sam Waterston.

The 2000 film version of The Great Gatsby also received better reviews as the first movie version of The Great Gatsby was put out on March 29, 1974. People found this movie to be far more tasteful and it was a good teaching tool. The director of this film was Robert Markowitz. The teleplay or screenwriter was John McLaughlin. Jay Gatsby was played by Toby Stephens, Daisy was played by Mira Sorvino, and Nick was played by Paul Rudd.

sources: http://www.contactmusic.com/new/film.nsf/reviews/thegreatgatsby
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210719/

Unrequited Love

Unrequited Love is when you love someone and that someone doesn't love you the same way as you love them. Unrequited means not felt in response. When you love someone, you expect them to love you just as much as you love them. Love is like a drug and we get addicted to it. If we don't get love in return, we tend to get very sad. Love makes the world go around, and sometimes people do crazy things to show their love for another person.

Jay Gatsby and Daisy were crazy in love and spent so much time together. Then Gatsby went off to war & Daisy told him she would wait for him. Too much time went by and Daisy felt she couldn't let her self rely on Gatsby for the love that she longed for. Daisy tried to wait for Gatsby, but couldn't wait for him anymore. So Jordan hooked Daisy up with Tom and forced her to marry him. Daisy didn't want to marry Tom because Tom couldn't fully fill the void in her heart that Gatsby left. Tom cheated on Daisy after they got married & Daisy acts like she doesn't know, but she does. Tom's mistress Myrtle even thinks Tom will leave Daisy, but even though he cheated on Daisy, he doesn't love myrtle as much as she loves him or as much as he loves Daisy.

Gatsby waited for Daisy for 8 years. Gatsby pretty much stalked Daisy by clipping the Newspaper articles that mentioned Daisy and putting them into books. Both Daisy and Gatsby never stopped thinking about each other in those 8 years of separation. They both longed for that warm embrace of each other and when they came face-to-face at Nick's house, they were both speechless. Once they started talking, they both admitted they never stopped loving each other and spent so much time talking and hanging out together. Although Gatsby tried to fight for Daisy's love, he sadly failed and it led him to pain and suffrage.


sources: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Great-Gatsby---An-Analysis-of-Love&id=1922587

East Egg VS. West Egg

In "The Great Gatsby" there is an East Egg and a West Egg. This is the seperation between the 'newly" rich and the "old" rich. What seperates these two "eggs" is a coutesy bay, which can be crossed in a boat so you are able to get to either East Egg or West Egg. Both of these places are known for their love of money, but are different by the way their money has shaped their lives.

East Egg is known as "old" money. This represents the wealthy who have grown up with money all their lives. Some characters that live in East Egg are Daisy and Tom. The group of people that represent East Egg are very selfish and careless, and also lack value. Jordan Baker is also another member of the East, who is just like any other East Egger, spoiled and selfish. Although their attitude towards life isn't the best, the West Eggers still try to follow in their footsteps.

The community of West Egg is known as the "newly" rich. The reason they are known as the newly rich is because throughout their life they have earned their money instead of it just being handed to them. They also put their money more into materials and other things such as parties. Gatsby is part of the West Egg and is known for throwing very extravagent parties. He is a very quiet man but is very wealthy. Nick on the other hand lives in West Egg, but he lives in a small house unlike Gatsby. But all together people in West Egg also live large and spend money excessivley just like East Eggers.


love always, britt & jess :)

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald was a successful/talented American writer who was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fitzgerald wrote and published his first book in 1920 called "The Side of Paradise". His book was an instant success which led him to his soul-mate, Zelda Sayre. They both ran away to Paris together to spend their married life in happiness. They spent a decade on crazy, cool, spontaneous, fun. They partied and traveled in the 1920's . They were both free spirits who were perfect for each other. they had so much fun in those 10 years of travel.

He wrote many short stores to get fast money while him and the love of his life were traveling. His reputation doesn't lie on those short stories though, it actually lies on the 2 books he wrote that became American classics, "The Great Gatsby" and "Tender is the Night". Those two stories made him a highly respected American classic writer. He then went on to writing screenplays for Hollywood for the rest of his life.

His life wasn't always amazing and successful. His life partner, Zelda Sayre, was diagnosed with a mental illness in the late 1920's. There was no cure for poor Zelda so she had to be put in a mental institution where she spent the rest of her life. Fitzgerald couldn't do anything to help his wife & was very sad about the situation, but he had to soon learn to move on, but never leave his LOVE behind.

Gangsters/Mobsters

enjoy this article i found on Al Capone, it's not the long, but it's very helpful, when you want to know about the mobsters and gangsters of the 1920s.

"Al Capone
Al Capone is America's best known gangster and the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the 1920s Prohibition era. Capone had a leading role in the illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city.

Al Capone's mug shot, 1931. (CHS DN-91508)

Capone was born on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York. Baptized "Alphonsus Capone," he grew up in a rough neighborhood and was a member of two "kid gangs," the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors. Although he was bright, Capone quit school in the sixth grade at age fourteen. Between scams he was a clerk in a candy store, a pinboy in a bowling alley, and a cutter in a book bindery. He became part of the notorious Five Points gang in Manhattan and worked in gangster Frankie Yale's Brooklyn dive, the Harvard Inn, as a bouncer and bartender. While working at the Inn, Capone received his infamous facial scars and the resulting nickname "Scarface" when he insulted a patron and was attacked by her brother.

In 1918, Capone met an Irish girl named Mary "Mae" Coughlin at a dance. On December 4, 1918, Mae gave birth to their son, Albert "Sonny" Francis. Capone and Mae married that year on December 30."






Mobsters weren't started when Prohibition was in affect. Mobsters or the Mafia, was formed before Prohibition, but got really big during Prohibition because with every member that joined the group, the leader which was Al Capone would get money and before they knew it, the Mafia was huge & rich. Mobsters used to obtain alcohol and sell it to people who wanted alcohol. Mobsters didn't do their own dirty work, well the leaders didn't, they often hired people to do their "dirty work" for them so that they wouldn't have a bad record.

Al Capone was the head guy in charge of the Mafia. He was very well known and many people feared him alone because they knew what he was capable of. He became a symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States. He built his criminal empire in Chicago where he sold alcohol to people during Prohibition.

Mobsters/Gangsters ruled during prohibition because they were the rich people and many feared them. People knew that mobsters could do anything they wanted if they didn't get their way so people tried their hardest to fulfill a mobster's needs. They would hire people to kill other people who went against their wishes. If you were a politician, they would force you out of office by blackmailing you and turning all your supporters against you. Even policemen feared mobsters and gangsters. Policemen and politicians felt they were no match compared to the mobsters. So they did what they had to do in order for themselves and their families to be safe.

1920's

Life in the 1920's were exciting. in the 1920's there were flappers, cute cars, drugs, alcohol, and underground bars where people could have fun in. in the 1920's, just like today, people loved to dance and have a good time. Although alcohol was the center of conversation, prohibition was the main focus for the government. The government wanted to stop the consumption of alcohol but while prohibition was in affect, many people rebelled and dank anyway just to show the government who is boss ! Prohibition wasn't the only main focus of the 1920's, there were also gangsters, mobsters, cars, and flappers.

Gangsters were the people who ran the city, they bribed politicians and policemen to get what they wanted. If a mobster or gangster didn't get what they wanted, they would kill who they tried to bribe. They would also force politicians out of office by blackmailing them. Gangsters never did their own dirty work, they always hired people to do their dirty work for them because they had the money to do it. Mobsters were really rich and could buy anything they wanted, when they wanted it.

Flappers and Cars were thee HOT things of the 1920's because they were both new, everyone either wanted to buy a car or be a flapper. People all wanted to compete with their neighbor so they would buy the better car so they could show up their neighbor. Girls wanted to be flappers because everywhere you go, you saw a flapper and they were gorgeous, fashionable girls who were so free-spirited and just went with the flow of things. Flappers wore cute short hair cuts and cute free-flowy dresses so they could move around and dance around whenever they pleased.

Flappers

In the 1920's, Flappers were like the "it girls" flappers wore skimpy clothes that showed their skin, wore short hair cuts and heals. Flappers would go to speakeasies to dance and have fun. Flappers were free spirited women who just wanted to have fun in style. Flappers took risks, voted, smoked, drank,and danced. Flappers wore short dresses so they could move easier without having to worry about their clothes ripping. Flappers were women around the age of 19 who just wanted to have fun and dance.

Flappers were rebellious and full of attitude. A flapper's attitude was determined by their sexuality, fast living pace, and their truthfulness. Flappers not only smoked, but also drank during the whole prohibition era, and some women even carried around hip-flasks. Because these young women had alcohol at their finger tips, they started to drink at a young age.

flappers loved to dance, the dances that were in back then were: the shimmy, the charleston, and the black bottom. Flappers would go into the under ground bars known as speakeasies and would dance all night long. Those dances were considered "wild" to the older generation because they were fast moving dances. The older generation felt like the dances were a moving picture because they were so fast paced.

well i hope you enjoy the video above, bye :)

hey, enjoy this video on Prohibition that we found on Youtube.com :)

Prohibition was put into affect in the 1920's through the 1930's. Prohibition was a law that legalized alcohol. It was supposed to lower the rate of alcohol consumption and also lower the rate of abuse due to alcohol consumption. Although Prohibition had good intensions, it was an EPIC FAIL. it did thee exact opposite of what it was supposed to do. People began to repeal the day the Amendment was signed. People made bootleg alcohol with wood or with tap water from a bath-tub. low-key bars were open called SpeakEasies which allowed people to buy alcohol in an underground bar.

Prohibition rose the crime rate because mobsters and gangsters would hire people to kill policemen and politicians who wouldn't sell them alcohol. Mobsters would also bribe politicians and Policemen to get alcohol. People would smuggle rum into America from the Caribbean. Gangsters would highjack whiskey from Canada & sell it to other people that also wanted alcohol, but couldn't get it. People also hid alcohol before it was taken away by the Government.