How far do you agree that by the end of chapter 8 the reader is engaged with the novel?

I disagree to an extent as it is in this chapter that the reader begins to understand that Joe's world is very much centered around himself. This is because he delves into his regrets of becoming a science journalist and how he'd much rather be a physicist, and we learn yet more of another one of his upcoming articles - all giving the reader the impression that his head is often occupied with thoughts of his own personal life. At the end of the chapter Joe expresses his yearning to do more with his life - 'I was a journalist, a commentator, an outsider to my own profession. I would never get back to those days.' From this quote among many others we understand his devotion to science and how this obscures his ability to acknowledge any other ways of how life began even if he does not believe them, which makes it hard for the reader to like him or engage fully with him or the novel.

This quotation also may distant the reader from the novel, and primarily from Joe, as his tenacity to relate science to all events becomes tedious. He appears to have no other way of looking at things, and the lack of emotion makes it hard for the reader to establish a connection with the main character. He talks of the science behind a baby's smile, showing his ability to turn something to innocent and beautiful into a series of scientific theories, and Clarissa widens the gap between the reader and any emotional connection by the contrast of her opposite view that, 'the truth of that smile was in the eye and heart of the parent, and in the unfolding love which only had meaning through time.' This demonstrates her more romantic view on things which distinguishes she and Joe, making Joe seem all the more prudential which is hard to engage with.

The beginning of this chapter is Joe talking about the baby's smile, neo-Darwinism and his and Clarissa's different views, and then his run in with Parry and the police phone call. He then goes back to how he feels about himself and science, showing a cycle in his mind. This is evidence that despite what happens around him, Joe always returns to thoughts of himself or his failed career as a physician, and it is only the last page of the chapter that Joe returns to thoughts of Parry, 'There were three work messages, leaving Parry's score at twenty nine.' The line itself - of Parry's obsession - is engaging, but as expected following this Joe begins to wonder 'how I came to be what I was', and how he might achieve something new before he was fifty. The reader is forced to be brought back to Joe's world that they have already heard so much about which becomes tedious.

Over all, I think that it is difficult for the reader to be fully engaged with the novel by the end of chapter eight. This is because Ian McEwan presents many obstacles such as Joe's personality and how easy he makes it to dislike him, his obsession with himself and science, and emotional deprivation. Joe's character leaves much to be desired in terms of emotion and therefore this is very hard to become engaged with.

To what extent do you agree that Auden’s poetry is largely about human suffering?

I agree with this statement to a large degree as many of Auden's poems, namely Miss Gee and 1st September 1939, involve varying levels of human suffering. For example, 1st September 1939 talks of 'fear and uncertainty', was written around the time of the second world war, and republished the day after the World Trade Center was attacked. Therefore, it almost exists as a symbolisation of human suffering.

In the poem Miss Gee, there is a recurring theme of loneliness. Miss Gee asks, 'Does anyone care that I live on Clevedon Terrace, on one hundred pounds a year?' This is deeply self-pitying and raises the idea that the worst way to suffer is by being alone. Another theme in this poem is religion; Miss Gee attends church and is a devout Christian, however regardless meets her demise through cancer despite her devotion to God. She suffers in old age through having no one, suffers through cancer, and then it may be said that her body suffers after her death when dissected and used for medical research.

Victor is another one of Auden's most prominent poems when regarding human suffering. In this poem, Victor is recited the bible for many years by his father. Again it is almost like the protagonist is being punished by their faith, - ''Father, will she ever be true?' And the oaks and the beeches shook their heads and they answered: 'Not to you,' - as in the end Victor looses his mind and murders his promiscuous wife, which is like the gateway to Victor's inevitable suffering following this as punishment for his actions. It is not as though the entire poem focuses on this, Victor does not endure any notable suffering for majority of the poem, however like many of Auden's works, the ending centralises on some form of affliction. Of course, Victor is not the only character who suffers, as the last stanzas including Anna feature her fearing for her life and eventually being stabbed.

O What Is That Sound applies to the rule implied at above, that the poems do not necessarily have to be surrounded by suffering, but ends this way due to some external element. The husband and wife in O What Is That Sound seem a happily married and in love couple at the beginning of the poem, referring to each other as 'dear', and in the eighth stanza, 'I promised to love you, dear, but I must be leaving.' However even here is when the disequilibrium has taken hold and the husband is being torn away from his wife by the 'scarlet soldiers', to which the connotations of the words change and the mood is pained, reinforcing the inescapable theme of human suffering.  

How is the story told in Victor?

The poem is in ballad form so it is songlike, therefore reinforcing the idea that it may be a rhyme told to children as a cautionary tale or story like other Auden poems. It is in quatrain form which allows the poem to read almost like a story, in distinctive events. This adds to the idea of a cautionary tale. The use of an omniscient narrator makes it seem like it is a parent reciting the tale of Victor to their children to show them never to go against God. Linear chronology is used and this is shown through the use of the months in consecutive order to follow Victor growing up, for example, 'It was a frosty December', 'It was the First of April', and 'It was the middle of September'. This allows the reader to become familiar with Victor and his religious upbringing.

Religion is a prominent theme in the poem and the story is told through excessive reference to it, 'His father took a Bible from his pocket and read: 'Blessed are the pure at heart.'' This makes it all the more shocking when Victor disregards all this through the murder of his wife. The tone and mood changes toward the ninteenth stanza when Victor learns his wife is unchaste as his feelings toward religion begin to change, 'I am the Alpha and Omega, I shall come to judge the earth one day,' which suggests he is God himself, but also the be all and end all as alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This again makes it more shocking considering how his father raised him.

The voice is very objective and unbiased, factual, 'Victor stood as still as a statue', 'Victor walked out into the High street', showing no resent toward Victor for his actions or Anna for her ways and this may be representative of God, ironic when considering how Victor is punishing his wife whilst he believes that he is the Holy Father. This is effective as it so hugely contrasting and makes the reader wonder whether Victor is actually being punished by his faith.

The wind and the river is personified, 'the wind said: 'She must die', 'the river answered: 'Kill'. This shows Victor's state of mind, which is unstable and is greatly contrasting from the beginning of the play when he was a normal boy, if quiet. This almost raises empathy within the reader for a character that has lost his mind. The pace slows in stanza twenty eight, when Auden writes, 'It wasn't the King or Queen of Hearts but the Ace of Spades reversed'. This is because the Ace of Spades symbolises ill fate and death - foreshadowing Anna's future - and therefore makes everything feel very real and dark, reading almost like a horror story.

Reading journal - 1st September 1939

• Setting - 52nd Street, New York, in a dive reflecting upon life
• 'uncertain and afraid' - feelings of most people, Auden representing/speaking for society
• metaphorical language - 'blind skyscrapers' - dictators, blinded by their power, unable to see anything past their own vision?
• 'euphoric dream' - dictatorship, their idea, or perhaps the euphoric dream of America who are not involved in the war
• symbolic of stormy relationship between countries - war
• time is shown through historical figures - Nijinsky, Diaghilev
• irregular rhyme scheme, enjambment - stream of thoughts, Auden's own feelings
• speech - collective voice, again speaking on behalf of everyone- 'I will be true to the wife, I'll concentrate more on my work'.
• Linz - third largest city of Austria - Adolf Hitler grew up here, hence 'What huge imago made a psychopathic god'
• contrast - 'bright' and 'darkened' - illustrating change in people, from being hopeful to hopeless
• 'Offends the september night' - personifying the night, representing those offended by the situation? War?

Reading Journal - Victor

• ABCB rhyme scheme and in ballad form - again telling a story, has a song like feel, reinforcing the idea that, like many of Auden's poems such as Miss Gee and O What Is That Sound, it may be a rhyme told to children
• linear chronology -  following the process of his life from being a baby, 'Victor was a little baby, into this world he came', to growing up, 'Victor was only eighteen', and then getting married. Allows reader to become familiar with Victor and his religious upbringing. Also the use of months to show passing time - 'It was a frosty december', 'It was the first of April', and 'It was the middle of september'.
• religion - all the way through, dramatizes Victor's actions at the end of the poem thus making them more shocking
• mood/tone change - at the beginning his father is lecturing him on being a good man, 'don't dishonour the family name', and 'blessed are the pure at heart,' to Victor disregarding all of this at the end and murdering his wife. Also actually believing he himself is God - 'Prepare to meet thy God', 'I'm the resurrection and the life', and 'I am Alpha and Omega, I shall come to judge the Earth some day.' - Alpha and Omega meaning God and Christ
• voice - objective, unbiased showing no emotion or resent toward neither Victor for his actions nor his wife for her ways, not judgmental - like God?
• personification of river and wind - 'the wind said: she must die', 'the river whispered: 'kill' - to illustrate his state of mind, unstable, insane?
• 'It wasn't the King or Queen of Hearts, but the Ace of Spades reversed.' - Ace of Spades symbolising ill fate or death, foreshadowing Anna's imminent death
• change in pace - poem reads quickly at the beginning and slows down when it is discovered Anna is a cheat and Victor begins to lose his mind, dramatizes situation, acccentuating importance of event

Reading Journal - Musee des Beaux Arts

• Setting - art gallery, 1940
• Voice - Auden, no character, personal observations
• Ekphrastic - the poem is talking about another work of art, Icarus
• Omniscient narrator? - he is seeing all and writing about it, reflective
• 3 stanzas - enjambement - one stanza is a single line that stands out among others - 'Scratches its innocent behind on a tree' - done to show how people will ignore others in suffering to satisfy own needs, however trivial, or how one may stand out among others but still be overlooked by everyone else
• No sense of time - to show issue is ongoing?
• Lack of humanity 
• Language is colloquial in some parts  - 'doggy life', 'scratches its innocent behind on a tree' - to appeal to children? - fable? relation to Miss Gee and O What Is That Sound - many of Auden poems cautionary tales or like nursery rhymes in some way?

Reading Journal - O What Is That Sound

• Phonetics - repeated, 'o', sound of woe, repeated 'd' in drumming, drumming - heartbeat, coundown
• ABAB rhyme scheme - song like - ballad form - nursery rhyme (Miss Gee)
• Childlike - inquisitiveness - 'what is that sound', 'what is that light'
• Quatrain stanzas - help to easily identify change in mood/tone
• Extended metaphor of sickness - again, nursery rhyme, may be used to show the soldiers and war as a plague
• Present tense throughout entire poem - done to make the reader feel like they are living it too, also to show the character feels like she is reliving it constantly, cannot escape haunting memory
•  Imagery and sound - 'scarlet soldiers', 'white hair', 'drumming', 'flashing', 'brightly' - almost hazy, phantasmagoria? - dreamlike, she doesn't want to accept reality
• Call and response - poem is a conversation between husband and wife 
• Subjective - poem is filled with the character herself, and a lot of emotion toward the end - helps to put reader in her position

Reading Journal - Miss Gee

• Poem is in the tune of St. James's Infirmary - blues, sets the tone for the entire poem
• Location - street name - Clevedon Terrace, sounds domestic, homely and friendly however is the opposite to Miss Gee; she is alone
• Ballad form - relates to song
• Voice is objective - very detached, unemotional, reinforces that Miss Gee had no one
• Mood is very depressing - 'Does anyone care that I live in Clevedon Terrace, on one hundred pounds a year?'
• Symbolism - 'And a bull with the face of the vicar was charging with a lowered horn' - sexualised? she is alone, spinster, raunchy dreams, or, a warning of her illness
• Linear chronology - beginning, middle, end - suggests a childs story, cautionary tale?
• Religion - 'clothes buttoned up to her neck', 'no bust at all' - not sexualised in any way, devout Christian 
• Mocking religion? - she went to church and prayed but still was punished with illness, 'dissected her knee'
• Nusery rhyme? - its a song, it has a macabre theme, much like other nursery rhymes, e.g. ring a ring a roses
• Voice change - doctor, wife and Miss Gee are used to tell story - the use of the doctor and his wife may be used to seperate Miss Gee further as she is alone with no husband? 

How is the story told in 'O What Is That Sound?'

Auden begins the poem using phonetics, 'O what is that sound,' which is done as the sound 'o' can be associated with woe or contemplation, and thus allows the reader to understand how the character is feeling. This is continued when he writes 'down in the valley drumming, drumming,' with the repeated 'd' sound actually sounding like the beat of a drum, possibly resembling a heart beat, which almost acts as a countdown throughout the poem to the climax. This idea may forebode something sinister or important is going to happen.

The poem uses an ABAB rhyme scheme so it is almost song like, which relates to its ballad form. This is effective as it seems like a nursery rhyme, when taking into consideration the time it is set, as many nursery rhymes come from macabre themes such as war or sickness. The reason this is effective is that it ties in which the tone of the poem in the second stanza, 'O what is that light I see flashing so clear, over the distance brightly, brightly?' the inquisitiveness and repeated questions makes this character seem childlike and therefore a nursery rhyme would appeal. This is effective as it raises questions about the character's age and the relationship they may have with the second character. We learn later that in fact it is a wife talking to her husband and this is interesting when considering tone.
     The poem being in quatrain form helps to easily identify the change in tone throughout the poem, for example, the first stanzas are childlike and use words with positive connotations such as 'thrill', 'light', and 'brightly', to show temporary comfort and lulls the reader into a false sense of security, however the tone changes when it reaches stanza seven. The mood of the language has changed, for example 'cunning', 'deceiving', 'broken', 'splintered', and 'burning'. This shows a juxtaposition in the character's emotion and also traces the transition of her being comforted to alert and panicking, and even possibly the transition from being childlike to having to mature and adapt to the situation very quickly.

An extended metaphor of sickness is used, when Auden writes 'scarlet soldiers' and 'their eyes are burning', as scarlet may fever to sickness, scarlet fever, and burning being a symptom. This is effective when considering that in the last stanza, the soldiers have their humanity taken away from them, they go from being referred to as 'they' to 'it', e.g 'O it's broken the lock'. This may be because now the wife has realised they are coming for her husband, she sees them, the war, as a plague or illness that cannot be evaded. This may be done to show Auden's feelings towards war and also shows how the poem is using the subjective, because the character is emotionally involved and therefore creates empathy within the reader. 

Present tense is used throughout the entire poem, through the use of an ongoing call and response, 'What are they doing this morning, this morning? Only their usual manoeuvres, dear, or perhaps a warning.'  This gives the feeling that the character is reliving the moment again and again, but also has the effect on the reader that they themselves are experiencing the situation. This brings empathy from the reader and makes the ending more dramatic and heart wrenching when this woman's husband is taken from her. This effect is also achieved through the use of chronology, instead of flashbacks and time being array, this helps to give the illusion that the reader is experiencing this in the exact same way as the wife. 

Imagery is used strongly when Auden writes things such as 'scarlet soldiers', which even though refers to the colour of their uniforms, it also connotes blood, 'flashing so clear' which creates the image of the sun glinting on their shiny weapons, and 'down in the valley, drumming drumming'. The reason this particular line creates imagery even though it does not refer to what can be seen, it works with the other aspects of imagery to create almost a sense of phantasmagoria, giving the image of almost a dream like scene, showing that the wife does not want to believe what is happening. Again this tells us more about the character and her recollection of the memory. 

Beginning of The History Boys coursework

How far do you agree that the comedy in The History Boys conceals a serious exploration of desires?

Peter Ustinov, an English actor, writer and dramatist said, 'comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.' When really considering this, you may say that it is the foundation of The History Boys itself. A ‘funny way of being serious’, can be applied in almost every element of this play. For example, Dakin is talking to Scripps about Hector and his bike; 'Scripps: He does go for it. That’s the trouble. Dakin: In controlled conditions. Not on the fucking bike. I’m terrified.' This shows Dakin using comedy to make sense of chaos, drama, a ‘funny way of being serious.’ We learn later in the play, Dakin is exploring his sexuality himself, (his relationship with Irwin) so this may be a foreshadowing of his later journeying and showing repressed desires toward men. This example shows precisely how Bennett has sewn the dramatic genre and the comedic genre together using repressed and un-repressed desires. 

 Sexuality is a recurring theme throughout The History Boys and this is explored through the use of both repressed and unrepressed desires. This theme creates the foundation for the comical and dramatic genres and these work in sync with one another, like Bennett has threaded the two genres together so intricately it is hard to differentiate the two. For example, Posner is talking to Scripps about Irwin liking Dakin: 'But he doesn’t understand. Irwin does like him. He seldom looks at anyone else. Scripps: How do you know? Posner: Because nor do I. Our eyes meet looking at Dakin.' This explores the theme of sexuality through Posner having an unrequited love for Dakin, shared by their teacher Irwin, which can be seen as comical as throughout the entire play, Posner is hopeless when it comes to the pursuit of sex and love, e.g. 'Posner: (about going on Hector’s bike) I’d go. I’m never asked.' He also makes reference to his disadvantages: 'Posner: I'm Jewish... I'm small... I'm homosexual... and I live in Sheffield... I'm fucked.' This extrovertly appears very funny to audiences but this is masking the more dark and dramatic side. One of the things Posner wants most in this play, apart from Dakin, is to be molested by Hector on his bike. However, this is not immediately apparent in this statement as the comedy is what is responded to first, showing Bennett’s ability to weave the two genres together. This also demonstrates how comedy is constructed through Posner’s repressed desire to go on the bike with Hector.

Another way in which comical drama is shown through repressed and unrepressed desires is in the complicated relationship between Dakin and Irwin. For example, 'Dakin: What I was really wondering was whether there were any circumstances in which there was any chance of your sucking me off.' This line is outwardly shocking to audiences and therefore prompts laughter, and when dismissed and put down as a school boy crush, is humorous. However again, Bennett is deliberately sewing comedy and drama together.

Preliminary argument: How is comedy constructed through the use of darker themes such as abuse?

In act one, Bennett makes it very clear that the students have a sense of unspoken respect for their English teacher, Hector. This is shown through their tendency to repeat back to him that which Hector has taught them, such as Shakespeare – ‘The wonder is he hath endured so long. He but usurped his life.’ There is the feeling that there has been a past between the teacher and his students, that we are witnessing something which is picking up where it was left off. It is almost in media res, due to the idea that the students have an on-going relationship with Hector. This already shows affection and prompts the idea that Bennett is hinting toward something bigger.

It can be said that students such as Posner strive for Hector’s affection, due to his constant referring to the dictionary in order to impress his teacher, ‘Euphemism… substitution of mild or vague or roundabout expression for a harsh or direct one.’ This demonstrates their affection toward him and also raises the theme of sexuality, prompting the audience to ask if this will be a prominent element to the dramatic aspects of the play. As the act progresses, it becomes apparent from Rudge that the students are almost competing for the attention of Hector. This largely contributes to the way in which Bennett is constructing slapstick comedy, and as we begin to learn this is done through underlying themes of darkness – ‘He hits you if he likes you. He never touches me,’ to which Dakin replies, ‘(happily) I’m black and blue.’ This is interesting when considering comedy when time periods are taken into account, as an audience watching the play in the 1980’s would inevitably respond to this sort of line very differently to an audience watching now. This is because safeguarding was not as prominent years ago, but now is taken with the utmost care. However, this comedy can also be seen as a private joke between the boys, as Hector’s perception of them clearly means a lot but would be frowned upon greatly by anyone else. This, as well of the time of viewing, shows the idea of perception through the dramatic genre, and suggests that based on one's perception of and place in the situation, the dramatics of it would change.

When we learn that not only is Hector abusing his students by hitting them with books, but is actually sexually abusing them, it is very confusing to the audience. This is because Bennett has almost carefully threaded the genre of comedy with the dramatic genre, so it is almost impossible to decipher which is which. Bennett has deliberately made Hector a character of eccentricity and humour, with an unmistakable likeability about him, regardless of the fact he is molesting his students. Of course the theme of sexual abuse is undeniably wrong and unacceptable, but for reasons that are almost private to the students, they endure it, again reinforcing the theme of perception and place. 

Reading Journal - The History Boys, Act 1

Act 1 of The History Boys seems to me as a play of humor but with an underlying tone of sincerity and personal opinion. This is because of the extensive use of jokes, banter and teasing from the boys themselves but also their obvious respect for their English teacher, Hector, who has a dodgy taste for his students, (especially Dakin), and his view that effectively, exams are pointless and life has more meaning to it - 'I count examinations, even for Oxford and Cambridge, as the enemy of education.' This is rivaled by the new History teacher, Felix Irwin, who is only six or seven years older than the boys and takes the opposing view on exams and Oxbridge to Hector - 'I sympathise with your feelings about examinations, but they are a fact of life.'

Comedy 

Rivalry - Hector vs. Irwin - Hector and his views, Irwin and his views

Slapstick - Hector hitting the boys on the head with the book

Themes - molesting, Hector taking one of the boys out on his motorbike each day, elitism (the Headmaster, his only concern being league tables, Irwin and his primary concern being Oxbridge)

Metaphors - extensive use of metaphors, even euphemisms, from characters such as Dakin

Banter - Scripps teasing Posner, the lesson in French, Mrs Lintott and Hector, the boys teasing Irwin about his life 

Competition - the idea that the teachers are competing for the affection of the boys, nicknames: tot or totty for Mrs Lintott

It is confusing to me how Bennett has made Hector such a likeable character even though he is sexually abusing his students? Is it purely because of his eccentricity and is constructed through the use of jest, and would this be reacted to differently from an audience watching the play in the 80's to an audience watching the play now? 

How is the story told in chapter eight of The Great Gatsby?

In this chapter Fitzgerald uses multiple effective story telling techniques such as time and descriptive prose shown through colour, which has been extremely prominent in telling the story in previous chapters. At the beginning of the chapter we are given a shift in the dreamlike world that the characters, especially Nick and Gatsby, have been living in. Nick says, 'grotesque reality and savage, frightening dreams,' here Fitzgerald is using emotive language to demonstrate how Nick's feelings have changed toward the hazy reality he has been living in, surrounded by these people who are characterized by money.

One story telling technique is the shift in narrative focus when Nick decides to inform us about what had happened at the garage after Myrtle's death. It might seem to the reader that all information about the area surrounding where Myrtle had died would have been told at the same Nick was reliving that horrible moment, but the sketchy recollection illustrates how difficult the time had been for Nick and how he had felt confused. This is reinforced at the end of chapter nine when Fitzgerald writes, 'It was after we started with Gatsby that the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass, and the holocaust was complete,' this is unusual as it is arguably the most striking and memorable element of the entire chapter yet it is given the least credit or build up, or even detail. Fitzgerald has done this to show how conflicted Nick feels over everything that has happened, and how he wishes to not remember such scenes with clarity.

Symbolism is used when Wilson speaks of the eyes of T.J Eckleburg, 'The eyes of God,' which is almost an anaphoric reference to the previous chapters when they have been mentioned as watchful and gives the feeling of them being omniscient. It is almost as if Fitzgerald is suggesting that the eyes are reflective of all the sin that has taken place and in the end the sinners will be punished. Effectively, the story is told here through the use of imagery and the symbolism of God.

Time is used when showing Gatsby's inability to accept the fact he cannot bring back better times that have passed. Nick says, 'I think he would have acknowledged anything now, but he wanted to talk about Daisy,' which shows how time has changed but Gatsby refuses to move along side it. He tells Nick of how Daisy was 'the first nice girl he had ever known,' and how he found her 'excitingly desirable.' Here the story effectively shifts to the past through Nick explaining Gatsby's interpretation of how things used to be.

Colour is also an important story telling feature in this chapter, especially the repeated use of the symbolic 'Green light' on Daisy's dock. This has been, throughout the story, an ongoing symbol of hope for Gatsby leading him toward her, like previously when he stretched his arms out toward the light. It has been keeping his dream for a life with Daisy alive. Fitzgerald uses words that the reader can almost feel, such as 'cool', 'radiant', 'fresh and breathing'. These words are important as they connote happier times in Gatsby's life, times where Daisy was almost graspable, and also contrast greatly with the rest of the atmosphere of the chapter in which Gatsby is murdered. This quote, to a degree, exists as a last attempt for Gatsby to relive his time with Daisy, before his life is taken from him. Here, the story telling technique is the use of colour and contrast to construct Gatsby's last brief moments of happiness telling Nick all about why he loved Daisy so much.

How far do you agree with Nick’s view that Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch put together”?

I agree with this statement completely as despite his involvement in 'bootlegging' and how his life was built around lies, Gatsby stands for something in which the other characters lack. I believe he stands for hope, for love and for dreams. This is shows through his adoration of Daisy and his tenacity to never give up on her.

The first reason that this statement holds truth is the contrast between Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. From chapter one we begin to understand that the relationship between Tom and Daisy is purely superficial, a relationship that seemed to be based on show and wealth. In this chapter, we learn from Jordan that Tom has been seeing another woman in New York, and Tom's attitude toward Daisy does not adopt the most loving manner. Instead of allowing his wife to join in on the conversation or take interest in what she talks of, he is more concerned about the extremist book he's been reading and discussing it's racist views - 'The idea is if we don't look out the white race will be - will be utterly submerged.'

This greatly contrasts with Gatsby. He is compassionate toward Daisy unlike Tom who treats her only as a possession, and his determination in refusing to give up on her and this dream world he has created for the two of them. Even in chapter seven when Daisy runs over Myrtle, Gatsby takes the blame himself just to protect her - Nick asks, 'Was Daisy driving?' to which Gatsby responds, 'Yes... but of course I'll say I was.' By this time Gatsby has already abandoned his elaborate parties, which only existed as a way to lure in the one he so yearned for, which counteracts the argument that he was purely covetous and materialistic. He even shouts at Tom in chapter seven, 'She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me,' which illustrates how all the effort and his immersion in illegal business was all to build up an Empire big enough and grand enough for Daisy, and also demonstrates how money-orientated and trivial Daisy is. In comparison to Daisy, it may well be said he was worth a lot more than her. Towards the end of the book she and Tom both pack up and move on, recoiling back into all their money and hiding away from the upset and destruction they had both caused.

Another reason Gatsby stands for something greater than the other characters is the fact that he died with love still in his heart and a dream to aspire to. He did not die bitter and anguished over the fact he could not have Daisy, over the fact that his whole life had been created with her at the center, and all for nothing. Gatsby died only with a taste on his tongue of what life could be like with Daisy, of what it would feel like to have her as his own, but this seemed to console him enough to know he was dying a happier and better man. He refused to give in until the very end, when Nick suggests that Gatsby 'ought to go away,' Gatsby is almost in shock when he responds, 'Go away now, old sport?' He could not bear to tear himself away after how far he had come, how far he had gotten to Daisy being his. And despite his love's own selfishness and shallow ways, he dies still with that green glow of hope in his heart. Gatsby is 'worth the whole damn bunch put together' because he died with love.