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GREAT GATSBY SOUNDTRACK ANALYSIS
"Jesus Nitelight," by Eve 6 is the song I choose. It has clear links to the novel. The speaker, Gatsby, is proclaiming his pain at the losss of Daisy. As he stands alone in the Buchanan's yard, watching to make sure that Daisy is all right, these could be his thoughts. He is sad, tired of the game he has been playing. It is just starting to sink inot his mind that he has lost Daisy.
"Your eyes shine bright, like a Jesus nitelight. I'd like to touch your positive vibs."
Here, Gatsby is telling us how he wishes to touch Daisy, be soothed by her adoring words and eager eyes. (i.e. the shirts)
"Indifferent eyes won't give me the time."
Gatsby is ruminating on the knowledge that the East Egg people and even some of the 'new' rich, like himself, won't give him the time of day. Except when they attend his parties.
"May I help put aside your moral fiber."
Gatsby isn't deluded into thinking Daisy is as innocent as she seems. He offered her an affair.
"You're dressed in white."
This is a direct reference to the book. Daisy always wears white.
"I'd like to be a colorful sight to see."
Gatsby wants the riches, power, brilliance that attracts Daisy like a moth.
"I'm only here in a background."
He's aware that his new money just puts into a nice background for the aristocratic rich to use as they please.
"Here on the ground lies my head."
This denotes Gatsby's poor beginnings.
"I sleep and then I wake, make sounds and go to bed. And wake again."
To Gatsby, life without Daisy is terribly bland.
"The time is right, but I feel all wrong."
He thought he'd be leaving with Daisy at his side, but instead he's standing alone, watching out over a woman that doesn't care about him.
"It wastes away and now you're gone."
Time is gone, and so is Daisy.
"You're walking by."
He has a vague knowledge that Daisy will leave without acknowledgement of Gatsby's humiliation.
"I'm standing by, behind the light."
Watching the light in Daisy's room, out in the darkness beyond her sight. Also, it could be seen to stand for the green light at the end of the dock that Gatsby watched before he met again with Daisy.
Darl's Sanity Proved in AS I LAY DYING
Of course Darl was sane.
In the course of his life, Darl was the only sane Bundren family member with full reasoning capabilities. This led him to be seen as insane by many readers of AS I LAY DYING. This sanity begins to be seen in the very first chapter. Darl leads a full and detailed commentary of what is happening in the Bundren household, laying down a base for the following stories to rest upon.
As the only Bundren endowed with common sense, Darl unfortunately recieved an overdose. He is clairvoyant, which causes many problems with folk wintin and without his family circle. aware of Jewel's anger towards their mother's visitors, DArl nsures taht Jewel is far away when Addie passes on. This keeps Jewel's violence from exploding towards the well-wishing visitors. When they return home, Darl taunts, "Your mother is a horse," directing anger towards himself instead of others. He also directs Jewel's attention to his horse, which is a safe outlet.
By inferring that Jewel's mother is horse is also meant to stablize Vardaman. Vardaman. Lost in his idea that his mother is a fish, he finds solace in thinking that Jewel's mother is also an animal. Strange as it may seem, Darls' words gave Vardaman an anchor back to reality.
Darl knew he was not the loved one, as Jewel was. Or the clever craftsman like Cash. He realized his mother had little love for him. Yet he kept a steady grasp on reality. Through his clairvoyant sense, he also understood what was happening to him, to his family. He knew Dewie Dell was pregnant. He understood Jewel's father was not Anse.
In the end, Darl could not stand the grotesque mockery his family had become. He could not bear the scorning looks, the turning faces. In his attempt to bring a molecule of dignity to his fiendish family, he set fire to Gillespie's barn. He placed the coffin in it, aware that Jewel would try to 'rescue' it. Yet he had to try. So he burnt the barn, trying for all his worth to end the horrible play.
For burning the barn, he was found to be crazy. Even though the act had been totally rational, no one would believe him. His attempt to give his mother the rest she deserved when un-noticed. At this final irony, he laughed.
As you now realize, Darl was completely sane, yet was in a situation in which he coul dnto win, no matter what. That was his final grace.
WILL TWEEDY AS A NARRATOR
It can be said that Will Tweedy's reliablity as a narrator is proven in three ways; his motivation, his purpose, an his sources. As the main charater in Olive Ann Burn's book, COLD SASSY TREE, Will is the source the reader depends on for the narration of the story. Thus it is very important to realize that Will is reliable.
Will is a good boy, rather high in Cold Sassy's town hierarchy. His grandfather, Rucker Blakeslee, is the respected ownver of the general store. On both sides of the family, Will has distinquished ancestors. in view of this, it can be seen that Will wishes to maintain the family pride. This is his motivation for beginning the tale of how Grandp Blakeslee married Miss Love Simpson.
This motivation turns Will's initial purpose to explaining the funeral and death of his grandmother, Miss mattie Lou. As he tells of his Grandpa Blakeslee's grief, we follow Will's uniquie perception into the story. Grandp allows only Will into the sickroom and the reader sees how Will is accepted as an integral family member.
Will's purpose also also proves him dependable later in the book. He is included in family discussions, both in his grandfather's and parents' house. These allow Will to place himself and the issuses that are enveloping the family. Subsequently, Miss Love explains to Will her motive for marrying Rucker. As he can see that the story will injure his mother and aunt, Will keeps his head, and the secret. Even when it is a secret no longer, he is very mature in dealing with the scandal.
As it can be noted, Will Tweedy has many sources. Not all the sources are as reliable as he, however, and the ready may find that relying on Will to sort the yarns for him or her is an intelligent decision. His Aunt Loma is a fine example. Loma is dictated by her emotions, and those are what decide the truth in her mind. Will, knowing this, sifts her words through a fine comb before accepting them. This demonstarstes his desire to tell the whole story, not only what he finds favorable.
Though Will is very close to all of the charaters in the novel, he balances himself very well. At times he seems to lean more towards one point of view than the other, but he mostly stays balanced between both. During the difficulties brought to life by the 'stealing' of the New York trip, Will is angry at both his grandfather and Miss Love for their seeming disregard ot his mother's feelings. Yet, lter, he ceases to fret about the by-gones, furthering his emotional growth.
HIs maturity is demonstrated no where in the story as well as when he overhears the conversation between Miss Love and Grandpa Blakeslee during the ill-fated car trip. Trapped between a rock and a hard place, Will is more or less forced to hear exactly what has happened between Love and Rucker. As a boy brought up in a strongly religious family, Will has few ideas of what goes on behind closed doors. To his credit, and as proof of his maturity, he condemns neither Miss Love or Rucker Blakeslee for circumstances that rub straight against the moral grain of Cold Sassy.
Thus it can be said that Willi s a reliable narrator; in motivation, purpose,a nd source. He doesn't try to tell this story for personal gain, but rather for the clarification of his family's history. He has a mature grasp on reality, and is away of the strong undercurrents that shape his family. It is only a shame he didn't become a writer as his Aint Loma encouraged.
CATCHER IN THE RYE
Concerning the Description of this Author;
Amy Miller
I didn�t see her until she talked. I really didn�t. I was just feeling depressed, listening to them talk. I hate it when I have to go to a new school. I wish I didn�t have to go to school. I could just drive off into Wyoming or somewhere, and no one would find me. I could be a hermit or something.
Anyhow, I was sitting in this depressing classroom, waiting for the teacher to talk. Some of the other kids were talking. I kind of listened, getting more depressed all the time. Nothing like being the outsider to make you depressed. And then this girl spoke. Didn�t really make me feel better, but I perked up. Got my second wind. I really did.
She had this voice. Not real distinctive or anything. Just a voice. But when she said something, you felt like she was really earnest. You really did. Even when she said something stupid. Kind of reminded me of Allie, always saying something he meant. Even when he tried to say he didn�t, you knew he did.
She wasn�t hot like Sally. Not bad, just not Sally. After she said her bit, she sat there listening to the other kids. She had this kind of dirty blond hair that reached her shoulders. It was messy, like she really didn�t care. Her face was nice enough. A little square, but I didn�t mind. It wasn�t like I was going to marry her or anything. She was kind of flipping through a notebook, like she was looking for something. But she wasn�t, really. She just wanted to do something with her hands. That was all. It really was.
Then she looked up, like she could feel me looking at her. It blew me away that she knew. She had these really weird eyes. There was so much in them. Disconcerting, I think you�d say. Kind of like she saw what you were thinking. Or could see right into you. And there were a very gray color, too. Gray and blue. I wanted to look away. That was very yellow of me. I mean, she was just a girl and all. Then she smiled, and I forgot about her eyes. Her smile said she was too shy to talk to me, but she wanted to let me know she saw me. It was really nice, in a way. Suddenly, I wasn�t so depressed anymore. It couldn�t be worse than Pencey, after all. At least it was co-ed. I get a bang out of girls.
A SEPERATE PEACE
How Gene Made Peace With Himself
Gene, the narrator of A Separate Peace, has many self-created problems. His first is an overwhelmingly self-defeating attitude. No matter how valuable Phineas thought Gene to be, Gene did not believe it. Though he kept himself in Finny�s shadow, Gene felt the shadow to be a conscious act to destroy him. It is hard to see how he could ever achieve peace.
So Gene lashes out in a secret way, plotting to undermine Finny by taking the position at the head of the class. And when the inevitable confrontation comes, it is Gene who is the aggressor, as Finny states with baffled sincerity, �You need to study?�
This development is beyond the adolescent mind of Gene. He is unable to cope with the knowledge that Phineas and he are not of the same quality. And, so, compounding his already deep and convoluted problems, he jostles a branch on which he and Finny stand, forever altering their friendship, and their lives.
It is hard to imagine Gene ever recovering from his incredible burden of anger and guilt after the �incident.� Gene becomes a pseudo-Finny, acting, dressing, and attempting to become his friend. And even as he is relieved at Phineas� absence, he is horribly alone without him. After his infirmary visit, and the return to Devon in the fall, Gene�s heart is changed. Bitter and scared, Gene�s life is only a curtain covering a seething pit of despair. From here, it would seem no return to peace would be feasible.
And then Finny returns. To Gene, his return is a miracle, and a chance to redeem himself. Though at first things are difficult, Phineas� return is the turning point of the book. Finny stops being the enemy, and becomes, finally, Gene�s friend. Be careful to note that Finny has always held Gene in close confidence as a friend. To say that Finny is becoming Gene�s friend is to say that Gene is finally accepting Finny�s friendship.
Gene begins to grow past his past failures at this time in the book. He accepts Finny in his changed, crippled body. He finds a balance between school and play, or at least appears to. His hatred and jealousy of Phineas are gone, replaced by genuine affection. Finny coaches him, and they mock the fat old men who created the war. To them, the war is far away, distant. Even after the visit to Leper�s home in Vermont, the fighting is but a distant echo.
Until the night of the trial in the First Building. On that night, the horrible truth about Gene�s betrayal of Finny comes to light, and all the carefully wrought peace falls crashing about the boys. In Phineas� denial comes disaster. Phineas� crutches make a slippery mistake on the hard marble steps, and he falls. Breaking his leg once more.
When Finny at last sees Gene�s furtive thoughts, his agony is greater than just a broken leg. Gene feels the torment nearly as strongly as Finny, for he has lived with the horror of his action for the last months. He attempts to explain to Phineas, sneaking to look into Finny�s hospital room. But Finny is in no mood to talk to his friend, and Gene is turned away with a heart of lead.
His chance comes with morning, when he takes clothes to Finny. At last, after months of suppressed anguish, all the pain and suspicions are out in the open, and free. Peace, true peace, is achieved. Gene leaves with a free heart, to return after Phineas� bone has been set, that afternoon.
When he returns, Finny is dead. Gone.
But Gene has achieved peace. With Finny, before he was gone, Gene was forgiven, and forgave himself. Though the reader may grieve for the friendship that had only just begun, truly, the ending is fitting. Even as Gene left for the war soon after, he already had had all the war he could ever fit into one lifetime. And he had found the treaty which allowed his conscience to be free.
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