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Socratic Seminar Notes: English 1 5/11/15
Socratic Seminar Notes: English 1 5/11/15
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?