A Streetcar Named Desire Scenes 1 & 2

The first scene of the play begins in a poorer area of New Orleans where we meet Stanley, his friend Mitch, his wife Stella, and their neighbor Eunice. After dropping off a package of meat at home, Stanley and Mitch head out to go bowling and soon after, Stella’s sister Blanche arrives at the flat. Blanche is stunned at the simpleness of their home and is shown inside by Eunice. After reuniting with her sister, Blanche is overjoyed, however, manages to make snide comments on Stella’s living situation and shame her for it. Stella takes the insults and has little response to them, allowing Blanche to continue talking and tell her of the loss of their family estate, Belle Reve.

In scene 2, Stanley returns home from bowling, and Stella quickly explains to him the situation surrounding Blanche and the loss of Belle Reve. He is unconvinced of Blanche’s innocence, believing that the loss of the estate was an act of theft. Stanley is especially offended believing that if his wife has been swindled of her assets, he has been also due to the Napoleonic Code in Louisiana. Stanley further attempts to prove his argument by tearing apart Blanche’s suitcase which is full of glamorous items that a school teacher would not normally be able to afford thus adding to his mistrust. After she gets out of the bath, Stanley voices his suspicions of Blanche who unashamedly flirts with him while proving that the estate was lost due to mortgage rather than being sold by showing him the transaction papers. Stanley takes them along with additional notes that were from her past lover and we learn a little more about Blanche’s past and the history of Belle Reve. At the end of the scene, Stanley believes Blanche is innocent of fraud, and we find out that Stella is pregnant.  

I found the interactions that both Stanley and Stella had with Blanche to be somewhat bizarre. She not only bullies and humiliates her sister, but is bold enough to demand a place to stay and insult then flirt with her Stella’s husband. I also think that the relationship between Stella and her husband is interesting, as Stanley seems to be a relatively vivacious person whereas Stella is meek and submissive. During class, I would like to discuss the odd exchanges that occur between the characters and the power balances within them.

Chapter 9

In the final chapter of “The Great Gatsby”, Nick Carraway starts off by describing the events that unfold after Gatsby’s tragic death. Nick tries to plan a large funeral for Gatsby hoping to commemorate his death in an honorable fashion, but is instead bombarded by people who merely knew Gatsby from the parties he hosted. Gatsby’s house is swarmed with reporters and investigators, but no one of any importance to him. Nick tries to invite people he thinks might have been close to Gatsby, but it seems as though everyone has fled the scene including Tom and Daisy. The only people that show up at the funeral are Nick, Owl Eyes, a few of Gatsby’s servants, and Gatsby’s father, Henry Gatz. Mr. Gatz shares some more information with Nick about Gatsby’s early life and even shows him a journal from his childhood that emphasizes on Gatsby’s work ethic and drive for success.

After Gatsby’s funeral, Nick soon realizes that the life style of the east has lost all value to him and that he wants to move back to the Midwest. Nick finds the face paced New York City and its residents revolting and immediately begins his departure. He then breaks off his relationship with Jordan Baker and quits his job. Before Nick leaves, he runs into Tom in the streets of the city. Tom and Daisy had earlier left without a trace not even leaving a new address for Nick. Nick is repulsed to see Tom at first, and is even more unsettled when he learns that Tom is the one who told Wilson that the car was Gatsby’s. After listening to Tom complain about giving up the apartment he used  for his affair and how he believed Gatsby deserved his fate, Nick comes to the conclusion that Tom and Daisy are reckless for people and care for nothing and no one but themselves. They are shielded by their money, and will forever live carelessly in their wealth.

Before Nick leaves for Minnesota, he visits Gatsby’s home one last time. He walks around his mansion and eventually lays on the beach and looks up at the moon. As he starts to think of Gatsby he realizes that Gatsby’s ambition was in some form like the American Dream. He thinks that Daisy was an impossible goal for Gatsby to achieve and that no matter how hard he tried she was attainable. He concludes that many people have dreams and desires of success like Gatsby, but that not every dream is possible.

In class I would like to talk about Tom and Daisy’s relationship and how after all their troubles they still stay together and escape instead of leaving each other. I would also like to talk about the significance of the green lantern.   

The Great Gatsby Chapters 5 & 6

Chapter 5 seemed to be one of the most important chapters in the novel so far. It is a turning point for Jay Gatsby because he is reunited with the “love of his life”. At the beginning of chapter 5, Nick returns from New York and notices that Gatsby’s house is lit up but no party is happening, the house is practically silent. Gatsby then approaches Nick in his lawn with a frustrated demeanor. Gatsby begins to offer to take Nick to take him to Coney Island and to go swimming in his pool, and Nick soon realizes this is only a ploy to ensure that he will help Gatsby with his plan to reunite with Daisy. Gatsby then continues to offer Nick things because he agreed to help with the reunification, but Nick refuses.

On the day of the tea it is raining outside, Gatsby sends flowers to Nick's house as well as has someone cut his grass. To me, Gatsby seems incredibly frustrated and nervous about this meeting, because he is afraid of it not going the way he wants. At first, the meeting is awkward between Daisy and Gatsby, but soon after the two rekindle their true emotions and seem to be incredibly happy about seeing each other again. Coincidentally the rain stops outside and Nick, Daisy, and Gatsby walk to Gatsby’s house in order for Gatsby to be able to flaunt his luxuries. When Gatsby begins to show Daisy his possessions, she seems to become overwhelmed by all the wealth. Nick worries that Daisy won’t be able to live up to Gatsby’s expectations. Soon after, Gatsby calls Klipspringer in to play the piano for the three of them. Nick soon realizes that Gatsby and Daisy have both forgotten he is there, and he quietly leaves the two alone to further kindle their relationship.

Chapter 6 begins with a young reporter from New York approaching Gatsby at his house asking him if he wanted to make a statement. The readers then find out the truth about Jay Gatsby, or should I say, James Gatz. One day as a young seventeen-year-old, James noticed a yacht owned by Dan Cody and began to row out on Lake Superior to warn Cody of a wind. Fitzgerald writes “It was James Gatz who had been loafing along the beach that afternoon in a torn green jersey and a pair of canvas pants, but it was already Jay Gatsby who borrowed the rowboat, pulled out to the Tuolomee, and informed Cody that a wind might catch him and break him up in a half hour” (Fitzgerald 98). I thought this was a very important quote because of what follows in the chapter. Gatsby begins to work for Cody as his assistant on the yacht and begins to see what true wealth and luxury is like. Prior to this Jay Gatsby had attempted to go to St. Olaf’s University in southern Minnesota, but returned after a few weeks to Lake Superior. Dan Cody was an older man and died while Gatsby was still working for him. Dan Cody had left Gatsby $25,000, but Gatsby never received his share of Cody’s inheritance. The chapter switches back to Nick’s life and talks about how Nick went to see Gatsby only to find Tom there. This seemed like a very awkward experience overall. Gatsby invites Tom and Daisy to one of his parties and they attend. Daisy and Tom fight throughout the night and eventually leave the party.

In class, I would like to discuss why we think Gatsby is a compulsive liar and why he lied about all of his life?

Also, something I was confused about was the kind of business Gatsby was offering Nick in chapter 5?