Thanks to everyone that came to the Book Club meeting last night. We had a small group, but it was a fascinating discussion on this classic. Next month we'll be discussing Stephen King's riveting thriller, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
Since it was a small group last night, I'm going to post some of the points we discussed and perhaps the conversation can continue online?
1. Is the title "The Great Gatsby" appropriate to the novel? Is Fitzgerald being sincere? Sarcastic?
2. Is this a timeless story that can be transplanted in any time, or deeply engrained in the 1920s?
3. Is Nick a reliable narrator? Has Nick changed throughout the story or does he stay static?
What does the handshake between Nick and Tom mean at the end of the novel?
4. What do the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg represent? How about the green light?
What do either of these symbols have to say about the American Dream?
5. How are the four locations (West Egg, East Egg, Valley of Ashes, NYC) different?
6. What is Daisy to Gatsby?
7. How does Fitzgerald use weather/seasons to set the tone of his scenes? How about color?
8. Are any of the characters sympathetic?
9. What is the purpose of the Owl Eyed Man?
Why did he attend the funeral?
This was a book I had never read in school. I was eager to read it and once I did finish it, I was very eager to see what others thought of it. Our discussion was rich and lively. This multilayered book has a lot to say about a lot of things. And the questions we were asked to contemplate, rally made the depth of the book even more prominent in my mind. This is a really exciting group and I look forward to many more rich and meaningful discussions about the books we read.
ReplyDelete