One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest #2

The conflict between Big Nurse and McMurphy is in full swing at the end of "Part One." Who is getting the best of their rivalry at this point? Why do you say that (specific evidence)?
At this point, McMurphy is winning the war between Big Nurse and himself. There is quite a bit of failure and success on his part in this battle, but by the end of our second reading, he seems to be consistently getting the nurse's goat and gaining a positive reputation with his fellow patients.

What is your perception of the Chief at this point in the story? Why? And how has the presence of McMurphy changed the Chief's character or his narration (be specific)?

Chief cannot be trusted because of his mental state. His narration is obviously effected by his illness and, thus, must be taken with a grain of salt. I doubt that he intentionally warps reality, but his descriptions are clearly blown out of proportions and sometimes seem like they're from another world. He's negatively influenced by McMurphy's presence because his admiration for  McMurphy causes him to exaggerate even more in  McMurphy's favor. 

Who are you rooting for at this point in the story and why?

I am rooting for McMurphy because I think he has a good heart. The actions he has taken may not have been the same that I would have taken, but his end goal is to defeat the Big Nurse who is clearly not helping any one in the Combine. I do believe that the narration of this story is unreliable because of Chief's mental state, but since I have no clear idea of what the Big Nurse's motives are, I cannot support her cruelty.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest #1

Based on the first reading, I feel it's safe to conclude that the nurse is the obvious villain. She seems to have no heart as she tortures her patients for minuscule offenses. At one point, it's it's explained that the Big Nurse finds joy in "fixing" her patients; "The ward is a factory for the Combine. It's for fixing up mistakes made in the neighborhoods and in theschools and in the churches, the hospital is. When a completed product goes back out into society, all fixed up good as new, better than new sometimes, it brings joy to the Big Nurse's heart...." (40). It is clear that her definition of "fixing" these people includes numerous forms of cruelty and abuse.

McMurphy is an antihero in my eyes. He seeks to disrupt the cruel routine of the Big Nurse by stirring up trouble in the Combine. While he method of improving his living conditions causes much unnecessary trouble, his intentions are to help others.

I don't believe there's any true hero at this point. Chief is solely an innocent bystander.

The Great Gatsby #3

1. What moral can be derived from the fact that no one attended Gatsby’s funeral?
The stark attendance at Jay Gatsby’s goes to show how much of an impact Gatsby had on the lives of those in his community. He was known only for festivities and entertainment. However, because he did no more than host grand parties, no one knew him for his valuable character. His entire life revolved around partying, so his guests refused to take part in a serious occasion relating to him. He also failed to build lasting relationships with those around him during his lifetime, so he had no friends to mourn his death. The moral that can be drawn from this is that the purpose of one’s actions during life is reflected in their legacy after death. Due to the fact that Gatsby was entirely focused on impressing Daisy during his life, no one else remembered or valued his existence after his death.
2. Why did Gatsby choose for such seemingly minor characters to have such a large role in the conclusion of this book?
Characters such as Myrtle and her husband were very much necessary in this book. Their insignificance alone played a role. Throughout the book, we are we led on to believe that they are simply filler characters present to make Tom’s character more interesting. In the end, however, Fitzgerald shocks the audience as he kills Myrtle and Gatsby through murders. This, too, proves a moral because it shows how major minor actions can be. Misunderstandings and small actions can have large effects regardless of the intentions of those involved.
3. How do Daisy’s actions in the finale of the book affect the audience’s final opinions of her?
Fitzgerald causes the audience to have mixed feelings about Daisy during the course of the story. In the end, Daisy’s murder of Myrtle causes her own lover to be killed my Myrtle’s husband. Besides this selfish act, she then goes on to forego Gatsby’s funeral. Regardless of whether guilt or pure self-absorption was the motive behind her absence, this shows her true character. Finally, the audience on a sour note in regards to Daisy because of her poor character that finally emerges in its entirety.
4. Does Gatsby ever reach the ‘green light’?
The answer to this depends on what the ‘green light’ represents. Due to its location on Daisy’s dock, it can be inferred that the light has something to do with Daisy. Some people believe that green represents hope and prosperity. Others believe it stands for evil or envy. I don’t believe that Gatsby was envious of Tom and his life. After his re-connection with Daisy, he proves to her much better than Tom he actually was, so I believe he was simply longing to be with Daisy. However, I choose to side with the idea that the green represents hope. Gatsby continued to be hopeful in his quest to win Daisy back. His reaching motion further shows how he was ‘reaching’ for a life with her. He did reach his goal of winning her back as she confessed her love for him. However, his death prior to the permanent reunification of them leads me to believe that he never did fully reach his goal.

The Great Gatsby #2

1) Meyer Wolfsheim seems to develop Gatsby as an extremely mysterious character. Wolfsheim's less than reputable character leads the audience to question Gatsby's history. His presence also prevents the audience from definitely defining Gatsby as the hero of this story. The possibility of his dealings with Wolfsheim disqualify him as an "all around good guy".
2) After being made aware of the past between Gatsby and Daisy, the audience sides more with Gatsby. He is made to seem more relatable and the audience could even pity him for his unfortunate circumstances. There is still some mystery to Gatsby, but he is one step closer to seeming normal. Daisy becomes a bit of a villain after this, because it becomes clear that she chose Tom for money when she could have waited to have the true love of her life- Gatsby.
3) The rest of Gatsby's past further increases how relatable he is. Just as many Americans aspire to do, Gatsby supposedly gained his wealth and importance from a series of fortunate events involving hard work and good luck. He lived "the American Dream" as some people would say. His personality is similar to that of many men in America throughout social classes. He exhibits a bit of cockiness at times, but is also very determined to succeed. With the presence of Wolfsheim, however, there is still some mystery to his past.
4) Throughout these chapters, Gatsby begins to grow on me. I found him to be a bit odd in the previous chapters because of his peculiar behavior at his own parties and his mysterious past. However, as bits of his past have been revealed, he's grown on me and developed as a normal man. I still am uneasy about his history because of Wolfsheim, but he seems like a relatively trustworthy man at this point.

"Black Bottom Stomp"- Jelly Roll Morton

This song is clearly upbeat and lively as I imagine a Gatsby party would have been. The music is consistent in its tempo, but often shifts in rhythm and has many different parts to it. Similarly, Gatsby's parties maintained their speed and excitement throughout the night, but they shifted in the topics of conversations and events. I think this would have worked very well as a song being played at a Gatsby party, because regardless of the circumstances, it lightens the mood instantaneously and allows for guests to have a jolly time dancing and chatting the night away.