I remember my theory had something to do with F. Scott Fitzgerald's contrast between movement--both East and West--and stasis. My paper explored his understated use of dynamic vs. static images to reveal the implications of the changing social and moral philosophy of the early 1920's.
Or something like that.
So tonight, at exactly 9:45 p.m. my daughter says to me, "Mom, I just wrote a paper on The Great Gatsby. Can you come take a look?"
"Of course I can, darling," I replied. "I am an expert, afterall!"
I thought her paper started off on the right foot:
At first glance The Great Gatsby seems to be just a series of random events that don’t really mean much, but the deeper you dig for meaning, the easier it is to find it.
True that, I thought. But then she revealed the deeper meaning:
West Egg and East Egg, Long Island are shaped like eggs, and it reminds me of humpty dumpty. Each character in the book sits on their own wall and eventually they all crack.
Wait! I'm getting an image:
ha ha ha HA HA HA HA snort HA ha snicker hee hee HA ha Ho Ho! aaahhhh!
Allow me a moment to catch my breath.
At first glance, I thought, "where did she come from?" But the more I think about it . . . let's just say, if anyone ever asks me how I know she's my daughter, I'll tell them this story.
And maybe I'll mention the time in college when I wrote a paper on Keats, Shelley and Byron entitled The Peanut Butter Poets, based on the fact that their images stick to the roof of your mouth.
Or maybe I won't.
17 comments:
I love Humpty's evil cousin Bumpty!!!
Alas, it is revealing that I took a drama class that subsituted for senior english at my high school.
I rue the day... I think I am missing some great irony here.
I didn't read this book, but I saw the movie as an adult.
HA! I can tell her English teacher is a pushover. (double ha!)
So the question is: Did she learn that from her old English teacher?
ha ha Good question, Martha. Who do these deep thoughts reflect more upon, her hoity toity x-English teacher,Mariko, her current mom, or her current pushover English teacher?
Or is it just her?
I probably should spend more time with the poor girl. ;) Or vice versa.
Dolly, no great irony is missed, just the fact that my daughter is comparing a classic of piece of literature to Humpty Dumpty made me burst into snorts of laughter.
Can't wait for Yoga today. Me and Dolly are going to a yoga class today everybody. I will post pics.
I can hardly wait to see those pics. When you report, will you be an expert on that too? Hee Hee
(You know what an expert is don't you?.......an X is a "has been" and a spirt is a "drip under preasure"
Coundn't resist.
HA HA HE HE HE HO HO HA!!!
Lub it!
(and I am a bit embarassed that your daughter got the book when I, as a 30 something (for the last day) didn't. Uh!)
You lost me at stasis.
Crash I think your daughter is a genius! At least compared to me. I'm scanning back to my time in high school English when reading Tale of Two Cities when I couldn't understand how my teacher could get out of the ladies knitting that they were actually sending coded messages for the rebellion in their knitting. Really? Aren't they just old ladies knitting? Deeper meaning was lost on me. Really lost. Go Humpty!
you're so PUN-ny!!
Ive never read the Great Gatsby! i dont know if i ever will... is it really worth it? I guess I should trust you since everything else you suggested i've liked! kinda.....
so Julie and Julia has been on the byuh movie channel for February... now they run the movie channel 24/7 even sundays!! can you believe it? they are actually giving us the choice to choose whether to sin or not and giving us options with what movies to sin with! but anyways.. back to julie and julia.. my numbers of watching this movie, Im sure is getting close to Twilight, and after last weekend i stopped counting.. but after watching so much.. i think i love the movie so much because Im so in love with the "image" of Julia's husband that is portrayed!!
btw.. i have a new artist for you.... Pixie Lott.. she's awesome!
wv: sating.... couldn't have said it better myself!
I'm still laughing out loud :D That was pure awesomeness!!! Cheers to your daughter :)
I read the notes on pink monkey.com for 90% of my English career.
Gold star for your daughter!
Oh PS that's like a cliff notes but free....nothing dirty.
(I got the raised eyebrow from hubby on that comment! :) )
this is so weird! (good weird, coincidental weird, not bad weird.) my boss and i were talking about the great gatsby just today! it was a rather serious conversation about personal responsibility, decisions we make affecting us in unknown ways, etc. but i think this is way more fun! (i remember one time a professor asked what and who were the romantic poets and i said they were the precursors to hippies; he wasn't too amused.) yeah, it's amazing how daughters turn out like their mothers, eh? but it this case, at least you'll each have someone who gets your humor, even if it is occasionally lost on the uninitiated, huh?
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