Is Gatsby Really Great

For some, greatness is something they are born with naturally, but for others it is something they themselves must achieve in order to have. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby with admirable qualities, a mysterious persona covering up his truths, superficial faults, and a loyal innocence dedicated to fulfilling his dream. Mr. Gatsbys traits entitle him to being labelled ‘great'. Gatsby has admirable qualities that contribute to defining his excellence.Jay's first encounter with the narrator, Nick Carraway, focuses deeply on his smile, explaining how: â€Å"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in a life.. † (Fitzgerald 48). Along with his captivating appearance, Mr. Jay Gatsby has a superior perspective to compliment it. His generosity is proven after one of his extravagant parties when Lucille accidentally tares her dress on a chair. She mentions that: â€Å"he asked me my name and address- inside of a week I got a package from Crorrier's with a new evening gown in it. (43). The dress Mr. Gatsby delivers is not just any dress Lucille explains, it was a value of Two hundred and sixty-five dollars. With his money, surprisingly, does not come arrogance as shown afterwards when Nick fails to recognize that he is already conversing with the mysterious man himself. Gatsby modestly responds by saying: â€Å"I thought you knew, old sport. I'm afraid I'm no a very good host,† (48). Gatsby's reaction reveals the humbleness in his character, even though this mishap is arguably not his fault. Jay's features of excellence earn him to be classified as great.The illusion Gatsby expresses in his persona gives off a sense of greatness in the aspect of magic and make-believe. Nick attends his first party at the Gatsby residence and eventually finds himself in the Library of the mansion. Alongside Jordan, ‘Owl Eyes' explains to him the truth beh ind the crowded bookcases: â€Å"It's a bona-fide printed matter. It fooled me.. Knew when to stop, too- didn't cut the pages.. † (46). Owl Eye's investigating proves the books to be real. However, he also discovers the pages of the book have not been cut, thus, have not been read.Aside from the physical props he uses, Gatsby as a person is really just an invention. At age seventeen, James Gatz is given the opportunity to become his dream by recreating himself. He escapes his unworthy past because, â€Å"His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people- his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. † (99). Thanks to the yacht owner, Dan Cody, James Gatz has the privilege to transform himself into the prestigious Mr. Jay Gatsby. Now Gatsby lives the cookie cutter life of the American Dream, which in the end is just another illusion.The obsessive need to capture his dream develops his relationship with past love, Daisy, for the most part as a fantasy. Near the end of chapter seven, the glorified image of Gatsby and Daisy is suddenly shattered when she tells him: â€Å"Even alone I can't say I never loved Tom,† (133). The devastation Gatsby faces leaves him in denial, blinded by the pursuit of his dreams. The false impression Gatsby illustrates is something the average human being is not capable of doing. Perfection is never achieved within Gatsby, though his faults are only that of superficial matter.Tom outs Gatsby's past crime life in front of Daisy, revealing that: â€Å"He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. † (134). Though illegal at the time, it is hardly and immoral crime against foolish illegitimate laws. Truthful accusations are also made about truth telling, or lack thereof. Essentially, Gatsby lies in spite of his dreams. The faith he devotes to making Daisy a primary part of his life is the explanation behi nd his dedicated lies.The whole reason â€Å"he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, (99) is to innocently stay loyal to Daisy, without harmful intentions. Gatsby's faults are that of depth-less incidents and should not be used against his nobleness. Gatsby's sense of hope towards his dream and pure optimism is really what separates him from everyday people. His unmistakable smile: â€Å"understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey. (48). These feelings are brought to Nick with a simple, yet intriguing, flash of his grin. Originally, Gatsby's life begins as a poor man, in love with a woman born from old money, but his unmitigated belief allows him a fighting chance against social differences. Though, â€Å"he let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herself- that he was fully able to take care of her. As a matter of fact, he had no such facilities-† (149) he enforced this security into his life mainly because he never yields to cynicism. Even after Mr.Gatsby passes, optimistic thoughts still roam throughout Nicks head; â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther†¦ † (182). Gatsby's presence undoubtedly affects Mr. Carraways final thoughts of The Great Gatsby, substantiating his life changing positivity. In final analysis, the creation of Jay Gatsby makes him fitting to be labelled as ‘great'. Mainly, this dubbing is deserving because of his confidence he uses to make his vision a reality.Similarly, the ‘mistakes' he makes on this journey are not those of evil behaviour, only occurring because he is so absorbed in his own dream. N evertheless, greatness can be looked at as an illusion, which Gatsby significantly portrays as well. Finally, because his qualities in general are admired by most and held in high respect. Greatness is not usually looked for following a format; it can not specifically define who is and who is not, but when it is recognized it is commonly the simple things that distinguish it.

Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham City Jail Essays - Open Letters

Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham City Jail Essays - Open Letters Daniel Kang Ms. Menard Honors English 8 31 March 2014 Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham City Jail In the essay Letter from Birmingham City Jail by Martin Luther King Junior inspires and arouses the negroes of Birmingham, Alabama to revolt. He started off with some background knowledge about civil rights and exercising our right to revolt. Also, about the Alabama Christian Movement of Human Rights Organization. King was arrested for civil rights demonstrations on April 16, 1963. I am in Birmingham because injustice is here (Luther 233). He always knew and expressed that violence was never the answer. King states four steps of a non violent campaign. This plan was to help Birmingham one of the most segregated city in the United States. Here are some of the outlines of the plan: In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps:(1) collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive,(2) negotiation,(3) self-purification, (4) direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying of the fact that racial injustice engulfs this c ommunity (Luther 234). Martin was a very smart man, he used direct action, but secretly for the use of negotiation. This is the counterexample he uses in the passage to show how even direct action can work in some situations. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored (Luther 236). Martin Luther King Junior is still known today as a civil rights leader and one of the most famous of them.

Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly

Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly Nothing to do with Raspberries, Exactly By Maeve Maddox You may soon be seeing media coverage of a newly discovered threat to the already endangered honey bee population called Rasberry crazy ants. This previously unnoticed type of ant is thought to have entered the U.S. by way of a Texas port and is now busily at work destroying honey bee larvae and other things that human beings value. Rasberry crazy ants are named for an exterminator named Tom Rasberry who first noticed their destructive habits in 2002. Theyve already caused millions of dollars of damage in Texas. Honey bees are not their only target. The ants are attracted to electrical equipment and chew through insulation, causing short circuits. Their scientific name is paratrenicha species near pubens. The epithet crazy comes from the fact that these ants dont travel in straight lines, but wander from side to side. Since their scientific name is not likely to catch on, we can expect to see the word Rasberry in the news, a circumstance that may lead to confusion among insecure spellers. The name of the fruit is spelled raspberry. raspberry: 1623, earlier raspis berry (1548), possibly from raspise a sweet rose-colored wine (c.1460), from Anglo-L. vinum raspeys, origin uncertain, as is the connection between this and O.Fr. raspe, M.L. raspecia, raspeium, also meaning raspberry. One suggestion is via Old Walloon raspoie thicket, of Gmc. origin. Raspberries can self-pollinate, but cross-pollination carried on by bees improves fruit weight and shape. Most of the fruit we like to eat, however, depends entirely on bees for pollination. As a volunteer Master Gardener Im especially aware of the plight of the honey bee. Its astounding to me that some politicians and journalists seem to find the topic laughable. NOTE: Some dictionaries list the forms honeybee or honey-bee. Entomologists write it as two words. Paratrenicha species near pubens Colony Collapse Disorder article about bee ridicule in the media Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of HumorUsing the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingNominalized Verbs

Writing a History Book Review

Writing a History Book Review There are several acceptable ways to write a book review, but if your teacher doesn’t provide you with specific instructions, you might feel a little lost when it comes to formatting your paper. There is a format used by many teachers and college professors when it comes to reviewing history texts. It isn’t found in any style guide, but it does contain aspects of the Turabian style of writing. Although it might seem a little strange to you, many history teachers like to see a full citation for the book you’re reviewing (Turabian style) at the head of the paper, right below the title. While it might seem odd to start with a citation, this format mirrors the appearance of book reviews that are published in scholarly journals. Below the title and citation, write the body of the book review in essay form without subtitles. As you write your book review, remember that your goal is to analyze the text by discussing the strengths and weaknesses- as opposed to summarizing the content. You should also note that it’s best to be as balanced as possible in your analysis. Include both strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, if you think the book was either dreadfully written or ingenious, you should say so! Other Important Elements to Include in Your Analysis Date/range of the book. Define the time period that the book covers. Explain if the book progresses chronologically or if it addresses events by topic. If the book addresses one particular subject, explain how that event fits into a broader time scale (like the Reconstruction era).Point of view. Can you glean from the text if the author has a strong opinion about an event? Is the author objective, or does he express a liberal or conservative viewpoint?Sources. Does the author use secondary sources or primary sources, or both? Review the bibliography of the text to see if there is a pattern or any interesting observation about the sources the writer uses. Are the sources all new or all old? That fact could provide interesting insight into the validity of a thesis.Organization. Discuss whether the book makes sense the way it is written or if it could have been better organized. Authors put a lot of time into organizing a book and sometimes they just don’t get it right!Author inf ormation. What do you know about the author? What other books has he/she written? Does the author teach at a university? What training or experience has contributed to the author’s command of the topic? The last paragraph of your review should contain a summary of your review and a clear statement that conveys your overall opinion. It is common to make a statement such as: This book delivered on its promise because...This book was a disappointment because...This book contributed significantly to the argument that...The book [title] provides the reader with deep insight into... The book review is an opportunity to give your true opinion about a book. Just remember to back up a strong statement like those above with evidence from the text.

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aristotle - Essay Example At that juncture, Aristotle left Plato’s school and went off to have other adventures as a philosopher and teacher. Eventually Aristotle moved to the court of Philip of Macedonia, and became a teacher to Philip’s son, Alexander. Alexander would later become Alexander the Great, a military leader whose methods are still studied in military schools around the world. Aristotle’s influence on Alexander is evidenced by how he treated his enemies and conquered peoples. Aristotle taught Alexander until he assumed the role of king at the age of 18. In Aristotle’s lifetime he wrote many major works, but only 31 survive currently (IEP). Aristotle’s influence is world wide because his mind formed the basis of schools of philosophy for 2000 years and was used to reconcile church faith to education and logic. Authors Roy Matthews, DeWitt Platt, and Thomas Noble state that Aristotle â€Å"had the most comprehensive mind of the ancient world. His curiosity and va st intellect led him into every major field of inquiry of his time, except mathematics and music† (Matthews, Platt and Noble 74). Thus, Aristotle’s influence is wide. Schools of philosophy formed around Aristotle’s ideas. ... Having an effect on the theology of a church begs the question then, how much influence did Aristotle have on faith, rather than reason, and does this influence water down Christianity? Does philosophy belong within religion, which is supposed to be based on faith alone? During the dark ages there were some areas of light. Rulers, who would try to educate some of their subjects, made this light. Two outstanding educator rulers were King Alfred of England and Charlemagne, King of the Franks. European education died out when these two rulers passed from the world scene, but later a teacher, Abelard, who was affiliated with the University of Paris, would again go to Aristotle’s restored works to try to reconcile the church dogma with philosophy to end the rivalry between logic and faith. Aristotle was the bridge to achieve this peace. His logic in deconstructing an argument still is a standard and elementary concepts presented in any philosophy class. In the Poetics for example, Aristotle reasons the basic units of society and how they evolve into a state. He relates how man is a political being and gives advice about how humans need to live in a political state. These musings form some of the basis for western thought and politics that Americans use. The Founding Fathers used works of philosophy such as those of Aristotle as well as those from Enlightenment of the 1600s who were wrestling with science or reason over faith. The American founders put their faith in reason by separating church from state, as politics should not be faith based but based on logic and rationality devoid of any faith whatsoever. However, the current political field in the U. S. seems to have forgotten these basic philosophical rules when appealing

National Cholesterol Education Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

National Cholesterol Education Program - Essay Example Additional factors include age, a family history of heart disease, and being male. The risk of heart disease is the main reason why cholesterol level alertness is required. Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease (CVD) or coronary heart disease (CHD), is defined as any disorder, which impairs the normal functioning of the heart (Gandelman, 2006). Such disorders include arrhythmias, heart attack (myocardial infarction), and the various kinds of cardiomyopathy and angina. According to Barrett (2006), heart attack is ranked one among the most common causes of death in the United States and stroke is a close third. Epidemiological surveys demonstrated that there is a continuous correlation between CHD risk and serum total cholesterol levels over a broad range of cholesterol values (Grundy et al., 2004). High-risk and very high-risk people are individuals who have over 20% chance of heart attack within ten years (Barrett, 2006). The 2004 ATP III guideline regarding the said individuals state that drug therapy should be definite at 130 mg/dL (milligram per deciliter) cholesterol levels and it should be optional between 100 to 129 mg/dL levels (Barrett, 2006). This was a major change from the 2001 recommendation. Now, the goal for LDL-lowering therapy for all high-risk patients is a LDL-C level of less than 100 mg/dL (Grundy et al., 2004). According ... The ATP reports identified low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as the main target of cholesterol-lowering therapy since "Many prospective studies have shown that the high serum concentrations of LDL-C is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD)" (Grundy et al., 2004). Cholesterol-lowering therapy involves statins and some clinical trials that tested the efficiency and effectiveness of these drugs are as follows. In a Heart Protection Study (HPS) conducted in the United Kingdom involving 20 536 adults, aged 40 to 80 years and at high risk for a CVD event, the patients were randomly allocated to 40 mg simvastatin or placebo daily (Grundy et al., 2004). The results demonstrated that in patients treated with simvastatin, all-cause mortality was significantly reduced by 13%. Moreover, "Major vascular events were reduced by 24%, coronary death rate by 18%, nonfatal myocardial infarction + coronary death by 27%, nonfatal or fatal stroke by 25%, and cardiovascular revascularization by 24%" (Grundy et al., 2004). On the other hand, the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER) examined the efficacy of pravastatin treatment in older people with or at high risk of developing CVD and stroke. A total of 5804 subjects aged 70 to 82 years, with history of vascular disease or CVD risk factors, were randomly assigned pravastatin or placebo treatment. The follow-up averaged 3.2 years. Results showed that baseline total cholesterol ranged from 150 mg/dL to 350 mg/dL and prasvatatin reduced LDL-C levels by 34%. Major coronary events such as nonfatal myocardial infarction and CHD death fell by 19% whereas CHD mortality fell by 24%. The authors of PROSPER concluded that statin therapy can be extended to

Genetic Testing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Genetic Testing - Research Paper Example Indeed, employers are also inclined to conduct these tests, either clandestinely or overtly, of their employees to ensure they could be able to match workplace environment or would develop diseases amid genetic abnormalities. Indeed, employers regard such individuals that could develop diseases from workplace hazardous substances as ‘hypersensitive’ and usually are reluctant to induct them in organizational hierarchy to save future health care and social costs, avoid absenteeism, litigation and productivity losses. It is worthwhile to mention that workers having ‘thalassemia gene, sickle cell’ and other genetic disorders are among sensitive individuals who could develop diseases if they work in environment that contain chemicals such as ‘lead, benzene, carbon monoxide particles, cyanide’ etc (Andre & Velasquez, 1991) and (Miller, 2007). Indeed, the proponents of Genetic Testing have raised many arguments for this strategy because employers may inform workers why business workplace may be deleterious for their health, which may lead to disabilities in the long-run. Hence, in this way, the workers could make rational decisions for personal health security and shun dangerous workplaces whenever they apply for job as well as could avoid untimely deaths because of chronic illnesses. Second, the tests enable employees to hire healthy and dynamic workers thereby increasing internal efficiency, lowering absenteeism and minimizing recruitment costs from reduction in employee turnover rates per annum. Third, the financial burden on government reduces because of low allocation for health budgets and fewer social security disbursements. Fourth, it has been considered the responsibility of an employer to offer safe and secure working environment to its employees. However, it may not be possible for business owners to offer 100% secure environment