Among the Ash Heaps and Millionaires...

The Great Gatsby is my favorite book of the reading list, so far. There’s so much going on, and it gets you hanging on, waiting for the next thing. It was pleasantly fiction, at least more so than The Grapes of Wrath, and a little easier to read. I thought the characters of The Great Gatsby were all great in themselves. The author did a fantastic job in bringing them to life, even some of the minor characters. In fact, everything he described he brought into sharp focus, which really helped to get me into the book.

A constant theme I noticed in this book was the ideals of the wealthy social classes. Whether it’s of old aristocracy like the Buchanan’s, or of newly found success like Gatsby, the wealthy always seemed a bit careless. Gatsby was ostentatious, owning expensive and extravagant things, mostly just for the sake of showing them off. The Buchanan’s had elegance and good taste, but they had a tendency of being heartless and inconsiderate. This is shown through all their various affairs, including moving away after Gatsby’s death and not attending his funeral. Gatsby at least had some sincerity and loyalty; he once stood outside Daisy’s window just to be sure she was alright. But no matter what, the upper class folk always seem to think that they get whatever they want just because they have money and the influence of money. I find this concept a frustrating one, and agree with Nick in calling them “hollow”, as they have this whole image built up on the outside, yet barely anything is to be found on the inside.

I think I liked the character of Nick Carraway best, because I can relate to him best. He considers himself honest, slow to judge, and isn’t impressed with people just because they have a lot of money, but can look deeper than that. However, the most interesting character I found in the book was, hands down, Jay Gatsby. The first image I built of him in the beginning of the book differs greatly from the image I have after finishing his story. He seemed mysterious, gentle, and reserved at first glance. Then, as the story unfolded, so did Gatsby’s true character. He slowly became a passionate, lovesick, idealistic, naïve dreamer, who a lot of things, but only ever wanted the woman he loved. Ever since he left Daisy, he never stopped thinking about her, never gave up on the idea of her, even after she got married. This is really examined in the way he valued her opinion. When he found she dislike his parties, he stopped throwing them altogether. Because everything he did, he did for Daisy, to win her back. So he is also a very dedicated man, even if a little extremely.

I noticed that there were a lot of uses of symbolism in this novel. Almost anything could be seen as a symbol here, the strongest of which being the green light situated at the end of the Buchanan’s dock. Gatsby looks upon this soft light at night from across the bay. It represents his hopes and dreams, and he associates it with Daisy. Nick then later compares this idea with the thought of how the America must have looked like to the early settlers. So this green light, in a way, also represents the broader idea of the American dream.

The Great Gatsby definitely deserves to be a classic novel, because, despite the numerous errors in the book, it captures an essence of America. Is it just me, or do these summer novels have a lot common?

The Grapes of Wrath (and you thought they were delicious...)

When I first picked up The Grapes of Wrath to start my reading, I had just come out of a week-long vacation to San Diego with some friends, traveling in a bus and visiting places like the historic Mesa Verde, the marvelous Grand Canyon, and the beautiful beach of Coronado Island. So I wasn’t exactly thrilled about my new schedule of reading around the clock, and my first thought about this book was how long it was. However, as I read, slowly but surely I began to enjoy The Grapes of Wrath. It does have some drawbacks, like the broken and harsh language of the farmers/migrants, the old vocabulary and meanings of the 1930’s, and the flat characterizations of some of the characters. But I felt this was a really moving novel with vivid descriptions and realizations. I really like the way the author offered so much background without completely disrupting the storyline. I thought it was pretty clever writing in the backgrounds and settings in every other chapter, and the way he worded those chapters was very interesting in itself.

The various characters of the novel were quite enjoyable too. Most have quite a bit in common, yet they are so different from each other at the same time. My favorite character of the book has to be Jim Casy. He is a reserved, quiet and thoughtful man, or as Tom puts it, “he’s a funny fella”, “thinkin’ all the time.” Casy thinks past the world’s concerns and more about spiritual things and meanings, which he sometimes blamed on his years as a preacher. But he renounces those years and even his own religion as he begins thinking through and questioning things and behaviors around him. The author sets Casy up as somewhat of a moral backbone to the characters with all his insight. He has a good heart, and shows this when he takes the blame for a fallen cop and goes to jail, and later when he gives his life in working to give the migrants better lives and wages. But the preacher in death was just as inspiring as in life, as Tom ended up following Casy’s lead and continuing his work.

Another impacting loss of this desperate journey was the stillbirth of Rose of Sharon’s baby. When Uncle John sent the baby’s coffin down the flooding stream, I couldn’t help but think of Moses. Although he was alive, Moses was also sent down a river in a little basket, and eventually grew up to lead his people out of Egypt. When Uncle John placed the apple box in the currents, he sent it, saying:

"Go down an’ tell ‘em. Go down in the street an’ rot an’ tell ‘em that way.… Maybe they’ll know then.”

In this way, the lifeless baby is Moses, and is sent out to free his people from the hunger and injustice they’ve been forced to face. I think this was a really important part of the story, and kind of gave hope that one day the depressing times would end, and the migrants would be “free”.

One more thing I think important to mention is the famous opening line of the novel:

"To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth."

These words make a great introduction, because not only do they tell you the setting and conditions of the time, they give a sense of what’s to come. The second half has a great air of foreshadowing, of the destitute soon to come. Maybe it’s just me, but when you read this and really take it in, you just know, deep down, that this isn’t going to be one of those lovely fantasies with a happy ending.

So, The Grapes of Wrath: A great American novel, of not only the depression, hunger, inhumanity, but also of the life, moral, and hope of a country? I think so. Something to read just to pass the time of day, or to make you feel all cheery inside? Probably not. But that’s what makes it brilliant.