The Green Light!

The green light is a multi-faceted piece of symbolism in the book. It's most obvious interpretation is that the light is symbolic of Gatsby's longing for Daisy, but that is too simplistic. Daisy is part of it, but the green light means much more. Gatsby has spent his whole life longing for something better. Money, success, acceptance, and Daisy. And no matter how much he has he never feels complete. Even when he has his large house full of interesting people and all of their attention, he still longs for Daisy. He created in his dreams for the future a place for her, and he will not be content to have that gaping hole. So the green light stands for all of Gatsby's longings and wants. And when Nick talks about the green light at the end of the book he says "It eluded us then, but that's no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms out farther...." . He connects the green light to all people. Everyone has something that they long and search for that is just off in the distance. That is the green light.

http://www.homework-online.com/tgg/symbolLight.html

the great gatsby film versions!

there were two different movies made about the Great Gatsby one was the 1974 version and the other was the 2000 version.

The Great Gatsby
1974
Director: Jack Clayton
Rated: PG

This is an elegant and faithful adaptation of the original novel. The film stars Robert Redford as Gatsby and Mia Farrow as Daisy. Also features an impressive performance by Bruce Dern as Tom Buchannan. The film won Oscars in 1975 for best costume design and best original musical score. Even still, reviewers of the day panned it, with most feeling the film lacked emotional depth in spite of the powerful work on which it was based.

The Great Gatsby
2000
Not Rated

This A&E Television Network version stars Toby Stephens as Gatsby and Mira Sorvino as Daisy. This adaptation follows the original work very closely. So, in addition to being quite entertaining, this movie would make for good review material.

information found at http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/The-Great-Gatsby-Study-and-Homework-Help-Film-Versions-of-The-Great-Gatsby.id-119,pageNum-111.html

The Men of Gatsby!

Nick Carraway - The novel’s narrator, Nick is a young man from Minnesota who, after being educated at Yale and fighting in World War I, goes to New York City to learn the bond business. Honest, tolerant, and inclined to reserve judgment, Nick often serves as a confidant for those with troubling secrets. After moving to West Egg, a fictional area of Long Island that is home to the newly rich, Nick quickly befriends his next-door neighbor, the mysterious Jay Gatsby. As Daisy Buchanan’s cousin, he facilitates the rekindling of the romance between her and Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is told entirely through Nick’s eyes; his thoughts and perceptions shape and color the story.
Jay Gatsby - The title character and protagonist of the novel, Gatsby is a fabulously wealthy young man living in a Gothic mansion in West Egg. He is famous for the lavish parties he throws every Saturday night, but no one knows where he comes from, what he does, or how he made his fortune. As the novel progresses, Nick learns that Gatsby was born James Gatz on a farm in North Dakota; working for a millionaire made him dedicate his life to the achievement of wealth. When he met Daisy while training to be an officer in Louisville, he fell in love with her. Nick also learns that Gatsby made his fortune through criminal activity, as he was willing to do anything to gain the social position he thought necessary to win Daisy. Nick views Gatsby as a deeply flawed man, dishonest and vulgar, whose extraordinary optimism and power to transform his dreams into reality make him “great” nonetheless.
Tom Buchanan - Daisy’s immensely wealthy husband, once a member of Nick’s social club at Yale. Powerfully built and hailing from a socially solid old family, Tom is an arrogant, hypocritical bully. His social attitudes are laced with racism and sexism, and he never even considers trying to live up to the moral standard he demands from those around him. He has no moral qualms about his own extramarital affair with Myrtle, but when he begins to suspect Daisy and Gatsby of having an affair, he becomes outraged and forces a confrontation.

The Women of Gatsby!

Daisy Buchanan
Daisy is Nick's cousin, Tom's wife, and the woman that Gatsby loves. She had promised to wait for Jay Gatsby until the end of the war, but after meeting Tom Buchanan and comparing his extreme wealth to Gatsby's poverty, she broke her promise. Daisy uses her frailty as an excuse for her extreme immaturity.
Jordan Baker
Daisy's longtime friend, Jordan Baker is a professional golfer who cheated in order to win her first tournament. Jordan is extremely cynical, with a masculine, icy demeanor that Nick initially finds compelling. The two become briefly involved, but Jordan rejects him on the grounds that he is as corrupt and decadent as she is.
Myrtle Wilson
An earthy, vital, and voluptuous woman, Myrtle is desperate to improve her life. She shares a loveless marriage with George Wilson, a man who runs a shabby garage. She has been having a long-term affair with Tom Buchanan, and is very jealous of his wife, Daisy. After a fight with her husband, she runs out into the street and is hit and killed by Gatsby's car.

jealousy!

Of all the emotions humans show, jealousy is one of the most common and unsettling. It tends to bring out the worst in us, even though most of us know better. It's an age-old problem, having been recorded since biblical times, and no doubt experienced even before that.
Jealousy is simply and clearly the fear that you do not have value. Jealousy scans for evidence to prove the point - that others will be preferred and rewarded more than you. There is only one alternative - self-value. If you cannot love yourself, you will not believe that you are loved. You will always think it's a mistake or luck. Take your eyes off others and turn the scanner within. Find the seeds of your jealousy, clear the old voices and experiences. Put all the energy into building your personal and emotional security. Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them. ~Jennifer James
And oft, my jealousy shapes faults that are not. ~William Shakespeare
Jealousy in romance is like salt in food. A little can enhance the savor, but too much can spoil the pleasure and, under certain circumstances, can be life-threatening. ~Maya Angelou

information found at http://www.quotegarden.com/jealousy.html

Od Money vs. New Money

In The Great Gatsby, money affects different people in different ways. For Gatsby, it means that he will finally have a chance at getting Daisy. But his money turns out to be somewhat of an obstacle in getting Daisy. Gatsby gained wealth to impress Daisy, he had what was considered "new money", and he tried to hide his wealth from people so that Daisy will not find out.

When Gatsby and Daisy first met, Gatsby was in the war and was very poor. He came from a middle-class family from the Midwestern United States. Daisy came from a wealthy family and because of the views of society, these two were not able to pursue their feelings for one another. Gatsby then dedicated his life to becoming wealthy so that one day he could possibly have Daisy to himself. He bought a gigantic house that appeared to be an imitation of the Hotel de Ville in Normandy. When Nick invited Daisy over for tea so that Gatsby would be able to meet her, Gatsby had Nick’s yard mowed, he sent over a fine silver tea set, and tulips to make Nick’s house look more ritzy. Every weekend, he threw huge parties hoping, that by some odd chance, Daisy might show up at a one of the parties. At these parties, he had the best of everything. He had bands that played music of the time, he brought in crates upon crates of fresh vegetables and other foods, and he had a large number of crates of wine and other alcoholic beverages. He also had the finest in automobiles for the time. He had a yellow Rolls-Royce limo that was extremely expensive and rare. All of this was to impress Daisy and evidence existed of this in that he never went out of his house during the parties. He let the people who wondered in party and have a good time while he watched from a room in the house.

Gatsby’s money is what is known as "new money." This is shown by the location of his house which is in West Egg. The "new money" was money that was earned through an occupation or some operation, whether legal or illegal. Gatsby earned his money through illegal actions with the mob. People who had "old money" received their money through their family as it was passed from generation to generation. These people came from East Egg and included in this group was Daisy Buchanan.

Gatsby tried to hide the source of his wealth so that people will not know the real source. He wanted to keep it secret so that Daisy would not find out and stay away from him. He wanted her to get to know him again first, before she found out the real source of his wealth. He told people that his parents were wealthy and that when they died, they left a large some of money to him. He actually gained his wealth through bootlegging alcohol and other mob activities.

Gatsby wanted to use his money so that he could impress Daisy and have things back to the way when they first met. In the end, he didn’t end up getting Daisy because too many things had changed.

Source
http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=7079

selfish people!

This is a tale about selfish love
She looks into his eyes. Tears rushing; pouring through little creek beds in her cheeks.
“It all seemed too good to be true,” she half says, half gasps. “When I told you I had cancer, and you said it didn’t matter because you loved me anyway.”
Electrodes. Wires. A hospital bed cradling the emaciated body. Somewhere in the background a machine beeps quietly, acknowledging the life still there, while another machine takes a long slow breath and exhales gently into a tube.
He looks at her. Still beautiful to him, even now. He can not face her long though and quickly turns away.
“It was so wonderful when you’d take me out on our dates. You were always so patient with me. If I couldn’t make it out, you were there at my side. If you couldn’t come, you’d be on the phone with me for hours. All so sweet.”
The smell of disinfectant is cloying. It is like a mixture of turpentine and vinegar. The combination burns in the sinuses. Sadly this is the last smell many previous occupants have known. None of the staff take notice anymore. It’s just the world they work in.
With trembling hand she reaches out and pulls his face around to meet hers. Pale skin. Dark, bruised, blue eyes. Softly she speaks.
“My friends all said you were after my money, what little I have, but I refused to hear it. Maybe I should have given more thought to it, but in truth I didn’t care. I’m 26 years old and dying. All that mattered was that I had someone there for me. And you were there. Kissing my tears away. Brushing my hair. I suppose in that way it was a selfish love. Though one you were only so happy to oblige me in. Then when you asked me to marry you… well, I guess I was naïve.”
A little laugh burbles through her pale, parched lips, before turning into a coughing fit. Glass of water from a plastic pitcher. Pink and ugly so that no one would ever think of stealing it. Somehow it makes even fresh water taste stagnant.
“I remember shortly after I started chemo, when I was feeling down about losing my hair. I told you I didn’t want you to see me like that. But you showed up anyway, head completely shaved. You laughingly called yourself Charlie Brown. So I took out a marker and drew three hairs on top.”
A small upturn at the right corner of her mouth. A fleeting smile, gone as quickly as it appeared.
“But the chemo didn’t work.”
“I’m sorry,” he breathes out. His eyes are swollen, raining down.
“Are you?” she asks.
“I meant it when I said ‘I love you.’”
Silence. The drip of an IV isn’t something you can hear. When you’ve been in and out of hospitals for two years though, it’s something you know you can feel.
“I thought you did. Then two weeks ago, when you didn’t show up or answer the phone, I got nervous. I was torn between worry for your safety and wondering if you’d decided to break it off with me. No word from you, until today. And now here we are; you a liar, and me a fool.”
“You’re not a fool,” he rasps as he pulls himself up on the bed rails. He reaches out for her hand but she pulls back.
“How long have you had cancer?” she asks.
Seeing her recoil from him is too much. With a heavy sigh he lets his tired body fall back into the pillows.
“Since I was 14,” he replies, “but it was in remission for a decade. When it returned it was widespread.”
“Why lie? I have cancer. I would have understood.”
“I didn’t want to risk it. I figured if I was just some guy who liked you, that you might fall for me.”
“But why?” she demands, pounding the bed rails. “Why would you do that to me?”
A slight wheeze as he responds simply, “I didn’t want to die alone.”
Conflict authors novels in her eyes. Pain, betrayal; love, anger, and finally sympathy.
“Bastard.”
“I really do love you,” he repeats. “I never lied about that.”
“I know. I just hate you for making me love you in return.”
“It won’t be long now. Will you stay with me?”
She reaches over and grasps his hand in hers.
“Till death do us part.”

information found at http://www.thenonreview.com/2010/02/short-story-selfish-love.html