Final Blog

Compare and Contrast Gatsby and Tom. How are they alike? How are they different? Why would Daisy choose to stay with Tom?

Sometimes the best decision to make, is not the best decision for the person who has to decide. Sacrifices have to be made to keep everyone happy, even if it means sacrificing the dreams of a lifetime. In the book The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald a rich, sophisticated goddess is being fought over by two gorgeous and very wealthy men, one whom happens to be her husband. Tom Buchanan is a very ignorant and cocky man who doesn't treat Daisy with the respect she deserves. Gatsby is a very shy and timid man around Daisy and most of the "old rich" people, but he has an unconditional love for Daisy that will always be remembered.

Gatsby and Tom are both very rich men, but received their money two completely different ways. Gatsby grew up a poor boy on a farm, who had to work hard for his money doing jobs such as clam digging and salmon fishing on the south shore of Lake Superior. While Tom's family has always been rich. Gatsby came into all his money illegally by bootlegging, but he won't admit it. Instead he makes up lies to try to convince people that he's an innocent, intelligent mad educated at Oxford. Tom and Gatsby are alike in more ways then one. Gatsby and Tom had the same ignorant attitudes when they were younger. Gatsby got girls all the time, he was a handsome man. Tom was a football player who had the looks and the money. Except Tom hasn't changed, even as a married man. Yet, Gatsby has changed since he met Daisy, of course Daisy didn't have the same effect on Tom as she did Gatsby.

Gatsby and Tom both love Daisy, but in unique ways. Daisy is a possession to Tom, he loves her because she fulfills his "perfect" American life. Yet, Tom is an unfaithful, liar who doesn't care about Daisy's feelings. He sleeps with many random girls, when he has a beautiful wife and daughter at home. Daisy is a fantasy to Gatsby. Gatsby's whole heart is devoted to Daisy and he would never do anything to hurt her. Gatsby has waited for Daisy ever since he was shipped away into the military, and now that he has all the material things she would need he's come to receive her love once again. Tom has always had Daisy and knows he always will, he has no thought in his mind that Daisy will leave him, he wouldn't cheat if he thought that.

Even though Daisy is in love with Gatsby she will remain with Tom, because of respect. Divorce was looked down upon in the 1920's, but that's not the only reason. Gatsby has a lot of money, but because he's new rich he's not respected as the people are in East Egg. He doesn't know how to spend his money and how to act rich. He's criticized by the "old rich" and looked down upon as immature and wild, and his eccentric parties don't help. Even Daisy is surprised by the people who come to his uncivilized parties. Daisy would never leave Tom and her "American Dream" to live with someone in West Egg and have her reputation destroyed.

Gatsby and Tom are definitely unique but opposite character's who tend to be exaggerated by the author. Gatsby wouldn't be able to live without Daisy or without hope of being with Daisy. When Tom doesn't care if he's with Daisy or with a girl off the street, as long as he's married to Daisy. Daisy will always stay with Tom, because it was how she was brought up, even if it means pretending she's in love with someone she's not.

How is our understanding of culture and society constructed through and by language?

Our understanding of culture and scoiety is reflected by the way we speak. There's slang, snootiness, bad grammar,a dn accents. The way you speak tells the person more about you the you would think.

For example, if you have bad grammar it shows that you aren't educated. Also, the way your voice comes out if it's sharp and your answers to questions are short and mean sounding it may show that you're not a very friendly person. But, if you speak with kindness and with a large range of vocabulary it gives off a very sophisticated look.

The way you speak definitely tells someone about your culture, but so does the way you dress. By just speaking to someone you can tell where they are from or what their nationality is or how educated they are. Accents are amazing and they are hard to immitate if you are not around someone who has an accent. They make you unique and informs people about your past. Language tells more about your past then now or your future. One of the reasons for this is becuase you learn how to speak when you're young and it stays with you forever and it's very hard to break your talking habits and begin new ones.

Ellen Goodman Article

I don't believe our thriftiness will last as long as the recession, it will last longer. I believe the recession will change most people's spending ways, same as after the depression in the 1920's. With the people now aware of the results spending so much and continuously raising the stock markets as well as prices; they won't waste as much money. I do believe the stock market will go up again, but it will be a slow acsent.

After the recession people won't have very much money to spend, they will be to concentrated on getting out of debt. Most people will try to pay off all their debts with the money they have left first before they think about going and buying new "toys". The people that are movie stars and rich feel guilty for wasting their money on unimportant things, maybe the recession will stop unnessecary spending and hopefully the rich may start donating their excessive amounts of money to those who don't have as much.

My family has always saved up money, but we save our money in mutual funds, which is a problem. But, my family also doesn't expect to take it out anytime soon. So as long as the stock market doesn't crash, and eventually goes up with in the next twenty years we should be okay. But, since we have always been saving and my dad is very strict with money and never wastes it on unnecessary things, I don't think this recession will change our spending ways much.

Distilling the Big 3 to 1

I don't agree with Naughton's idea of combining the three largest American car companies into one. This new change will lose millions of jobs. Nuaghton quotes " In 2002, billionaire investor Wilbur Ross agreed to buy up bankrupt LTV Steel, setting off a merger frenzy that saw 17 companies shrink down to three, while financial results reversed from a $1.1 billion loss in 2003 to a $6.6 billion profit in 2004. Ross used the bankruptcy courts to renegotiate labor contracts and hire back a fraction of the workers." I believe this example will work if we combine the companies, but I also believe it will work if they just stopped making so many cars. I believe they should be forced to restructure. The cars that haven't been selling and don't get good gas mileage, shouldn't be made anymore. I believe if we kept all the cars that still sell and are economic friendly then we can keep GM, Ford, and Chrysler separate and still have their names on their cars. Just make each company smaller instead of combining them. They don't have to stop making them all together just make less of them. If they sold every single car they made they would make a profit no matter how many cars they made. If they make too many cars then they'll definitely lose money. And if decreasing the number of vehicles they make doesn't work then maybe we should combine them. If they would not make and put in the car lots 2009 cars in July of 2008, they would have more room for other cars that aren't being sold. They just need to slow down the car making process. Also, American models need to make cars that are economic friendly and get good gas mileage. Naughton state's that it will take until 2011 to match foreign competition. That reason is only because gas prices increased and Toyota's that aren't even hybrid can get around 35 mpg. You wouldn't be able to find that in a Ford. Toyota's also make their cars more sturdy in the inside and not so breakable. Americans need to stop making cars so quickly and redesign them to be more sturdier, nicer cars with good mpg. They should have hybrids, but they should also have just regular cars that get good mpg without having to spend 50,000 dollars on them. Or I guess they could make cars that are designed to break down right after your 5 year warranty is up so people will be forced to buy new cars. Anyways I don't believe the economy will respond in a positive way if all three brands are combined to one. How are people who hate Fords and love Chevy's supposed to buy a car when the names combine? I personally believe that they should make fewer, more dependable cars, and stop making all the cars that haven't sold in the last 2 years.