Gatsby 1-19-10

I had an idea about the clock when I initially read it and am glad it was one of our prompts. Before getting into the details of the clock though, I want to prelude it with a couple of other thoughts that may tie into it.

From our previous reading assignment (1-60), I remembered when Nick first met Mr. Gatsby. They were both looking into the heavens that night (my interpretation is the sky)(pg20). At a closer look Nick noticed Gatsby to be looking "seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light. . .far away." Seemingly irrelevant at the time, but I believe the color green and the distance play a small part in the clock's meaning. Every time Gatsby is near Daisy, the color green is either implied through objects or said by a character. I have already mentioned the green dock light in the beginning but it is mentioned once more when Daisy is over for tea (93). The ONE thing that Gatsby was very intent on getting taken care of was Nick's lawn which, coincidentally, Nick describes the difference in green color between his and Mr. Gatsby's lawn. Gatsby's car had green seats. When Tom and Daisy went to Gatsby's party (there were stars in the sky which I will talk about next) Daisy said to hold up a green card and she would come running(104). When Gatsby kissed daisy they were in a tree (the tree may be far fetched). I believe the color green was implying that Gatsby was green with envy. Envious of Tom being married to Daisy. That's why Gatsby walked away from Tom when Nick introduced them for the first time. That's why Gatsby's house was right across from Tom and Daisy's home.

Stars are nearly mentioned every time the color green is too. In each of the previously mentioned pages from above you will find stars. Remember they were looking into the heavens on page twenty and mentioned again, referring to the same night on pg93 when having tea, "It had seemed as close a star to the moon. Now it was a green light on a dock." There were stars when they kissed in the tree on pg110 and 111, and when Tom and Daisy arrived at the party. I think stars are symbolic of length in this book. This may already be known, but light years are not a measurement of time but of length or distance.

The length of time keeping Daisy and Jay apart had finally come to a stop when the clock was introduced. The woman whom Gatsby had been longing for was finally there. Time is obviously represented by a clock, so when Nick said they imagined it had "smashed in pieces on the floor", it implied that time was irrelevant to the feelings previously had. The love was still there no matter what length of time had gone by. The green "star" on the dock was the only "star" left keeping distance between them. That's why Nick was important, he was the bridge, so to speak, that would finally let Daisy come from over the water. When Nick saw Gatsby trembling he was doing it out of envy and frustration.

My side note for this assignment:
Every character mentioned in this book, that was either invited or just went to the parties, was not reputable. Dr. Civet was drowned, the voltaires that "flipped their noses like goats at whosoever came near.", Mr. Endive who got in a fight with "a bum", the Snells who went to jail, suicides, drunks, gamblers, and many others listed on pages 61-63 (that's a lot of people). Even the main characters from the book had questionable views of moral. Remember the guy that fixed the world series too? Mr. Gatsby was friends, knew, or hung out with all of them. Gatsby does not ever pass judgment on any of these people. An attribute that Nick's father had. Also, he called Nick "Sport." I have found that only older people do this to people that are younger than they are. Nick does favors for Gatsby, goes to lunch with him, does recreational activities, and looks up to him at some points. I have been wondering if Nick looks at Mr. Gatsby as some what of a father figure. . .