Chapter 9 (GG)

Nick says he's writing all of this two years after Gatsby's death. A ton of people are coming to the house to see if they can see where he was shot and reporters are questioning Nick and Gatsby's staff about it, while adding to their stories. Nick knows that no one else would really take care of the funeral and all of the arrangements so he takes it upon himself to do it. He tries to contact Tom and Daisy but they left without a forwarding address. All the other people Nick contacts about Gatsby, they blow him off and say they won't go to the funeral, or Gatsby got what he deserved. Wolfsheim avoided all of Nick's attempts to contact him too. Henry C. Gatz, Gatsby's father, arrives because he saw the story about Gatsby in the newspaper. Henry is old and is very proud of his son. VERY. He shows Nick a notebook that was Gatsby's when he was younger. Inside was a schedule Gatsby created to further himself. The only people other than Nick and Henry that attended the funeral were a few servants and that Owl Eyes character. After all is said and done, Nick doesn't want to be in the East anymore, and moves back home. He ends it with Jordan, who said she was engaged with another man already, then Nick called her immature. A couple of days before Nick leaves, he sees Tom in New York and confronts him about Tom telling Wilson that Gatsby hit Myrtle. All Tom wants is Nick's forgiveness so he can move past it and forget it... and Nick is disgusted. Nick thinks about the differences in the East and West, about how East seems ugly and distorted compared to the West. On Nick's last night living in the house next to Gatsby's, Nick goes into Gatsby's backyard and thinks about how Gatsby never got Daisy and how he hardly achieved his dream. Then something about the Dutch.

Response- I wanted to punch Tom when he said Gatsby deserved to die... he's an idiot. Nick did good fixing up Gatsby's funeral, even if he didn't 100% love Gatsby's character.

Question- What will Nick do now? He didn't finish his bond training...

Chapter 8 (GG)

Nick can't sleep and around 4 in the morning, Gatsby finally returns and tells Nick nothing happened between Tom and Daisy. They hang out for a while and Gatsby tells Nick about his past. [Chapter 6 story] Gatsby also tells Nick about the month he and Daisy spent together before he went to fight. He mentions how he lied about his background so Daisy wouldn't reject him and when they had sexual intercourse Gatsby felt like he married Daisy. Nick realizes he's late to work and leaves, but turns back to tell Gatsby that he's better than all of the Buchanan's and their friends put together, then Gatsby gives Nick one of his rare smiles. When Nick is at work Jordan calls him to set up a date, which Nick refuses. Nick now starts to tell the story of Wilson after everyone left last night. Wilson was basically insane, rocking back and forth randomly telling the Greek guy things about Myrtle, also saying God knows what she did. He was insinuating that he was referring to Dr. T. J. Eckelburg. Later after the Greek guy leaves Wilson, he comes back to check up on him and realizes that he's gone. Cops tracked him through towns and told the Greek that Wilson was going to body shops looking for an owner of a yellow car. Someone tells him the name Gatsby and West Egg. Nick then says that he was feeling anxious at work so he left early after trying to get a hold of Gatsby with no answer. Nick goes back to the story of Wilson, saying that Gatsby was swimming in his pool and one of his workers heard gunshots, but didn't really pay attention to them, until he saw Nick running up to the house. Nick, the butler, and the gardener go out back to see Gatsby dead in the pool and Wilson in the bushes.

Response- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gatsby's dead!?!?!? NO! Can't believe Wilson snapped. Wow. Shocker.

Question- How does Daisy feel, when she was the driver and is still alive? Hmm..

Chapter 7 (GG)

Nick starts this chapter off by telling us that Gatsby stopped throwing parties to get Daisy's attention and fired all of his servants because they gossiped, then hired men close to Wolfsheim. One day, the hottest day of the summer, Nick goes over to the Buchanan's house and Gatsby is there too. They all talk about how hot it is and what they should do and Daisy's daughter makes a brief appearance. Gatsby and Daisy can't stop looking at each other lovingly and complimenting each other... and Tom finally figures out what is going on between them. They decide to go to New York to pass the time. Tom and Gatsby bicker on which car they should take, so Daisy ends up riding with Gatsby in Tom's car while Tom drives Gatsby's with Nick and Jordan. Gatsby didn't have a lot of gas, so Tom has to stop at Wilson's garage to buy gas. Wilson tells them that he and Myrtle are going to go West and Tom figures out that Wilson found out about Myrtle cheating, but he doesn't know it was with Tom. The group gets to New York, where they rent a suite in a hotel and Tom and Gatsby end up quarreling over Daisy. Tom makes fun of Gatsby for always saying 'old sport' and calls him a bootlegger, since he owns drugstores and most likely sells alcohol over the counter. He also corners Gatsby about going to Oxford and Gatsby says he can't call himself an Oxford man because he only went for 5 months after the war. Gatsby retaliates by saying Daisy never loved him and Daisy agrees, but then realizes that being with Tom for 5 years, she can't ever say she never loved him... but she loves Gatsby too. Tom sends Daisy home with Gatsby in G's car and Tom, Jordan, and Nick stay for a short while. At that time Nick realizes that it's his 30th birthday. On G & D's way home, near the valley of ashes, Daisy was driving and Myrtle ran into the road. Daisy didn't know what to do and ended up hitting her straight on, killing her instantly and not stopping to see if she was alright. When Tom & Co. were heading back to East Egg, they see the commotion, and stop. They figure out who was hit and a greek man tells the crowd that a yellow car, Gatsby's car hit Myrtle. Tom thinks its Gatsby and he is mad/way sad. Wilson is way out of it too. From Wilson's shop, the trip was silent and Tom cried. They get to the Buchanan's house, and Tom calls for a cab for Nick. While Nick was waiting for it in the driveway, Gatsby calls out to him from the bushes and tells Nick his side of the story, also informing Nick that he was staying there until he knows Tom isn't going to hit Daisy for being reckless/with Gatsby. Nick goes to investigate and sees through a window that Tom and Daisy aren't fighting at all in the kitchen, so Nick tells Gatsby this, but he doesn't really believe Nick. So Nick leaves him there and goes home in the cab.

Response- Drama filled chapter!! It's amazing that Tom finally figured out the Gatsby/Daisy affair and same with Wilson finding out about his cheating wife. Too bad she got hit by a car, right?

Question- Will Wilson ever realize that it was Tom who was fooling around with Myrtle?!

Sorry this one is so long, but the chapter was 35 pages full of action! :)

Chapter 6 (GG)

A reporter comes to Gatsby's house one day wanting to know if the rumors about him are true. Nick then starts to tell us Gatsby's past right after that, since we need to know about him before anything else. Jay Gatsby's real name is James Gatz and he's from North Dakota. His parents were farmers. He went St. Olaf college and paid for it by doing janitorial work, but he dropped out after 2 weeks. He went to Lake Superior to do random work when he was 17 and that's where he met a 50 year old rich man named Dan Cody. He informed Cody of a storm so Cody's boat wouldn't get ruined and Cody took him on as an assistant and supervisor because he was an alcoholic and needed someone to watch over him when he was drunk. When Cody died, he left $250,000 for Gatsby, but Gatsby was cheated out of it by some lady that wanted Cody's money.
Nick didn't see Gatsby for weeks but one day when he visits him, Tom and Mr. and Mrs. Sloane ride over on horses for a drink. Gatsby invites them for supper, but they decline. They throw out the same offer for him. Gatsby accepts, and doesn't realize they don't want him. They ditch him, telling Nick to tell them they were late. The next party Gatsby has, Daisy and Tom come. Tom just goes because he wants to keep an eye out for Daisy. The whole time they were there, Daisy and Gatsby only talked for around half an hour, since Gatsby was the host he had to go around. Daisy didn't really have a good time and Gatsby knows it. He wants to change the past, have Daisy and Tom get a divorce, so Daisy can be with him. Nick tries to tell Gatsby this, but he won't listen to Nick. [oh, and tom called gatsby a bootlegger, she wasn't happy]

Response- I think Gatsby needs to realize that life isn't fair, and try to get over Daisy, because this can't end well. It was great when Gatsby kept referring to Tom as the polo player though.

Question- Will Tom do something to Gatsby because he's jealous that Daisy keeps spending time with him?

Chapter 5 (GG)

Nick gets home after Jordan telling him all about Gatsby and Daisy, when he notices Gatsby's house is lit up, but can't tell where Gatsby would be and then Gatsby comes out of nowhere. He makes offers to do various activities with Nick trying to please him and Nick tells him he agrees to invite Daisy over in a couple of days. Gatsby is ecstatic offers to buy the food and get someone to mow his lawn. Nick declines the offer of Gatsby getting the food and goes out to get stuff the next day. When the day comes, it's raining and Gatsby sends a gardener to cut the grass anyway and sends another man with flowers. Gatsby is nervous that Daisy won't accept him being there. Daisy shows up and Nick brings her inside where Nick realizes Gatsby isn't there. Then there's a knock on the door and it's Gatsby, he walked around the house in the rain quick. Gatsby goes into the room Daisy is in, and almost breaks Nick's clock. Nick decides to leave them alone for a bit, and goes into the kitchen and outside to look at Gatsby's house. It stops raining, so Nick goes back inside to tell them. When he enters the room Nick sees them both extremely happy. They go over to Gatsby's house where he shows off all of his stuff. When they get to his closet, Daisy starts crying because it's all so nice. They all go downstairs where a man named Klipspringer plays a song on the piano. Nick notices that Daisy and Gatsby act like he isn't there anymore, so he goes back to his house.

Response- The meeting was definitely awkward and I think Nick did right by letting them be alone both times.

Question- What did Daisy and Gatsby talk about?

Chapter 4 (GG)

Nick starts out telling us all of the different people he knows of that has been to Gatsby's parties. [There's a lot.] One day in July Gatsby takes Nick to lunch in New York and Nick comments that Gatsby is very American, since he is always moving. On their way to NY, Gatsby tells Nick a little about his life; His parents were rich, but are dead and he was from San Francisco. He tells Nick he went to Oxford and traveled Europe to forget something terrible. Gatsby also says that during the war he tried to die, but it never happened and he was decorated for his brave efforts. [Too bad he was just trying to die, not do well.] Then he takes out a medal from Little Montenegro and a picture of himself and his Oxford buddies. Then Gatsby says that he wants to ask something of Nick but hasn't yet because Nick should know a little bit about him first. Nick also finds out that later he and Jordan are going to have tea and Jordan is going to tell Nick the sad thing in Gatsby's life. Nick is a little pissed that Jordan has to tell him, but he gets over it. They get to their destination, where they meet a man that they end up eating with. He is introduced to Nick as Mr. Wolfsheim, and Nick notices that he's a flat-nosed Jew. Mr. Wolfsheim asks Nick if he is looking for business, but Gatsby interrupts saying Nick isn't the guy and they'll talk about that another time. They sit to eat and Gatsby gets up because he has to make a call. Nick and Wolfsheim chat about Gatsby and when he gets back Wolfsheim abruptly leaves and Gatsby tells Nick that Wolfsheim was the man that fixed the 1919 World Series. Nick and Gatsby leave and Nick notices Tom and they go over to him and they talk a little bit, and when Nick is about to introduce Gatsby, he's gone. Nick goes and meets Jordan for tea, and she tells Nick about how when she was 16 and Daisy was 18 Daisy met Jay Gatsby when he was stationed near their home and they fell in love. When Gatsby went to war, Daisy met Tom and they got married. The night before their wedding, Daisy got drunk and didn't want to get married but did and was good to Tom, but he wasn't to her. When Gatsby came home, he worked on getting money and basically stalked Daisy so that maybe someday he would be able to meet her. He bought his house on West Egg so that he would be close to Daisy and throws all of those parties so that Daisy would maybe show up. The favor Gatsby wants is Nick asking Daisy over for tea and letting Gatsby come over so that they can meet again.

Response- Wow, Gatsby isn't desperate is he? It's crazy how everyone ties together and I bet Gatsby will be having kittens when Daisy comes over.

Question- What was Mr. Wolfsheim going to propose to Nick? Bootlegging?

Vocab-
*PUNCTILIOUS [pg. 68]~ adj. Strictly attentive to minute details of form in action or conduct.
*GONNEGTION [pg.75]~ no results found.... ?????
*JUXTAPOSITION [pg.75]~ noun. The state of being close together or side by side.

Chapter 3 (GG)

This chapter starts out with Henry commenting on Gatsby's party life. It starts from 9 am and goes strong long past 12 pm. Then loads of cleaners have to come in and they throw out a lot of food. Also Gatsby has one party a month that is bigger than the rest. Nick is invited to one of Gatsby's parties and attends. When Nick shows up he tries to find Gatsby but fails. He then runs into Jordan and they sit and chat with some other people. One of the girls they sit with tells a story about how she was at one of Gatsby's parties before and her dress ripped and Gatsby bought her a new one. The group then throws around ideas of Gatsby's past because no one knows the truth. Nick and Jordan then get up and look for Gatsby and go to the library, where they see a man with huge glasses, who Nick refers to as Owl Eyes. They leave the library and go to the garden where it's well past 12 and they sit with a handsome man who recognizes Nick and asks if he fought in the war and they figure out that they were in the same division. Nick then goes to tell this man that this is his first party he's been to, even though he is Gatsby's neighbor. The man goes to introduce himself as Jay Gatsby! HA. Gatsby then has to go answer a call from Chicago and once he leaves, Nick immediately starts questioning Jordan on Gatsby. All Jordan could tell Nick is that Gatsby says he went to Oxford, but she doesn't believe him. Nick notices Gatsby is back outside and he isn't drinking, but looking at all of his guests instead. At around 2, Nick and Jordan get ready to leave, but then a butler comes up to Miss Baker and says Gatsby wants to see her. Nick waits, and when Jordan returns she says she was told something extraordinary and she will tell him later, and she leaves. Gatsby comes up to Nick after that and asks him if he wants to go on his plane tomorrow and their conversation is interrupted by Philadelphia wanting to talk to Gatsby. Nick leaves to go home and sees that Owl Eyes went into the ditch with his car. Nick then starts telling us that his life isn't just parties, but most of the time he is working and he also is starting a relationship with Jordan Baker and finds out that she is a dishonest woman, and most likely lied in her first golf tournament. Yet Nick still enjoys her company and also thinks that he is probably the most honest person he has ever known.

Response- Interesting, now that we finally know how Gatsby's parties fold out, I wonder if Nick will attend again? He most likely will now that he met Gatsby... also I want to know if Jordan has ever been caught lying... hmm...

Question- Why are these cities calling Gatsby and what are they about?

Chapter 2 (GG)

This chapter opens up to Nick talking about a place in the middle of the distance between West Egg and New York where the motor-road and the railroad join each other where there is a Valley of Ashes, like a dirty swamp.
One Sunday afternoon Tom and Nick where going to New York and Tom makes them get off the train and they head over to a repair garage where the owner's name is George B. Wilson. They go in and and his wife comes in and goes straight to Tom, and she seems promiscuous. They all go to New York and it's obvious that Myrtle Wilson is Tom's girlfriend and they go to an apartment and get hammered with Myrtle's sister Catherine and a couple named Mr. and Mrs. McKee. Mr. McKee is a photographer and his wife is just annoying because she doesn't shut up about how he's photographed her 127 times. Catherine tells Nick that she was at a party at Gatsby's a month ago and she thought he was a little scary. She keeps talking about Gatsby and then tells Nick that Tom and Myrtle should divorce their spouses because they both hate their significant others. They drink more and Myrtle tells Nick about how Tom and her met on the subway. Around midnight Tom and Myrtle started fighting about Myrtle saying Daisy's name and Tom broke her nose! Nick and Mr. McKee leave the party after that.

Response- This chapter was interesting because they got drunk and fought.

Question- Will Myrtle talk to Tom again because of this incident?

Chapter 1 (GG)

The book starts out with the narrator, Nick Carraway, saying that his dad told him how not to immediately judge people.He mentions a character named Gatsby, who's habits Nick doesn't like, but Nick likes Gatsby's personality. Nick then goes on to talk about how in 1922 he moved to Long Island, New York on the West Egg, right next to Mr. Gatsby. He moved to New York to learn about the bond business. West Egg is less prestigious than the East Egg. Nick knows a man named Tom Buchanan who lives on the East Egg and is married to Nick's cousin Daisy. Tom went to Yale with Nick and Tom's family is filthy rich. One evening Nick goes over to the East Egg to visit Tom and Daisy in their mansion. Nick sees Tom in front of the house in riding attire and is invited inside. They enter the room Daisy is in and Nick sees a stranger, who is introduced as Miss Baker. They all talk for a bit and Tom asks Nick what he's doing and Nick says he's in the bond business. Tom dismisses what company Nick is working for and Nick isn't very happy. Miss Baker finally talks after Tom says something about a book he just finished reading about Nordics and how the white race should be most dominant. Miss Baker declines the drinks because she's in training and Nick remembers that he has seen her before. They mention Gatsby and Daisy reacts strangely to it. They then go outside to eat and Daisy pokes fun at Tom. Daisy and Miss Baker do most of the talking. Someone calls and it's for Tom. Daisy gets up after Tom and Miss Baker fills Nick in that Tom has a girl in New York and it's most likely her that called. They come back and Tom asks if anyone wants to see the stables and the phone rings again, and Daisy shakes her head to both matters. The group finishes eating and Miss Baker and Tom go to the library and Daisy and Nick go sit on the front porch. Daisy tells Nick about the day Tom and her 2 year old daughter is born because Tom wasn't there the day she was born. Daisy also tells Nick that she is getting cynical and pessimistic about everything. They go inside where Tom and Miss Baker are reading The Saturday Evening Post and Miss Baker gets up to go to bed because she's playing in a golf tournament the next day. Nick recognizes her as Jordan Baker since she is on a lot of posters and in the paper frequently. Daisy mentions that she wants Nick and Jordan to hook up and she would plan everything out. Nick gets up to leave and then Tom and Daisy question him about if he is engaged to a girl back west and he says no, because it's only a rumor, since you can't leave a girl you were dating and not have rumors. While driving away, Nick reflects on the events of the dinner. When he gets back to his house, he puts the car in the shed and then sees what he thinks is Mr. Gatsby and he is reaching out to the bay and Nick looks at the bay and back to Gatsby, but Mr. Gatsby vanished!

Response- I like this book so far, it already is fille with drama about Tom and Daisy, and Mr. Gatsby is just a huge mystery. Looking forward to the rest!!!

Question- Why did Daisy react so weirdly when the name Gatsby was mentioned?

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Exegi monumentum aere perennius
=
I have erected a monument more lasting than bronze.

(it's latin.)

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born in Minnesota on September 24, 1896. (Related to Francis Scott Key!!) His father was from Maryland, mother from St. Paul. Lived in upstate New York till he was 12, then they moved back to Minnesota. Went to Princeton and graduated in 1917. Joined the army in 1918 and returned in 1919. Was engaged to Zelda Sayre, but she broke it off because he wasn't the richest man. His book This Side of Paradise sounds like he wrote all about his feelings at this time. When it was published, he got instant fame and Zelda and Francis married a week after it was published. Both were alcoholics after having their child Frances, and Fitzgerald had to write short stories to not be in debt. Lived in Long Island at this time. Went to France in 1924 where he wrote The Great Gatsby. Zelda had a lot of affairs and The Great Gatsby didn't sell as well as it could of because of both of their actions. Zelda wanted to become a ballet dancer, but she had a breakdown and Francis ended up writing short stories again so they wouldn't become bankrupt. He went to Hollywood alone when he couldn't fund for their daughter Frances while Zelda was in a mental hospital. Fitzgerald ended up dying of a heart attack in 1940 and Zelda died in a hospital fire in 1948.

"An author ought to write for the youth of his generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterward."

I think Fitzgerald means that the elder authors of each generation should be trying to teach the younger people and lead them in the right direction. An author should also want the people of literature in the future to remember their works and even later have people teach their stories.

1920s

1920:
*Prohibition starts
*19th Amendment passed
1921:
*World War I ended
*Ku Klux Klan started their terror
1922:
*Jazz began to become popular
*Insulin first used for diabetes
1923:
*Charleston dance wave
*Equal Rights Amendment first introduced
1924:
*Kleenex, the first throw-away tissue invented
*Little Orphan Annie first aired
1925:
*The Great Gatsby published
*Al Capone starts his career as a Grade-A criminal
1926:
*First liquid fueled rocket launched
*Houdini dies
1927:
*Iron lung invented
*Mount Rushmore was beginning to take shape
1928:
*Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic
*Penicillin invented
*Bubblegum perfected
1929:
*Stock Market crashes
*Empire State Building construction begins


http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography.html
http://www.online-literature.com/fitzgerald/
http://www.pocanticohills.org/century/1920s.htm

Thesis (RBoC)

In war, when soldiers are clean they are inexperienced and when they are dirty, they are more mature.

During the first segment of the first battle Henry's regiment fought in, they did really well for being as new the the battle as they were. However, when the rebel army charged back as them, all they did was complain and let themselves be intimidated by the other army. "The men groaned. The luster faded from their eyes. Their smudged countenances now expressed a profound dejection. They moved their stiffened bodies slowly, and watched in sullen mood the frantic approach of the enemy. The slaves toiling in the temple of this god began to feel rebellion at his harsh tasks. They fretted and complained each to each. 'Oh, say, this is too much of a good thing! Why can't somebody send us supports?'" (Crane 6. 11-12). They were being immature to think that because they didn't want to fight again the rebel army was just going to stop fighting. Just because they were new in battle didn't mean that other soldiers were going to stop what they were doing and help them. When you are a soldier in the army, your job is to fight for the cause and do your job without complaining like children.

In the last battle, Henry's regiment was assigned to charge and basically sacrifice themselves. During this charge, Henry and the others get close to the enemy. At this point in the book, Henry has finally matured by fighting with everything he's got and not running away. When the regiment gets close to the rebel army, Henry notices that the enemy closest to them looks clean, inexperienced, and unknowing of what is happening. "The youth's eyes had instantly turned in the direction indicated by the awakened and agitated lieutenant, and he had seen the haze of treachery disclosing a body of soldiers of the enemy. They were so near that he could see their features. There was a recognition as he looked at the types of faces. Also he perceived with dim amazement that their uniforms were rather gay in effect, being light gray, accented with a brilliant-hued facing. Too, the clothes seemed new." (Crane 20. 23). Henry notices that those soldiers are like how he was a week ago: immature and youthful.

"She had doggedly peeled potatoes and addressed him as follows: "You watch out, Henry, an' take good care of yerself in this here fighting business--you watch, an' take good care of yerself. Don't go a-thinkin' you can lick the hull rebel army at the start, because yeh can't. Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot of others, and yeh've got to keep quiet an' do what they tell yeh. I know how you are, Henry." (Crane 1. 26). In chapter 1 Henry is thinking about when he left home for the war and how is mother was acting. Henry seems to think that she wasn't proud that he was going off to fight and come back a hero, but she knows that he is a youthful person and could make mistakes that he would be ashamed of. Henry's mother was also thinking about how Henry has never fought before and doesn't have the same preparation that the other soldiers may have. Like every other young and hopeful soldier, Henry thinks that he is going to win the war himself, but he hasn't gotten dirty yet.

"The youth took note of a remarkable change in his comrade since those days of camp life upon the river bank. He seemed no more to be continually regarding the proportions of his personal prowess. He was not furious at small words that pricked his conceits. He was no more a loud young soldier. There was about him now a fine reliance. He showed a quiet belief in his purposes and his abilities. And this inward confidence evidently enabled him to be indifferent to little words of other men aimed at him." (Crane 14. 14). When Henry returns to the army, he meets Wilson and notices that he has changed. Wilson is calmer, less likely to verbally fight another soldier for something that was said, and also seemed more confident in himself and others. Henry then realizes that because he ran away and wasn't completely exhausted from fighting like the others, he is different than them. The are filthy with sweat, blood, and dirt from the battle and Henry isn't. Henry knows that getting grimy and experienced during battle is changing the boys into men, and he hasn't finished that process yet, even though Wilson has.

Themes, Motifs, and Symbols (Saving Private Ryan)

Themes
Courage~
* I think that courage is portrayed in the movie by the soldiers who never stopped fighting and died for their country. Tom Hanks' character especially, since something was obviously going wrong with the nerves in his right arm/hand, but he never tried to weasel his way out of fighting. Even when their fellow soldiers were getting killed in the last battle, they kept doing what they had to do to have the Allies to be victorious.

Manhood~
* Manhood definitely comes with maturity and experience. Since the translator had no battle experience whatsoever, he was the soldier who wasn't completely grown up and mature. Soldiers who knew what the difference between dying in battle and running away is and choosing to stay and fight are full of manliness. Especially the soldiers who knew their friend was dying and defeated the enemy first, then hurrying to their friend. That shows dedication to the cause.

Self-Preservation~
* The translator was the only character who showed major self-preservation. When his fellow soldier (the Jewish one) needing him the most, all the translator could do was sit on the stairs while the Jewish soldier was killed. He was definitely my least favorite character. Yes, he avenged the death of Tom Hanks' character by killing the soldier who killed him, but that still doesn't make up for the fact that he was a coward during the actual battle. Idiot.

Disregard for Human Life~
* This is showed quite a few times during the movie, during the D-Day scene, where two American soldiers shoot two surrendering soldiers from Germany. Also after the medic dies, the entire squad (other than the captain) shows no sympathy for the one live soldier from Germany. But as it turns out, Tom Hanks' character sets him free, and that soldier ends up shooting him later.

Motifs
Noise and Silence~
* In the point of view of Tom Hanks' character, you experience this motif. Noise is obviously the high-strung environment around the soldiers and the battles/fights that they must go through to further achieve the goal to win the war. Silence is when Hanks' character is in a mode where he is seeing everything, but not really comprehending where he is at/what he needs to do. We first see this happen during D-Day, and he gets snapped out if it by a soldier asking for orders. It's like he is sort of memorized by what was happening and couldn't stop thinking about it.

Light and Dark~
* In the light/daytime soldiers are always fighting and doing their duty focus and strength. When nightfall comes, it's like the demons come out. Soldiers have time to think about what they did wrong in their past and how if they die they won't be able to correct it, or ask forgiveness from the party that they did wrong to. It is almost like the darkness brings out the hopelessness in the soldiers. They think they won't make it home.

Clean and Dirty~
* Like in The Red Badge of Courage, soldiers who tend to be clean have no war experience and are immature, like Henry and in the movie; the translator. Soldiers like Hanks' squad, there isn't a time where you see them completely clean and spotless. They are always on the move and doing their duty. Dirty and ready to do what is necessary.

Youth and Maturity~
* The soldiers that are youthful are the ones that truly don't realize why they are fighting. They are fighting for freedom and the lives of their fellow countrymen. The mature soldiers understand that being a soldier means that they must be ready to lay down their life for the cause. When soldiers are mature enough to fight with a clear head, they might make a drastic mistake, like not being able to help a fellow soldier.

Symbols
The Dead Soldier~
* As Saving Private Ryan is a war movie, there is a lot of dead soldiers. The one that makes more sense to me as a symbol is the dead General in the plane. The one the army tried to ensure his safety by welding steel plates to the bottom of the plane, but ended up crashing it. Twenty-two soldiers died in the crash, including the General. Once learning about this, Hanks' squad is in awe that the army would actually sacrifice that many lives to save one man, and realize that they are doing the same thing saving Private Ryan.

The Flag~
* The flag is only present at the beginning and the end of the movie when you see Private Ryan, in his old age, visiting the grave of Hanks' character at the Arlington cemetery. The flag represents freedom, and all of the lives that were lost in battle for it. It shows us that men and women in the past have cared enough for the United States of America to sacrifice their life and future to ensure it's safety.

The Letter~
* The letter is from Vin Diesel's character to his father. When shot, Diesel's character tells the squad that he has a letter to his father that he wants them to re-write and send it, since his wound got blood on it. When Diesel's character dies, the medic takes the letter and re-writes it. But once the medic dies, Hanks' character is next in line to possess the letter to Diesel's father. In the last battle, Hanks' is shot, and the last soldier of Hanks' squad (other than the translator coward) takes the letter. Being the last one to have it before sending it. The letter symbolizes how the men honor the dead, by carrying out the last wish of Diesel's character. Even though it dwindles down to only two left, Hanks' squad members understood that if they were still alive, they have to send the letter for Diesel's character.

Themes, Motifs, and Symbols (Red Badge of Courage)

Themes
Disregard for Human Life~
* Everybody seems like they are OK with giving up their life at any time, but would they feel that way once the fateful moment comes? The soldiers know that what they are fighting for is overall more important than their lives, but there are a few soldiers that think that their life is more important instead.

Self Preservation~
* Henry believes it might be necessary to save his life, instead of offer it to the use of the army to fight for their cause. He ends up fighting himself for multiple chapters over what he should do since he ran away in Chapter 6. He goes through a lot mentally to figure out that what he needs to do is go back and fight for the cause.


Courage~
* For people like Henry, courage comes in bursts, along with intelligence. He's being stupid thinking that everyone is wrong and he's right. He isn't showing courage.
* During the whole battle at the end Henry stayed in check with his courage. When others wanted to run away during the charge, Henry and Wilson run in the very front with the flag.

Manhood~
* When the army is on the move for the first time, once Henry is awake, his manhood is being tested.
* Henry is most definitely not showing growth in being a man... he has stepped back to childhood.
* Because he fought in the battle continuously, Wilson has achieved manhood and Henry thinks he looks like he has a lot of wisdom.
* I'm pretty sure Henry has achieved a small part of manhood by fighting like he did in the battle before the charge.
* I think Henry has finally achieved his manhood, for he put his sins behind him and got over everything, but not without feeling guilty first. Like every other human.

Motifs
Youth and Maturity~
* Henry and other soldiers are young adults, but they are very mature to be able to handle fighting and risking their lives for their cause.
* In this chapter the tattered soldier represents what being mature is, living with the truth. Henry is youthful, and can't accept reality. That is why I think Stephen Crane keeps referring to Henry as "the youth."
* Wilson seems to be more mature after staying in the battle, I would consider Henry to still be immature, since he ran away.
* Compared to the 1st chapter, not only has Henry Fleming matured greatly, but Wilson as well. Good for them!

Noise and Silence~
* The entire day the army is marching, Henry is having an eternal battle. While he fights with himself, he is silent and everyday noises are around him.

Clean and Dirty~
*It seems that when Henry was clean, he was immature, and when feeling grimy/dirty he is maturing.
* When the army is having self-doubts and hesitant, they are clean. When they are done with fighting and calm from the battle, they are dirty. The dirtyness adds some manhood to the soldiers, I think.
* At the end of the chapter, the rebel army is clean and not doing so well. Henry's side is dirty, worn-out, and doing well. It also hinted my thinking in the last sentence, "And they were men."


Symbols
Courage~
* Henry is still there, and is starting to overcome his thoughts of running away, during the battle before the charge. In this book courage seemed to go hand in hand with manhood and maturity, because once Wilson and Henry each seemed to grow up, they also gained courage.


The Flag~
* To Henry, it's a goddess of beauty, fills him with hope, and will hopefully save lives.
* Could mean that the army is still holding up the fight...
* How the battle for the Union is going. Ex.:

Going good=sways in the air nicely.
Starting to go bad=whips violently
Retreat=close to falling over

*It also is a symbol of hope, peace, and the cause they are fighting for. The army always has it at the front lines because it shows that they care for what they are fighting for. If they didn't have one, what would they fight for? How would people know where they stand and why?

The Dead Soldier~
*This sort of symbolizes what Henry could be if he runs away and also a turning point in Henry's personal battle. He didn't want to become that, and to not be it, he had to return to the army.

The Setting Sun~
*Some people believe when a lot of blood is shed during the day in battle, the sun sets/rises the next morning red. (can't remember which...lol)

The Animal/The Blood-Swollen god~
*All symbols for war=savage, and taken a lot of lives.

Nature~
* When the battle was over, Henry noticed that the day/sky looked perfect, and couldn't understand how that could be when so many soldiers just died. Nature symbolizes the world. Just because one thing is going on, that doesn't mean the entire world will care.

I can't remember when I wrote some of these, but they are at the end of all of my blogs!!