When does the phone appear? What roles does it have? Why?
13 comments:
Anonymous
said...
In chapters four through six, the telephone is brought in when Gatsby leaves the lunch table. This leaves Wolfsheim and Nick alone to talk about their friend in his absence. It seems that this is what happens when the telephone is brought in, one character has to go take or make a call, and then the rest of the remaining characters are left to talk about said character. it helps the reader because it sheds light on different people throughout the novel, and reveals things about them that probably would not have been otherwise revealed.
In addition to what Alyssa has already said, the phone also comes up in the book when Tom takes the call from the woman he is cheating on Daisy with. In a strange way, the telephone seems to represent secrets and seems to hold a sense of mystery. We as readers do not find out who was on the other end of Gatsby’s mysterious phone call. The phone leaves many questions unanswered and seems to be the center of many of the conflicts in the book. (Tom cheating and Gatsby’s mysterious ways) So far, if a character is doing something secretive and/or deceitful, it has been done over the phone.
Also the phone always seems to interupt when Gatsby is in the middle of something important, like at his parties or at luch with Nick. Also when Gatsby is showing Daisy his house he gets a phone call. This is the only time when you get to hear what Gatcby is saying but all he talks about is how he can't talk right then. "Yes...Well, I can't talk now...I can't talk now, old sport...", this shows how secretive the conversation is and because he calls the other person 'old sport' it shows that he is friends with the person, that they are not just business partners. -Rhian Duggan
The ringing phone is definately a recurring symbol, and I agree with what Victoria said about the phone leaving unanswered questions and being the center of conflicts. In a way, in some scenes, the phone is like an additional character and it often is like the magical, mysterious charm that makes Gatsby disappear right when we're about to find out more about him.
All of these girls have made excellent posts about the presence of telephones in "The Great Gatsby," and I liked what Victoria said the most. The telephone adds a sense of mystery to Gatsby. It is very odd how Gatsby's butler will tell him "Chicago is calling," in the middle of a party and Gatsby will leave the party to take the call. The telephone seems to be a symbol of the mystery surrounding Gatsby's background and line of work.
The telephone always happens to appear when Gatby is in the middle of an important conversation, and before the reader is able to find out too much about him, he is forced to take the call. I think this shows his very mysterious character, and as Victoria said, the phone itself represents its own secrets. I think Fitzgerald is building up to a specific outbreak of his that will end all the untold mysteries.
The telephone is mentioned several times in these chapters and one time that stood out to me was on page 71. "Suddenly he lookied at his watch, jumped up, and hurried from the room, leaving me with Mr. Wolfshiem at the table. `He has to telephone'" This part of the book was very confusing to me. It was very random the way he jumped up and ran to the phone. This definatly shows some significance to the telephone.
I believe the telephone is a part of his wealth. His buisness connections could be on the other line. It is interesting that he has a set time when he telephones people. (lunch with Nick and Wolfsheim).
The caller on the other line is not too important to Gatsby because he is willing to ignore it when Daisy is with him.
The use of the phone is a great technique for Fitzgerald to get characters to leave the scene. When the character leaves, other characters and the narrator are given the opportunity to discuss a person or event in more depth and give the reader more clues. I also think that in many cases, especially with Tom, characters take the phone at very rude time, like when they are eating dinner or have guests over, or both. This is yet another example that proves the characters are so caught up in themselves they have very little respect for others.
That is an interesting point that the phone does seem to pop up in the middle of important scenes. The phone is always associated with Gatsby, no matter where he is. When he was out to lunch, the phone rang. When he was hosting parties, the phone rang. I think it's interesting when the butler says a specific city is calling, which makes me think these are code names or something so that people around him can't understand his line of work. I agree with Victoria and Matt in that the phone is a symbol of mystery and deciet. It always interrupts conversations involving characters that we dont know that much about. But it also rang when Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick were having lunch. I think the phone has something to do with affairs, work affairs and love affairs...
I think that the telephone adds to Gatsby's mysterious character. What is really being said during the phone calls? Gatsby seems to have a whole other life beyond the people that he is at that time spending time with. Perhaps the phone is a symbol representing Gatsby's connection to the outside world without using his wealthy house as the place of interraction. Maybe more of his history is able to be revealed when he's not face to face.
it seems like the phone reveals secrets that wouldnt be said otherwise. Such as gatsby's shady past and tom's mistress. The phone seems to embody dark mysteriousness and anonymity, because many times it does not say who ison the other end of the line. -Cameron Duquette
13 comments:
In chapters four through six, the telephone is brought in when Gatsby leaves the lunch table. This leaves Wolfsheim and Nick alone to talk about their friend in his absence. It seems that this is what happens when the telephone is brought in, one character has to go take or make a call, and then the rest of the remaining characters are left to talk about said character. it helps the reader because it sheds light on different people throughout the novel, and reveals things about them that probably would not have been otherwise revealed.
~Alyssa
In addition to what Alyssa has already said, the phone also comes up in the book when Tom takes the call from the woman he is cheating on Daisy with. In a strange way, the telephone seems to represent secrets and seems to hold a sense of mystery. We as readers do not find out who was on the other end of Gatsby’s mysterious phone call. The phone leaves many questions unanswered and seems to be the center of many of the conflicts in the book. (Tom cheating and Gatsby’s mysterious ways) So far, if a character is doing something secretive and/or deceitful, it has been done over the phone.
~Victoria Welch
Also the phone always seems to interupt when Gatsby is in the middle of something important, like at his parties or at luch with Nick. Also when Gatsby is showing Daisy his house he gets a phone call. This is the only time when you get to hear what Gatcby is saying but all he talks about is how he can't talk right then. "Yes...Well, I can't talk now...I can't talk now, old sport...", this shows how secretive the conversation is and because he calls the other person 'old sport' it shows that he is friends with the person, that they are not just business partners.
-Rhian Duggan
The ringing phone is definately a recurring symbol, and I agree with what Victoria said about the phone leaving unanswered questions and being the center of conflicts. In a way, in some scenes, the phone is like an additional character and it often is like the magical, mysterious charm that makes Gatsby disappear right when we're about to find out more about him.
All of these girls have made excellent posts about the presence of telephones in "The Great Gatsby," and I liked what Victoria said the most. The telephone adds a sense of mystery to Gatsby. It is very odd how Gatsby's butler will tell him "Chicago is calling," in the middle of a party and Gatsby will leave the party to take the call. The telephone seems to be a symbol of the mystery surrounding Gatsby's background and line of work.
-Matt Campbell
The telephone always happens to appear when Gatby is in the middle of an important conversation, and before the reader is able to find out too much about him, he is forced to take the call. I think this shows his very mysterious character, and as Victoria said, the phone itself represents its own secrets.
I think Fitzgerald is building up to a specific outbreak of his that will end all the untold mysteries.
The telephone is mentioned several times in these chapters and one time that stood out to me was on page 71. "Suddenly he lookied at his watch, jumped up, and hurried from the room, leaving me with Mr. Wolfshiem at the table. `He has to telephone'" This part of the book was very confusing to me. It was very random the way he jumped up and ran to the phone. This definatly shows some significance to the telephone.
that last comment was by lauren bowker
I believe the telephone is a part of his wealth. His buisness connections could be on the other line. It is interesting that he has a set time when he telephones people. (lunch with Nick and Wolfsheim).
The caller on the other line is not too important to Gatsby because he is willing to ignore it when Daisy is with him.
Bowen zhou
The use of the phone is a great technique for Fitzgerald to get characters to leave the scene. When the character leaves, other characters and the narrator are given the opportunity to discuss a person or event in more depth and give the reader more clues. I also think that in many cases, especially with Tom, characters take the phone at very rude time, like when they are eating dinner or have guests over, or both. This is yet another example that proves the characters are so caught up in themselves they have very little respect for others.
Kelley S.
That is an interesting point that the phone does seem to pop up in the middle of important scenes. The phone is always associated with Gatsby, no matter where he is. When he was out to lunch, the phone rang. When he was hosting parties, the phone rang. I think it's interesting when the butler says a specific city is calling, which makes me think these are code names or something so that people around him can't understand his line of work. I agree with Victoria and Matt in that the phone is a symbol of mystery and deciet. It always interrupts conversations involving characters that we dont know that much about.
But it also rang when Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick were having lunch. I think the phone has something to do with affairs, work affairs and love affairs...
- Katie Campbell
I think that the telephone adds to Gatsby's mysterious character. What is really being said during the phone calls? Gatsby seems to have a whole other life beyond the people that he is at that time spending time with. Perhaps the phone is a symbol representing Gatsby's connection to the outside world without using his wealthy house as the place of interraction. Maybe more of his history is able to be revealed when he's not face to face.
--Laura Hundley
it seems like the phone reveals secrets that wouldnt be said otherwise. Such as gatsby's shady past and tom's mistress. The phone seems to embody dark mysteriousness and anonymity, because many times it does not say who ison the other end of the line.
-Cameron Duquette
Post a Comment