The Great Gatsby

     I read The Great Gatsby using the "Text-to-Self Connection" annotation type. This form of annotating was simple and usually just symbols, pictures/organizers, and comments/questions, but it helped me stay connected to the text and alert while reading.
     I was initially surprised by the recurring racist and sexist remarks and observations throughout the book; however, it was true to the time period the story was set in and helped form that decade in my mind. I kept a running character list while reading this book to keep track of all of them and their unique characteristics. I found that each character, even small ones such as "Owl Eyes" and Dr. Eckleberg, were well defined and developed by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
     This book vividly showed the '20s using a simple, yet controversal, romantic situation between Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanon, and Myrtle Wilson. There seemed to be a connection between the theme and tone of each event in the story with the weather. For example, when Tom and Mr. Wilson finally find out that their wives have been involved with other men and everyone becomes angry and pushed to their limits, it is the the last and hottest day of the summer.
     I enjoyed this book and Fitzgerald's writing. He seemed to write at least one poetic assertion in each chapter that was incredibly simple, yet honest.