Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Great Gatsby (extended)

This is my book report on The Great Gatsby; I thought it was kinda interesting. (it got an A [= )

The Great Gatsby
            The Great Gatsby didn't turn out to be so great after all. Don't get me wrong; I hadn't enjoyed a book so much since Anne of Green Gables, but the character, Jay Gatsby, didn't turn out to be so great. When you're only in your thirties, and no one but your dad and neighbor want to come to your funeral, you know something is wrong. Especially after you spend the whole summer hosting huge parties at your mansion on the beach, plus offer a plentiful supply of alcoholic drinks which were illegal at the time.
            The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and was published in the 1920's. The fact that it was published at that time in history shows that American society was going through some dramatic changes in its moral beliefs. Extra-marital affairs were long frowned upon in America. Yet here a book is published with a plot line centered on the immorality of extra-marital affairs. The book is not judgmental, but it makes everybody look somewhat foolish.
Nick Carraway, the narrator and neighbor to Jay Gatsby, found that Gatsby and his cousin, Daisy, were once in love. She didn't marry him, because he wasn't rich enough for her. She had married a rich man, but then we find out that he is having an affair. The book is unclear about how Gatsby made all his money, but after he did, he tried to win back Daisy and make her leave her husband. Then one day as Jay Gatsby and Daisy were on their way home from a trip to town, Daisy hit and killed the woman her husband was having an affair with. Then the husband of the woman that was killed goes and murders Gatsby because he thought that he killed his wife, not Daisy. Later they found Gatsby dead in his swimming pool and only his father and neighbor came to his funeral. Daisy went back to her husband in the end.
I noticed when reading this book that I didn't get distracted by things like I normally do. I think this is because all the characters were selfish and demanded my attention. As much as I enjoyed reading this book and as much as I was interested in the characters, I still felt disdain for the them because of their behavior. I even felt some disdain for Nick, not because of his behavior, but because of the fact that he didn't speak up against the bad behavior of his friends. This proves the maxim that character counts; even if it appears that you have everything you might want like money and popularity, your friends might not always come through for you.

Maple Lawn

This is chapter 1 of a story I'm writing. Imagine Emma to look like that chic in the painting to the right. (the lady's real name was Emma)
Maple Lawn
By Charissa Fleenor
Chapter 1 – A new life
Emma Lee glanced over her new room and her eye was caught by a stunning vase of flowers. The housekeeper said as she showed her into the room that the footman, Fredrick Potter, had put them there. Emma had expected that a governess for a wealthy family with a good name would have gotten a room on the same level as the family, but here she was in a plain and bare room adjacent to the cook's and housekeeper’s rooms. It didn’t really matter as long as she was out of the convent that she had been trapped in ever since she was seven when her parents died. As soon as her twenty-first birthday came she applied to be a governess and within the same week she got a job at Maple Lawn, her new home. In the letter she learned that Sir Worthington was a widower with a little girl of three, whose previous governess had left to get married.
After glancing around the room she changed her clothes and went to the servants' dining quarters to eat her dinner. It was Sunday evening and she was told by Sir Worthington that she was to go to the drawing room after she finished her dinner to meet Catherine, or Kitty as Sir Worthington called her.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss Lee,” said Sir Worthington, “I had to spend quite some time persuading Kitty to climb out of the attic.”
“That’s quite all right, Sir, and where is Catherine now?” Emma replied.
“Er, she’s hiding behind the curtains in the hall. Maybe we should have our meeting in there; there are some chairs by the fire in there. Let’s go sit and talk until she comes out.”
Soon seated by the fire, Sir Worthington called for some tea and asked Emma how her journey from France was.
“It was long, but everything went well, thank you sir.”
“I understand you grew up in a convent? How did that come about?”
“Though I was only seven, I was mostly grown up already; I did most of my growing up in London, Sir. It was on a vacation to Paris that my parents and some friends of theirs were taking when my parents both got sick and died. Their friends left me at a convent.”
“Most shocking, and did they leave you any money? Your parents, I mean?”
“Not enough to live on anyway,” Emma said with a smile. Her parents had left her £500 in their will for her education and the rest she could have when she turned twenty-one.
Emma looked over to the curtains and saw a little brown girl in a blue frock staring at her with big brown eyes.
“My name is Miss Lee, Catherine,” said Emma. “Will you please come and say ‘How do you do?’ like a good girl?”
Catherine walked over slowly, curtseyed and said, “How do you do Miss Lee?”
“Very fine, thank you, Catherine”
Sir Worthington broke in, “Alright, enough of that. Off to bed Kitty. It’s past your bedtime. I’ll be in to tuck you in after we finish drinking our tea.”
“Yes, papa,” said Catherine as she scurried down the hall to the staircase.
“Now I’m still very curious as to your previous life. Have you any brothers and sisters?”
“Yes, Sir, I have an older brother who did not go on the vacation to France because he was in school. I plan to find him as soon as I can, because I have not seen him since before I left England the first time.”
“Oh, how sad for you. I hope I can help you find him.”
“Thank you, Sir, I can be fairly certain that he is in London. He planned to be a lawyer.”
 “Why, my lawyer from London is named Mr. Lee!”
Emma looked up quickly and said: “What’s his first name?”
“Charles, and now that I think about it, he looks like you; I thought you looked somewhat familiar at first.”
“And is he about thirty years old? He would be twenty nine now.”
“Why, yes, he is. Goodness, what an amazing discovery!”
“Indeed it is! I never could have imagined. When will I be able to meet him Sir Worthington?”
“Well, there was some business that I wanted to go to town to discuss, but I shall see if he will come here. Shall I tell him that you are here?”
Emma thought to herself and realized that her brother might not even know that she was alive.
“Yes, tell him. He should be prepared.”
“Prepared? Whatever do you mean?”
“Why, he doesn’t even know I’m alive. For all he knows I died with my parents. I don’t trust those friends of my parents to tell him that they abandoned me at a convent; he would have come back for me.”
“Right, I’ll write him tonight to come as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“You’re welcome, Miss Lee, and now I think it’s your bedtime as well.”
“Yes, Sir. Thank you for everything, goodnight.”
“And remember, eight am sharp in the southeast upstairs room.”
“Ye,s Sir, good evening.” Emma got up and started to walk back to her room. She heard noises in the kitchen and she went there instead.
“Aw, look who we have here,” said the housekeeper “Everybody, this is Kitty’s new governess.”
There were five people sitting at the table and Emma wondered if the young handsome one was the footman who left her the flowers. The only other man was older and Emma assumed that he was Sir Worthington’s valet.
Everybody looked up and said how do you do.
“This is Miss Lee,” said Mrs. Hunter the housekeeper, “This is Mrs. Smith, the cook. This is Betsy and Ethel, the maids. This is Mr. Cooper, Sir Worthington’s valet, and this is Fredrick Potter, the footman. He was the one who welcomed you with those flowers.”
“And I greatly appreciated them. Thank you Mr. Potter.”
“Call me Fred please, and it was my pleasure.”
“Do sit down Miss Lee and have some refreshment,” said Mrs. Hunter.
“Thank you, I will,” replied Emma as she sat down.
“There are two more that will be coming in, Mr. Clippings, the gardener, and Mr. Johnson, the groom. We all usually spend our evenings in this way, and you are very welcome, of course, Miss Lee.”
“Thank you Mrs. Hunter,” Emma replied as she ate some biscuits.
After some small talk, Mr. Clippings and Mr. Johnson arrived and Mrs. Hunter introduced them to Emma. Being tired, Emma soon retired to her room to think over her day. It had been a tiring day for Emma and she needed to relax. She was very excited about seeing her brother after fourteen years of estrangement. She was also pleased to see that her things were unpacked and soon she fell asleep.
The next morning Emma woke up with the sun shining through her window onto her face. She got up, dressed and went to the kitchen to eat her breakfast.
“Sir Worthington said you are to have your breakfast in the southeast upstairs room with Kitty as it is to be your classroom.”
“Oh, but that’s not for another hour and I’m hungry. Please give me some tea and toast now.”
“As you wish Miss Lee,” replied Mrs. Hunter.
Emma smiled at her and sat down at the table with everybody else who was already sitting there. Fredrick poured her some tea and kindly offered her some cream and sugar.
“I don’t understand why you are being so kind to me,” said Emma under her breath to Fredrick, “I mean, you don’t even know me.”
“I heard your story and thought it rather interesting and wanted to be friends,” Fredrick smiled at Emma. She noted again how handsome he was.
“Very well, we can be friends,” Emma smiled back at him.
Emma turned to Mrs. Hunter and said, “I was surprised to find that Sir Worthington knows my brother, Charles Lee, who is his lawyer. Do you know him?”
“Aye, he’s a fine fellow. When was the last time you saw him Miss Lee?”
“When I was seven in London
“Well, you’ll find him much changed since then; he’s just as handsome as you.”
“You flatter me, Mrs. Hunter.”
“I’ve met Mr. Lee in London,” said Fredrick, “He’s a fine fellow.”
“I’m glad to hear this. Sir Worthington said he would write last night and ask him to come and visit.”
Everybody responded with pleasure, especially Ethel who actually gasped. All eyes turned to her as she blushed. Emma looked questionably at Fredrick while he simply raised his eyebrows.
"Is Miss Ethel acquainted with my brother?" Emma asked.
"Yes, I've met him in London a few times," replied Ethel.
"Well, you'll have to tell me what to expect as I haven't seen him in years," Emma said.
"Yes of course, this evening, if you please, Miss Lee," Ethel replied.
Soon after the others rose, Emma left to take a look around the house until it was time to start with Catherine. Maple Lawn house was very large and old. She wandered about until she came to the drawing room where she was surprised to see an elderly lady sitting by the fireplace sipping tea.
"Good morning," Emma said with a surprised voice.
"Aw, you must be the new governess and much too pretty for one I must say," the lady replied, "I am Lady Matilda Griffin, Sir Worthington's aunt."
"Pleased to meet you, my lady."
"And what are you doing here now?"
"Only showing myself around the house before I meet Catherine for our studies."
"Well, be sure to teach her well; she's a wild heart if I ever saw one."
"Yes, ma'am," replied Emma.
"Her father spoils her all too much ever since his wife died. He does everything for her, he dresses her and everything."
"Well, at least he's got me for teaching her though."
"Yes, yes, of course, he does," Lady Matilda said, "I must grant him that."
"Well, good day, I think I must be off now."
Emma was pleased to see that there were large windows in the classroom and that there was a fire already. She examined the books laid out on the table and made her self comfortable with some tea at the table. Suddenly the door burst open and Catherine ran in, sat at the table and started to stuff food in her mouth. Sir Worthington quickly followed and pulled her hands out of the food.
"Don't trouble yourself Sir. I'll handle it from here."
"Oh, thank you," replied Sir Worthington.
"Will you be taking breakfast with us today?" asked Emma as she wiped Catherine's hands on her napkin.
"Yes, I think I will."
Sir Worthington seated himself at the table and helped himself. Emma then proceeded to make Catherine hold her fork properly.
"And will you stay as we start our lessons?"
"Oh, no, of course not," Sir Worthington replied, "I'll leave as soon as we are done eating."



Monday, April 4, 2011

My real thoughts

        Somehow all I've written about is books. This needs to stop. Books don't really play a big part in my thoughts so it doesn't really fit. I do a lot of thinking and most of them are about how I should build my character. And how God would want it. I think about why there is sin and poverty in the world. I think about the fall of man. No, I rarely think about books. In fact, as soon as I start reading a book including textbooks for school I start thinking about other things. I think it's ridiculous for people to spend time trying to find there inner personality. I think people should be continually reforming their character to that person's personal character ideal. People should also make sure that their personalities are pleasing to God. I also think that what the world would be like if everyone on earth was continually reforming their characters for the glory of God. What would life be like? I also think about what life would be like without poverty. If there was no poverty, than there would be no wealth. Most people go through life trying to make as much money as possible, but they don't realize that if everyone was as wealthy as they wanted, then they wouldn't be wealthy anymore.
       Same goes with "happiness" in life. Can you have happiness without some peoples having unhappiness and discontent? People think you can achieve happiness by having "enough" money and having there ideal mate. No, I think happiness has a lot to do with just choosing to be happy. I don't deny it does have something to do with love.
       A couple things I've been reading lately have mentioned psychoanalysis. I realized recently that I psychoanalyze almost every person that I come across. This leads my thoughts quite often to people's insecurities. Everybody has them. The difference comes when people are secure in their inevitable insecurities and realize that having some are normal.
       Is there such a thing as special? Yes, but not everybody is special. This may sound shocking if you have heard often before that everybody is special.  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/special see here is the definition for special. If all 7 billion people on earth are special than being special is normal and no longer special. This also brings me to the fact that people say that you are special to God. How can everyone be special to God? If he loves everybody equally is it still love? Can you have love without having hate or disdain in the world? People say everybody should be loving and be loved. If this was the case and everybody reached the ideal levels of love and everyone showed the same amount of love to everybody, would it still be love?