How I Met the Standard in Unit 4

I met the standard regarding the contemporary context of a piece of literature in my post "Reflection on the Third Chapter of the Great Gatsby". One example is "The third chapter of the Great Gatsby demonstrates aspects of the Jazz Age very well. One would be the bootlegging and illegal drinking." Now that I have done this, I am done with Lit. 11!

"Incident" Reflection

Incident by Countee Cullen is a piece of Harlem Renaissance. The poem deals with an instance when he experienced racial discrimination. While he was visiting Baltimore a boy yelled a racial slur at him. Because of this he says that “I saw the whole of Baltimore, from May to December: Of all the things that happened there, that’s all that I remember”. I think that this is not only meant to show the harm that racism can cause someone, but also how a bigot can taint a whole community.

"The Negro Speaks of Rivers" Reflection

Langston Hughes “The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is a piece of Harlem Renaissance. In the poem he talks about different rivers he has been to over the course of history. He says that he has “known rivers ancient as the world and older that the flow of human blood in human veins”. He also says that he “looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it”. Considering the fact that he talks about things that he wouldn’t have known because of his age, and that all of the rivers that he talks about, except the Mississippi, are in Africa, I’d say that it is safe to say he is referring to all African-Americans and their ancestors when he talks about himself.

"A Dream Deferred" Reflection

I would consider Langston Hughes’ “A Dream Deferred” to be a piece of psychoanalysis. He asks the question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” Asking the reader a question is a common trait of psychoanalysis. I think that this is a pretty relevant poem. People commonly put off their dreams because there is something that seems more important. Essentially, this is long term procrastination.

"Mending Wall" Reflection

“Mending Wall” by Robert Frost is a piece of disillusionment. The neighbor in the story simply accepts the philosophy that “Good fences make good neighbors.” The narrator on the other hand knows that there is really no reason to maintain a wall. Since him and his neighbor both grow trees and don’t have any livestock to keep on their property. Even though the neighbor knows this he continues to follow his philosophy that “Good fences make good neighbors.”

"Richard Corey" Reflection

“Richard Corey” by Edwin Arlington Robinson is definitely a piece of disillusionment. The way that I saw it was that Richard Corey was no longer disillusioned about his own status. He was regarded as “a gentleman from sole to crown”. He was also very wealthy, even “richer than a king”. But he apparently came out of his disillusionment with his status in life and his life in general, so he decided to end it.

Reflection on the Third Chapter of the Great Gatsby

One thing I found interesting was how Gatsby seemed to prefer to watch the party, rather than be a part of it. The narrator talks about how he was “looking from one group to another with approving eyes”. It also mentions “the fact that he was not drinking”. This gives him a pretty mysterious image. Why would someone who throws such large parties want no real participation in the partying?

Another thing I found interesting was how the drunken man in the library was so interested in Gatsby’s books. Fist of all, he is impressed that “They’re real”. He is sure that no one believes him. To convince them he shows them how they “have pages”. The intoxicated are so easily entertained.

The third chapter of the Great Gatsby demonstrates aspects of the Jazz Age very well. One would be the bootlegging and illegal drinking. Gatsby had a bar in his house. When referring to it the narrator says “The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden”. It also talks about the serving of champagne on a few occasions. It says that “champagne was served in glasses the size of finger bowls”.

One thing that could be considered an aspect of the Jazz Age is materialism. People come to Gatsby’s parties because they know that he has great things. He has excessive amounts of alcohol, which was something that most people in this period craved. He also had great food and an orchestra that would perform at his parties.