What makes the central character of

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mrerick
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High School Teacher
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(Level 2) Associate Educator

Posted August 6, 2008 at 10:40 AM (Answer #2)

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A central character is the one character most closely related to a plot’s rising action, climax/conflict, falling action, and resolution.  In The Great Gatsby, you’d be looking at Nick as your central character because of his proximity to all of the plot lines, specifically the conflict between Tom and Gatsby over Daisy.  Gatsby could also receive some argument as a central character as well.

A dynamic character is one who undergoes some sort of changes in principles, thought, or values, i.e. the way he/she views the world.  This is different from a static character who maintains the same ideas and ideals throughout an entire novel.  In this case, Nick could certainly be viewed as a dynamic character on many different levels.  One example of this would be how he originally views the eastern US to the western in the beginning of the novel as opposed to the end.  In the beginning, he hopes that the east will provide him with solid business opportunities and a chance to live the best life possible.  He believes that the west, where he grew up, is just too simple and unchanging to provide him those opportunties.  By the end of the novel, Nick recognizes that the safety of the west was the only opportunity he ever needed.  The lifestyle in the east wasn’t what he expected, so he retreats to what he feels comfortable around.  Gatsby is dynamic also, although for other reasons than Nick.

Susan Hurn
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College Teacher
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(Level 1) Educator Emeritus

Posted January 15, 2009 at 3:21 AM (Answer #3)

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What makes the central character of “The Great Gatsby”
dynamic?

What makes the central character of

Nick should be considered the central character in the novel,
and as such, he is clearly dynamic. Before going to New York,
Nick is very nonjudgmental, a trait he learned from his
father. By the conclusion of the novel, Nick judges both Tom and
Daisy: He finds them completely contemptible. When he encounters
Tom after Gatsby’s death, Nick’s first impulse (although he doesn’t
act upon it) is to refuse to shake Tom’s hand.

 

One of the central themes in the novel is Nick’s initiation into
the Buchanan’s world of wealth and selfish recklessness. What he
experiences stands in stark contrast to his own Midwestern values
and code of conduct. What Nick witnesses often shocks and sometimes
sickens him. Ultimately, he rejects the amorality of the East and
returns home a different man—disillusioned and heartsick.

 

The novel’s retrospective point of view emphasizes the dynamic
nature of Nick’s character. When novel begins, Nick remembers Tom
and Daisy and Gatsby and everything that occurred that summer on
Long Island. Although he is now far removed from Gatsby’s tragedy,
he is still struggling to understand it and achieve some kind of
peace.

 

litteacher8
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Middle School Teacher
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(Level 1) Distinguished Educator

Posted November 6, 2012 at 10:34 PM (Answer #4)

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Nick is an interesting narrator, because he is in some ways Gatsby’s biographer.  He kinds of reminds me of Archie Goodwin to Nero Wolfe, or Dr. Watson to Sherlock Holmes.  He is present, but not really there.  He responds to the action, rather than driving it.  This does not mean that he does not change.  If anything, he becomes more and more disillusioned as time goes on.

Perhaps this has already been addressed by others here, but I’m curious: Do you as a teacher feel that using MySpace and Facebook in the classroom is defensible by noting that both are “real world” technology and communication? Do you feel that because kids relate to it, it is more capable of producing engaged learners? Is any writing practice (including blogging and IMing) good practice? My feelings on this one are still up in the air a bit, as I am a big proponent of technology use in the classroom, but given the content of both sites, I see how they could be considered too controversial for classroom use. My current school feels that both are acceptable for the classroom, as long as the teacher is being judicious about what he or she is showing the children, and as long as the teacher is using common sense regarding curriculum. Your thoughts, please…

It seems to me that more and more people in our society believe that war is never justified.  Books like My Brother Sam is Dead even call into question whether the War for Independence was justified.  I think this is a naive view.  As a student of history, it is apparent to me that there have been leaders and rulers in history who were simply evil and there are causes that are simply right.  Slavery in the United States was wrong, and it is too bad that our country had to suffer terribly from the Civil War, but if that is what it took to end slavery, that is what it took.  Adolf Hitler was evil.  He killed millions of people for nothing but their race.  Neville Chamberlain tried negotiation with him, but Hitler broke the pact as soon as it was convenient.  Evil people do not keep their promises. They say one thing and do another.  How can we negotiate or compromise with someone who does not keep their word.

My name is Joanne Hague from the Woodstock – Preservation Archives (woodstockpreservation.org). My partner (Brad Littleproud) and I are presently researching and assembling a book for Krause Publishing (Goldmine Record Album Price Guide) to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. With the 40th approaching – and probably the most significant of all the anniversary’s – we were hoping that there is someone out there who might consider contributing to this project.

We are in the process of telling the Woodstock story from the vantage point of the attendees. We are gathering personal photos and memories that chronicle the festival in a way that no other books on Woodstock have done thus far. Finding all of those never-before-seen instamatic and 35 mm photos from those in attendance has been a bit of ‘needle in a haystack’ treasure hunt, but we have been thrilled at what we have uncovered so far and it’s been amazing at how many folks, from artists, organizers, crew, attendees and residents, have offered their recollections. This book will be an accumulation of those memories, with 75-80 percent of them coming from those unaffiliated with the event, but simply attendees.

Help please? Thank you very much!

Admission to primary school demanded that the ward should be 5 years age as on 1st june.  My son was born on 7th june and to satisfy the above requirement, so that he won’t lose a year, he was admitted to school with date of birth as 1st june (no birth certificate was mandatory for admission to school then!). However, for issuance of passport, it is necessary that both birth certificate and school admission extract be submitted.  Obviously the dates differ.  Changing school records birth date to match actual birth date is an unimaginably cumbersome procedure.  Since the difference is only few days, would it be ok to own up the error (with explanation why it was done, etc.) and request the passport officer to issue passport as per the school records?  An undertaking can also be given that no other passport request with the actual birth date will be submitted ever.  Since the Passport office’s interest is to ensure that the person does not apply for another passport with a different birth date, is it not within Passport Officer’s discretion to issue the passport as requested, especially in the light of admission of gilt and undertaking not to ever request a passport with actual birth date?  I would appreciate opinion of the legal fraternity on this matter.  I am being honest in admitting a mistake and requesting condonation – if there is a penalty for the mistake, I am willing be punished too!

I have a friend that is facing (felony)criminal charges,so b/c he was arrested, he is facing VOP on a technical violation.It gets more confusing b/c he is NJ Probation,PA supervision. The criminal charges are in PA.Long story short,he is taking the criminal charges to trial,but he was recently told that even if he is aquited in PA,that NJ could still bring him in for a VOP hearing and possibly revoke his probation.I am not a moron and understand that one is “criminal” and one is “technical”,but if the “technical” is coming from the “criminal”,and he is found “not guilty” of the “criminal” how can they pursue the “technical”, in my opinion,they are using the technical vs. criminal as a way to circumnvent probationers civil liberties,and well,it is just out-right,constitutionally offensive.So my first question is,is that correct,that even if aquitted he will face VOP hearings?  My next question is,does anybody else find it disgusting that a child molester does less time that an armed robber?What the hell is the point of the Constitution if it is not upheld? Sadly the Constitution of the United States has become nothing more than a tale told by an idiot,full of sound and fury,signifying nothing.

Have you ever read the story “Dr.Heidegger’s Experiment” if yes, please help me w/this questions :]

1. what kind of book (“folio volume”) was in the middle of Dr. H’s study
2.How is the small table described; what is on it
3. When Dr.H returns to his guests carrying his black leather folio, what does that suggest about the nature of his experiment
4.what does he tell them about the rose; what does he use it to demonstrate
5. what is the experiment going to be
6. what does Dr.H say to his guests before they drink; how might this be foreshadowing
7. what is their reply; how might this be foreshadowing
8.why,do you suppose, Dr.H claims to have “so well selected the subjects of my experiment”
9.what happens when they drink–what do they soon cry out
10.what changes occur to each of them–be specific 
11. what does each of then start to think about

i knw this is a lot but i would be appreciate if u help me. thank you so much :]
you can also contact me by this e-mail : [email protected]

have to make my own Modest Proposal, modeled after Swift’s, for an AP English class, and after days and days of research I still have no clue what to write about. Every problem I’ve looked at seems to be far too intricate to solve with an “outrageous” solution similar to the one Swift uses. So far I’ve looked at:

State Pension Shortfalls in the United States
Federal health care spending
Federal entitlement spending
Global Warming (Methane is nowhere near as important as C02)
The Unsustainable Welfare States or France or Britain
Income Inequality in the US
Homelessness (not to much in detail though)

From the original proposal, it seems like every “modest” solution must: 1) criticize something through satire, 2) be entirely unfeasible, and 3) completely solve the problem it addresses. None of the above topics however allow for such a solution, and I haven’t found a single one yet which does.

For anyone who wrote a Modest Proposal, what issues or types of issues would you suggest examining? I want to use political or economic problems, but they don’t seem to work very well. Would it be easier to solve a social issue (i.e. poverty, homelessness, gay marriage, and illegal immigration)? I’d appreciate any anwers.