Into the Wild - the call of danger/excitement

In chapter 17, Krakauer observes that it is not "unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders." Based on the events of the book, do you think McCandless would agree with Krakauer? Why or why not? As a teenager, do you think this statement is true of you, your friends, or people your age in general?

Into the Wild - Living to the fullest

Chapter 4 ends with the following quote from McCandless' journal: "It is the experiences, the memories, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found" (37). Identify an experience from this chapter (or anywhere in the book) and explain what "meaning" you think Alex has found.

You may also want to apply this quote to your own life. Have you ever experienced what Alex describes? Are there personal experiences that have brought you to a feeling of "real meaning"? Explain.

Into the Wild - Epic Journey of Freedom

After graduating from college (described as "an absurd and onerous duty"), McCandless begins, "an epic journey that would change everything" (22). In heading west he felt freed "from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess" (22). What did he mean by this? Do you agree with his motivation for leaving?

Gatsby - (includes spoiler - only read if finished)

At the end of the novel, 3 people are dead. Out of all the principle characters: Nick, Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Myrtle, and George, all share at least some blame. In your opinion, which character is most at fault for the tragedies? Explain your reason.

Gatsby - Success

In the eyes of society, was Jay Gatsby a successful man? What about in your eyes? If you've finished reading the book, you know that Gatsby re-invented himself according to a pre-conceived image. Was he successful? Explain and explore this idea.

(Were there any other characters in the novel that you'd describe as successful?)

Gatsby - Colors

In the handout I gave you in May, I suggested you keep an eye out for Fitzgerald's use of colors as symbols. Have you found any that seem intentional? Yes, yes, I'm be the first to admit that sometimes a brown hat is just a brown hat, but have you come across any descriptions of color that Fitzgerald seemed to use as a way to create meaning?

By the way, if you're wondering whether English teachers are looking for symbols that aren't there (i.e. colors) consider the poem by Thomas Parke D'Invilliers on the book's title page. (Oh, and D'Invilliers wasn't real - it's a pen name for Fitzgerald.) The poem centers around the color gold, and reads:

Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can counce high, bounce for her too,
Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"

Gatsby - Nick as Narrator

Nick Carroway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby, is not your typical first-person narrator in that he actually plays a very small role in the events of the novel. While most first-person novels are told by the main character (protagonist), Fitzgerald chose to turn over the narrative to Nick, a minor character.

In your opinion, what is achieved by having Nick tell the story? Would it have been better, or at least different if another character - Tom, Daisy, or Gatsby - had taken over the narrative? If The Great Gatsby is, indeed, a brilliant book, why/how does Nick as narrator help make it so? (Consider, too, what Nick tells us about himself in the first page of the novel.)