Thursday, February 18, 2016

Review of the Great Gatsby - Is this old classic about American history?


The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the story of a rich man pursuing the woman he has loved since his youth. Jay Gatsby, extravagant and disillusioned by World War I, dreams of recovering desires from his past and employs the help of Nick Carraway, his next door neighbor. However, while the novel appears to be a romantic tragedy, it is packed with a plethora of hidden meanings and symbolism. Matthew Bruccoli suggests The Great Gatsby is about American history, and I believe that, in many ways, that is true, from the setting of the story to the metaphors in the writing.

The early 1920s was a time of disillusionment and excess. After World War I, the new generation was desperate to cope with the traumas of their experiences. This led to a time of corruption, encouraging people to run after their desires without thought to the consequences. An example of this is Gatsby's huge mansion and the manifestations of his wealth. The parties he held on Saturday nights are a good example of the extravagance and waste of the age. Both Nick and Gatsby had fought in World War I, and throughout the story, we see Nick's resulting cynicism and Gatsby's decadence. There is also a clear picture of the industrialism of the age. Parts of the story are set in the Valley of Ashes, which was a long stretch of desolate land created by the dumping of industrial ashes. This was the setting for Wilson and Myrtle's home, creating their dismal mindsets.

World War I also resulted in the decline of the American dream. Before, that dream had been a very pure ideal. It was about discovery and making your own path and creating something for yourself. Now, in a world that was obsessed with consumption, the American dream was simply the pursuit of pleasures, whether it be money, property, or enjoyment. Gatsby's parties and his pursuit of Daisy are an example of this, as are the motives and actions of the other characters in the story. It also represented the dissatisfaction of the age. In the end, no one is able to truly fulfill their greedy desires. Gatsby's dream of finally being with his true love – Daisy – was compared to the old dream of the New World and symbolized by the green light at the end of her dock. He was straining toward things that were already past, groping after dreams that had become deceptive wisps.

This story is also includes how changes in social status played out in the 1920s. There was the aristocracy, old families with old wealth, and now there were people who were making their own fortune, known as the newly rich. With the prohibition, Gatsby and many others were making fortunes through criminal activity and bootlegging. One of the reasons for Daisy's rejection of Gatsby was that he had pursued money in ways that were less than reputable. Families that were from the aristocracy often frowned on the newly rich, suspecting them as bootleggers. The aristocrats were often characterized by subtlety and sense. But they also – like Tom and Daisy Buchanan – had a certain hollowness to them. Throughout the story, Tom, Daisy and Jordan are often conveyed as being dispassionate. However, the newly rich were excessive and extravagant, but they also had heart. Gatsby, for all his flaws, has real passion and feeling throughout the story.

The Great Gatsby also represented the moral decline of the age. Between the activity in Gatsby's mansion and his pursuit of – Daisy – a married woman, we see how the characters put more emphasis on self-gratification than on truth and morality. At the end of the story, Gatsby loses Daisy and Tom loses Myrtle, the woman that he was cheating with. Gatsby, unprotected by his social status and also by his heart, is killed for a crime that he didn't commit, and Daisy, who accidentally committed the crime, is untouched. Nick, after wrapping up Gatsby's affairs, leaves Long Island, searching for a place where the excesses of the age will not affect him.

In the end, this story is about the disillusionment that was rampant in the age. It has a real grounding in history. Through the setting, the feel, and the message of the story, it conveys the history of the 1920s. The age was permeated by the aftermath of World War I, causing the world to change socially and morally. The Great Gatsby is a representation of what happens when we pursue our pleasures and desires over all else. I agree with Matthew Bruccoli's statement. This story not only teaches history, it teaches history in a way that is very tangible and deep.
 

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Review of the new Star Wars!

Well, I know that this is late, since the Star Wars movie came out weeks and weeks ago. Life happens, though, and I felt like I wanted to mull over the story in my head for a while.

To be perfectly honest...(please don't shoot me) I am not a big fan of Star Wars. I thought that the other movies had poor writers and poor acting. Between those two issues, plus the special affects that were definitely wanting, I just don't enjoy them all that much. The only reason that I wanted to go see the new Star Wars in the first place is because I am a movie-aholic. However, when I watched it, I was very pleasantly surprised. And this is why...

BEWARE OF SPOILERS!

First of all, I feel like the atmosphere and setting of the movie was better in every way. I think that one of the reasons why I didn't like the first movies was because it just didn't seem real to me. It was too far-fetched and abstract and poorly done that it just wouldn't come together in my mind. However, the whole story, the way it was pulled together, put something that was very tangible in my hands. The fights in space, the sandy hell that Rey lives on, the ruins from battles in previous movies...it was all very interesting and full of Easter Eggs. Even the creatures that they brought in were more real because of the way that they were handled.

I think that my favorite part of this movie was the character development. I usually don't like female characters in movies, but I LOVED Rey. The mystery of her past, the smart, hardened shell and sensitive core. I liked how they involved the story of a storm trooper who found that the fear and the death was just too much for him. Unlike from the other movies, these characters took on a life of their own...and thank goodness they weren't whiny! It was also neat how they wove old and new characters together, creating totally new scenarios and emotions to go with.

Darth Vader will always be one of my favorite bad-guys in movie history, but I thought that Kylo Ren was a good antagonist in his place. Like any good antagonist, he had layers, weaknesses, and quirks (that thing where he hits his wounds all the time? It blew my mind!). Of course, there WAS that moment where he took of the mask and you realized that instead of a Tom Hiddleson type, you ended up with one of the most goofy looking men in the universe. Literally. Should I stop?

The plotline itself was probably the weaker part of the story. While I liked how the movie remained true to its history, sometimes I thought that it was a little too loyal to a flawed storyline. I mean, really... How many times are they going to leave a weakness on the outside of their most recent Deathstar. Really? And they are searching for Luke Skywalker? Because.....why? I just didn't think that "He will restore balance to the force" was enough of an explanation. I mean, there wasn't much peace when he was around in the first place. I don't know. It just didn't do it for me.

Other than that, I really loved the twists and turns that the story took, the fight against cowardice, the past, and rejection. Rey discovering that she is able to use the force, Kylo Ren's struggle between the Dark Side and good. I really feel like this movie was Star Wars 2.0. I am very excited for the next one to come out. And while I am disappointed in the choice of actor to play the antagonist, I can't wait to see what role he plays in the end.

Well, this ended up being more of a rant than a review, but I hope that you enjoy it. Thank you for reading this! If you enjoyed the movie, comment below and let me know what you liked about it! If you didn't, I would love to know why!

Friday, August 28, 2015

Writing Prompt #4

You wake up to hear a pounding on the door. When you answer it, nothing is there...except for a letter with a black wax seal. The letter is addressed to you.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Go Teen Writers: A Characterization Study on Little Women



Here is a great post on the Teen Writers website about using a physical description to convey who a character is. She uses the story, Little Women, as an example of this and gives you the opportunity to try it yourself. This is a definite must read! Enjoy!

Go Teen Writers: A Characterization Study on Little Women: Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fan...

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Review of the Fantastic Four



I haven't written a review for a movie before, but I thought I'd give it a go! My friend and I went to the new "Fantastic Four" movie this evening. Here are my thoughts on it.

This is a review for people who don't want spoilers! Farther down, I will write another that delves deeper and will contain spoilers. Don't say I didn't warn you.

This is a great movie for people who love super heroes. Each character has their own motivation and agenda, adding something to the story itself. Mankind wants to push its limits, to explore and learn more about this world...and any other that exists. Due to a...complication...four explorers who were visiting an alternate dimension were hurt and imbued with fantastical powers. Some see them as freaks. Others see them as weapons. However, in the end what matters is what they think of themselves. Each of them must overcome their bitterness and learn to use what they have been given to stop an evil that threatens to destroy their world.

Out of one to ten, I would probably give it a five. It is however, a very enjoyable movie.

Now, for those who want a more in-depth review...

WARNING: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS. If you don't want any, stop reading now!

The movie opens on Career day, where a young boy tells the other students that he wants to be the first person to be teleported. His name, our hero, was Reed. Ridiculed by his classmates, misunderstood by his parents, he only has one friend, Ben. Together, they create a mechanism that can teleport objects. One day, while making an example of his invention at a science fair, a man approaches him with a proposition. And that's where Reed's adventures really begin.

From the standpoint of plot, this movie is about as realistic as any superhero movie, so I'll try to do this unbiased. Reed, along with his new friends, create a machine that will allow them to travel to another dimension. When they prove it is possible, one of the board members of the school hosting them decides to call in NASA. The team decides to go instead, without permission. The journey goes smooth, but while in the alternate dimension they are hurt and given powers. From there, they are in the center of a game of tug-a-war. Their teacher wants them healed. The military wants to use them as weapons. And Victor, a young man who was left behind in the alternate dimension, wants to destroy the world. Only by working together -- and coming to grips with what they are -- can they defeat him.

I thought that the characters were developed decently enough, though I thought that some of their actions were unrealistic. For example, Reed running away from the military plant and leaving his friends behind didn't seem like something he'd do, especially after making a promise to Ben. And it never explained what he was doing while he left. When he finally returned, the others -- with the exception of Ben -- seemed to forgive his treachery immediately. It just didn't seem smooth to me.

The antagonist, Victor, was the part I really had a problem with. We first see him sitting in front of a computer screen, hair uncut, a reject of society. After being convinced by his teacher to help with the project of teleporting, he returns to the school. Now, there are different looks and comments exchanged that point to there being some sort of history between him and the female lead, but it was never clearly explained. When they arrived at the new dimension, he was fascinated by the "energy" on the new planet -- and his actions led to the accident that ensued. He was left behind in that dimension, blessed with powers himself, for over a year.

Later, when the military sent explorers to the new dimension, he re-emerged. They took him back, thinking he was injured. It is then that he reveals his hatred toward the outside world. The world is evil, and he wants to start again with a new one. The energy that has sustained him in that dimension would surely continue to do so. Although his anger was understandable, I didn't understand his complete hatred toward the world. Was it the energy inside him? Was he insane? All unclear.

In the end, he tries to open a sort of portal between worlds that will destroy earth. The four freaks, monsters, must stop him. Separately, Dr. Doom (as Victor calls himself) defeats them. But when they work together as a team they are able to succeed. In the end, they are a team that will use there powers, not for military or political power, but to make a difference.

Like I said, it was a fun movie to watch, but in the realm of plot and character, it was not very well developed.

Also: DON'T WAIT THROUGH THE CREDITS. Everyone does. You know, to see the teaser at the end. It's Marvel, right? Well, my friend and I did, and there wasn't one. Just so you know.

Enjoy your movie watching! Any thoughts on the new movie. Please comment below!

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Writing Prompt #3

You wake up in a small, concrete room that is filling up with water. Your only tools are a screwdriver, a cell phone with no batteries, and an assault rifle. How do you proceed?

Friday, August 21, 2015

Keeping things interesting

Some stories, in order to hold a reader's attention, will be made up of intense event followed by battle scene followed by action. Bam! Bam! Bam! In this society, it is hard to get someone to stop and listen for any length of time. Writers in general often struggle to hold their reader's attention for any length of time. Some solve that problem by having constant suspense. However, that is not always realistic, and some storylines simply won't allow for it. So how do we keep the reader engaged during every scene?

Character. Engaging characters will engage the reader, even when they are not in the middle of a fight. Their reactions, actions, thoughts, emotions, and expressions will draw us in. We want to see their unique outlook. Sound too simple? It's not. It really works. A dull scene with great characters will carry while a great scene with dull characters cannot. This is why it is so important to have 3D characters that come to life in the reader's mind.

Changing emotion. Every scene, intense or not, should contain a change in emotion. If not, it is wasted and should be cut or improved. It is the changes in emotion that really keeps the reader reading. Emotion is the core of story-telling. Maybe the protagonist starts out happy, but by the end of the scene she is troubled and questioning. Anything goes so long as the reader can feel it. I believe that is the essence of good story-telling. Feeling. The more you keep the reader guessing and on their toes, the better. Evoke on them the character's turmoil.

Clear plot. If a chapter feels pointless then it probably is. And that comes from a lack of clear plot. If your plot is clear and the reader knows where you are going, they will follow you through the calmer seas as well as through the storms. Everything should fit into a purpose that the reader can see, whether now or later. Otherwise, you're just wasting space, and the reader is wasting their time.

Hidden information. If done right, an air of mystery is very effective in keeping a reader reading. Whether it is simply an exchange about the past between characters or foreshadowing to some horror in the future, it will intrigue. Keep the reader guessing with unforeseen plot twists and hints of what is to come.

A great example of a story that does this is Wool by Hugh Howey. I am reading it right now, and I would definitely recommend it.



Can you think of anything else? Comment below!