I was losing grasp of the situation quickly; everything was spinning out of control in terms of the conversation between Jay and Tom where it was incredibly difficult to follow. The hostility Tom held for Jay was so blatantly obvious and undiluted that I was sure Jay had realized it too, though he tried to act rather nonchalant about it. I tried to divert the topic by offering to make my husband a mint julep, but he wasn't finished quite yet.
"Wait a minute," he snapped, "I want to ask Mr. Gatsby one more question." When Jay politely insisted that he go on, Tom continued, "What kind of row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow?"
"He isn't causing a row," I defended as I desperately looked to the others around the table--Nick and Jordan. "You're causing a row. Please have a little self-control."
"Self-control!" he repeated incredulously. "I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that's the idea you can count me out...Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they'll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white."
I was stunned by the remainder of his rant, and I was sure most of my shock came across my face; I felt as if I was unable to breathe...unable to move. I knew though that I wanted to leave--I wanted to leave now.
"I've got something to tell you, old sport--" began Jay, but I was quick to cut him off when I knew the direction in which his sentence was spiraling; my heart was jumping so quickly.
"Please don't! Please let's all go home. Why don't we all go home?"
"That's a good idea." I was thankful for Nick's help as he got up. "Come on, Tom. Nobody wants a drink."
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
The American Dream
Some people want the vigorous fame, fortune and recognition...
Some people want power.
Some just desire the idea of starting a family in a nice little house by the seaside.
Each of those individual aspirations could classify themselves to be an "American Dream". Once you set that goal--that dream of yours that you want to obtain--that's something that should definitely stick with you for life and become one of your major motives.
So what is the ideal American Dream, or the standard one at least? No matter what, everything all leads back to the idea of having some sort of wealth, which (as CBS says) "may very well be the root of all evil". They say that the dream has been split into two different sections and types: those who work to earn it and those who think it's owed them.
It's ludicrous to think about just how similar this definition is to the views of those in the book The Great Gatsby. The two divisions can definitely be identified as East Egg (the earning of money) and West Egg (the inheritance of it).
The quote "start from nothing and become a big-time success" is practically the exigency of Gatsby's entire being. Originally, Gatsby wasn't the man who he became later in the book--he wasn't a big hotshot with loads of cash to fill all of his pockets. Gatsby actually started out not having anything and eventually worked hard in order to achieve the status of becoming infamous. In this sense, Gatsby is like the symbol of the American Dream that is being questioned today: the idea of starting from nothing and working up to something.
Some people want power.
Some just desire the idea of starting a family in a nice little house by the seaside.
Each of those individual aspirations could classify themselves to be an "American Dream". Once you set that goal--that dream of yours that you want to obtain--that's something that should definitely stick with you for life and become one of your major motives.
So what is the ideal American Dream, or the standard one at least? No matter what, everything all leads back to the idea of having some sort of wealth, which (as CBS says) "may very well be the root of all evil". They say that the dream has been split into two different sections and types: those who work to earn it and those who think it's owed them.
It's ludicrous to think about just how similar this definition is to the views of those in the book The Great Gatsby. The two divisions can definitely be identified as East Egg (the earning of money) and West Egg (the inheritance of it).
Perhaps the most damaging piece of popular career and leadership fluff is that you should reach for the stars, aspire to the corner office, and don't stop until you achieve your dreams. Now, I know what you're thinking: Isn't that the American Dream, start from nothing and become a big-time success?-- CBS
The quote "start from nothing and become a big-time success" is practically the exigency of Gatsby's entire being. Originally, Gatsby wasn't the man who he became later in the book--he wasn't a big hotshot with loads of cash to fill all of his pockets. Gatsby actually started out not having anything and eventually worked hard in order to achieve the status of becoming infamous. In this sense, Gatsby is like the symbol of the American Dream that is being questioned today: the idea of starting from nothing and working up to something.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Zelda's Lullaby
Zelda's Lullaby is an orchestrated piece from the video game series entitled the Legend of Zelda. It made its first appearance in the Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past, and continued on ever since. The name of the song derives from the game's Princess (Zelda) as it is notably her personal theme song and played each time she makes her appearance within the games. The song itself is supposed to induce 'peace' and 'tranquility'...two things that Princess Zelda is renowned for...and I think it does an amazing job at capturing those feelings. It's especially effective when played on an ocarina (like in the Ocarina of Time game, flute, or on the piano; the melody—despite its simplicity—can help ease one's nerves quickly, which is the major reason I took up learning how to play it on piano. It’s my way of calming down when having a bad day.
For learning how to play the song, the chords and finger movements can be quite challenging, making it the only downfall of the song. Some notes are too much of a stretch to complete the chord progression while others are too close to the left hand, but once you get used to the timing and flow of the song, things will become easier. “Zelda’s Lullaby” is also fun to play in different pitches as well.
I enjoy the innovative ways that the Nintendo™ incorporates the song into the ongoing Legend of Zelda franchise. In the most recent game (Skyward Sword), the new song that is used for Zelda’s theme (“Ballad of the Goddesses”) is actually “Zelda’s Lullaby” played in reverse, and if you play the original theme backwards, you come up with the main intro to Skyward Sword. Neat, right? It just goes to show you how popular that song is. :)
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