Walden Blog Post

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.” The quote is stressing that just because someone is different it does not mean that they are wrong, they just have a different mindset and different goals. One of Thoreau's main points in "Walden" is that people need to be unique and travel outside of their comfort zone. The Amish are an example of people "hearing a different drummer", they live life differently than the rest of society and are not wrong in any of their ways, they are just different and have their own beliefs. Ignorant people may see the Amish people as being dumb and wrong in life for not living like everyone else but their goals and views on life are different than the majority of today's society and that is how they choose to live their life. Thoreau recommends that living simply is the best way to go and that people are focused on unimportant luxuries nowadays, "...and if railroads are not built, how shall we get to heaven in season?" Thoreau's point is that men's ultimate goal should be to live a happy life and to eventually go to heaven when they die, if people are always working on things like railroads, they will never be happy. The railroad is not what will get people to heaven, it will just keep them busy and not happy like they should be.

Chapter 5 Blog Post

After the reader was introduced to Gatsby it became clear that his biggest wish is to just be with Daisy again, revealing to Nick that basically everything he has done is to impress Daisy and possibly lure her back to him. Gatsby is very wealthy and popular yet he will not be satisfied until he is with Daisy again, "'If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay," said Gatsby. "'You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.'" (Fitzgerald 92). Gatsby has noticed the green light every night, symbolizing his obsession with her. "'We haven't met for many years,'" said Daisy, her voice as matter-of-fact as it could ever be. "'Five years next November.'" (Fitzgerald 87). The fact that Gatsby has been keeping track of how long it has been since he saw Daisy and knows the exact date shows once again that Gatsby cares very deeply about Daisy and now he is finally back with her again. "His eyes went over it, every arched door and square tower. 'It took me just three years to earn the money that bought it.'" (Fitzgerald 90). Another impressive aspect of Gatsby's wealth is how he claims it only took three years to get all of the money that he now has. "He hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in the house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes." (Fitzgerald 91).  Gatsby knows that his wealth is one of his strongest assets in his quest to get Daisy back.

Gatsby has done everything he can to complete his American Dream. Gatsby is wealthy, has many material possessions and has a large house. The only thing that Gatsby is missing is a wife to start a family with, and he moved into West Egg just to be near Daisy so he can complete the dream. He has hosted parties in hopes of seeing her there and developed a plan involving Nick inviting daisy to tea so that Gatsby can see her. Gatsby has put his full effort into completing the American Dream, and that is what makes him "purely American".

Great Gatsby Chapter 1

F. Scott Fitzgerald's depiction of the 1920s is an accurate one. Gatsby's infamous parties known for their abundance of alcohol when alcohol is supposed to be illegal supports the fact that it is an accurate depiction. Throughout Chapter 1 the characters have a dinner party and drink and are all pretty wealthy. None of the characters seem to worry much and enjoy parties and relaxing. It's attitude is one that accurately depicts the type of attitude that was common in that era. Nick Carraway, Gatsby, and the Buchanans are all relatively young and wealthy and are enjoying it, which is what people did back in the 1920s.

     John Winthrop discusses the Puritan voyage from England to reinforce that this pilgrimage is a pivotal moment in history; he uses the image of a city upon a hill to give a visualization of just how important their voyage is. Winthrop's "city upon a hill" line is key in him showing everyone just how great a deal them coming to America is to the rest of the world; Winthrop is reminding everyone that they are pioneers in settling in New England; "For wee must consider that wee shall be as a citty upon a hill. The eies of all people are upon us."When Winthrop says,  "the eies of all people are upon us", he means that everyone will be watching closely to see if they succeed in living in America. For the Puritans to do what they want to do-prosper In a new world apart from British rule and eventually have a much larger community with other people coming over as we'll, they must be a "city upon a hill". A city upon a hill has to be near flawless as they are a model for everyone else to look up to. A city upon a hill needs to have people helping one another, have good morals, and be crime-free. They must all be loyal to God and pray and thank him daily. This type of community is very difficult to have and make it last, but it is vital for the Puritans if they want to be free from England and have others join them.  

     John Winthrop's "city upon a hill" line is key in him showing everyone just how great a deal them coming to America is to the rest of the world; Winthrop is reminding everyone that they are pioneers in settling in New England; "For wee must consider that wee shall be as a citty upon a hill. The eies of all people are upon us."When Winthrop says,  "the eies of all people are upon us", he means that everyone will be watching closely to see if they succeed in living in America. For the Puritans to do what they want to do-prosper In a new world apart from British rule and eventually have a much larger community with other people coming over as we'll, they must be a "city upon a hill". A city upon a hill has to be near flawless as they are a model for everyone else to look up to. A city upon a hill needs to have people helping one another, have good morals, and be crime-free. This type of community is very difficult to have and make it last, but it is vital for the Puritans if they want to be free from England and have others join them.