Great Appalachian Valley

A Daisy by Any Other Name Every great story needs both a villain and a hero, and the greatest stories are often characterized by their ability to blur the line between the two. In The Great Gatsby, a novel by Scott F. Fitzgerald set in the Eggs of New York, a line can be drawn between Daisy and Gatsby, Daisy and Nick, or even Daisy and Tom quite easily. Though a reader’s first impulse may be to cast Daisy as the villain, she fills the role of the victim more so than that of the tormentor. The…

valued themselves. Often during this time people thought that money, fame, or power equaled self worth, with many of the newly wealthy thinking that extravagant spending would help them build their confidence and social standing. Jay Gatsby from “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of these people. Due to his lack of self confidence,…

During the 1920s prohibition was at its peak. Many bootleggers took advantage of the alcoholics and partiers by selling them liquor; a bootlegger is someone who distributes alcohol illegally. Jay Gatsby, the main character in The Great Gatsby, was a poor farm boy from South Dakota and according to his father he was destined to get rich. How Jay got rich is mystery throughout the book due to the fact that a countless amount of rumors were said about him such as, he was a German spy, he killed a…

Today, ambiguity can be seen in many pieces of well-known literature, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Ambiguous statements and phrases are meant to leave imagination to the reader. To use ambiguity in literature is not meant to confuse, but rather it is for the reader to visualize what he or she believes it to be. To use clarity in literature, on the other hand, does not necessarily leave a less important message but a less deep…

Although there were countless key influences causing the Great Depression, the aftershock of World War One was key at provoking the sequential events which led to and caused the Great Depression during the 1930’s. Instantaneously, the aftermath of World War One left psychological scars on everyone causing many to grieve and act impulsively by filling the void of a lost loved one with newfound wealth acquired from the stock market. Also, with the war finally over and soldiers returning home, a…

1930s, Harper shows how the Great Depression affected people in this time period. On page 22 in To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout says “The Cunningham’s never took anything they can’t pay back – no church baskets, and no crisp stamps. They never took anything off of anybody; they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along”. Even Scout asks Atticus, who was a lawyer, if they were poor, and Atticus answered with a “yes”. This is to show how the Great Depression time period…

Being a black man during the time period of “Of Mice and Men” [Great Depression] was detrimental to achieving the American Dream. Crooks was prone to being constantly discriminated because of his race. While Crooks is speaking to Lennie, he [Crooks] stated that, “They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m…

treasure chest depending on how much you read. I remember there was always a week called “TV Turn Off Week” where you couldn’t watch TV for a full week and instead read a certain amount of hours. At the end, you would receive a ticket to Six Flags Great America. There were rules though; you were not allowed to read…

The American Dream In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are different symbols that all tie in to a message about the American Dream. During the rolling 20’s, everyone wants to achieve this American Dream; however, people couldn’t picture the reality. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald puts the American Dream in perspective when mentioning symbols such as, the valley of ashes, love in the 20’s, Gatsby’s anonymous parties, the green light from the light house that shined…

In the novel The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, the protagonist, Wang Lung is overwhelmed by the society in which he lives. His overpowering society eventually causes him to lose touch with himself and succumb to society's many pressures. He ultimately separates himself from his loved ones and creates a sad and lonely life for himself due to all the coercion of his society. In the beginning of the novel, Wang Lung is a poor single man living in his father's house. He is not, by any means, well…