Class Journal

Ugh, I really have nothing to say about class this week. I really hope that isn’t an insult to you Mr. Glenn, oops. It’s just that I’m really over As I Lay Dying because every time I read it I want to kill myself. Ok, that was a little bit dramatic, but seriously you have to admit it is pretty bad. Half the time I don’t even understand what is going on and the other half of the time I’m falling asleep because of how boring it is. Ok, I know I shouldn’t be complaining about this because it is school and me complaining about it isn’t going to change the fact that I still have to read it the book, I just really hate it. Ok, I’m done. I will now write about something a bit more interesting also known as, The Great Gatsby.

In class, we discussed whether or not we should sympathize with Myrtle. Personally, I believe that she deserves a lot of sympathy. Sure, she was cheating on her husband, but Tom was also cheating on his wife and he received no punishment. It is almost unfair to me that Myrtle was the one who was punished for her actions because she seemed like the most naïve and innocent out of all of them. I felt bad for her because she was more of a behind the scenes character who ended up getting the short end of the stick. It is as if Fitzgerald has something against her Every time he mentions her—which isn’t often—he describes her in a negative tone and puts her in very sad circumstances. I don’t know, I just feel bad for her, maybe it’s because I have a fear of being hit by a car. I just feel like Tom and daisy should be the ones punished for their actions. They are both extremely superficial and they did the most harm to both Daisy and Gatsby. I don’t like Tom at all because was cheating on his wife yet still expecting her to stay with him. That doesn’t make sense to me. How can he get mad at daisy for seeing Gatsby when he is out gallivanting around with Myrtle? But, I don’t sympathize with Daisy at all. She chose to be with tom despite her love for Gatsby because once again, she is a superficial woman who just wants to be comfortable. How meaningless is a life of comfort? Sure, the perks might be good, but is Daisy actually happy with her life. No, she’s not. She is in fact miserable, but she is scared of the so-called dangers associated with a life with her true love Gatsby. She is so consumed with the love of money and ease that she is unable to truly love anyone. If she really loved Gatsby, she would have left her bountiful life of riches and pursued him. I really don’t like daisy, and I hope I never end up like her.