Two mistakes that can easily be avoided

Tense:

If you refer to fictional action, you have to use the present.  “When Nick enters, Gatsby is walking restlessly up and down.”

(The progressive form is used to show “duration”. On the other hand, “duration” must be limited. If there is no limited duration or the action is repeated regularly, you use the simple form: I go to school at 7.30 every day.

So if you say you are living in Heidelberg, you also say that this is only for a limited time. If you say I live in HD there is no indication that you are planning to move away.

The progressive can also be used with always especially if you want to show that the frequency (repeated action) annoys the speaker:

He is always losing his keys. Or: Tom always goes away at weekends.

(Also mind the position of the adverb) What can you say about the position of adverbs?

Which is the difference between the following sentences? (They are not quite realistic)

Little Mary is behaving badly.

Little Mary behaves badly.

The use of the definite article

1. The definite article is used when the object of group of objects is unique or considered to be unique: the earth, the sea, the sky, the equator, the stars.

2. Before a noun which has become definite as a result of being mentioned a second time:
His car struck a tree; you can still see the mark on the tree.

3. Before a noun made definite by the addition of a phrase or clause:
the girl in blue, the man with the banner, the boy that I met, the place where I met him.

4. Before a noun which by reason of locality can represent only one thing:
Ann is in the garden. Please pass the wine.

5. Before superlatives and first, second, etc. used as adjectives or pronouns and only
the first (week),    the best day,    the only way

6. The+singular noun represents a class of animals or things: The whale is in danger.
exception: man: If oil supplies run out, man may have to fall back on the horse.

7. The+adjective represents a class of people: the old, the poor etc.

8. The is used before certain proper names: the Atlantic, the Netherlands,  the Alps, the Mall, the Gulf of Mexico (of-construction)

9. The is used with names of people: the Smiths etc.

Tenses once more

TENSES ZUSAMMENFASSUNG

DIE ZEITEN DER GEGENWART

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

drückt aus, dass:

· etwas zum Zeitpunkt des Sprechens vor sich geht.

· I’m writing a letter at the moment. I’m reading a book this summer.

· sich zwei oder mehrere Handlungen zur selben Zeit abspielen.

· He is cleaning the room and she is washing the dishes.

· etwas konkret Vereinbartes zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt in der Zukunft geschieht.

· I’m meeting him tomorrow.

· eine Handlung missbilligt wird.

· He is always forgetting his book.

SIMPLE PRESENT

wird u.a. gebraucht bei:

· gewohnheitsmäßigen, wiederkehrenden, regelmäßigen Handlungen.

· She speaks English with her teacher. The sun rises in the east.

· Angaben von Handlungsabläufen, Inhaltsangaben.

· We leave at ten and arrive at 11. In chapter one he loses his job, then he decides to go abroad.

· Verben, die keine Handlung ausdrücken.

· z.B. agree, like, forget, love, hate , know, mean, remember, think, understand, want, wish

· Dazu gehören auch Verben der Sinneswahrnehmung und Verben, die Besitzverhältnisse ausdrücken.

· feel, hear, look, notice, see, smell, taste; belong, consist, contain, have, own, possess

Verben wie have, look oder think können dann in der ing-Form gebraucht werden, wenn sie keinen Zustand sondern eine Tätigkeit ausdrücken: We’re having dinner. What are you thinking of?

DIE ZEITEN DER VERGANGENHEIT

PAST PROGRESSIVE

wird gebraucht:

· um auszudrücken, dass eine Handlung in der Vergangenheit (ing-Form) durch ein neues Ereignis (simple-form) unterbrochen wurde.

· He was reading a book when a ball fell on his table.

· wenn der Verlauf zweier parallel verlaufender Handlungen in der Vergangenheit beschrieben wird:

· She was reading a book while he was writing a letter.

SIMPLE PAST

· um auszudrücken, dass ein Vorgang abgeschlossen ist (oft in Verbindung mit Zeitangaben wie yesterday, a week ago etc.)

· wenn mehrere Handlungen in der Vergangenheit aufeinander folgten:He knocked at the door, entered the room and sat down.

PRESENT PERFECT

drückt (ANDERS als im Deutschen!) aus:

· dass bei etwas, das in der Vergangenheit stattgefunden hat, NICHT wichtig ist, wann das war, sondern, was das ERGEBNIS ist: I have already eaten. (Dann darf aber auch keine Zeitangabe dabei stehen).

· dass eine Handlung gerade abgeschlossen wurde.

· I have just finished my meal.

· dass ein Zustand in der Vergangenheit begonnen hat, aber noch nicht abgeschlossen ist:

· I have known him for three years now. (Übersetzung oft im Präsens: Ich kenne ihn …).

· dass man über einen Zeitraum spricht, der bis zur Gegenwart reicht:

· Have you ever been to London?

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

drückt aus:

· dass eine Tätigkeit in der Vergangenheit begonnen hat und zum Zeitpunkt des Sprechens noch andauert (besonders bei statischen Verben wie live, wait, sleep, sit, lie oder bei länger dauernden Tätigkeiten wie study, teach, work):

· What have you been doing lately? I’ve been working a lot.

· (Achtung: Übersetzung ins Dt. oft im Präsens, weil die Handlung ja noch andauert: Ich arbeite viel).

PAST PERFECT

drückt aus:

· dass zwei Handlungen in der Vergangenheit auf einander folgten. Die Handlung, die zeitlich voranging, steht im Past Perfect.

· When we arrived, Karen had already laid the table.

DIE ZEITEN DER ZUKUNFT

WILL-FUTURE

wird gebraucht:

· wenn man über zukünftige Dinge spricht, auf die man keinen Einfluss hat.

· He will be sixteen next week.

· nach Verben in der Gegenwart.

· I expect we will see him there.

· bei spontanen Entschlüssen.

· Trust me, I’ll help you.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

wird gebraucht:

· bei konkreten Vereinbarungen und festen Plänen.

· We’re travelling to Italy next week.

GOING TO-FUTURE

wird gebraucht:

· Wenn eine Absicht zum Ausdruck gebracht werden soll.

· I’m going to learn English, because I want to travel to London.

SIMPLE PRESENT

wird gebraucht:

· Bei Ereignissen, die vom Kalender, von Fahrplänen oder anderen Plänen abhängen.

· The train leaves at six o’clock.

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE

wird gebraucht:

- um den Verlauf einer Handlung in der Zukunft darzustellen

- This time next week I’ll be lying in the sun.

- um höflich nach künftigen Absichten zu fragen

- Will you be coming next Monday?

FUTURE PERFECT

wird gebraucht:

- um über eine in der Zukunft liegende, zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt abgeschlossene Handlung zu sprechen

- Next year I will have finished school.

Summary of tenses

SIMPLE PRESENT: (infinitive [+ -s in der 3.Ps. Sing.])

VERWENDUNG:

1. Regelmäßige Handlungen, Dauerzustände, Inhaltsangaben,   Gebrauchsanweisungen

He never comes home in time.

Georgia lies north of Florida.

What does John say in his letter?

You turn left at the corner…

2. Um auszudrücken, dass ein zukünftiges Geschehen durch Fahrplan etc. bereits festgelegt ist

The summer term begins on April 16th.

We arrive on Sunday at 10 o’clock.

3. In kurzen Sätzen mit besonderer Betonung von Adverbien wie here, there etc.

Here comes your bus.

There goes your last train.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE: (am/are/is + -ing form)

VERWENDUNG:

1. Um auszudrücken, dass etwas im Augenblick des Sprechens im Verlauf ist

I am learning the English tenses.

2. Um auszudrücken, dass eine noch nicht abgeschlossene Handlung unterbrochen wurde

(On the phone): Helen: What are you doing right now? Steve: I’m working in the garden.

3. Um auszudrücken, das etwas wiederholt geschieht, aber nur innerhalb eines begrenzten
Zeitraums:

Jane is walking to work till the bus strike is over.

4. Um auszudrücken, dass etwas Zukünftiges konkret geplant, persönlich vereinbart und
beschlossen ist:

Sally is getting married next Saturday.

5. Mit dem Adverb always: um auszudrücken, dass etwas immer wieder geschieht (Missbilligung)

Jill is always ringing up Ruth at night.

PRESENT PERFECT: (have/has + past participle)

VERWENDUNG:

1. Um auszudrücken, dass etwas vor dem Zeitpunkt des Sprechens geschehen ist (keine genaue
Zeitangabe, Vorlage eines Ergebnisses)

I have read this book, and I find it interesting.

2. Um auszudrücken, dass sich etwas einmal, mehrmals oder nie vor dem Zeitpunkt des Sprechens
ereignet hat:

Have you ever seen the Queen?

Yes. I’ve often seen her.

3. Um auszudrücken, dass sich etwas irgendwann in einem noch andauernden Zeitraum ereignet hat

Have you seen Paul this week?

No, I haven’t.

4. Um auszudrücken, dass in der Vergangenheit ein Zustand begonnen hat, der jetzt noch andauert

I have known Jane for two years.

5. Um in temporalen Gliedsätzen mit since eine Zeitspanne anzugeben, die bis zum Zeitpunkt des
Sprechens reicht:

Mary has often visited me since I have been here. (i.e. : I’m  still here).
(Aber: Mary has often visited me since I last went there).

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: (have/has been + ing form)

VERWENDUNG:

1. Um auszudrücken, dass eine Tätigkeit in der Vergangenheit begann und (in der Gegenwart oder
Zukunft) noch andauert

What have you been doing?

I’ve been repairing my bike.

2. Um auszudrücken, dass eine Handlung in der Vergangenheit zu unerwünschten Folgen in der
Gegenwart geführt hat

Dear me, what have you been doing to my knife?

SIMPLE PAST: (infinitive + ed)

VERWENDUNG:

1. Um auszudrücken, wann etwas zu einem best. Zeitpunkt oder in einem best. Zeitraum in der
Vergangenheit geschah

I read this article two days ago.

Where did you buy your new skirt?

Paul worked here for three years.

2. Um auszudrücken, dass etwas zu einem best. Zeitpunkt in einem noch andauernden Zeitraum
geschah

Did you see Eric (some time) this week?

3. Um in temporalen Gliedsätzen mit since einen Zeitpunkt in der Vergangenheit anzugeben

She hasn’t seen him since he left hospital.

PAST PROGRESSIVE: (was/were + ing form)

VERWENDUNG:

1. Um auszudrücken, dass eine Handlung zu einem best. Zeitpunkt in der Vergangenheit im Verlauf
war

I woke up because the phone was ringing.

2. Zur Beschreibung von Hintergrundhandlungen

It was a terrible night. The wind was blowing. We were sitting at the fire-place. Suddenly
the door opened.

3. Um auszudrücken, dass eine Handlung einen ganzen Zeitraum in der Vergangenheit ausgefüllt
hat

She was writing a report for her boss all evening.

PAST PERFECT: (had + past participle)

VERWENDUNG:

1. Um auszudrücken, dass zwei Handlungen in der Vergangenheit aufeinander folgten
When they arrived, Karen had laid the table.

2. Um auszudrücken, dass ein Zustand vor einem Zeitpunkt der Vergangenheit begann und
abgeschlossen wurde.
When we met Jill, she had finished her homeowork.

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: (had been + ing form)

VERWENDUNG:

1. Um auszudrücken, dass eine Handlung vor einem Zeitpunkt der Vergangenheit begonnen hatte
und zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch andauerte

He was very tired because he had been correcting 20 tests.

Rule Britannia – Last night of the Proms

The Great Gatsby chapters 8 and 9

Topics of our discussion:

• Does Gatsby cling to his dream until his death? (132)
  • He expects Daisy’s phone call (134) but he seems to have given up waiting.

• The motif of unsuccessful attempts to contact people and to get into touch with them.

(especially when Nick tries to find people who want to come to Gatsby’s funeral)

• An unfinished sentence marks the end of  Nick’s and Jordan’s relationship (135)

• Reasons for the “holocaust” at the end of chapter 8:

Immediate causes:

• • Mistaking an advertisement for God (Wilson) (138f)
  • Mistaking Gatsby for Myrtle’s lover (139f) and (155)
  • Mistaking Gatsby for Myrtle’s murderer

For the last two mistakes Tom turns out to be responsible.

• Who else is responsible for the tragic ending? Question of guilt.

• Reference to Gatsby’s world at the end of chapter 8:

Again the greatness of Gatsby’s dream is related to the “new world”

and it is contrasted to the material world (not being real) of  “Poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifting fortuitously about…”  (140)

Task: Compare the drifting of the pneumatic mattress to the other scenes in which the drifting
image is used.

Task: Which are unsuccessful attempts to make people come to Gatsby’s funeral:

· Daisy and Tom have left without leaving an address or a destination. (143)

· Daisy hadn’t sent a message or a flower (152)

· Mayer Wolfsheim refuses to come (144, 149)

· Klipspringer  (pair of shoes) Nick hangs up the receiver (147)

· Nobody comes apart from his father (151) and finally Owl-Eyes from Gatsby’s library comes who calls Gatsby “The poor son-of-a-bitch” (152)

Task: Which is the point of the East-West topic (152ff)?

Task: How is Tom presented when Nick meets him again? (155f)

Task: The obscene word written with a piece of brick on the white steps. (156) Interpret

Task: Interpret the ending of the novel.

The Great Gatsby – chapter 7

Gatsby stops his parties and subsitutes his servants.

“So the whole caravansary had fallen in like a card house at the disapproval of her eyes.” (100)

Gatsby and Nick at the Buchanan’s house (102ff): variations of the first visit

The floating impression of the first visit is now filled with new content:

• Wilson’s telephone call
• Nick’s ironical reference to an imagined telephone call of Myrtle
• Gatsby kissing Daisy

The introduction of Daisy’s child leads to the ironical shattering of Gatsby’s dream. Whereas he dreams to ignore the past five years, the simple presence of the child makes the realisation of this dream unlikely.

At the same time Daisy refers to her as “You dream, you. You absolute little dream.”, thus involuntarily confronting Gatsby’s “big absolute dream”.

(by the way the nurse is the only person who gives the little girl a name: Pammy)

As a parallel to the first scene in the Buchanan’s house there are Tom’s clever remarks on the sun getting hotter every year (see his racial remarks in the first scene), then he gets mixed up and claims the opposite: the sun’s getting colder every year.

• The floating aimlessness prevalent in the scene is Daisy’s remark: “What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon, and the day after that, and the next thirty years?” (105)
• The fact that Jordan calls the chill of fall the beginning of a new life also contributes to this idea. (Normally spring is the season of the beginning of new life)

By the way Daisy addresses Gatsby (“You always look so cool”, she repeated”) Tom realizes that they are in love. As a consequence he wants to go to New York: “What’s the matter anyhow? If we’re going to town let’s start.” (p.105)

Before they leave, the motif of Daisy’s voice gets a new quality:

Gatsby: ““Her voice is full of money,”…”(106)

Nick: “That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money – that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it. …High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl….” (106)

Growing confusion: disorder of cars

• Tom takes Gatsby’s “circus wagon” with Nick and Jordan, Gatsby takes Tom’s coupé with Daisy (at her own will).
• Wilson is presented in a confused state: “My wife and I want to go West” (109)
• Nick remarks the eyes of Dr Eckleburg keeping their vigil and at the same time Myrtle’s eyes who is locked in a room over the garage and who now mistakes Jordan to be Tom’s wife.
• The idea of “confusion” is mirrored by Nick: “There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind,…” (110) which refers to Tom who is about to lose his wife and his mistress.
• They rent a suite in the Plaza Hotel. This is the setting for the final showdown between Tom and Gatsby which begins with Gatsby’s attempt to defend Daisy against Tom:

“Why not let her alone, old sport, …”(112)

“The telephone book slipped from its nail and splashed on the floor,
whereupon Jordan whispered “Excuse me” – but this time no one laughed.” (112)

• Motifs underlining confusion:
  • Confused conversation
  • Mendelson’s wedding march from below
  • Daisy’s idea to order ice (see scene in Myrtle’s apartment, but this time the ice comes)
  • Pointless conversation about Blocks Biloxi.
  • Conversation about black and white (114) (Tom’s racist ideas)
  • Tom’s transition from libertine to prig (114)
  • Does Daisy love Tom or Gatsby? Gatsby’s remark that she has never loved Tom.
  • Tom’s various adulteries are reported which lead to Daisy’s comment that she has never loved Tom which finally ends in a sort of compromise that she loved Tom and Gatsby, too.
  • Daisy is staring in a terrified way between Gatsby and her husband (118)
  • Gatsby’s attempt to clear himself from Tom’s accusations concerning his business is described as “the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away…” (118) He is reduced to his dream.
  • Personification: Daisy is now reduced to her voice: “The voice begged again to go.” (118)
  • While she himself wanted to go to NY in Gatsby’s car, she is now forced by Tom to go home with Gatsby in Gatsby’s car.

• Nick’s birthday (30): His mood swinging between hope (Jordan’s head against his shoulder) and desperation (decade of loneliness ahead of him).

“So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight.” (120)

• Myrtle’s accident as a consequence of disorder.

• Nick’s disgust concerning Tom, Gatsby and even Jordan. Why? (125)

• Tom and Daisy conspiring (127)

• Gatsby watching over nothing.

Motif: nature: leaves falling, summer’s almost over.

background info – prohibition

The Great Gatsby – chapter 4

Chapter 4 is like an interlude before the meeting of Gatsby and Daisy takes place.

In this chapter we learn a little more about Gatsby and not unexpectedly, Nick and Jordan become a couple.

At the beginning of the chapter we have another party, and a record of it is written down by Nick on July 5^th, guess why Fitzgerald chose that date.
At this party we meet people from all over the world with names that tell us from which country these people come but also with names that tell us a little bit about the quality or character of these people (the Hammerheads, e.g.)
In fact the whole variety of ingredients  of the American melting pot or salad bowl or pizza is having fun on Gatsby’s lawn.

What do we learn about Gatsby?
We learn, during a ride in one of his gorgeous automobiles to New York,  that he has a very vague idea of the American geography. According to Gatsby San Francisco is situated in the middle west which casts a bad light on the reliability of Gatsby’ story.
On the other hand some other biographical facts seem to be correct like the decoration from Montenegro.
In New York we come across Gatsby’s business partner Maier Wolfsheim who is obviously a gangster
wearing human molars as cuff buttons. So we get an idea –  after all the rumors –  how Gatsby makes his money.
A short accidental  encounter of Gatsby and Tom Buchanan ends  this scene in NY.

In a flashback we learn of events that took place back in the middle west before the war and we learn that Daisy and Gatsby met before he had to go to Europe; after the war she is about to marry Tom Buchanan when she gets a letter from Gatsby. She gets awfully drunk and refuses to marry Tom but she is sobered up by her family and friends and finally the marriage with Tom takes place. We learn that Daisy loves Tom, can’t hardly be without him, but he treats her badly and has affairs with other women from the beginning.
Gatsby has bought his house right opposite Daisy’s house across the bay to be near her and he wants to have a meeting in Nick’s house because the meeting  shall  be secret.
At the end of the chapter Nick and Jordan become a couple: “Her wan scornful mouth smiled and so I drew her up again, closer, this time to my face.

There is a very closely knit pattern of motifs and symbols. Do you  think that Gatsby’s smile and Jordan’s smile can or should be compared? Or which other meaningful elements have you found in the text? Which significance is there in the structure of the plot?

The Great Gatsby – Chapter 3 Check out the link

Chapter 3 Summary

The beginning of Nick’s involvement with Gatsby starts in this chapter. Nick describes Gatsby’s parties in the beginning as a great festival. He says that extra gardeners and waiters and maids arrive before the weekend starts and prepare to host the many expected guests. Huge amounts of food are brought and processed so that the guests can be fed. Then Nick tells of the few invited guests arriving with the barrage of other people who just found themselves at Gatsby’s party. He also elaborates on the way the lights shine day and night, and the yellow car that buses people to and from the party. The people act as if they were at an amusement park and lounge here and there without even meeting the hosts sometimes. Before then, there are buffets and many drinks floating through the party. The image of alcohol proliferating threw the crowd is given. Guests that have met before do not even remember each other and the attitude of impersonality is dominant. This comes to end on Monday and the excitement is over. Eight servants, including an extra gardener, scrub and fix the estate to make is as perfect as it was before the weekend.

Gatsby’s party – chapter 3

Chapter 3                                                 Gatsby’s parties

People come without being invited

Starlets show up

Plenty of food and drink

Constantly changing light (39, 46f)

Imagery of floating again – I never care what I do so I always have a good time. (42,7f)

Rumours concerning Gatsby (42)

Irony: “I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library” (44,19f)

Gatsby’s library: real books, but the pages are not cut. What the hell does that mean? (44,9)

People doing stunts to attract attention (44, 26-36)

Have you, people, ever seen a “triangle of silver scales” floating in the Long Island Sound? (45,37f)

Gatsby introduced

Page 45,39 bottom to page 46/27 and 50,27ff

Refer to page 52/22-28       Contrast between the funny, sad reality and Gatsby who is seen
separated from everything, who even seems to be unreal

smile   -    bursts of laughter

formal -    emotional/ outgoing / boasting

unreal  -   ridiculously real (satire)

romantic touch (a wafer of a moon)

HW: read at least to the end of chapter IV and learn the lines describing Gatsby’s formal gesture by heart.

Short characterization of Jordan Baker page 54 to end if chapter 3

- She ruined a borrowed car and lied about it (54, 15ff)

- Cheated in a gulf tournament ( 54, 18ff)

- “She was incurably dishones” ( 54, 27)

- Motif of the accident (our fender flicked a button on one man’s coat 54, bottom)
Jordan doesn’t take responsibility for it: “It takes two to make an accident.” (55, 43f)

- Nick: “Suppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself.”
Jordan: “I hope I never will,…” (55,45f)