April 26, 2006

Oral Presentation/Questions for F. Scott Fitzgerald

These were some possible final exam questions for The Great Gatsby and “Bernice Bobs her Hair”:

Ø In what ways were the female characters in The Great Gatsby or “Bernice Bobs her Hair stronger than the male characters? What personality traits did they possess that made them valuable characters?
Ø Although women were just beginning to make a rise in this society, what noticeable parts of the text in The Great Gatsby or “Bernice Bobs her Hair” show a male dominated society?
Ø Who was more of a dominant character, Tom, Daisy, Jordan, or Gatsby? Maybe someone else? Why is the character you chose, the most dominant character?
Ø There is plenty of symbolism in The Great Gatsby. Find one key instance of symbolism, and explain why it is significant to the story.
Ø What are the major goals of the main characters in “Bernice Bobs her Hair”? Are their goals really important? Why or why not?
Ø Name some advantages the male characters had in the 1920’s that the female characters did not have. Now, name some advantages the female characters had in the 1920’s that the male characters did not have.
Ø Explain the lifestyle of “The Roaring 20’s,” or the time period after World War I. Why were people living their lives so lavishly? What makes this decade different from any other decade in American Culture?
Ø What is symbolic about the cutting of the hair in “Bernice Bobs her Hair,” why is this significant to the female gender? Why is this significant to the society?

First let me say that there were some fantastic responses to some of these questions. I particularly enjoyed the discussion about the question about the dominant qualities of Jordan Baker and Daisy Buchanan. Saying that Jordan Baker had crucial portrayals of the 1920's lifestyle which played an important role to the plot has not only helped me with my presentation; it also helped me with the antithesis to my final paper. Also, saying that the women in that society had the capability to make a rise in the society, but they also required the recognition, and that never really occurred. Although that may be true, there were also elements in the stories that showed that the goals and aspirations of the female characters were inferior. The most helpful part of the discussion was that the females used information as their power source, and used the information to play the "gender-power" game according to the male gender's rules. I appreciate all the responses that I received for my oral presentation, and it has helped me prepare for parts of the Final Exam, and has also helped me with my antithesis for my final paper.

Posted by The Gentle Giant at April 26, 2006 10:41 PM
Comments

"Ø What is symbolic about the cutting of the hair in 'Bernice Bobs her Hair,' why is this significant to the female gender? Why is this significant to the society?"

Well, I'd say the cutting of the hair could represent a number of things, but one of the most appealing from a critical perspective is the loss of femininity. Bernice seemed to judge Marjorie unworthy of the guise of a woman, which is not surprising considering the way that she is described throughout the story: she has an intense aversion towards other women and their habits and characteristics.

To connect this to the larger realm of human society, I'd say that this casting out of a woman who seems to have betrayed her own gender alludes to the common perception of a battle of the sexes. In this war, traitors are marked and exiled.

Posted by: ChrisU at May 1, 2006 04:32 PM
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