Mr. Z and Irony

"Mr. Z" by M. Carl Holman

Throughout "Mr. Z", Holman describes a self-loathing individual that rejected his ethnicity because at an early age he learned that "his mother's skin was the sign of error," and he refused to be judged racially (Holman).  As such, Mr. Z's entire life centered around disassociating himself with all things related to his race.  He abandoned his people's culture, music, and food in favor of their superior "Anglo-Saxonized" counterparts (Holman).  However, in doing so, Mr. Z inadvertently and quite ironically committed that crude act which he refused to fall victim to: judging someone or something based on his race or its associated race.  Furthermore, Holman goes on to describe Z as being "careful whom he chose to kiss," further displaying his ironic, hypocritical tendency to judge based on race while spurning racism.  The irony implemented by Holman provides a scolding tone to the poem.  Through this tone, Holman calls for an end to all racial prejudices, even strange cases of prejudice against one's own race.  Nevertheless, Holman's most powerful example of irony does not manifest until the final lines of the poem.  Mr. Z, a man who vehemently opposed all aspects of his own ethnicity, dies after living completely immersed in what he believed to be a superior culture.  To honor (or dishonor) this man, the writers of his obituary penned him the title, "One of the most distinguished members of his race," (Holman).  Ironically, that which Mr. Z ran from so passionately, identification by race, was given to him post mortem.  Therefore, the entire poem can be seen as decrying Z's behavior and satirizing those that behave as he does. 

Logic in Poetry? Thank God for Perrine!

Reading Perrine's take on the interpretation of poetry forced me to see the study of language in a new light.  I had previously questioned quite often, as Perrine mentioned in his writing, why poems couldn't take on any number of equally correct meanings.  After all, language arts had always been the subject explained to me as requiring abstract thought and diverse perspectives to fully understand its many solutions.  Accordingly, I, someone obsessed with logic, order, and the linear, analytical thought processes that mathematics encourage, hated language class.  However, Perrine argues that to interpret any poem correctly, one must combine logic with abstract thought in order to remove all of the outlandish, "farfetched" interpretations that people produce and identify the correct one.  Logic in poetry?  Thank God for Perrine!  Knowing that some of the ridiculous interpretations out there can be logically refuted with Perrine's strategies makes me feel exponentially better about language arts.  I can rest assured knowing that the understandings English professors teach actually have some method behind them.  This method, Perrine's strategy, is actually fairly simple.

The gist of Perrine's method is this: explain the details without contradicting any explanation and don't assume any outside variables.  Such a simple strategy provides for an easy understanding of poetry and I love Perrine for presenting it to me.  Also, when I read Perrine's statement, "A poem - in fact, any pattern of words - defines an area of meaning, no more," I felt like I had an epiphany in studying poetry (Perrine 4).  As long as multiple interpretations explain a poem's details without contradiction and reliance on outside assumptions, they can both be correct if the stay within the area of meaning defined by the poem.  Therefore, language becomes like math.  As in mathematics, a language student follows a logical process to form a poetic interpretation.  Given that the student follows that process well and remains within the area defined by the poem, his interpretation must be correct.  However, another's interpretation, produced in the same way, could also hold true.  The only difference between the two subjects, language and math, lies in the number of acceptable answers.  Language has become logical!  Next comes the apocalypse.

The Great Gatsby, Chapter 9, Pages 171 - 180

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Throughout the novel, through Nick's thoughts, words, and actions, Fitzgerald delivered a plethora of clever maxims conveying his adroit observations of life's general truths.  I shared one those aphorisms on relationships in a previous blog and even went so far as to discuss it with everyone I encountered the day I read it.  Fitzgerald's final observation, however, I cannot accept.  In closing his novel, he makes an overwhelmingly pessimistic, generalization about humanity that, if true, would equate to our lives being desolate, hopeless, meaningless existences because we are inevitably doomed to failure.  Fitzgerald writes, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past," emphasizing the human tendency to "stretch out our arms further" in pursuit of an ideal, a goal, or a dream until "one fine morning" we find ourselves defeated (Fitzgerald 180).  This accepted truth of Fitzgerald's angers me to no end!  How can one live genuinely believing that despite any efforts he makes, success will forever elude him?  Such a depressive resignation to failure is not human; hope for the future fuels our ambitions and desire to live.  Living with the mindset embodied by Fitzgerald's closing words could not be considered living at all.  Therefore, I offer a counter maxim, opposing thinking to challenge Fitzgerald's words.  The secret to achieving success, experiencing happiness, and attaining goals lies in choosing to do so.  Fitzgerald believes that success can only be found in the realization of all goals and dreams, an impossible feat, so success becomes unachievable.  However, in choosing to live commensurate with one's ambitions and engaging in acts that will push one toward a goal, whether achieved or not, one CAN find success and happiness.  I may have failed to explain myself correctly, so I offer this article Schopenhauer's Big Mistake to support my thoughts.  The gist of my rambling is this: the journey toward success is success in itself.

 

The Great Gatsby, Chapter 9, Pages 163 - 170

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

In light of Gatsby's death and funeral preparations, a major shift in perspective occurs in the most prominent dynamic, round character, Nick Carraway.  Earlier in the novel, Nick voiced his disapproval of Gatsby, disapproval that I did not share, because of his criminal activity or lack of compassion for Myrtle Wilson.  Maybe Nick's distaste stemmed from some other source; I cannot really say because I did not understand it in the first place.  However, upon realizing, when most people refuse to attend Gatsby's funeral, that he could be the only person offering Gatsby genuine affection, Nick "began to have a feeling of defiance, of scornful solidarity between Gatsby and me against them all" (Fitzgerald 165).  Nick's indignation at the people surrounding Gatsby is completely justified.  Gatsby offered all of them parties, entertainment, hospitality, altruistic care, sympathy, and compassion, but when it comes time to pay their respects to the great man, every single one of his guests chose to let him die alone.   Not even Daisy could attend the funeral!  The only man Nick successfully convinced of attending the funeral was a Mr. Henry C. Gatz, Gatsby's father.  This develeopment allowed me to clear up confusion with an earlier section of Gatsby.  James Gatz, the young reporter mentioned earlier in the book, was Jay Gatsby before he became the man he grew up to be.  Gatsby's having a father, a father that displays great sorrow at seeing his perished son nonetheless, means that he does in fact have caring family members alive and well.  Why did Gatsby lie about his family being dead and why have they been so out of touch? Just as Gatsby does not deserve to be abandoned in death, his family does not deserve to be abandoned in life.

Nick made a profound change in
the way he viewed Gatsby.

  

The Great Gatsby, Chapter 8, Pages 156 - 162

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
(MAJOR SPOILER)

My predictions have been vindicated; The Great Gatsby will end almost as as disappointingly as The House of Mirth did.  Grieving over his wife's death, George Wilson set out to locate and kill the owner of a murderous yellow automobile.  I understand George's motive of revenge, but I refuse to accept the state of mind Gatsby died in.  Unsuspecting of his imminent demise, Gatsby relaxed in his pool and "shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is" (Fitzgerald 161).  Without Daisy's love, Gatsby has become utterly morose, crestfallen, and depressed to say the least.  He died in sadness.  I suppose Fitzgerald may have let the novel play out this way to show that, for Gatsby, a life without Daisy would be worse than death, but I maintain that he could have at least set Gatsby in an apathetic mood before ending his life.  Furthermore, Wilson's blind killing of a man he never knew, a man he only suspected of killing his wife, infuriated me to no end, especially because he committed a coward's suicide afterward.  Great work, George.  The fiend that stole Myrtle lives happily with a wife of his own now, while a great, innocent man lies dead in his pool.  The only redemption I could find in the ending of The Great Gatsby relies on Lily finding happiness with a changed Tom Buchanan and Nick marrying Jordan.  Perhaps Nick could even have a child, juxtaposing new life with Gatsby's death?  Give me something, Fitzgerald!  

The Great Gatsby, Chapter 8, Pages 147 - 155

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

With chapter eight, Fitzgerald delves deep into the heart of an emotional, reminiscent, and despondent Gatsby.  Nick recalls Gatsby's narration of how he first met Daisy and why he fell in love with her.  I found Gatsby's reasoning for attraction to Daisy paralleling my own thinking in pursuing women.  Gatsby loved Daisy because she possessed a uniqueness about her that made her exciting, interesting, and enjoyable to associate with.  For Gatsby, "she was the first 'nice' girl he had ever known" (Fitzgerald 148).  When Fitzgerald writes about Daisy's nicety, I believe he refers to her kindness, warm disposition, caring nature, and good-hearted personality.  To find a woman with these characteristics AND that can carry on tantalizing conversations, which Daisy did with Gatsby, was not only considered rare in Gatsby's time, but today as well.  Recognizing these qualities in Daisy and seeing their value, Gatsby earned my admiration and respect, but then secured it when he recounted to Nick my favorite scene in the novel.  He described the scene as a cold, fall day during which "he sat with Daisy in his arms for a long, silent time" and, in that silence, felt more love and "communicated more profoundly" with Daisy than he had ever before (Fitzgerald 150).  I want that.  I have always wanted that and I understand the unique feeling of happiness that Gatsby drew from that experience.  Nothing quite matches the warm, calming sensation of holding someone closely in a comfortable silence.  Nick may have disapproved of Gatsby at times, but I applaud him.  Win Daisy back, Jay.

The Great Gatsby, Chapter 7, Pages 125 - 145

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Unfortunately, The Great Gatsby will not have a happy, feel-good ending due in large part to Fitzgerald's BOMBARDMENT of negative plot twists!  Daisy's love confuses her, Tom reveals Gatsby's criminal background, and Daisy becomes an accidental murderer, at Myrtle Wilson's expense no less?!?!  Why must these novels end in chaos?!?!  I will never know, but I digress.  I would like to focus solely on Myrtle Wilson's death.  Fitzgerald REALLY put some effort into making this twist interesting.  First, Tom's stop at the Wilson gas station earlier in the chapter familiarized George Wilson with Jay Gatsby's yellow car, the car that would eventually obliterate his wife.  Therefore, when George heard a description of the automobile liable for his wife's death, he immediately assumed Tom had committed the murder.  Further, Fitzgerald positions Myrtle's death chronologically in the novel right after Tom's fallout with Daisy to not only juxtapose the two monumental losses Tom has incurred, but also to add emphasis to the dramatic irony of Tom's statement when he exclaims, upon approaching the death scene, "'Wreck! That's good. Wilson'll have a little business at last'" (Fitzgerald 137).  Tom has no clue that he has just lost his mistress in addition to his relationship with Daisy.  As if all of those details weren't enough to make Myrtle's passing significant, Fitzgerald chose to do us one better.  Daisy, driving Gatsby's yellow car, disposes of her husband's mistress, accidentally of course.  With so many twists, I am absolutely certain that chapter seven marks the climax, as well as a huge monkey wrench, in The Great Gatsby.  Bring on the resolution, Fitzgerald.  I can't wait to see what could possibly be in store next.

Rest in pieces Myrtle Wilson.  :'(