The Mixing Bowl

I am always surprised at the people who reread books on a regular basis. It is a skill, which requires a certain discipline that I have not acquired. When you watch a complicated movie for a second time you begin to understand a lot of the small details that make the piece great. This rule also applies to poems and short stories, when going over them wont take you a long period of time. Chung shares this same respect for re-readers when she mentions, “I admire people who reread books over and over again.” (Chung) We often focus on the literal side of a book the first time we read it, which is probably why the second time is so important. I ask myself the question of whether it is better to reread a book or read an entirely different piece of literature. Because I have never reread an entire book the answer to that question is obvious.

As we have studied, The Great Gatsby is full of symbolism. A very common element is the yellow car. The blog touches upon the importance of reaching you own conclusions. What you hear about a book will never be what the text is for you. Every different perspective will transform author into a classic. Chung has a specific idea of what the yellow car means: “The yellow car/mistaken identify device, upon which the story’s climax and resolution hinge, feels almost Hitchcockian in its nod to the murder-mystery mixup. Who’s driving which car and why convincingly fuels (literally) Gatsby’s inevitable demise, Tom and Daisy’s flight, and Nick’s final revulsion towards the excesses of Eastern privilege.” (Chung) After reading this interpretation I agree the teacher, although the car meant different things for me. What ends up happening is that everyone’s interpretation gets mixed together and every individual has to accept some and decline some.