Exiting the world of F. Scott Fitzgerald

I drove to Galveston this weekend. During my walk around the area, I couldn't help but relate the streets to the cover of The Great Gatsby. No building rose higher than three stories, everything was ancient, and painted in a solid color. Bright lights made fuzzy glows of light through the hazyness on the roads, for it had been raining earlier. Old billboards towered above everything else and I pictured two big, faded eyes glaring down at me through circular glasses. The green light signaling go over a far away intersection reminded me of the view Gatsby had of Daisy's home in East Egg. This was my farewell to finishing such an exquisite novel, with such beautiful imagery and deep symbolism.

The Great Gatsby, Houston food deserts, and myself

Comment on any connections that you were able to make between The Great Gatsby and the topics that you are exploring in IHSS and Science. How did our outings and/or the seminar contribute to your ability to make these connections.

The primary connections between The Great Gatsby and my science and IHSS class is the constant comparison between rich and poor neighborhoods. One might find that "the valley of ashes" from Gatsby might be a bit of an exaggeration, but compared to the poor neighborhoods in Houston, it wasn't very different. The Houston neighborhoods weren't filled with soot and dirt, but their grocery stores were barren and ancient. Many of the people I saw from my bus window seemed to resemble the "crumbling", tired characters that F. Scott Fitzgerald mentioned as residents of the valley of ashes. 

The West and East Eggs are places fantasizes by many, for they are the representations of the people who achieved the American Dream. The book shows how these privileged, rich people can have a plethora of issues as well as others. In other words: nothing is perfect, the American Dream is a bit of a facade for the harsh reality of the world. After realizing this, a disturbing thought crossed my mind: what if I am in the same situation as one of the debatably fortunate citizens of the eggs?