Nellie Alonso

Ms. Storer
English 3 Honors American Literature
February 20, 2020
The Great Gatsby
During the Socratic Seminar I have learned that sharing your ideas is really important. In
class, we discussed questions about the book “The Great Gatsby” to expand our understanding of
the different topics that will eventually help us with our AWPs. In the Socratic circle, I have
learned to expose my new idea even if it means going against what most of the people believe in,
and as a group, we did a great job giving a more in-depth analysis in the questions, and I can
relate to the story in some ways.
My personal performance was also excellent; it was just that I couldn’t participate in the
second question because that is the only question I did not do. I will take my advice for the next
Socratic Seminar of doing all of the items even though it says only do 4 out of 5. I think my
participation was overall really good because in the question if Gatsby loves Daisy, everyone
kept saying that he didn’t because his love was only an idea of Daisy. I tried to go against and
say that he does love her but is not reciprocal because he would do anything for her, and at a
point, he loves her dearly; that is why he keeps trusting in Daisy’s and their mutual love and
affection. The other question was exciting, but I didn’t have anything prepared for that one. I was
trying to keep up with the conversation, but I really did not know what to say, so that is why I
did not participate in the second question.
During the Socratic Seminar, I have learned that sharing your ideas is really important.
The performance of my group was really good because we exposed our thoughts without feeling
ashamed to share them. Mostly all of us agreed in the same things and analyzed more in-depth
some of the questions that will eventually help us with our AWP’s. My group was composed of
Priscilla, Sophia, Claudine, Mary, Marissa, Andres, Jennah, and Craig. It was fascinating how in
one of the questions, we were adding on to each other, exposing new ideas but all connected in
some way. Our overall performance was really good and I really liked it.
A brief summary of what we discussed was about the question if Gatsby really loved
Daisy and this was a question where most people agree that Gatsby is not really in love with
Daisy he is just hanging on to the idea he had of her and the prestige of having the “golden girl.”
For example, Marissa said, “You cannot repeat the past” (Fitzgerald 118). This represents how
Gatsby is clinging to his past, and he is blind to what he haves in front that it is Daisy married
Tom, and they already have a child, so Daisy would not change her past because of all the
commodities she haves now. The other question was about social status represented in the
characters, and Andres said a significant point about how it does not really matter if you have a
high social class or anything like that is more about the morals you carry. He shared the example
of Tom missing his daughter's birth and how Gatsby was alone in the funeral this clearly
demonstrates whether is New money, or Old money birth and death are the same in any social
status.
I can make a connection to the story because I sometimes feel like everyone is just fake
in the way we speak to each other because think about it, sometimes people do not say what they
really think, and I prefer someone being honest and telling me straight to my face that he or her
do not like me as a friend or in the way I express myself. For example, some of the characters in
the story did not mean what they said most of the times, and that is just being unjust to the
people you want to get closer with because how are you going to be closer to them if they keep
lying straight into your face. That is the way I find something in common with my life in the
story.