Beloved PP 34-35 Annotation – Margaux Arntson

For the Annotating video assessment, I chose to annotate pages 34 and 35 of Beloved. First, I made a sticky note of all the major contrasts I saw. I included natural vs. man made, independence vs. dependence, etc. I then went into the actual text and highlighted all the contrasts I saw and ones I wanted to look out for in the future. Then I made a list of major categories (creative language, memory, changing perceptions, questions, etc.) and color coded the two pages accordingly. Using noes in the margins I noticed that Denver’s “tree structure” changes in her eyes as she develops as a character. It will be interesting to see how that translates throughout the rest of the book. Also, Denver’s interactions change. She interacts with others, then herself, and then others once more. Does Denver change as a person depending on who she is with? This process left me with a lot of good content questions. I plan to keep them in the back of my mind as I read further.

Blurring the Lines of Reality

Ever since The Great Gatsby trailer was released in May, many critics have reviewed every aspect of it. Everything from the music, scenes, and actors has been put under the spotlight. Critiques have varied across the board. Some choose to shed it in a positive light, while other are not so generous with their opinions.

The one review that struck me the most was from Dan Fellman, the pictures president of Warner Brothers, who said, “It truly brings Fitzgerald’s American classic to life in a completely immersive, visually stunning and exciting way. We think moviegoers of all ages are going to embrace it, and it makes sense to ensure this unique film reaches the largest audience possible.”

At first I agreed. It would be a marketing flop not to try and tailor The Great Gatsby movie to the largest audience possible. But, by doing so, does the trailer and consequently the movie, stop portraying the book in the way Fitzgerald, and many audience members, would have wanted? 

To be honest, if I were an 12 year old, I wouldn’t want to watch a movie without stunning visual effects, glamour, and humor. We have grown so accustomed, as a society, to expect fast-paced action scenes that entrap us from the very beginning, that it seems almost impossible to accurately portray stories that don’t include all that “stuff”.

Even though every business’s objective is to make a profit, I think Warner Brother’s could have done a better job melding together what the audience wants and what the book really deserves. The nature of Gatsby’s parties in the trailer don’t reflect how they are described in the book. Fitzgerald describes them by saying, “between the numbers, people were doing ‘stunts’ all over the garden while happy vacuous bursts of laughter rose toward the summer sky.” I don’t think he meant girls in scandalously short flappers, and fireworks over the balcony. In the book, the parties seem to be mostly bored conversations between people that barely know each other. Yes, there might be the occasional fun distraction, but nothing so epic as a firework show. 

Either way, Warner Brother’s is taking a risk with this movie. I guess only time will tell if it sinks or swims!