The Great Gatsby Reading Log Analysis

1. “I sent one boy to the gas chamber at Huntsville”(3).

SETTING: This being the first sentence, it struck me as confusing, because unless it’s lingo, I don’t recall any gas chambers in the U.S. It also shows it’s not in the 21st century, as the death sentence has been abolished in many states, and would looked be down upon. It hints that this is a little older of a setting, and possibly a little more conservative.

2. “Somewhere out there is a true and living prophet of destruction and I don’t want to confront him. I know he’s real. I have seen his work”(4).

PRELUDING: Considering this is the second time re-reading the novel, it’s pretty clear now that Bell was talking about Chigurh. A man who is a sense, invincible and not afraid to kill

“The deputy was flailing wildly and he’d begun to walk sideways over the floor in a circle, kicking over the wastebasket, kicking the chair across the room. He had kicked shut the door and he wrapped the throw rug in a wad about them. He was gurgling and bleeding from the mouth. He was strangling on his own blood”(6).

CHARACTER TRAIT/ IMAGERY: The imagery expressed by McCarthy is absolutely phenomenal, bone chilling to say the least. The author makes a very clear image within the reader’s head, as if the person was witnessing this murder as it happened. It also shows how ruthless Chigurh truly is. He doesn’t care about ruthlessly killing a police officer. It’s evident Bell’s idea of a prophet of destruction is

“ Has something happened that you know about and I don 't? No. I could ask you the same thing. Expect I wouldn 't tell you. ”(128).

CHARACTER TRAIT: Moss’s wife is extremely loyal to him, it’s actually pretty amazing. She would rather keep his secrets with herself, than disobey his orders and tell the police. Along with the story about the moment they met they fell in love, is crazy! She was 16, and he was 33. This idea of “love at first sight”, is truly expressed in their relationship. I find that pretty astonishing.

22. “I get paid to be the first one hurt, killed, for that matter”(133).

CHARACTER TRAIT: Moss and his wife may not like Sheriff Bell, but damn is it hard to hate such a simple man. He is truly a good man, from knowing his wife is better than him, to acknowledging if he had to die for Moss, he would. People don’t understand how hard or how big that actually may be. He could of course simply let this case go, and not worry as it’s on such a massive scale, but no, he’d rather actually try to figure it out. He is truly a simple, yet great man.

23. “You think I’m like you. That it’s just greed. But I’m not like you. I live a simple