The Great Gatsby

When I read The Great Gatsby for the first time, I had a hard time to understand it. Therefore, I read only the first two chapters and stopped reading. I didn’t have any idea about what I had read at all. For me, it’s not interesting as well. And up to then, I wasn’t able to understand or appreciate it. But, then Fr. Bill explained the cultural background of The Great Gatsby, the symbols used by the writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and some initial chapters. I became more interested on it and on later reading, I was able to understand and appreciate it.

When I was getting interested in this novel, I really got the spirit to read and read this novel. Sometimes, I still find some difficulties in understanding what the writer wanted to say, but I also found that Fitzgerald is really a great writer. He used many symbols in The Great Gatsby, such as Daisy’s voice, which is described as an identification with money. He is able to express many ideas only in single short sentences. He knows how to use words effectively, yet efficiently.

The ending of the novel is not the same as I expected, for I was guessing that the novel would end happily. I’d prefer it ends like this: Daisy divorces Tom and marries Gatsby; Tom marries Myrtle; Nick marries Jordan, and they live happily ever after. But it doesn’t. Myrtle and Gatsby die, Jordan goes with another man, Tom and Daisy move out from Long Island and live their life which is artificially happy, and Nick continues his lonely life. Maybe Fitzgerald believes the American Dream or the pursuit of happiness never comes true, especially for those from the high economy class, even for him. Therefore, he makes it also never to come true for these people. What comes to them is a superficial and artificial happiness, and fun at the parties, a luxurious life and such.

The Great Gatsby reflects the culture in the United States at the time when the novel was written. Jay Gatsby represents the new rich group. He comes from the low economy class, but all of a sudden he becomes The Great Gatsby, rich and prosperous, proud and famous, and chasing Daisy, the only woman he wants. Daisy and Tom, Nick and Jordan Baker are also from the high economy class. They all together pursue the so-called American Dream, which never comes true for them. What eventually happens is that their lives are ruined by the American Dream itself. They live an empty and shallow life, so that nothing fulfills their happiness. Their prosperity, wealth and richness cannot buy happiness for them.

Flood

Another flood engulfs Jakarta once more. This one is not the one of the yearly cycle but of the five-year cycle. Therefore, this year’s flood is much bigger than recent years’. It’s comparable to the on happened in 2002, five years ago. In the time of flood like this, all people are the same; they suffer the same hardship. At least, ten died and thousands of people are in the refugee, trapped in the flood, and not sure when they will be able to go to their homes. A question arises: Where is God in this situation? Is he watching the suffering of His creation? Or is He sleeping?

It’s really pathetic to see weak and poor people suffering. However, knowing that many people are helping each other and giving hand for the need of others gives me a distinctive happiness. Then, I found that there is God. God is in the hearts of people willing to help their unlucky fellows and neighbors, in their probity and magnanimity and in the love poured to those in suffering. There, God is present. He is the compassionate and helping God. He is NOT Sleeping. God is at hand.

Banjir

Banjir melanda Jakarta lagi. Kali ini bukan yang siklus satu tahunan tapi yang lima tahunan. Akibatnya, banjir kali ini lebih besar dari tahun-tahun sebelumnya, dapat dibandingkan dengan yang terjadi pada tahun 2002, lima tahun yang lalu. Saat banjir seperti ini, semua menjadi sama, sama-sama menderita. Paling tidak sudah ada 10 yang meninggal, sedangkan ribuan orang terjebak banjir, mengungsi dan belum yakin kapan dapat kembali ke rumah mereka yang masih terendam banjir. Pertanyaan yang lalu muncul adalah di manakah Tuhan. Apakah dia hanya melihat saja penderitaan makhluk-makhluk ciptaan-Nya ini? Tidurkah Dia?

Melihat penderitaan orang-orang kecil memang menyedihkan. Namun, mengetahui bahwa ada banyak orang yang saling membantu dan mengulurkan tangan mereka untuk memberi bantuan kepada sesame mereka meski hanya semampunya sungguh membahagiakan. Dan, lalu kutemukan bahwa di sinilah Tuhan, dalam diri orang-orang yang rela membantu sesama mereka, dalam ketulusan hati dan kebesaran jiwa setiap orang berkehendak baik yang tergerak hatinya melihat sesamanya menderita dan dalam cinta kasih yang tercurah bagi mereka yang menderita. Di situlah Tuhan hadir, Tuhan yang pehuh belas kasihan dan bersolidaritas. Dia TIDAK tidur. Tuhan dekat di antara kita.

The Glass Menagerie

Glass Menagerie, a play by Tennessee Williams. It is a beautiful and meaningful play. It depicts the life of Wingfield family in Missouri. Amanda Wingfield, a widowed mother, lives with her two children, Tom and Laura. I will not tell the story of the play. Instead, I’ll tell my interpretation and reflection.

Amanda is a single parent after being left by her husband. She has to take care of her two children. She wants happiness for her family, especially for her daughter, Laura. However, she realizes that she may not be able to give happiness to her family for her joblessness and age. Therefore, she always recalls her sweet past memories when she was still young and charming, and many gentlemen callers would come and visit her. Eventually, her expectation doesn’t come true for her daughter’s gentleman caller is actually engaged to another woman. Besides, Tom leaves the family to follow his father’s step. These all fade the mother’s hope.

Tom Wingfield, a warehouse worker, is the younger children of Wingfield family. He is quite a selfish man. He wants a happiness, but mostly only for himself. Only after his mother asked him to do a favor to his sister, does he take an effort to make his sister happy seriously. He invites his work mate in the ware house to come and meet Laura. However, after her mother blames him for the fact that this man is engaged to another woman, Tom leaves the family and follows his father’s step. His habit to go to the movies is also a proof of his selfish characteristic and attempt to escape from his bitter reality. His pursuing of happiness is only for himself.

Laura is a crippled and shy woman. She has her own world, with her glass miniatures and a gramophone. Her glass menagerie also symbolizes her fragility and vulnerability. Her being cripple and her shyness are the vulnerable parts of her. symbolized by the breaking of her glass menagerie, however, all these vulnerability are broken by the coming of Jim O’Connor, Tom’s friend in the ware house and the person whom she admire in her high school for his voice. She is happy being loved and cared by Jim. She becomes normal like an ordinary woman which is symbolized by the breaking of the horn of her unicorn glass statue making it same as other horse statues. But, eventually, she becomes even more vulnerable after knowing that Jim is engaged.

As I reflect on the play, I find these three main figures symbolize human beings. Everyone has desire to be happy, just like Amanda does. Usually, however, not being abele to achieve it, people tend to look behind their past, recalling the past sweet memories and live in it. Tom represents human lust and selfishness. He wants happiness too, but mostly only for himself. We can’t deny that in everyone, there is an egoism leading to the pursuing of selfish happiness. While Laura’s characteristic symbolize defects, lacking of self confidence and imperfections everyone has. To be a happy person, one needs not only a desire or willing, but one has to also overcome one’s selfishness and defects.