12.1.16

Today in class we revisited the idea of literal vs. figurative language. First we looked at a picture of a women holding a balance and talked about everything that was literal and then what it represented figuratively. Then we analyzed the Valley of Ashes from the Great Gatsby. We found that it was grey, falling apart and lacking substance. It also juxtaposes the wealth of East Egg and is a physical barrier to wealth. Figuratively we wrote down quotes, one was, "Fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens" After that we discussed the first absolute which is time and related it to romantics and modernists. Romantics believe in absolutes so they belive that time doesn't change. Modernists believe time is relative. Time can feel shorter or longer depending on what you are doing.