Saving Jay Gatsby

The Magical Mrs. Tucker

The school bell rang, waking me from a math-induced coma. "Okay class, I expect you guys to study your notes and be experts on rational functions for the test tomorrow," Ms. Kimbrell said from her position in front of the podium.

How long was I asleep? From the disapproving look my math teacher was giving me, I've been out for quite a while.

"Please try to stay awake from now on, Alice," my teacher said as I walked passed her to exit the room. "I will not feel any pity for you when midterm grades come in if you do not straighten up."

Instead of replying to her, I just continued out of the classroom and headed to my next class. It wasn't that I didn't care about my grades, I was just too mentally exhausted to form a coherent reply.

Most of my night had consisted of trying to sleep in the fire escape to avoid my drunk roommate. We usually tolerated each other when she was sober, but we were from two different social classes. While she was popular, I was considered a misfit. Neither of us spoke outside of our dorm room and even then, it was only if we absolutely had to speak.

"Alice! Where are you going?" My friend Gwen asked from behind me. "English is the other way."

 I was so zoned out that I had passed by my next class. "Sorry," I murmured as I changed directions. "I've just been really tired all morning."

Gwen laughed. "Did Tracy bring guys to the dorm again?" For some strange reason, my friends were always fascinated with Tracy and her minions. They observed the popular crowd as an alien species they could crack the code to.

I nodded, "they blasted music the whole night."

How Tracy managed to stay awake in class, I will never know. Sometimes I like to imagine her as a vampire. It's really the only logical explanation I can think of at this point.

Before Gwen could question me further, the warning bell rang and we shuffled to our seats.

Our English teacher clapped her hands together to get the class's undivided attention. "I hope you've all completed reading your monthly reading list because today we'll be talking about the dynamic characters in The Great Gatsby."

I smiled in excitement. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite novels!

The teacher scanned the room, "now this is going to be a debate so choose who you want to defend wisely." She continued to look around the room till her eyes landed on an unsuspecting victim, "Kimberly!"

Kimberly's head shot up, "yes?'

"Who do you believe is a dynamic character in the novel The Great Gatsby?" Our teacher asked as she walked down the aisles of desks.

"Umm... Daisy?" She answered, her tone unsure.

Daisy? DAISY?! You could have picked any of the characters and you chose Daisy?

Mrs. Tucker nodded, "interesting choice." She wrote something down on her clipboard and looked back to Kimberly, "give your defense."

"Well Daisy changed throughout the novel. She began as a innocent lady of high society and became a bitter wife who comprehended the dark side of her husband," Kimberly said. Her argument was valid, but had obvious holes.

I spoke up, "actually, out of all the other characters, I feel that Daisy is the least dynamic."

Mrs. Tucker smiled, "well alright then, let the debate begin!"

"One of the main things that made F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel unique was that most of the main characters don't change," I said. "Daisy had countless opportunities to change, but in the end, she remained the same woman Nick meet at the start of the novel. This was already after she was aware of her husband's infidelity, however."