Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Chapter 4
In Chapter 4, Gatsby tells Nick all about his life. At first Nick questions the legitimacy of Gatsby's stories/accomplishments. Is it valid to attribute this skepticism to Nick's previous experiences? Also, Nick describes the types of people that were at Gatsby's party. What kind of credibility do these people have based on the rumors Nick was exposed to? Are "East and West" distinguished here?
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(Gatsby's description of his life starts on page 69, and Nick's description of the party-goers starts on page 65)
ReplyDeleteEast and West are initially separated by Nick when he describes the guests at Gatsby’s party, but by the end of his list Nick brings them together, with a common thread, “All these people came to Gatsby’s house in the summer” (Fitzgerald 68). Gatsby has a way of entwining opposites. For example, Gatsby’s past and his ability to reach a personal connection with strangers. His ancestry is shrouded in mystery, but he has the ability to look at Nick with a smile that, “understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself” (Fitzgerald 53). He is distant, yet at the same time Gatsby has the ability to connect with strangers on a personal level.
ReplyDeleteThe most surprising thing about Gatsby’s past is the way it isn’t all that off from all of the rumors that swirl around him. The accusations that “I think he killed a man” (Fitzgerald 54) or “he told me once he was an Oxford man” (Fitzgerald 53) aren’t that far from the truth that Gatsby claims. Gatsby admitting to Nick that he did in fact go to Oxford or that he was honored in the war is a truth much too close to the stories, which are told so often that “the very phrases were worn threadbare” (Fitzgerald 70). It makes Gatsby even more mysterious, something else in his past must have contributed to making him as “Great” as he is. “The sad thing that happened to me” (Fitzgerald 72), how could this “thing” be even more impressive or important as his already infamous past?
East and West Egg are clearly two separate bodies. East Egg is characterized by the entrenched aristocracy. They are the ones that try to maintain a sense of dignity, and even superiority when in public. Although not a part of chapter 4, the party at Gatsby's mansion shows a prime example. At the beginning of the party, Nick ends up joining a group of East eggers. Fitzgerald explicitly separates this group from the West Eggers by writing, "Instead of rambling, this party had preserved a dignified homogeneity, and assumed to itself the function of representing the staid nobility of the country-side—East Egg condescending to West Egg, and carefully on guard against its spectroscopic gayety". Curiously, this divide starts to fade as the evening wears on. Sara makes a good point that Gatsby seems to entwine opposites together. However, I would argue that not only Gatsby, but all the characters in the book are veritable "walking paradoxes". The stately East Eggers are really not that different from the West Eggers once the drinking gets started. They all participate in the illegal anti-prohibition conduct with equal degrees of enthusiasm. That said, Gatsby remains an enigma. He doesn't drink, he doesn't really socialize, and he doesn't seem particularly attentive. Nick sees Gatsby this way, a complete mystery that defies any explanation. Therefore, is it any real wonder that he doubts what Gatsby says? Gatsby has been a near mythological figure for Nick ever since he arrived at West Egg. But once Nick meets Gatsby, the mystery starts to ever so slightly fade away. Seeing that Gatsby is a real man, no matter how mysterious, Nick begins to doubt the stories about him. He begins to assume that anything incredible about Gatsby is grossly exaggerated. This finally escalates to the point where he doubts the man's own words, only yielding after proof is given.
ReplyDeleteSara brings up a great point that Gatsby is a distant, mysterious character but is able to "connect with strangers". Do you think that Gatsby's relationships are surface-level? If so, do you think that Gatsby fears relationships because of his apparent relationship with Daisy?
ReplyDeleteAlex brought up an interesting point about Gatsby that was introduced in the book "the mystery starts to ever so slightly fade away. Gatsby is a real man, no matter how mysterious, Nick begins to doubt the stories about him"(Alex) I think the perfect quote to represent Nick realizing Gatsby's humanness, is "He came alive to me, delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendor"(78). However, I do not think it's when Nick begins to doubt the stories about Gatsby that Nick feels Gatsby is more real. It is after Nick discusses with Jordan Baker about Gatsby's reason for moving to Long Island and his sweet past with Daisy, that Nick feels Gatsby is a "real man". It seems that Nick was almost intimidated by Gatsby before and was overly impressed with how mysterious, smooth, popular, and genuine Gatsby was. Almost as if Gatsby was too perfect, and not humanlike. As he kindly and smoothly asks Nick,"Good morning, old sport. You're having lunch with me today and I thought we'd ride up together"(64). And Gatsby's mysterious trait is portrayed when Nick exclaims, "I had talked with him perhaps six times in the past month and found to my disappointment, that he had little to say"(64). Once Nick realized that Gatsby was in love, and had shyly waited five years to speak with Daisy, Nick saw Gatsby just as a person. Nick liked that Gatsby needed his help.
ReplyDeleteOn a different topic, I agree with Alex's comment "The stately East Eggers are really not that different form the West Eggers once the drinking gets started"(Alex). The drinking plays a large part in the story so far. It always seems to be like a medicine the characters turn to in desperation. Whether it be when Nick was feeling like an outsider going out with Tom, or Daisy on her wedding day, or the West and East Eggers at Gatsby's party. Either way, the characters drink an excessive amount to hide from their emotions. Except Gatsby and Daisy don't drink and "It's a great advantage not to drink among hard-drinkning people"(77). I wonder if the drinking will effect anything in the future.
Sorry Lexi I just saw your question after I posted. Do mean by surface-level that Gatsby can really only go to certain point in a relationship? Like Gatsby never gets too close to the people around him because of his past with Daisy? If so, I think that is partially true because he is nervous about having to actually come in contact with Daisy or he might not want to bother Daisy if he thinks she is content with her life. However, interestingly, he does seem to confide in Jordan Baker and Nick and go past "surface-level".
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely some room for skepticism on Nick's behalf when he first hears Gatsby's stories, but it's also a bit hypocritical. On more than one occasion Nick has accidentally or purposely omitted details from his own stories, so it's basically a classic "pot calling the kettle black" situation. I think it's extremely interesting the way Gatsby handles the Daisy situation. The fact that a man who has hundreds of strangers party at his house on a daily basis can be so nervous about asking an acquaintance to invite the woman he loves to his house so they can meet up is almost bizarre. He acts very child-like when he propositions Nick, especially since he doesn't even do it himself, he has Jordan Baker do it. This really shows the true Gatsby, considering most people know him as this elusive man with an unknown past and impenetrably formal personality. Yet here he is becoming friends with Nick to try and get closer to Daisy. It shows a vulnerable side to Gatsby, so I agree with Emily when she said that she thought Nick enjoyed the fact that Gatsby needed his help.
ReplyDeleteI think there is also something to be said about the East/West relationship in this chapter. I think the line between East Egg and West Egg is starting to break down a little. It's almost as though Gatsby is on the "bad side" and Daisy is on the "good side" and he's trying to get her to switch teams. I believe once Daisy finds out she will be meeting Gatsby she'll be quite surprised, but she'll probably go along with it, especially since she knows about Tom and Myrtle.