Chapter 7 is the longest chapter, and also the chapter where the story comes crashing down. Gatsby's relationship takes a dramatic turn for the worst, and Daisy is manipulated into going back with Tom. Wilson found out that Myrtle had been having an affair, and he was moving her out west. Realizing this, Tom understands that since his mistress is leaving, he cannot lose Daisy. It really objectifies both Daisy and Myrtle, making them appear nothing more than an object for Tom to play with. If one "toy" "breaks" or leaves, he has another toy to play with. Unfortunately for Tom, Gatsby is moving in on Tom's last option:Daisy.On the drive back from New York, Daisy hits and kills Myrtle, but Jay takes the blame. When Tom see's that his mistress was killed, he denies to have ever known her. At the same time, Tom gets the idea that he can pin the death on Gatsby and win Daisy back. Not only is Tom an abusive person, but he's deceptive. Tom very well knows that Gatsby can die due to this, and he has no problem with it. The most incriminating thing is that Tom is extremely angry at Gatsby, meanwhile Tom has been having an affair for longer that Daisy has. Both are in the wrong, but Tom is being extremely hypocritical. Gatsby realizes what he's done to the relationship, and he reverts to his nervous and childish state of mind. While trying to pick up the remaining pieces of the relationship, Gatsby almost ruins what existed between him and Daisy.
The terribly nervous and child-like Gatsby tried to appeal to Nick and have him invite Daisy over for Tea. Carraway doesn't care, and he gladly obliges. However, Gatsby tries to pressure Nick into doing the favor for him in exchange for material items, job opportunities, and joyous outings. The entirely of Chapter 5 is extremely awkward, and could be renamed to "How to Third-Wheel: an essay by Nick Carraway". Carraway remains impartial to everything in this chapter, and it seems as if he doesn't care about anything. He's like a child: he agrees to almost anything without thinking about the repercussions. He dedicates a significant portion of his year to setting up a stranger and a cousin he barely knows. Carraway's life is so dull and boring that he has nothing better to do than meddle in the affairs of the rich. Throughout the next month (Chapter 6), Gatsby tries to recreate his previous relationship with Daisy. Gatsby attempts to replicate how everything was before Louisville, but he fails to do so now that the times have changed. Carraway tells Jay that he can't repeat the past, but Gatsby is certain that he can. As Gatsby's new relationship begins to crumble with Daisy's unhappiness, he becimes more socially awkward and daring. Tom becomes aware of the affair, but he tries to keep it secret until a good time to strike. Chapter 6 effectively sets up the beginning of the end, and illustrates how Carraway watches doom get created right before his eyes. Carraway doesn't care, however. He'll set up a shady relationship, but he won't do anything to fix the mistakes that are made. It also doesn't help that Gatsby takes Nick's advice. Nick, who hasn't been with a woman in a while, is giving relationship advice to a tycoon with immense power and social status. Gatsby's nerves and Carraway's carelessness create a weak relationship that was never meant to last.
Chapters 3 and 4 continue the characterization of Carraway, Gatsby, and the other supporting characters. Chapter 3 describes the intricacy of Gatsby's huge parties, and this allows for many rumors to spread about Jay. Many people believe he is a lier, thief, or murderer, but nobody knows the truth. Jordan gets invited to speak with Gatsby, and he tells her about his wish to see Daisy. (Chapter 4) After this truth is revealed, the audience realizes that every party that Gatsby has thrown was organized just to find Daisy. At this point, however, the reader does not know the significance of the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. The wealth and class of most of his party guests indicate that Gatsby is a popular man, but his parties seem to lack substance. Many people show up and have a good time, but there's never a purpose to any of it. There's only one purpose in Gatsby's mind, and that's to find Daisy. It's sad really, how all of these people show up to Gatsby's house, uninvited, and eat/ drink everything that is given - all without giving any thanks. This nature could also be indicative of the rich culture on East and West Egg, but there isn't enough information to clarify. In Chapter 4, the history behind Gatsby and Daisy is revealed. Both characters have had very sad love lives, and Tom had not been loyal to Daisy. Gatsby is so infatuated with Daisy that he purchased his mansion specifically to be closer to daisy, and it's kind of unsettling. As time progresses, Gatsby starts to turn into a weird next door neighbor. However, Nick fails to see amy red flags and agrees to help Gatsby set up a date. Chapter 4 obviously does a great job characterizing Gatsby, but it also characterized Carraway quite a bit. Caraway saw Wolfshiem with Gatsby, and he had the suspicion that they were up to no good. However, Caraway still agrees to help Gatsby commit adultery with Daisy, and willingly gets his cousin involved in a shady and potentially dangerous relationship. Not only is Carraway egotistical, but he's also clueless. He blindly offered to help both parties without thinking about the effects. He also mentioned how he was an honest person at the end of Chapter 3, and he sets up an un-honest relationship.
Chapter 2 has some interesting elements that stand out to the reader. Dr. Eckleburg's eyes are a symbol of something during this time period, but the meaning can vary. Since the audience does not yet know who he truly is yet, Eckleburg is a mysterious character in this new mysterious world. One could claim that he has an omniscient view over his area, possibly foreshadowing future events. Another could argue that his presence is God-like, being the mysterious and powerful being he's indicated to be.
The party that Nick attended was a fairly basic party, yet the people involved were over the top. Being his pretentious self, Nick mentions that this was his second time getting drunk, hinting that he's too good and proper to engage in such acts regularly. Nick is revolted by the party (being pretentious again), but he is drawn to it. Just like he is drawn to Gatsby. It's as if Caraway doesn't truly know himself, and everything that he has come to known was put in his mind by a false sense-of-self(possibly due to his environment growing up). Deep inside, Nick likes these people, but his superficial background tells him that he shouldn't. That, or he's drawn to them because it's a change of scenery to him. Similar to a rebelling teenager. Chapter 1 introduces Nick Carraway, who I analyzed in the post below. The analysis sums up Nick's character in chapter 1, so I'm not going to elaborate here. Tom meets the main characters of the novel. He meets Jordan, Daisy, and Tom- the abusive egomaniacal husband. Chapter 1 was a taste of what's to come, introducing Tom and his wild ways. It also sets up the relationship between Nick and Jordan. Analyzing closer, it seems as if Jordan and Daisy are unhappy at Tom's place, especially Daisy. We learn that the woman on the phone with Tom is Myrtle, a character hat is built up in later chapters. At the end of the chapter, Nick sees Gatsby on his dock looking at the light across the bay. The light is on Daisy's dock, and Gatsby looks at the light to feel closer to Daisy.
Nick Carraway is a fairly straightforward man, but his character is lacking in depth and background. Self proclaimed to be moral and tolerant, Carraway’s character contains a small amount of pretentiousness, presumably from his wealthy background. Carraway is the type of person who is fairly down to earth, but will subtly brag every now and again, despite his self-image. Carraway has his merits, and he also seems to be smart. Graduating from Yale, Carraway has many connections on East Egg and he pays very close attention to the people he encounters. He only encounters a few people in chapter 1 but he is easily able to characterize each and every one of them, pointing out flaws and clues that the others may not have noticed. Jordan’s obvious boredom is immediately apparent to Nick, just like Daisy’s shallowness. He knows that these girls have deeper personalities, but something is holding them back from expressing themselves. Carraway builds his credibility by pointing out these things, things that an average person wouldn’t pick up on, making Carraway the perfect narrator in this story. Nick leaves Tom’s house disturbed, likely due to the broken people he just encountered. Despite his attention to detail, Carraway has questions about many people on the island, especially Gatsby. Gatsby is introduced but is only seen once, foreshadowing that he is going to be a major character later on. Carraway does a great job illustrating this, pointing out that Gatsby looked disturbed in his yard. This small detail leads to a lot of open ended questions that cannot immediately be answered such as “Why is Gatsby disturbed?” and “Who is this strange man?” Even though Gatsby is unrelated to Carraway at this point, Nick is still drawn to this mysterious man, building Carraway’s character. For a man who thinks he’s seen and knows it all, Gatsby is an outlier. An outlier that may go on to change the very way that Carraway thinks and knows himself to be.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2015
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