Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The Great Gatsby- Chapter 4

Summary: The chapter opens with Nick talking about the many people that come to Gatsby's parties. Many famous people go and also criminals. His parties are the place to be among the elite. One of Gatsby's guests Klipspringer was there so long and so much that everyone soon called him the boarder. One day Gatsby comes over to Nick's house and says that they were going to go to New York for lunch. They go in Gatsby's big yellow Rolls-Royce. On the drive there Gatsby tells Nick is life story. He says how he was from the mid-west, but his family all died. He went to Oxford because it was a tradition in his family to. He then shows Nick a picture of him during his Oxford days. Gatsby is from San Francisco. Gatsby then went to the war. He said that he tried to die but couldn't. He was then made into a major when he held off some troops in front of everyone else on his side. Gatsby says he got many rewards and honors from all different countries for his military work. He even shows Nick a medal. Gatsby is then pulled over, but when he shows the officer his id, he gets off because he had previously done a favor for the police commissioner. Gatsby also tells Nick that he wants him to talk to Jordan about something, but he won't tell what. When they are in New York, they go to eat lunch. At lunch Nick meets Gatsby's business partner Meyer Wolfshiem, an odd man who has teeth for his cuff links. Mr. Wolfshiem is a professional gambler and fixed the 1919 World Series. He is a crook and Gatsby kind of hints that he would set up Mr. Wolfshiem and Nick from something. They then see Tom Buchanan, but when Nick goes to introduce Gatsby and him, Gatsby is gone. Sometime later Nick meets with Jordan where she tells him the story Gatsby wanted him to know. Jordan says how she always admired Daisy because she was very popular. She always had guys going after her. One time she saw Daisy and Gatsby together when he was a young soldier. They were in love with each other, but when he went to war, Daisy's parents would not let her go to see him off. Daisy was crushed. By the next fall though. Daisy had gotten over Gatsby and had started hanging around with older people. She soon became engaged to Tom Buchanan. Jordan says that the night before the wedding, Daisy got drunk. She said that she didn't want to marry Tom. She was fine the next day though and married him. Jordan says that Daisy was crazy about Tom. They soon had a daughter too in April. Tom supposedly had an affair though with a maid because she was with him when they got in a car accident. Jordan says how six weeks ago she had mentioned the name Gatsby, and Daisy said that must have been the man I used to know. Jordan then says that it isn't by chance that Gatsby has a house on West Egg. He had purposely bought the house to be close to Daisy. Gatsby wants Nick to invite Daisy over for tea, so that he can then come over.Gatsby wants Daisy to see his house. He doesn't want Daisy to know anything though.

Response: It is odd how Gatsby feels like he must tell Nick his whole life story. Why does he feel like he must prove himself to Nick? It is also odd that he feels like it would be necessary to show Nick the picture of him at Oxford and the medal. Why doesn't he think that Nick will believe him? It kind of seems like Gatsby is hiding something. He is trying to show all this proof, so everyone will believe him. It is also odd how he bought a house by Daisy but never contacted her. It seems kind of stalkerish. He must have felt like Daisy family didn't aprove of him because he wasn't rich or that she didn't quiet like him as much because he wasn't as rich as Tom. That is probably why he wants Daisy to see his house so that she sees that he is rich and wealthy. He it seems like he wants to prove to Daisy that he has made something of himself. He must really love Daisy though because he could probably get any girl he wants, but instead he is just waiting around hoping that he'll run into Daisy or that she may come to one of his parties.

Question: What is Gatsby's occupation? No one seems to know how he got all the money he has which is odd because he is extremely rich so you think that everyone would know.

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