The Great Gatsby Chapter 1: Unveiling the Presentation of Gatsby
Explore the ways in which Fitzgerald presents Gatsby in Chapters 1-6 of `The Great Gatsby`?
In chapter 1, Fitzgerald prefaces the character of Jay Gatsby through Nick`s perspective to create stark contrast. The writer focuses the reader`s attention on him, even before he introduces Gatsby properly so by that he can make the reader feel sympathetic towards him. The author creates a dynamic and powerful effect to this focus because the reader becomes liking him more than the other characters of the novel. However, Nick gives hints about his dishonesty and low level of morality, he does mention that he is a great man even through his mistakes "extraordinary gift for hope". Gatsby is a highly optimistic person who always turned his barriers into success and that is how he became fabulously wealthy. That statement is proven by the quotation "his heightened sensitivity to the promises of life". Although, chapter 1 talks about the narrator, Nick`s past and his father`s advice, Fitzgerald puts the focus on Gatsby by telling a lot of details about him through Nick and that highlights out the importance of his role in the text and he also gave away an obligation by the title of who is our protagonist going to be. While in the first chapter, the focus is on Gatsby, chapter 2 is not actually talks about him because in that chapter Fitzgerald shifts the focus onto Tom and the mistress. The only point when Gatsby gets mentioned in this chapter is when Myrtle`s sister talks about the gossip "Well, they say that he`s a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm`s".
The third chapter set at Gatsby`s mansion with a glamorous party where everybody is going even if they are not invited or know the host. Gatsby throws massive parties in his house where people from different classes turn up. The writer shows that to the reader by imagery "There was music from my neighbour`s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and he champagne and the stars". In chapter 3, Fitzgerald introduces the character of Gatsby properly for the first time since the beginning. However, there are multiple crazy rumours and speculations about him "somebody told me that they though he killed a man once" or "he was a German spy during the war". The writer creates a mysterious atmosphere around him to give him a constant air of unfamiliarity and enigma as well as to keep him shrouded. Suddenly, Fitzgerald gets to the point when Nick meets Gatsby "It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it". The author makes this reference on Gatsby`s smile to make him look understanding and trustworthy. Whereas, chapter 4 reveals some of the details of Gatsby through what he said to Nick about himself and about his past ""Well, I`m going to tell you something about my life. I don`t want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear." In this chapter, Fitzgerald reveals the missing parts of the story to the reader by talking about his past, through Jordan by letting her tell the story of Gatsby and Daisy and Gatsby`s hopes of getting reunited with his love. In addition to all of the facts what has been revealed, the myth of Gatsby, there is a hint of illegality by the introduction of Mr. Wolfsheim. The writer expresses the idea of Gatsby being a powerful business man with shady connection "he becomes very sentimental sometimes. This is one of his sentimental days. He`s quite a character around New York--a
denizen of Broadway", this quotation is a clear evidence to the criminal activities.
