THE GREAT GATSBY - WEEK 5 - CHAPTER 4

THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I have to start Chapter 4 with a question for you to ponder starting now until the end of the book. What is the purpose of friendship? I spent a lot of time recently talking to my high school literature class about what a real friendship is and what it is not. I'll circle back to this at the end of today's post.

Starting into Chapter 4 I almost felt like I was reading a Biblical genealogy. Why do we care about all the people that came in and out of Gatsby's house other than to realize what a hopping place it was right? Take a closer look at the names. We can't help but picture Fitzgerald laughing to himself as he came up with some of these names. Leeches? Fishguards? Hammerheads? Catlips? You get the picture. Then look at their conduct. Fitzgerald is painting the background, the atmosphere for us of these parties by telling us who attends. Gatsby doesn't give a rip who's there. He's had one purpose, and one purpose only for these parties.

Slip into the back of your mind the highly recognizable vehicle Gatsby drives. You'll need it later.

Gatsby asks Nick his opinion of him. It's important to him, because he needs him for something. He opens up and tells Nick who he really is. He shares his "history," but Nick isn't buying everything Gatsby says until the medal and the picture. So what is the favor that Gatsby needs? He won't tell Nick directly, instead he's sending Jordan to do it. (Did your opinion of Gatsby drop a notch or two at that? Mine did.)

I'm going to skim a couple of points. Just know we could spend decent time on each of these areas. Gatsby has some very questionable friends (Wolfshiem). We learn the backstory of Jordan and Daisy's friendship (note the POV change) and that Daisy and Gatsby were once an item.

And now we come to Gatsby's request. He wants to know if Nick will invite Daisy to his house so Gatsby can see her again. He has been planning for years on how he would work his way back into her life. It is no accident how he ended up where he did in the house that he bought. The extravagant, open-to-anyone parties were on purpose. He hoped she would wander into one of the parties one night, but she never did. And now Nick has a decision to make. Remember that question about the purpose of friendship? Nick is Gatsby's ticket to make that happen. At this point he is merely a cog in the wheel of Gatsby's plan.

The chapter ends with "Unlike Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, I had no girl whose disembodied face floated along the dark cornices and blinding signs, and so I drew up the girl beside me, tightening my arms." Nick can hold Jordan physically in his arms unlike Gatsby and Tom who are chasing women that aren't theirs.

So many areas that can be expounded on. The ball is in your court!