Nick Carraway: The Narrator and Observer

Nick Carraway serves as the narrator and a key character in "The Great Gatsby". His background and personality traits significantly influence the story's perspective.

Vocabulary: Intradiegetic narrator - A narrator who is also a character within the story they are telling.

Nick's background:

• Graduated from New Haven (Yale University)
• Comes from a wealthy, established family
• Moves to New York to learn the bond business
• Lives in a small house next to Gatsby's mansion
• Daisy Buchanan's cousin

Highlight: Nick's character is crucial as he provides both an insider and outsider perspective on the events of the novel.

Key traits of Nick Carraway:

1. Conscientious and reserved
2. Self-aware and introspective
3. Values honesty and clarity in relationships
4. Claims to be non-judgmental, though his narration often contradicts this

Quote: "I'm inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores."

Nick's role in the story:

• Serves as a witness to the events
• Acts as a confidant to both Gatsby and the Buchanans
• Provides a seemingly objective view of the other characters
• Becomes intimately involved in the unfolding tragedy

Definition: Unreliable narrator - A narrator whose credibility is compromised, either intentionally or unintentionally.

Nick's relationship with Gatsby is complex. While he initially despises what Gatsby represents, he grows to admire him as a person. This conflicted view adds depth to the narrative and provides insight into Gatsby's character.

Quote: "Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men."

The Contrasting Worlds of West Egg and East Egg

In "The Great Gatsby", the settings of West Egg and East Egg serve as powerful symbols of the social divide in 1920s America. These fictional locations on Long Island represent the contrast between "new money" and "old money" respectively.

Gatsby's Mansion (West Egg):

• Described as a "colossal affair" and an imitation of Hôtel de Ville
• Features a marble swimming pool and 40 acres of lawn
• Located in the less fashionable West Egg
• Symbolizes new wealth and the ostentatious display of riches

Highlight: Gatsby's mansion represents the American Dream achieved through ambition and (possibly illegal) hard work, but also the hollowness of materialism.

The Buchanans' House (East Egg):

• A Georgian Colonial mansion with a quarter-mile lawn
• Features a porch and French windows
• Located in the more fashionable East Egg
• Represents old money, established wealth, and social prestige

Example: The contrast between Gatsby's and the Buchanans' houses mirrors the social divide between self-made millionaires and those born into wealth.

The Buchanans:

Tom Buchanan:

• Former famous football player
• Described as sturdy, arrogant, and dominant
• In his thirties, from a wealthy family

Daisy Buchanan:

• Nick's second cousin
• Described as having a sad, lovely face with bright eyes and teeth
• Has a charming laugh and a "low, thrilling voice"

Quote: "Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly. This quote by Gatsby about Daisy encapsulates the allure and corruption of wealth in the novel.

Their marriage:

• Lacks genuine love and loyalty
• Marked by Tom's affairs and occasional violence
• Maintained for social appearances
• Represents the corruption and emptiness behind the façade of wealth and status

Highlight: The Buchanans' dysfunctional marriage serves as a critique of the American Dream, showing how wealth and status do not guarantee happiness or fulfillment.

The Valley of Ashes and Its Inhabitants

The Valley of Ashes serves as a stark contrast to the opulent worlds of East and West Egg in "The Great Gatsby". This desolate area between West Egg and New York City symbolizes the dark underbelly of the American Dream.

Description of the Valley of Ashes:

• A desolate area covered in ash-grey dust
• Described as a dumping ground
• Symbolizes the poverty and despair hidden beneath the glittering surface of the 1920s

Quote: "This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air."

Inhabitants of the Valley of Ashes:

1. George Wilson

   • Submissive and pale
   • Not confident or extroverted
   • Poor and not materialistic

2. Myrtle Wilson

   • George's wife
   • Has an affair with Tom Buchanan
   • Described as having a dark complexion and being colorful and provocative
   • Materialistic and unhappily married

Highlight: The contrast between the Wilsons and the wealthy characters of East and West Egg highlights the vast inequality in 1920s America.

Symbolic Meaning of the Valley of Ashes:

• Represents the struggles of the poor and those who didn't achieve the American Dream
• Serves as a reminder of the negative consequences of the wealthy's lifestyle
• Illustrates the stark divide between social classes

Example: The passage of rich characters like Tom and Gatsby through the Valley of Ashes emphasizes the contrast between their world and the reality of most Americans.

The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg:

• A fading billboard featuring gigantic blue eyes and yellow spectacles
• Overlooks the Valley of Ashes

Symbolic Meaning of the Eyes:

• Often interpreted as representing the eyes of God looking down on a morally bankrupt society
• Symbolizes the absence of true moral oversight in the materialistic world of the novel
• Serves as a reminder of the characters' guilt and the judgment they face

Quote: "The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose."

The Enigmatic Jay Gatsby

Jay Gatsby, the titular character of "The Great Gatsby", is a mysterious and complex figure whose true identity and background are subjects of much speculation and rumor throughout the novel.

Rumors about Gatsby:

• Suspected of being a German spy
• Believed to have killed a man
• Claimed to have been in the American army
• Rumored to have attended Oxford University
• Thought to have grown up in Germany

Highlight: The various rumors surrounding Gatsby contribute to his mystique and reflect the fascination of society with wealth and success.

Gatsby at his parties:

• Often seen alone at the top of his marble stairs
• Does not drink alcohol
• Appears polite and elegant
• Chooses his words carefully
• Uses phrases like "old sport" to address others
• Shows little interest in the women at his parties
• Prefers to talk with Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway

Quote: "He smiled understandingly—much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life."

Physical description of Gatsby:

• Aged 30-31 years old
• Has short, well-trimmed hair
• Described as having "nothing sinister" about him

Gatsby's character traits:

• Ambitious and determined
• Obsessed with recreating the past
• Idealistic, especially regarding his love for Daisy
• Somewhat naïve in his belief in the power of wealth to achieve his dreams

Example: Gatsby's transformation from a poor boy to a millionaire exemplifies the American Dream, but his methods and motivations reveal the darker side of this ideal.

Themes embodied by Gatsby:

1. The corruption of the American Dream
2. The power and limitations of wealth
3. The conflict between past and present
4. The destructive nature of obsessive love

Vocabulary: Nouveau riche - People who have recently acquired wealth, often viewed as lacking the refinement of old money families.

Gatsby's character serves as a critique of the American Dream, showing how the pursuit of wealth and status can lead to moral compromise and ultimately, tragedy. His doomed love for Daisy Buchanan drives the plot and illustrates the novel's themes of love, obsession, and the impossibility of recapturing the past.

Quote: "Can't repeat the past?... Why of course you can!" This quote from Gatsby encapsulates his tragic flaw - the belief that he can recreate a perfect moment from his past through the accumulation of wealth and status.

The Roaring Twenties and The Great Gatsby

The 1920s, also known as the Roaring Twenties, form the historical backdrop for F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby". This era was characterized by significant social and economic changes in American society following World War I.

Highlight: The Jazz Age was marked by a desire for happiness, economic prosperity, and increased consumerism.

The period saw the rise of the "lost generation," a term describing those who felt a sense of emptiness and searched for meaning in the post-war world. This sentiment is reflected in the novel's characters and themes.

Key aspects of the era include:

1. The emergence of jazz music, often referred to as the "devil's music"
2. Social changes in appearance, clothing, and identity
3. Prohibition of alcohol, leading to the rise of organized crime
4. Legislative changes affecting society

Example: The character of Jay Gatsby embodies the American Dream, showcasing how wealth and status can be achieved through determination and hard work.

"The Great Gatsby" explores several themes central to the American experience of the 1920s:

• Wealth and its impact on society
• The pursuit of love and obsession
• Ambition and its consequences
• Crime and inequality
• Changing attitudes towards morality
• The contrast between old and new money

Quote: "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..."

This quote encapsulates the novel's exploration of the American Dream and its elusive nature.