Any time I ever hear the title Great Gatsby, it reminds me of Back to School starring Rodney Dangerfield. When asked, "how do you characterize F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Great Gatsby." He replied "...well, he was...Great!"
On a serious note, I have a few questions about the first couple of chapters. Nick lives next to Gatsby, who lives in a mansion, I a bit confused as to when Nick lives in a cheap rented house surrounded by mansions? Perhaps someone knows the answer, either that or I just missed some important detail. Second, I know that Nick is related to Daisy and her husband Tom. Tom and Daisy are obviously wealthy, especially when Fitzgerald explains the amount of moving that they have done, just out of a matter of complacency. But my questions is, Nick seems to me that he is portrayed as not being wealthy, so why is he "hanging around" all of these well to do people.
Posted by ChristopherParfitt at February 8, 2005 07:30 PM | TrackBackIt seems to me that he's not hanging around as much as he's being forced to. Remember, that Gatsby was in love with Daisy, and Nick was instrumental in bringing them together. By will or not, his importance so far seems to be to serve as a catalyst to get the Jay-Daisy love story going. That's what I've gotten out of it thus far.
Posted by: Neha at February 8, 2005 08:42 PMI sort of think that maybe Nick actually has more money that what it seems like. In comparison to Gatsby or Tom, he is poor. But I kind of got the impression that he wasn't that bad off. In the beginning he desribes his family as well to do. Doesn't he also say something about a Finnish woman being with him. Is she a maid or something or is she the landlady or what i dont get it.
Posted by: Mary at February 9, 2005 12:24 AMWhile Nick doesn’t seem to be filthy rich like the Buchanans or Gatsby, (he’s driving an old Dodge while his neighbors sport Rolls and enjoy chauffeurs), the first part of the book did say that Nick’s father is financing this excursion to New York for a whole year so that Nick can learn the bond business. Besides this, like Neha commented, Nick’s relation to Daisy is important to Gatsby and Nick’s proximity to the Gatsby mansion seems rather convenient. Tom seems to like Nick enough although, as Nick said, they weren’t exactly intimates in college. Finally, after World War I, they all hanged out for a few days, so the connection of Nick moving close to them and hanging out with them isn’t all that bizarre put in perspective. Lastly, as regards to the incredibly cheap rental smashed between mansions, even Nick says, “it was a matter of chance.” It remains a tad gimmicky though, to my mind.
Posted by: John Haddad at February 9, 2005 09:44 PM