Part of the answer comes in Nick's introduction, when he establishes himself as both part of a privileged group his family is pretty wealthy and he's a Yale graduate , but also someone who's not as incredibly wealthy as the Buchanans—in short, Nick is the sort of person Gatsby wishes he was but not to the degree Gatsby would be jealous of him. Perhaps more importantly, Nick establishes himself as relatively grounded and a good listener, which is the type of person lacking in Gatsby's high-flying circles hundreds of people come to his parties but Nick seems to be the first real friend he makes.
Both Nick and Gatsby seem to recognize each other as kindred spirits—people both "within and without" of New York society, rich but not old money aristocracy.
The cherry on top of this is the fact Nick is related to Daisy, and is thus a link to her Gatsby can use. So Gatsby starts confiding in Nick to get closer to Daisy, but continues because he finds Nick to be a genuine friend—again, something he severely lacks, as his poor funeral attendance suggests.
Recently, some scholars have argued that another possible layer of The Great Gatsby is that Gatsby is actually part black, but passing as white.
This would make Tom's racist statements much more charged and ironic, if it's true his wife is cheating on him with a black man. It would also explain Gatsby's desire to completely sever ties to his past and reinvent himself with an old money background. However, many Fitzgerald scholars point out that Fitzgerald's conversations with his editor about the book are well documented, and they never had any discussions about Gatsby's race.
You can read more about it here and decide for yourself if you believe it! There are also similar theories that argue that Gatsby is Jewish. You can read one such theory in depth here. The Great Gatsby is not based on a true story, and there wasn't a specific person in F. Scott Fitzgerald's life who inspired the character of Jay Gatsby.
However, F. This was all during the s, when bootlegging and organized crime were in their heyday. So he certainly could have been inspired by real life, newly-rich celebrities.
If you're curious, the house Fitzgerald lived in is still standing on Long Island, but it's not a tourist site like, say, Mark Twain's house is. Finally, and perhaps most potently, Fitzgerald himself went through a Gatsby-like heartbreak. Before he married Zelda Sayre, he was in love with a wealthy woman named Ginevra King. A dark-haired beauty, Ginevra went on to marry a wealthy man, leaving F. Scott Fitzgerald behind and heartbroken. Those experiences may have all combined to create the character of Jay Gatsby as well as Daisy Buchanan , but Jay isn't based on any one person.
You can also read more about F. Scott Fitzgerald's life and the history of the novel's composition. Still confused about how the last few chapters play out? Catch up with our summaries of chapters 7 , 8 , and 9. Read more about Daisy and Gatsby's relationship and how it compares to others in the novel over at our analysis of love, desire, and relationships in Gatsby.
Still wondering about Gatsby's legacy? Is he a man to be admired or a cautionary tale of someone who put too much stock in an old love? Read about different ways to interpret the novel's ending. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score.
Download it for free now:. Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process.
Ask questions; get answers. How to Get a Perfect , by a Perfect Scorer. Score on SAT Math. Score on SAT Reading. Score on SAT Writing. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? How to Get a Perfect 4. How to Write an Amazing College Essay.
A Comprehensive Guide. Choose Your Test. Jay Gatsby's Physical Description We were sitting at a table with a man of about my age 3. He reached in his pocket and a piece of metal, slung on a ribbon, fell into my palm.
Orderi di Danilo, ran the circular legend, Montenegro, Nicolas Rex. Nick leaves Gatsby and Daisy alone at the mansion. Chapter six. His real name is James Gatz. He comes from North Dakota. At the age of 17 he changed his name to Jay Gatsby after meeting a rich mining prospector called Dan Cody.
Acutely aware of his poverty, the young Gatsby develops a powerful obsession with amassing wealth and status. It is easy to see how a man who has gone to such great lengths to achieve wealth and luxury would find Daisy so alluring: for her, the aura of wealth and luxury comes effortlessly. He thinks of her as the sweet girl who loved him in Louisville, blinding himself to the reality that she would never desert her own class and background to be with him. Fitzgerald continues to explore the theme of social class by illustrating the contempt with which the aristocratic East Eggers, Tom and the Sloanes, regard Gatsby.
Even though Gatsby seems to have as much money as they do, he lacks their sense of social nuance and easy, aristocratic grace. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Great Gatsby! SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. How does Nick Carraway first meet Jay Gatsby? Why did Daisy marry Tom? Why does Gatsby arrange for Nick to have lunch with Jordan Baker? How does Tom find out about the affair between Gatsby and Daisy? First Name. Last Name.
Email Address. Opt-in to important GradeSaver updates!
0コメント