The Great Gatsby – Chapter 4
Reader Response
Chapter four of The Great Gatsby took me by surprise when I found out about Mr. Gatsby’s past with Daisy Buchanan. Though I did think Gatsby had something in his past that he was hiding, I had no idea that it would include Daisy as his past lover. To make things worse, Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan; an aggressive, and intimidating man. The thought of Tom knowing about Gatsby’s feelings for Daisy scares me. Even if Tom has an affair with Myrtle, I don’t think Tom would be willing to give up Daisy. I think Gatsby is already a bit afraid of Tom because of his angry personality. When Tom ran into Nick and Gatsby during lunch, Gatsby had already shown an awkward silence towards Tom. “I turned towards Mr. Gatsby, but he was no longer there.” (pg.72) By this, I think that Gatsby is terrified of Tom finding out about his feelings towards Daisy. One way or another, Tom will know Gatsby’s feelings and chaos would occur. What I think will happen is that Tom will fight with Gatsby for Daisy’s love, and Nick will have to be in between this love triangle. When looking at the chapter and comparing it to a hero’s journey, this is the stage for Nick Carraway that is called “Crossing the Threshold”. Nick is starting to get to know Jay Gatsby and his lifestyle, and is starting to become a part of it. Nick is getting away from his old, quiet life, and is entering the life of the super-rich.
Marxist
In this chapter we can see the power of the bourgeoisie in Long Island, and how it so easily brings one fame. To start, Nick lists people who have attended Jay Gatsby’s magnificent parties. He explains who they are and what made them famous. From the brief descriptions of each person, it seems as if the rich and the famous don’t live so happily ever after. For example Doctor Webster Civet drowned in Maine, Ripley Snells’ right hand got run over, and Henry L. Palmetto killed himself in Times Square. From all the examples that Nick has...