Gatsby Chapters 1-5

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald epitomises a failed American Dream, recounting a
socialite’s inability to recapture his past – a tragic mission of love for the unattainable Daisy,
mirroring that of mysterious millionaire Max Von Gerlach’s romantic pursuit of Chicago
Heiress Ginvera King.

The principal characters in the novel are, on balance, ignorant or blind to pivotal qualities, or
events involving others. Gatsby’s passion makes him blind to Daisy’ insincerity, and Daisy is
similarly deluded by wealth and material objects. Tom, at the party, is ignorant of his own
hypocrisy, attacking Myrtle in defence of Daisy. Myrtle mistakes Jordan for Daisy, and
following this fatal misjudgement, Wilson incorrectly kills Gatsby under the belief that he was
the perpetrator. Although at times Nick’s narration is questionably unreliable, Nick is the only
character who truly sees. Nick’s perception and experience is the crucial focalization by
which the audience fully assimilates the intricacies of Gatsby’s fabricated identity. The
audience’s first insight into Gatsby’s pursuit and desire, is implied through Nick’s observation
of his idiosyncratic nighttime behaviour – ‘[stretching]’ his arms towards a body of ‘dark
water’, against a ‘single green light’ from the distant dock. Undeniably, the ‘green light’ is a
critical symbol throughout the novel, as a representation of Gatsby’s love for Daisy. Through
this specific description, Gatsby’s desire is unequivocal; his focus is directed at a ‘single’
green light, revealing clarity and directness in his aspirations.Otherwise, however, the
portrayal of Gatsby is ambiguous, and to an extent fittingly mysterious for a character with an
enigmatic past. Nick lacks proper certainty in his narration, recounting that Gatsby ‘was
trembling’, yet undermined by the modal verb as he concedes that he only ‘could have
sworn’ that this action occurred. The idealised identity and past Gatsby craves, is
unfathomable, and based upon lies and deception. As a result, the guests at Gastby’s
parties speculate about him, and his mysterious image is later qualified, and perhaps only
expounded by captivating rumours spread about him. Being the sole invitee of Gatsby’s
party, Nick arrives, immersed in gossip and assertions regarding Gatsby’s past. Some
statements are meritable, as one guest claims that Gatsby “doesn’t want trouble with
ANYbody”, correctly attributing his evasiveness. Each successive claim about Gatsby is
succinct and direct, never expressed with conditional verbs, implying certainty and
confidence, yet compromised by the anonymity of each claim’s source. Furthermore, Nick’s
first interaction with Gatsby is ironic – preceded by rumours and tensions, facades and
deception, all through interactions with other guests at his party. Rather than a grand,
elaborate entrance or occurrence proportionate to rumours spread about Gatsby, Nick only
engages with him as a man who ‘smiled’ at him during an act of entertainment. Nick’s
interaction is unequivocally bathetic, a complete understatement to the preceding buildup,
insinuating the superficiality of his identity. After comprehending this interaction, Nick is
immediately bewildered by Gatsby’s expression, and particularly his smile. Initially. Nick only
describes his smile as ‘[understanding]’, but promptly corrects his description, explicating its
profound psychological effect. The upshot is that Nick is unable to appropriately describe
Gatsby’s features through banal, simple phrases, and instead requires precise detail – the
‘irresistible prejudice’ one feels when a smile facing the ‘whole external world’ is directed
upon oneself. Inferably, the quality of Gatsby’s smile parallels that of his ideals; eliciting
divine connotations with its ‘eternal reassurance’, and implying a qualification of extensive
travelling and experience with its view on the ‘whole external world’. However, Nick’s
description, as seen before, is qualified with ambiguity. Nick similarly modifies the
perspective of the smile, correcting ‘faced’, with ‘seemed to face’. Nick’s doubt is unlikely the
byproduct of his potential unreliability, but instead reveals Gatsby’s dubiousness, where his
expression is insincere, and merely the result of practised performance, eliciting specific
emotions he wants those he interacts with to feel.

Intuitively, Gatsby’s devotion to fabricating his facade and platonic ideal of himself would be
most convincingly supported by revelations from his speech and dialogue. Although effective
to an extent, his dialogue with Nick, and the later interaction with Meyer Wolfsheim
eventually becomes a revelation of the superficiality of his identity, and the dubious
behaviour it is founded upon. Following their initial interaction, Gatsby drives Nick to New
York, during which Gatsby ‘surprisingly’ begins by asking for Nick’s opinion of him, before
promptly proclaiming to tell Nick “God’s truth”. Gatsby’s desperation in leveraging Nick
through lies and deception, as a means to connect to Daisy voids him of a moral compass,
juxtaposing the religious affirmations promised. To begin with, Nick continues to harbour
some doubt, suspecting that Gatsby was ‘pulling [his] leg’, and depicting his phrases as
‘threadbare’ and comical. However, Nick is swiftly persuaded upon taking a ‘glance’ at
Gatsby, and after Gatsby further recounts extensive martial stories and achievements, Nick
is completely persuaded. Moreover, the psychological profoundness of Gatsby’s narration
capitavates Nick, causing him to recount Gatsby’s experience in first person. Although
interpretations in the novel from the field of Queer theory, like that of Frances Kerr’s, may
posit that Nick becomes homosexually fascinated by Gatsby, it is implausible to use this
interpretation within the context of their first interaction. Furthermore, Nick’s internal conflict
and as a result the ambiguity in this specific narration is consistent with his previous
narration. The implication is that Nick’s yielding to Gatsby’s performance is solely a result of
his extensive fabrication, and practice – both of his direct speech and delivery, and his facial
expression and gestures. Ultimately, however, Gatsby desperately relies on the approval and
induced beliefs of others to preserve the fragility of his ideal and identity.