The Green Light

"Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her" pg 98. Although I don't know exactly what the green light symbolizes, it absolutely has something to do with Gatsby and Daisy's relationship. At the beginning of the book, Nick shares how Gatsby stood at the back of his house reaching out to the green light. Maybe the green light is a symbol for Daisy. It has a way of drawing people in from sea just like she has a way of drawing people towards her by her voice. Gatsby reaches out to the light like he's reaching out to her. He obviously is still in love with her; that is why he become embarrassed and doesn't know how to act around her. Ever since their reacquainting, they have pretty much picked up where they left off. As the quote states, the light seemed to be near her and now he didn't have to reach out to it since she was with him again.

Gatsby

"If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of the intricate machines that register earthquakes then thousand miles away" pg. 7. As far as I have read in the book (up to Chapter 6), I still can't figure out Gatsby's character. At times he seems very reserved and polite, and at other times he's completely different. For example, while having tea at Nick's house with Daisy, Gatsby was taciturn, pale, and embarrassed. This is nothing like the confident, wealthy, young man that was described at the beginning of the novel. I also think at times he tries to impress people too much, especially Daisy. Its almost like he is trying to prove himself to her. Maybe he wants to show that she is as successful as her husband. Gatsby is a completely different person in love.

"I am the son of some wealthy people in the middle-west--all dead now. I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years. Its a family tradition" pg. 69. Mostly all characterization in this novel is presented through Nick's words directly describing someone, or through a person's own words. The example above is part of Gatsby's description of himself right after he just met Nick. Since Nick serves as the narrator, it is only fitting that he is the one characterizing the people in the novel. Usually, he says exactly what the person is like which adds to his own character. By his own judgements of other characters, he provides an insight to readers of himself. What he thinks about Gatsby's parties, his reaction to Daisy's dinner party, how he acts around Jordan, and what he says about characters are just a few ways of how readers come to know Nick as well as other characters. His characterization helps to shape the novel as a whole. It is all based on Nick's descriptions and judgements.

Extravagant

"The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard--it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden" pg 9. Throughout the first half of the book, the author constantly adds numerous amounts of imagery to portray an element of the central theme. The theme centers around losing the American dream and Gatsby's house is a symbol for just that. From the description above, a reader can mentally picture what Gatsby's mansion looks like. He worked for three years to by that, another element of the American dream. All of Gatsby's, Daisy and Tom's, and the other upper class's possessions, all shown through extensive imagery, provide examples for the theme. Imagery also plays a large role when Gatsby shows Daisy the inside of his house after tea with Nick. It almost seems like he is showing off for her, proving that he is just as rich as her husband.

So Matter-of-Fact

"I decided to call to him. Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner, and that would do for an introduction." pg. 25. Since Nick is the narrator of the novel, the readers are at his disposal. He is the one who portrays all of the information and events that are happening in the story. Nick has such a matter-of-fact tone that it seems like he is just stating information and illustrating his experiences. His tone puts a casual atmosphere to the novel like the readers are right there along with Nick as he is experiencing the novel's events. Since the story is mostly about Gatsby and not Nick's life, he is explaining the events of Gatsby's life that he is seeing. He doesn't know what Gatsby is thinking or feeling; he only has what Gatsby looks like or how he's acting. Therefore, the matter-of-fact tone is appropriate for this novel because its not about Nick's life. He really is just stating facts.