How does Fitzgerald build mystery around the character of Gatsby in chapters one and two? What do people say about him? What might be the purpose of building up so much excitement around a character? Use textual evidence in your response.
1. Says very little about him physically and plays up description of his personality. 2. People want to know if you know who he is or if your friends. "You live in West Egg, I know somebody there. You must know Gatsby." 3. So when we see him we think he's just as awesome as the characters see him and he is amazing and smooth.
Fitzgerald makes Gatsby seem like a huge mystery that is unsolvable. He is a very private man who does not interact. The reason for which we don't know, but it seems to have been devastating. His mysterious vibe is shown at the end of chapter one when Nick explained that when he had looked once more for Gatsby, "he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness." This shows how Gatsby does whatever he can to stay in the dark. Literally and metaphorically.
I agree with this because the author doesn't say much about him. The author wants us to think more about him. In the quote Julia used it shows how mysterious he is and how he is barley ever seen.
Fitzgerald does not come out and tell the reader all about Gatsby, instead he gives the reader little glimpses of him. Sometimes another character will mention him, like Ms. Baker when Nick reveals that he lives in West Egg, Ms. Baker states she know a specific person there, telling Nick that he "must know Gatsby"(Fitzgerald 11). Before any more detail can be given, they begin eating dinner and the conversation gets changed to candles. As the reader, we only know that Gatsby is a neighbor to Nick and is very wealthy. Yet again, later that night we catch another gimps of him, but no detail is revealed. When Nick gets home from his dinner party, he briefly see Gatsby, but by the time Nick can take a closer look, Gatsby is gone. The fact that we don't know much about him, makes us curious of his significance: after all, the title of the book is The Great Gatsby. I believe that author does the keep us reading, wondering, and predicting.
I agree with you because the author just gives clue of who Gatsby is and it is unusual because the title is called The Great Gatsby, so it makes me wonder why the author made a specific title to Gatsby when he isn't revealed as the main character as most books would do if the title is a name of a character.
I agree with your response where the author is making us curious on who Gatsby is. In order for us to find out who Gatsby is, the author wants us to keep on reading just to figure out Gatsby's identity.
In the novel, the character Gatsby seems to be on of the main characters, yet we haven't been introduce to him. All we know are little pieces that the characters themselves tells us. This make the reader more intrigue about this great Gatsby. In chapter one, the characters where talking about Gatsby, the narrator wanted to tell them that ¨This Mr. Gatsby you spoke of its my neighbor"yet when he finally said it, no one was paying attention. The narrator thought that the best way to fit in was to talk about this man. At the end of chapter one, the narrator saw Gatsby outside of his house. In this scene they author portraits him as a famous person and also a ghost. The narrator was intrigue and also excited to talk to him yet ¨When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone in the unquiet darkness¨
Mary Beth I agree with your response. It was very thoughtful and almost the same way I would have answered the question. We are only given a few details but the with each new detail or glimpse we are given are minds are constantly forced to wonder, ponder and predict about the character's relevance to the book and how he ties with the other characters whom we are given well descriptions of already.
1. Says very little about him physically and plays up description of his personality. 2. People want to know if you know who he is or if your friends. "You live in West Egg, I know somebody there. You must know Gatsby." 3. So when we see him we think he's just as awesome as the characters see him and he is amazing and smooth.
ReplyDeleteFitzgerald makes Gatsby seem like a huge mystery that is unsolvable. He is a very private man who does not interact. The reason for which we don't know, but it seems to have been devastating. His mysterious vibe is shown at the end of chapter one when Nick explained that when he had looked once more for Gatsby, "he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness." This shows how Gatsby does whatever he can to stay in the dark. Literally and metaphorically.
ReplyDeletei agree. I wonder why he is acting so secretive? Maybe will find out later in the book.
DeleteI agree with this because the author doesn't say much about him. The author wants us to think more about him. In the quote Julia used it shows how mysterious he is and how he is barley ever seen.
DeleteI agree, little is said about him so it creates a mystery that we want solved. He is also never seen in the first two chapters.
DeleteFitzgerald does not come out and tell the reader all about Gatsby, instead he gives the reader little glimpses of him. Sometimes another character will mention him, like Ms. Baker when Nick reveals that he lives in West Egg, Ms. Baker states she know a specific person there, telling Nick that he "must know Gatsby"(Fitzgerald 11). Before any more detail can be given, they begin eating dinner and the conversation gets changed to candles. As the reader, we only know that Gatsby is a neighbor to Nick and is very wealthy. Yet again, later that night we catch another gimps of him, but no detail is revealed. When Nick gets home from his dinner party, he briefly see Gatsby, but by the time Nick can take a closer look, Gatsby is gone. The fact that we don't know much about him, makes us curious of his significance: after all, the title of the book is The Great Gatsby. I believe that author does the keep us reading, wondering, and predicting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you because the author just gives clue of who Gatsby is and it is unusual because the title is called The Great Gatsby, so it makes me wonder why the author made a specific title to Gatsby when he isn't revealed as the main character as most books would do if the title is a name of a character.
DeleteI agree with your response where the author is making us curious on who Gatsby is. In order for us to find out who Gatsby is, the author wants us to keep on reading just to figure out Gatsby's identity.
DeleteIn the novel, the character Gatsby seems to be on of the main characters, yet we haven't been introduce to him. All we know are little pieces that the characters themselves tells us. This make the reader more intrigue about this great Gatsby. In chapter one, the characters where talking about Gatsby, the narrator wanted to tell them that ¨This Mr. Gatsby you spoke of its my neighbor"yet when he finally said it, no one was paying attention. The narrator thought that the best way to fit in was to talk about this man. At the end of chapter one, the narrator saw Gatsby outside of his house. In this scene they author portraits him as a famous person and also a ghost. The narrator was intrigue and also excited to talk to him yet ¨When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone in the unquiet darkness¨
ReplyDeleteMary Beth I agree with your response. It was very thoughtful and almost the same way I would have answered the question. We are only given a few details but the with each new detail or glimpse we are given are minds are constantly forced to wonder, ponder and predict about the character's relevance to the book and how he ties with the other characters whom we are given well descriptions of already.
ReplyDelete