The Great Gatsby Chapter 4 The Parties Continue

The Great Gatsby Chapter 4

The Parties Continue and so does the gossip… n n "He's a bootlegger, " said the young ladies, moving somewhere between his cocktails and his flowers. "One time he killed a man who had found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil. Paul von Hindenburg 2 nd President of Germany

Party Guests n “Once I wrote down on the empty spaces of a time-table the names of those who came to Gatsby's house that summer. It is an old time-table now, disintegrating at its folds, and headed ‘This schedule in effect July 5 th, 1922. ’ ”

§ Many came from East Egg, including: § the Leeches, § the Voltaire's, § the Blackbuck's, § the Dancies, § Mr. Whitebait, § the Fishguard's, § Maurice Flink, § the Hammerhead's. § Guests from West Egg included: § the Poles, § the Catlip's, § James B. ("Rot-gut") Ferret.

§ Other guests included: § Francis Bull and George Duckweed (theatrical people), § Klipspringer (who came so often he was called the boarder), § the Chromes, the Backhysson's, S. W. Belcher, Miss Haag, P. Jewett, and Claudia Hip.

Nick gets to know Gatsby § Nick begins to tell about the first time Gatsby comes to his home. § He has arrived in his elegant automobile to take Nick into the city for lunch. §During the drive, Gatsby asks Nick, §“What's your opinion of me anyhow? ”

Gatsby is…. § He first says he is the son of a wealthy family from the “middle-west. ” § He then adds he was educated at Oxford,

Gatsby continues…. § He inherited a great deal of money, and then “lived like a young raja in all the capitals of Europe. . . § collecting jewels, § hunting big game, § painting a little. . . § and trying to forget something very sad that had happened…. .

§ He then tells about joining the war in hopes of getting killed, § but instead he receives decorations for his bravery from every Allied government. § Nick's first reaction is to laugh

Proof § Then his neighbor pulls out a war medal from Montenegro, and to Nick's astonishment, it almost looks real. * Montenegro is a country located in southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south, and borders Croatia on the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the northwest, Serbia on the northeast and Albania on the southeast

More Proof § “Here's another thing I always carry. A souvenir of Oxford days. ” § It was a photograph of half a dozen young men …. § There was Gatsby, looking a little, not much, younger - with a cricket bat in his hand.

Gatsby Needs a Favor n n “I'm going to make a big request of you to-day, so I thought you ought to know something about me. I didn't want you to think I was just some nobody. ” Nick then learns that Gatsby will not make his request personally. Instead, he has asked Jordan Baker to discuss the matter with Nick at tea.

Lunch n n n In a well - fanned Forty-second Street cellar I met Gatsby for lunch Nick finds him seated with Meyer Wolfsheim, a man in his fifties who wears human molars as cuff links. During their meal, Wolfsheim broods about Rosy Rosenthal's murder at the Metropole years before

“Rosy” Rosenthal §Rosy Rosenthal (an actual gangster) was killed in a hail of machinegun bullets as he stepped outside the dining room of the old Metropol Hotel in 1913 §This same hotel is now known as the Casablanca Hotel

n n After lunch, Gatsby tells Nick that Wolfsheim is the man who fixed the World Series in 1919. Nick, with his proper Midwestern upbringing, is shocked.

Tea with Jordan n Jordan begins telling Nick a story about Daisy when they were both young girls back in Louisville in 1917. Daisy, at age 18, was the richest and most popular girl in town. One spring day Jordan spied her sitting in her white roadster with a handsome lieutenant, whom Daisy introduced as Jay Gatsby.

Daisy Loses Gatsby n n n Soon, however, rumors circulated about Daisy trying to run away to say good-bye to a soldier who was going overseas, but her family stopped her…. Daisy seemed to brood for a few months, but by autumn she appeared as happy as ever…. .

Daisy Rises Again n She had a debut after the Armistice In February she was presumably engaged to a man from New Orleans. In June she married Tom Buchanan of Chicago, with more pomp and circumstance than Louisville ever knew before.

n n n Tom & Daisy Wed He came down with a hundred people in four private cars Hired a whole floor of the Seelbach Hotel The day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Married Life n n n Daisy married Tom Buchanan and soon began their lengthy travels. Almost immediately, Tom started to see other women Daisy‘s misery began.

Gatsby’s Request n n Jordan surprises Nick by telling him that “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay. ” “Then it had not been merely the stars to which he had aspired on that June night. He came alive to me, delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendor. ”

“He wants to know if you'll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come over. ” n The modesty of the demand shook me. He had waited five years and bought a mansion…. . so that he could “come over. ” some afternoon to a stranger's garden. n

“Why didn't he ask you to arrange a meeting? ” n “He wants her to see his house, ” she explained. “And your house is right next door. ” n “I don't want to do anything out of the way!” he kept saying. “I want to see her right next door. ” n

“And Daisy ought to have something in her life, ” murmured Jordan to me. n “Does she want to see Gatsby? ” n “She's not to know about it. Gatsby doesn't want her to know. You're just supposed to invite her to tea. ” n

Conclusion n n We passed a barrier of dark trees, and then the facade of Fifty-ninth Street, a block of delicate pale light, beamed down into the park…. I drew up the girl beside me, tightening my arms. Her wan, scornful mouth smiled, and so I drew her up again closer, this time to my face.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 5

The Lights Are On… When Nick returns home from his date in the city with Jordan Baker, Gatsby's house is ablaze with lights from tower to cellar, but there is no party and no sound. n As my taxi groaned away I saw Gatsby walking toward me across his lawn. n “Your place looks like the World's Fair, ” I said. n

Gatsby is anxious Gatsby invites Nick for a swim… but there is clearly something else on his mind n Nick realizes that he is waiting to hear about Daisy n “I'm going to call up Daisy tomorrow and invite her over here to tea. ” n

“I carry on a little business on the side…” “Well, this would interest you. It wouldn't take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money. It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing. ” n Because the offer was obviously and tactlessly for a service to be rendered, I had no choice except to cut him off there. n

Nick Invites Daisy n n n I called up Daisy from the office next morning, and invited her to come to tea. “Don't bring Tom, ” I warned her. “What? ” “Don't bring Tom. ” “Who is 'Tom'? ” she asked innocently.

Preparing for Daisy n n On the morning of Daisy's visit, scheduled for 4: 00 p. m. , it is pouring rain, but a gardener, sent by Gatsby, still comes and cuts Nick's grass. At 2: 00 p. m. , a virtual greenhouse of flowers, complete with containers, arrives from Gatsby.

Gatsby Waits At 3: 00 p. m. , Gatsby, looking nervous and tired, arrives, dressed in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold tie. n He tries unsuccessfully to calm his nerves by reading. n

Daisy Arrives Under the dripping bare lilac-trees a large open car was coming up the drive. n It stopped. Daisy's face, tipped sideways beneath a three-cornered lavender hat, looked out at me with a bright ecstatic smile. n

Where is Gatsby? n n n When Daisy and Nick enter the house, Gatsby has disappeared. She turned her head as there was a light dignified knocking at the front door. I went out and opened it. Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes.

Awkward Moments Nick leaves them alone for a little while. n Gatsby is reclining against the mantel in a “strained counterfeit of perfect ease or boredom. . . and his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy, who was sitting frightened but gracefully on the edge of a stiff chair. ” n

Daisy says that she has not seen Gatsby for many years n Gatsby immediately adds that it has been five years next November, betraying his devotion to Daisy. n Fortunately, the awkward moment is broken with the Finnish housekeeper bringing in the tea. n

“This is a terrible mistake” Gatsby is nervous, and so is Daisy n Gatsby tries to leave, but Nick convinces him to stay n Nick leaves them alone again n When Nick rejoins the pair in the living room, Daisy is wiping her eyes, which are filled with tears n Gatsby, on the other hand, is glowing. n

“I want you and Daisy to come over to my house” Gatsby gives Nick and Daisy a tour of his home n dressing-rooms n poolrooms n bathrooms n

Gatsby’s Bedroom n His bedroom was the simplest room of all - except where the dresser was garnished with a toilet set of pure dull gold.

Wardrobe He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one, before us n While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher n

Daisy Reacts n n Suddenly, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry. “They're such beautiful shirts, ” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds.

Outside After the house, we were to see the grounds n and the swimmingpool n and the hydroplane n and the mid-summer flowers n

We'll have Klipspringer play the piano Klipspringer is known as “the boarder” because he is always at Gatsby’s parties and seems to live at the mansion n

Nick Leaves n n n They had forgotten me, but Daisy glanced up and held out her hand Gatsby didn't know me now at all. I looked once more at them and they looked back at me, remotely, possessed by intense life