Summary

  • Our narrator Nick is at Gatsby’s party, full of people he is certain do not even know Gatsby on a personal level
    Those who accepted Gatsby’s hospitality and paid him the subtle tribute of knowing nothing whatever about him (61).
  • Nick lists, in detail, all the names of people who visited Gatsby’s house during the summer
  • Nick and Gatsby are set to meet for lunch, and Gatsby comes to pick Nick up
  • A few days later, Nick and Jordan meet for tea, and she tells Nick how she met Daisy and Gatsby:
  • Daisy was the most popular girl in Louisville, always sought after
  • She had a tendency to date soldiers, and one night Jordan saw her with a young soldier, who she later found out was Gatsby
  • Gatsby went to war, and a few years later, Daisy married Tom Buchanan, and they moved to Chicago
  • The night before their wedding, drunk, Daisy tells Jordan to call off the wedding- she is holding a letter in her hand

The Great Gatsby: Chapter One Analysis & Summary

The Great Gatsby: Chapter Two Analysis & Summary

The Great Gatsby: Chapter Three Analysis & Summary

The Great Gatsby: Chapter Four Analysis & Summary

The Great Gatsby: Chapter Five Analysis & Summary

The Great Gatsby: Chapter Seven Analysis & Summary

The Great Gatsby: Chapter Eight Analysis & Summary

Symbolism

Symbolism: Gatsby’s Car

  • cream color
  • possibly that color to mirror Daisy’s white roadster, which we learn of later on in the chapter during Jordan’s story
  • Gatsby’s love, admiration, and fondness of Daisy fueled this decision in his car
  • Nick is shocked when Gatsby attempts to sway his opinion of him by revealing the story of his past
  • So he was aware of the bizarre accusations that flavored conversation in his halls(65).

Symbolism: The cuffs

  • Human molars
  • Represents cruelty; no respect for human dignity
  • This aspect of Wolfsheim’s personality reflects on Gatsby as a person, considering their close ties with one another

Symbolism: The Montenegro Badge/ The Oxford Photo

  • Both are proof that counteracts the theme of skepticism, as they   add credibility to Gatsby’s seemingly farfetched stories
  • “He hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford’… as though it had bothered him before” (65).
  • “And with this doubt… I wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him, after all” (63).
  • Gatsby reveals this information about his past as a way to ask a favor of Nick, which we find out later on in the chapter is to ask Daisy to tea

Symbolism: Jordan’s story and the letter

  • Jordan’s portrayal of Gatsby as an innocent, sentimental soldier contradicts
  • Nick’s earlier thoughts of him as a gambler and bootlegger (based on
  • Wolfsheim and Gatsby’s generally sinister nature)
  • Once again, Nick’s opinion of Gatsby changes, as he discovers more about the man
  • Finally, Jordan tells Nick of Gatsby’s request to have tea with Daisy
  • Nick and Jordan kiss

Theme

Theme: Secrecy

  • Gatsby’s motives are kept hidden until the end of the chapter
  • Nick knows nothing of Gatsby’s profession but has suspicions based on the meeting with Wolfsheim
  • Nick and Gatsby meet Meyer Wolfsheim (Gatsby’s colleague) for lunch
  • Gatsby gets up to answer a phone call, and Wolfsheim explains about his cuff buttons

Theme: Skepticism

  • Nick is skeptical of Gatsby’s story
  • He believes there is something not quite right about Gatsby
  • As Nick and Gatsby are leaving, they run into Tom Buchanan; Gatsby leaves, feeling uncomfortable

Theme: Discovery

  • Nick is discovering hidden aspects of Gatsby’s character though:
  • Stories of his past
  • Meeting Wolfsheim
  • Hearing Jordan’s story

Character Development

Gatsby

  • His “past” is revealed, and even though a liar is his first label, he proves himself to Nick by displaying the evidence of the Oxford photo and badge
  • The whole reason he allows unknown people into his house to participate in lavish parties was through the hope that Daisy would show up to one of them; his wealth was accumulated mainly to impress her
  • His honesty becomes questionable through meeting the shady character of Wolfsheim
  • The history of him and Daisy is learned, and a more sentimental side of Gatsby is seen through the telling of Jordan’s story

Nick

  • Befriends Gatsby
  • His relationship with Jordan Baker grows, as they share an intimate embrace
  • He questions Gatsby’s character constantly throughout the chapter

Jordan Baker

  • Her past is revealed, along with her apparent admiration she used to possess for Daisy
  • She is an “insider” of sorts, as she knows detailed information about Daisy and Gatsby, and is the one who asks Nick the favour for Gatsby
  • She is close friends with Daisy, shown when she helps her with her breakdown the night before her wedding

Meyer Wolfsheim

  • Is introduced
  • His personality is introduced as sinister, as well as smart
  • He is a gambler and fixed the 1919 World Series
  • Is close with Gatsby; they have known each other for many years
  • The way he acts is a reflection of how Nick perceives Gatsby
author avatar
William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)
William completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in 2013. He current serves as a lecturer, tutor and freelance writer. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking his dog and parasailing. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

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