The Great Gatsby

Chapter Six

Learning Intentions

Think about Gatsby’s transformation and what it tells you about his dreams

Understand the importance of the ‘Sloane’ incident and how it conveys Gatsby’s position

Identify how Daisy feels about Gatsby’s party and what this tells us about their relationship

Summary

Nick reveals more about Gatsby’s past , his humble origins and his time with Dan Cody.

The Buchanans attend one of Gatsby's parties and the tensions between Tom and the host grow more obvious.

Stage I

He describes his family as “shiftless and unsuccessful”. “His imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all.”

These quotations are crucial to understanding Gatsby’s psyche. On one level, his separation from them mimics the aspirations of the New World as it sought independence from Britain. However, although they can be viewed somewhat negatively, they are also testament to his commitment to the dream. He is prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to remain true to his ideal.

His rejection to of his own name (James Gatz) which hints at poor immigration stock –again reinforces his dedication to reinvent himself into something more palatable and acceptable to the East Egg set to which he is so desperate to belong. It is a remarkable testament to his own determination that he achieves so much from such humble beginnings, and of course, epitomises the power and nobility of the Dream.

Stage II

Gatsby increasingly becomes immersed in a fantasy world, which spurs him on: “his heart was in a constant turbulent riot” and “each night he added to the pattern of his fancies.”

Gatsby truly believes in the power of the imagination – another allusion to the romantics. It is this devotion to an ideal – even if it is wrong and distorted – which makes him great. In a society of morally bankrupt, vacuous, shallow, careless and selfish individuals, he stands out like a beacon of light. It is this quality which inspires Nick’s affection for him.

Stage III

Gatsby learns to identify and seize opportunities to advance himself. This is evident when he meets Dan Cody: “he had probably discovered that people liked him when he smiled.” He has learned to use his best features to attract and please others and becomes a skilful and perceptive manipulator. Despite this loyalty and dedication to Cody, Gatsby is cheated out of his rightful inheritance. In doing so he learns an important lesson – that you don’t always get what you deserve and integrity is not always rewarded. This is a theme evident in other characters like Jordan and Tom who cheat and are unfaithful yet remain unpunished.

Stage III

Therefore, in this chapter we see how he transforms from James Gatz to the Gatsby we now recognise, from humble mid western boy to glamorous east coast celebrity. In the process, he reinvents not only himself but also (and inaccurately) Daisy, who he fixates on as the epitome of his distorted interpretation of the dream.

But - the reader needs to question whether this transformation is truly successful. What qualities does Gatsby abandon in his quest to reinvent himself?

For example – while on one level he is committed to the pioneering ideals of the mid west, he rejects them on the shores of Lake Superior. This is an early indication that when Gatsby is not content with what he sees, he merely changes it to suit. He reinterprets his version of the Dream.

The Sloane Incident

Why has this incident been included in this chapter?

What does it reinforce about Gatsby and his dreams?

Learning Intentions

Think about Gatsby’s transformation and what it tells you about his dreams

Understand the importance of the ‘Sloane’ incident and how it conveys Gatsby’s position

Identify how Daisy feels about Gatsby’s party and what this tells us about their relationship

The Sloanes

This episode reflects the basic nastiness and hypocrisy of the East Eggers – they believe that Gatsby's vast wealth is no remedy for the inferiority of his family tree. But is also reminds us of a time when Tom's opportunism once sprung Daisy from Gatsby's arms.

When he isn’t looking, Gatsby loses things. While Daisy waited for him she got bored and ran off with Tom. Moreover, just as Gatsby cannot read the mixed messages from Mrs Sloane, he cannot read the writing on the wall in his current situation he was never and never will be, wanted in the land of East Egg.

The Sloanes

This also highlights another paradox in Gatsby himself: despite the earlier interlude where Gatsby used his skills of perception to reinvent himself for Dan Cody, he is entirely unable to perceive the insincerity in Mrs Sloan’s invitation. Everyone else, Nick included, is aware that the offer is completely disingenuous because they belong to this elitist society and are well versed in understanding its codes of conduct. This therefore also helps to illustrate why Gatsby can never relinquish his dream - he is simply unable to accept the reality that he will never fit in.

Daisy

Daisy does not enjoy the spectacle of the party. The orchestra, the mounds of food, the champagne, the dancing, the drunkenness all disgust her:

She was appalled by West Egg, the unprecedented ‘place’… appalled by its raw vigour that chafed under the old euphemisms… and by the fate that herded its inhabitants along a short-cut from nothing to nothing. She saw something awful in the very simplicity she failed to understand.

Gatsby detects her disapproval and has difficulty concealing his own disappointment. The theatre of spectacle and indulgence has been for nothing. The show will soon be over.

Time

His theatrical shows have been in vain - and the curtain will come down on the performance very soon. Daisy’s analogy of West Egg to Broadway is a fitting one and Gatsby realises that he is losing her: “I feel far away from her, It’s hard to make her understand”. His intricate plan is disintegrating in front of him and his plan to turn back time is almost childish in its naivety: “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can.” He is becoming increasingly deluded, so intoxicated with the desire to win back Daisy and achieve the status he so desires that he is blind to the truth. Daisy has been absorbed into his weird theatre of fantasy. He cannot grasp the reality of his situation, and delusion is taking over. Again what is important to note that Gatsby is never happier than when he is aspiring to something.

Homework

Read Chapter 8 and 9 for Wednesday