The Great Gatsby
by
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Presented by
Mike L Evans
Chapter 6
Limits of the
“First Person”
Subjective Narrative Style
Omission of other Characters Points of View
Limited to the Narrator's Agenda for telling the story
Personal Bias of the Narrating Character
The Narrator's personal story must be as
interesting as the larger story he is telling
The reader is trapped in the cage of the Narrator's
Point of View in the First Person Narrative
Jay Gatsby
Who is he, really?
Actual name is James Gatz
Originally from Minnesota, in the northern Mid-West
Parents were poor farmers
Creates his own persona as Jay Gatsby
He envisions his life to be one of wealth and luxury
Manifesting Thoughts
Turning Dream into Reality
What you think, will become real, if you have enough Faith
Buddha and Jesus both believed this to be true
Jay Gatsby also believes this to be true
Jay Gatsby believes he is a Son of God
Gatsby's dreams of a wealthy life are the thoughts that
his will power turns into reality
High Aspirations of Self Image
Buddha
Jesus
Gatsby
Remaking Spiritualism into Materialism
Allegorical Comparison
Buddha leaves his rich family to search for meaning
while shunning Materialism
Jesus leaves his poor family to do his “Father's” work
while also shunning Materialism
Jay Gatsby also leaves his poor family but to realize his
“Dream Father's” work of making his Material wealth a reality
Gatsby embraces, instead of shunning Materialism
“The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg,
Long Island, sprang from his Platonic
conception of himself.”
In this chapter, it
becomes clear
that Gatsby's
most powerfully
realized dream is
his own identity,
his sense of self.
Gatsby symbolizes
the attainment of
the American
Dream but in a
very immoral, dark
and twisted
version
Gatsby inflates his
own persona by
not talking about
himself but lets
others spread
rumors
Gatsby’s will
power to make
his dreams real is
what makes him
“Great.”
Gatsby's Dream Father was
Copper Baron, Dan Cody
who taught him to sail, appreciate wealth and luxury
but also witness the evils of drinking alcohol
Learning to live Rich
Gatsby inherits $25,000 (worth today about $350,000 or 2,135,000 RMB)
from Dan Cody but never receives the money due to the legal
maneuvering of Cody's mistress, Ella Kaye.
Gatsby comes away from Dan Cody with five years of wealth training,
a more substantial image of himself
and a passion to regain the wealth he sampled.
Old Money VS New Money
Old Money
New Money
- Buchanan, Rockefeller & JP Morgan
- Gatsby, Kennedy & Bootleggers
- Aristocratic
- Nouveau Riche (暴发户)
- Conservative
- Liberal
- Royal
- Sudden Rags to Riches
- Refined
- Unsophisticated
Distinctions of Social Status
Old Money and New Money
• Just as there are distinctions between Rich and Poor, there are
finer distinctions among the Rich between Old and New Money.
• The Old Money is snobbish and look with disdain at the Nouveau
Riche (暴发户), mocking and despising them for their sudden wealth
and unsophisticated social crudity.
• The East Egg Sloane's with Tom Buchanan openly show their lack of
respect to Gatsby, although Gatsby is too socially naive to see it.
The Dream of Daisy
Gatsby instills Daisy with a
kind of idealized perfection
that she neither deserves
nor possesses. Gatsby’s
dream is ruined by the
unworthiness of its object.
Gatsby’s quest to win Daisy
is closely associated with
the average man's quest to
attain the American Dream
which, like Daisy has been
corrupted and become
jaded.
Daisy and Gatsby
in Chapter 6
• After arranging the meeting between Gatsby and
Daisy, Nick goes weeks without seeing either of them
• Tom gets suspicious of Gatsby's attention to Daisy
after Gatsby brazenly informs him he knows his wife
• Tom vows to discover how Gatsby gets his money
after attending a wild party with Daisy at Gatsby's
• Gatsby tells Nick that Daisy was dissatisfied with him and
his party and that he needs to make her understand.
• Nick tells Gatsby “You can't repeat the past.” To which
Gatsby vehemently replies, “Why of course you can!”
Post Meeting Affair
Due to Nick's first person subjective
narrative we never hear about any of the
love affair between Gatsby and Daisy

Was it because Nick never witnessed any of the affair?
• Was it because he felt it was not his business to talk about?
• Or, was it because Fitzgerald did not want to describe the
affair and was merely adhering to his First Person Narrative
storytelling style?
• The book only hints at an affair by the actions of the characters
while the movie portrays it in short, romantic and erotic scenes
Thoughts for the Future
• Is Nick Carraway telling a complete story as the Narrator?
• Is Tom Buchanan being naïve in his view of Daisy & Gatsby?

Why is Gatsby so concerned that Daisy was dissatisfied
with his home and party?
• What does Gatsby need to make Daisy understand?
• Is Gatsby asking too much of Daisy?
Story Review
Nick introduces himself as the narrator of the story
Daisy, Tom and Jordan are introduced
Nick meets Gatsby shortly after moving to West Egg
Tom reveals Myrtle to Nick
Gatsby takes Nick to lunch in New York after telling
Nick about his fictional past
Nick arranges a meeting between Daisy and Gatsby
Gatsby tells Nick his true history
General Discussion Time