Chapter+6





"Wealth is the parent of luxury and indolence, and poverty of meanness and viciousness, and both of discontent."
//Plato, The Republic Greek author & philosopher in Athens// //(427 BC - 347 BC)//


 * The Questions:**

1. Study the various parties and guests at the parties in order to construct a thesis and arguments that typify America and Americans at play in the 1920s. What do the parties reveal about these guests? 2. Consider all the meanings of Daisy’s admiration for the movie director leaning over his wife. Does she see herself in that image? Is Fitzgerald simply magnifying film, a new medium in the 1920s? 3. Gatsby grew into adolescence after being introduced to a tawdry lifestyle on Dan Cody’s yacht. Show how the boy on the yacht was ironically more worldly and realistic than the unrealistic adult gazing longingly at the green light. 4. In what ways can Nick be said to be the real hero of the story? Prove your answer. 5. Select a line or a passage about time and show its thematic significance.

"There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart’s desire. The other is to get it."
Chapter six starts of elaborating on Gatsby’s background, giving a clearer or yet more detailed look into how he came to be. We learn that Gatsby’s identity was made solely from him and his hard work and determination. Gatsby seems to have everything that he had aspired to have a young boy, but it stills seems to be that he isn’t fulfilled. As we move further into the chapter we are brought into one of Gatsby's famous parties, and in that party we see the same desires or dreams in the many people that we see in Gatsby. In chapter six of __The Great Gatsby__ we see the many wealthy characters who, in the eyes of others, seem to have it all or enough, strive to achieve some other kind of excitement or fulfillment.
 * Thesis:**


 * Question #1**

Each guest that arrived at Gatsby's party were all rich and important people that just come to have a good time and doesn’t have an idea who Gatsby really is. They come to the party because they want to keep up an appearance. By coming to a popular well known party, they are able to keep up their facade. This reveals the dishonesty of each guest and of the time era. It shows that the people only want to have fun and improve their self-image.

A particular couple didn't seem to like him because of the fact that he was "new money" and not born to riches like they all were.

They rich only come to his parties because they only want to have fun and totally disregard his feelings. They find him lacking mannerisms that they the rich grew up with. They despise the fact that we worked his way up and not born with it. Even though Gatsby was rich, he wasn't really acting like a rich man.

//"We'll all come over to your next party, Mr. Gatsby," she suggested. "What do you say?" "Certainly; I'd be delighted to have you." "Be ver' nice," said Mr. Sloane, withought gratitude.

"My God, I believe the man's coming," said Tom. "Doesn't he know she doesn't want him?" "She says she does want him." "She has a big dinner party and he won't know a soul there."//


 * Question #2**

Daisy does see herself in place of the movie director’s wife. She is awed at the extravagance and power that comes along with having a powerful husband. She wishes to achieve that power. //"Perhaps you know that lady," Gatsby indicated a gorgeous, scarcely human orchid of a woman who sat in state under a white-plum tree.// //Tom and Daisy stared, with that peculiarly unreal feeling that accompanies the recognition of a hitherto ghostly celebrity of the movies.// //"She's lovely," said Daisy// When one is already wealthy, one would assume that they'd like their life to remain that way for a long time, so they would do anything to make their status go higher. With only having more money pusing them at the back of their mind to go forward. Even though Daisy is already rich, she still yearns for more power and beautiful things that the best money can buy.


 * Question #3**

The boy on the yacht was ironically more worldly and realistic than the adult gazing longing at the green light because the boy could have achieved his goal in becoming rich rather than the adult wishing for the heart of Daisy, for Daisy might have loved him, but not enough to leave her rich husband behind and the title.


 * Question #4**

Nick can be said to be the real hero in The Great Gatsby, because he doesn’t interfere with the lives of the others characters in the story. Nick realizes that the actions taken by the others aren’t correct, but he understands that the life they are leading is the life they want. Nick allows Gatsby to pursue the heart of Daisy even though he knows that the dream that Gatsby has is already dead. Nick is also aware of the affair Tom is having but does not say anything. In all, nick is a hero because he simply does nothing to interfere with the lives of others and lets them simply live their lives in the pursuit of a dream which is only and illusion. By doing this Nick is ultimately just letting the cycle of ashes to ashes dust to dust repeat.


 * Question #5**

“I wouldn’t ask too much of her,’ I ventured, ‘You can’t repeat the past.’ ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’ He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand…” (p.110).

In chapter to six it becomes clear that Gatsby’s most powerful realized dream is that of his self-creation and his sense of self. As we see in the quote above it is also important to realize that Gatsby’s conception of Daisy is only a dream. Gatsby still thinks of Daisy as the sweet girl who he loved in Louisville. This leaves him to think that she would give up her title, marriage, and background for him, although in reality she would not.

Links: Home |Citations