The origins of Jay Gatsby...

• James Gatz was born to poor farmers in North Dakota.

• He attended college in Minnesota and worked as a janitor to get through college. He hated doing menial work and felt like there was more out there for him.

The origins of Jay Gatsby...

• James Gatz met Dan Cody when he saved his yacht from getting crashing on Lake Superior.

• Dan Cody was a millionaire (made his money through mining copper) who sailed around on a yacht.

Tom and guests stop at Gatsby's house

• Even though he has money, Gatsby still doesn't fit in with the East Egg crowd. This is shown by his inability to see that the woman's invitation to supper is insincere and that he's not really wanted.

Tom & Daisy go to Gatsby's party

• Tom is bothered when Gatsby says that he knows his wife.

• Tom says that "women run around too much these days to suit me" (110).

  • Situational irony

• Both Tom and Daisy don't like Gatsby's party because it is too over-the-top.

Gatsby's Party

• With Tom and Daisy at the party, Nick feels that there is an oppressiveness and "harshness" in the air that night, because he sees things through their eyes and they view the party as cheap.

• Gatsby introduces them to many famous people (like movie stars), and always adds "the polo player" to Tom's intro; he does this to belittle Tom.

Gatsby's Party

• Gatsby and Daisy sneak off and chat for half an hour at Nick's house.

• Tom chases after a woman during the party.

• Nick knows that Daisy didn't have a good time.

Gatsby's Desire

• What does Gatsby want Daisy to do?

• "He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: 'I never loved you'" (116).

• Nick tells him that he can't repeat the past, which astounds Gatsby, who says, "Why of course you can!" (116)