Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Pgs 23-38

Summary: The chapter begins with the description of the ashy road between West Egg and New York. During Tom and Nicks journey to New York, they stop off and go to George B. Wilson’s garage. There, Nick meets Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress. After arriving in New York, Nick, Tom, and Myrtle go to their apartment and get drunk. They invite the McKee’s over and Nick doesn’t leave until 4 in the morning.

Character: Myrtle Wilson
Description: “She was in the middle thirties, and faintly stout, but she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can. Her face, above a spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine, contained no facet or gleam of beauty, but there was an immediately perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smouldering.” (Pg 25)
-During the chapter, Myrtle seems to be someone who takes advantage of others. She takes advantage of her husband by going behind his back, not trying to hide the fact she is cheating on him too much. She takes advantage of Tom by constantly buying things, whether it is a dog or a new dress. She seems to be nice to Nick, offering him to stay and meet her sister. She also thinks she is beautiful, wanting to take pictures with Mr. McKee.
-Her most important role in the story is the fact that she is ruining the relationship between Daisy and Tom. Considering that Daisy is hurt by Myrtle, there could be a feud between the two later in the story. She defiantly plays a large role in the life of Tom.

Meaningful Quote:
“’I live at West Egg.’ ‘Really? I was down there at a party about a month ago. At a man named Gatsby’s. Do you know him?’ ‘I live next door to him.’ ‘Well, they say he’s a nephew or a cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm’s. That’s where all his money come from.’ ‘Really?’ She nodded. ‘I’m scared of him. I’d hate to have him get anything on me.’ This absorbing information about my neighbor was interrupted by Mrs. McKee’s pointing suddenly at Catherine.
-During certain points of the first chapter, Nick was able to get a little bit of information of his mysterious neighbor. In this chapter, Nick is once again hinted to information that he seems to be trying to gather about his neighbor. Once again, Nick is cut off from learning more. It seems to be a reoccurring event, and through enough conversations involving Gatsby, Nick might be able to form an idea of who he actually is without meeting him.

-Jack Kauffman

Great Gatsby Journal #1

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000005920 StartFragment:0000002289 EndFragment:0000005884

Chapter 1 Pg. 1-21

Summary:  The chapter brings an introduction to new characters such as Nick Carraway, Tom Buchanan, Daisy, and Miss Baker.  Nick has come back from the war and is looking for a job in bonds.  He moves West Egg and buys a little shack that lies between two big mansions.  After, he goes over to his cousin, Tom’s, house where he has a nice dinner and meets Miss Baker, who is a professional athlete.  After a long dinner, Nick goes home to see Gatsby, his neighbor, standing outside, and then suddenly disappearing.

Character: Tom Buchanan

“Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner.  Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward.  Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body- he seemed to fill those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing, and you could see a great pack of muscle shifting when his shoulder moved under his thin coat.  It was a body capable of enormous leverage- a cruel body.” (Pg.7)

Tom is a very rich man who moves around a lot.  He is interested in things such as polo, taking around his horses wherever he goes.  It is mentioned that he has a women in New York, along with his wife that he lives with.  From his description, Tom is a very powerful man, getting what he wants.  Daisy, his wife, mentions that Tom, meaning that he might be controlling, bruised her.  He might be a racist, considering he believes that the white race must maintain their dominance.

Tom will probably help out Nick in the future considering that he is very rich and Nick doesn’t have as much money.  Tom also introduced Nick to Miss Baker, who could turn out to be married to Nick.

“’Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’” (Pg. 1)

The quote is very significant because it brings upon an idea or moral within the first two chapter of the story.  The moral will probably be a reoccurring theme throughout the story.  I liked the quote because it taught a good moral that is very important to learn in life.

-Jack Kauffman