David Bornstein Gatsby Ch. 1

Ch.1 p. 1-15

The narrator Nick Carraway begins to describe his background mentioning that an important lesson that he learned from his father was to not judge others. He then begins to describe Gatsby who encompasses everything he does like but is an exception to Nick . Nick had moved to New York to work in the bond business and lives in a part of New York called West Egg. One night nick drives to his cousin’s Daisy’s house in East Egg. There, Nick meets the golfer Miss Jordan Baker and is reunited with Tom Buchannan, Daisy’s husband who was apart of Nick’s social club at Yale. At dinner Tom discusses a book he read called “Rise of the Colored Empires” which portrays white supremacist ideas. Tom receives a phone call and leaves the table. After Daisy leaves the table to follow her husband Miss Baker tells Nick that the call is from Tom’s lover. Nick leaves and when he arrives back at his house he sees his neighbor Gatsby for the first time.

Character: Jordan Baker

“If she saw me out of the corner of her eye she gave no hunt of it-indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in. “

-Self centered. She takes no notice of Nick coming into the room nor does she pay much attention to Nick when he talks to her.

-Beautiful: Nick description of her and when he says, “I enjoyed looking at her.”

-Nosy: She silences Nick in order that she can hear the drama that in enfolding between Tom and Daisy.

-Athletic; She is a professional golfer.

Jordan’s role in the novel is as Daisy’s closest friend and a perspective lover for Nick. She seems to be a strong woman whose independence contrasts Daisy’s more clingy personality.  Furthermore, it is clear that a connection between Jordan and Nick is formed by his thoughts about her and the fact that Daisy and Tom want to set them up together.

Lastly it seems that Jordan Baker is an inside source onto what is going on between Tom and Daisy for Nick.

“Something about his leisurely movements and the secure position of his feet upon the lawn suggested that it was Mr. Gatsby himself, come out to determine what share was his of our local heavens.”

This quote is apart of the first true description of Mr. Gatsby’s physical appearance. This quote establishes Gatsby as an almost divine presence that rules over the world.  Furthermore, from this quote one can see the true admiration that Nick has for Mr. Gatsby despite the fact that this is his first glimpse of the man. Nick’s description of Gatsby shows how much he admires him and how this admiration will undoubtedly grow throughout the course of the novel. Lastly, this quote describes the sheer power of Gatsby and how he owns so much. The fact that he own “heavens” exemplifies Gatsby’s wealth and the power he has within his community.