Chapter Four Analysis

At the beginning of chapter four, Nick rather monotonously lists party-goers and describes them in extensive detail; who they are, what they do and who they know. Whilst this is true to Nick's pensive nature, attention to detail and tendency to quietly observe, it could also indicate Nick becoming absorbed and 'drawn in' to upper-class society; he appears to be taking in the gossip and name-dropping the rich and sophisticated people he meets at the parties. Nick presents himself as different from these people, a quiet and thoughtful character surrounded by vapid social butterflies; however here he sounds just like one of them, suggesting he is getting 'sucked in' to this lifestyle.

Next, Gatsby picks up Nick in his car to have lunch with him. During the drive, Gatsby reveals some of his mysterious 'past' to Nick, telling him that he is "the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West - all dead now" and that he was "educated at Oxford." This, of course, all proves to be lies later on in the story, and part of the fictional persona Gatsby has created for himself. However, Gatsby calls his story "God's truth" despite the fact is completely false; suggesting both his desperation to uphold this persona and his irreligious attitude and behaviour - like the rest of the rich, he has lost sight of God and what it means to be moral.

Nick is sceptical when he hears the story, particularly when Gatsby "hurried the phrase 'educated at Oxford' or swallowed it, choked on it, as though it had bothered him before." Nick questions the truth of Gatsby's story, wondering if there is "something a little sinister about him, after all." However, Nick is quickly swayed by "authentic look[ing]" artefacts and souvenirs from Gatsby's travels, hinting at Nick's own materialistic nature. His instincts detect that Gatsby is lying, but Nick believes Gatsby's possessions instead.

There is yet more foreshadowing in this chapter; Nick notes "a dead man passed us in a hearse heaped with blooms". Cars recur throughout the story as bringers of death; the owl-eyed man crashes his car in chapter three, and Myrtle is killed by a car in chapter seven. The dead man passing acts as an omen both of the car crash and the death of Gatsby himself at the end of the book.

This chapter also introduces Meyer Wolfsheim, a sinister 'friend' of Gatsby. Wolfsheim represents the corrupt morale of the underground criminal system operating in 1920's America. The dark, suffocating setting of the cellar reflects his darkly criminal nature, as do the molar teeth he uses as cufflinks. Wolfsheim has an unsettling effect on readers; he fixed the 1919 world series and rather flippantly recalls friends being shot and electrocuted. Readers get the feeling that this is only scratching the surface of the crimes he has committed, and Wolfsheim's quick exit only adds to the suspicion. Wolfsheim is perhaps symbolic of the dark side of Gatsby, the bootlegger with a seemingly defect moral compass, who has abandoned his family and will do anything to get rich, win the girl and achieve the American dream, whether it is legal or not. The fact Gatsby even associates with these kind of dangerous criminals causes readers to question who he really is; suddenly the rumours about Gatsby killing a man do not seem so far-fetched. Nick and, in turn, the readers, do not know whether Gatsby can be trusted, adding to the sense of moral ambiguity that is present throughout the story.

Nick then rather randomly diverts the narrative to recall a story of Daisy's youth, told to him by Jordan. This broken, disjointed chronology reminds readers once again that Nick is in charge of this story and how it is told to us. This interlude also takes the focus off Gatsby and Wolfsheim and the suspicious events of the chapter; the deviation creates something of a narrative gap, suggesting that Nick may be hiding something or trying to distract readers from Gatsby's 'dark side.' After all, Nick later reveals the story is written to defend Gatsby's honour, and so anything questionable or immoral Gatsby did is likely to be glossed over. This causes readers to further question Nick's reliability as a narrator - we cannot be sure what he is omitting from the story.

It is revealed at the end of this chapter what Gatsby's motives are. His love for Daisy is revealed, giving some much-needed insight into the character and paving the way for the main events of the story. The significance of the green light is clarified; Gatsby "bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay" and it was the green light, and Daisy, that he had "aspired on that June night" (Nick is referring to the night he first saw Gatsby in chapter one, reaching out to "a single green light".)

 After the sinister behaviour earlier in the chapter, readers are thrown by Gatsby's humble and honest request; he simply wants Nick's help in arranging a meeting with Daisy. Nick states "the modesty of the demand shook me." The readers, like Nick, are conflicted, and don't know quite what to think of Gatsby - one minute he is wonderful and kind, simply a man who wants to enjoy life, throw big parties and be reunited with his one true love, but the next he is a "sinister" character who seemingly lies about his past and is linked to serious underground crime. In this chapter, so much about Gatsby is revealed, yet Nick and the readers are still perplexed by him.