How does Fitzgerald tell the story of the Great Gatsby in chapter 6?
by
aaronp9 (student)
Aaron Pickard
How does Fitzgerald tell the story in chapter 6?
Chapter six leads from chapter five in which Gatsby's dream of being reunited with Daisy has been realised. The previous chapter was the pinnacle of Gatsby's dream and from that point the dream unravels. This chapter is significant as it highlights the fallacy of Gatsby's dream. It also gives the reader an insight into Gatsby's past so we can understand when he began to create his dream which is important for the reader to know as from this they can comprehend the gravity of the illusion in which Gatsby is trapped in no matter what is put in front of him. This chapter also allows Gatsby himself to experience the monstrosity he has created through Daisy's eyes at, what we later discover will be, his last party which is important as it then allows events to unfold from the point of Gatsby's realisation further developing the plot.
At the start of the chapter the reader is given an insight into Gatsby's past through the use of retrospective narrative. It begins with a reminder that Gatsby is notorious as the first paragraphs lead to the revelation that he changed his name. This demonstrates his lack of confidence in his identity which creates an unsettling feeling as he denies his roots. This already imposes instability in his life. Through the use of contrast we see what Gatsby comes from and what he is aiming for from the opposing lifestyles of his family and that of Dan Cody. The 'rowboat' that Gatsby uses shows his humble and simple lifestyle whereas the 'yacht' of Dan Cody implies wealth. However this wealth is not pure, we can deduct this from the description of Dan Cody which focuses on money and material belongings. Cody is called a 'product' which in itself represents materialism; this is reinforced by 'silver fields', 'millionaire' and 'property'. The image of Gatsby rowing out to the yacht already suggests this is what he is yearning for. The detailed description of Gatsby's clothes as a 'torn green jersey and a pair of canvas pants' clearly portray the broken relationship he and daisy are attempting to resurrect.
