No Fear The Great Gatsby Chapter 4
A note about chapter 3 as we begin to see a lot of revisions and edits between The Great Gatsby and Trimalchio:
Trimalchio, as I’ve told you, was Fitzgerald’s first attempt at Gatsby. But his publishers came back saying he needed to
change a lot of it, and because of that, a fair amount of Trimalchio was chopped out of the final cut of Gatsby. We will
read actual excerpts of Trimalchio, but something to note is that in chapter 3 of that first try, Fitzgerald also had Nick say
this about Jordan:
“Jordan seemed to drift along in an arrested physical adolescence, and her greatest promise was to such men as
me, who seek no love in a woman save what they have aroused deliberately and with difficulty themselves.”
Our chapter opens with some of the gossip linked to Gatsby. Then, Nick goes into a ton of detail about all of the
guests who ever came to one of Gatsby’s parties in the summer.
The list goes on for almost three pages. Obviously, Nick took quite a bit of time making sure to record as many
people as possible. If anything, I would certainly say that this solidifies Nick as an observer. It also shows us that clearly
when it comes to who attended Gatsby’s parties, Nick had an extraordinary amount of interest in Gatsby’s guests that
summer. He seems to be fairly fixated on all things Gatsby.
We are then treated to Nick’s telling of one of the first times him and Gatsby go someplace together. Gatsby picks
him up in his gorgeous car. Note that Gatsby too, just like Nick, Jordan, Tom, and Daisy, is described at first as restless.
The man can’t stop fidgeting. He’s always moving or tapping or jostling something.
They set off on that “disconcerting ride,” and Gatsby flat out asks Nick what he thinks of him. Nick doesn’t really
know how to answer that question, so he tries to give him a “fluff” answer- the “generalized evasions which that question
deserves,” when Gatsby cuts him off and explains that he’s going to tell Nick all about his life, because he doesn’t want
Nick to get the wrong idea of him from all the gossip he hears.
Nick remarks to us that Gatsby obviously knew then, how much people said about him.
Gatsby says he’s going to tell Nick “God’s truth” about his life, and explains to him the intricate details of who he
is. Nick remarks that a few of the things Gatsby rushes through (like that he was educated at Oxford) don’t really sound
genuine, and so Nick starts to wonder if maybe there is something sinister about Gatsby after all. He’s also not really sure
if Gatsby is being straight up with him, or if he is messing with Nick, but Gatsby is able to produce artifacts that back up
his story, and suddenly Nick sees that smile of Gatsby’s again, and he becomes enthralled with the truth in Gatsby’s
words. Gatsby points out it’s a big deal that Nick doesn’t “think [he] was just some nobody,” because he has a favor to ask
of him. Again, there’s some commentary about breeding and social status. It’s important to Gatsby that Nick knows he is
a somebody.
This remark ends up annoying Nick because of the arrangement Gatsby has put together in order for Nick to find
out what this favor is, and for a moment he regrets that he “ever set foot upon his overpopulated lawn.” (Sure, Nick,
whatever you say.)
