The Great Gatsby Chapter 4

Chapter 4 pgs 61-80

Summary: Nick lists all the rich and wealthy people that attended Gatsby’s parties over the summer. Gatsby takes Nick to lunch and on the way there Gatsby tells Nick about his life such as accomplishments in war, going to college, and his wealthy family. Nick is skeptical about all this so Gatsby shows him a picture of him at Oxford and a medal he earned at war. During lunch, Nick meets Meyer Wolfshiem, a friend of Gatsby’s who was responsible for fixing the 1919 World Series. Jordan then tells Nick that Gatsby knew Daisy since they were young and he still loves her. She tells Nick that Gatsby’s plan is to have Nick invite Daisy over to have tea, and Gatsby just showing up too. We find out that Gatsby’s motives behind throwing these parties so often and living in West Egg is to be closer to Daisy.

a.  Meyer Wolfshiem

b. “He’s the man who fixed the World Series back in 1919... It never occurred to me that one man could start to play with the faith of fifty million people- with the single mindedness of a burglar blowing a safe” (73).

c. Meyer Wolfshiem is a fifty year old man and is a gambler. He doesn’t seem like a bad man at first, being described as, “A small flat nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril.” He seems like a normal man and carries a conversation with Nick. However, we find out that he is a gambler and may have cheated his way to wealth by fixing the World Series in 1919.

d. Meyer Wolfshiem is Gatsby’s friend who Nick meets while he has dinner with Gatsby. I think Meyer represents and illustrates how much of a mystery Gatsby is. We have to wonder why Gatsby would have such a shady friend who has cheated so many people by fixing the World Series. It makes us question if Gatsby is really the honest man he seems like or if he is more like his friend Meyer. Since Meyer is a gambler and probably cheated his way into being rich, we do not know for sure how Gatsby got his money. Gatsby’s family may not have been rich at all and he could have got his money the same way Meyer did.

Quote: “There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired” (79).

This quote stood out to me because it describes all the different types of people in the world and in the novel. Each description is different and all the characters in this book are so different. Some characters are the people that others look up to who are the rich, others are trying to gain wealth and achieve their dream such as the McKees, while some are to busy trying to obtain material things such as Myrtle and Tom. Gatsby is wealthy and at the top, but also seems to be pursuing something more. This quote tells us that there are so many types of people in the book that act differently and want to achieve different things.

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