Meeting the Friends....

After I have read the first chapter, I found out a lot about the first four characters. I’ll start off with Nick, the narrator, he is a very intelligent character. He has learned to observe people, and to keep a reserved judgment. The second character that is introduced, is a real “hulk”. He’s supercilious, and very over-bearing. Nick had mentioned being roommates with him in college and having the same jock attitude. Even after college when he’s supposed to mature, he doesn’t; all he does is snobbishly put down people. During the dinner party he brings up a book that he was reading about race, and he has the audacity to make comments on the book saying that it’s science based. Everyone else seems to just go with it, even though their true opinions probably differ. On top of being a racist, he is a cheater; he has a mistress in some other place that he openly talks to, but behind closed doors or another room in front of his wife! Being that impudent is a shame. His poor wife Daisy just goes along with everything he does, she is very aware that her husband is cheating on her, but because she has so much money she tries not to let it bother her. This lady (Daisy) is a very effervescent, her words are described as, “It was a kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again.” (Fitzgerald 9). It makes for an interesting way the two character personalities play off one another. Now the next character is Miss Baker, I’m not exactly sure why she is staying the summer with Tom and Daisy, but she came off as very arrogant at first. Once she warmed up to Nick, she became more settled and started offering some conversation. Towards the end of the dinner, Nick left for west egg for some rest that night. On his way home he notices little things here and there, like a cat stalking around the streets. But all of a sudden he sees a figure in the night, it’s Gatsby. “He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have swore he was trembling. I involuntarily glance seaward […] When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished” (Fitzgerald 20-21). As man as mysterious as the night, there must be a reason for this mysterious façade, but that will hopefully be revealed later in the book.