chapter 4 notes

Rumor #4 - "He's bootlegger"
Rumor #5 - "One time he killed a man who had found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil."

Nick has a timetable effective July 5th 1922.  It is an old timetable now, but on it he had written all the names of people that came to Gatsby's parties.  Within the list are tales of drunks (and fights), names of history (Stonewall Jackson Abrams, Mrs. Ulysses Swett), and people from the movies.  Mrs. Ulysses S. Swett's automoblie runs over Ripley Snells hand (another automobile accident).

There is also Klipspringer.  Known as "the boarder" because he is at Gatsby's house so often.

One morning in late July, Gatsby comes to ask Nick to lunch.  There's a big description of Gatsby's car: "a rich cream color, bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hat-boxes...terraced with a labyrinth of wind-shields that mirrored a dozen suns."  (this is important)

On the way to town, Gatsby tells Nick his back story: 1) Gatsby went to Oxford.  "It's a family tradition."   2) His family is from the mid-West and all died.  3) He lived in all the capitals of Europe as a young man.  4) He was a 1st lieutenant in the war and in the Argonne Forest took "two machine-gun detachments so far forward that there was a half-mile gap on either side of us..."  He became a war hero and won a medal from Montenegro.  (Question: how much of this is truth?)

On the way to town, the police stop him and Gatsby waves a Christmas card from the Police Commissioner.  The cop apologizes and Gatsby continues.

At lunch Nick meets Mr. Wolfsheim.  Mr. Wolfsheim relates the murder at the old Metropole (allusion) and talks about how he made Gatsby (that is after Gatsby takes a phone call).  Wolfsheim has cuff buttons made from human molars.  After Wolfsheim leaves, Gatsby explains to Nick that Wolfsheim is a gambler, the man who fixed the 1919 World Series (allusion to Arnold Rothstein).

Gatsby wants Nick to talk to Jordan about something he'd like Nick to do for him.

Later, Jordan tells Nick the back story of Gatsby and Daisy.  We learn that Daisy's maiden name is Fay.  (Fay is a fairy.  Think of Daisy's voice.  It can also be the female version of faith.  Gatsby faith in his dream.  Both work here).

Daisy, like a lot of young girls, entertain men heading off for war.  She meets Gatsby who is nearby at Camp Taylor and the two fall for each other.   She's even found to be "packing her bag...to go to New York to say good-by to a soldier who was going overseas" (Gatsby).  After the Armistice, she had her debut (or coming out party - a Southern tradition) and was soon engaged to Tom Buchanan of Chicago.  Tom gave Daisy a string of pearls valued at $350,000 (in 1919).  Compare this necklace to the dog collar of Myrtle.  Similar thing going on, but one is worth more.

She received a letter from Gatsby the night of the marriage and gets "drunk as a monkey".  She tells Jordan to take the necklace "down-stairs and give 'em back to whoever they belong to.  Tell 'em Daisy's change her mind."

Daisy gets married the next day to Tom anyway.

For a while everything is fine, until in Santa Barbara "Tom ran into a wagon on the Ventura road one night, and ripped a front wheel off his car.  The girl who was with him got into the papers, too, because her arm was broken - she was one of the chambermaids in the Santa Barbara Hotel."  (Two things here 1) This is one of Tom's other affairs; and 2) Another car wreck).

After this wreck, Daisy has her daughter.

Gatsby, after he returned from the War, searched for Daisy until he brought "that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay."  He threw parties in hope that Daisy would come to one, and then began asking around if anyone knew Daisy.  Ironically Jordan is the first person that knew anything about Daisy.  Gatsby would like Nick (this is the favor) to ask Daisy to his small house for tea so that Gatsby can later so off his "big mansion".

Nick states, Gatsby "came alive to me, delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendor".  Ah - womb = eggs = dreams.  Purposeless splendor is an oxymoron.  Gatsby does have purpose: a single force driving purpose, Daisy.

Jordan tells Nick that Daisy "should have something in her life."

And Nick ends the chapter by kissing Jordan.