The opening paragraphs, in addition to being exquisitly
written, help to establish for the reader two main things: Nick's narrative style and an
aura of mystery about Gatsby. We can learn from Nick's "voice" that he is an educated
person with a solid family background. His sophisticated vocabulary and his manner of
speech clearly indicate a person of good breeding. The lengthy description of his
family history gives him a sense of history and authority. If you read this section
carefully, you will notice that Nick's family history parallels the development of
America. They came over from Europe, established themselves in the East and than
migrated to the Midwest. The fact that he uses the word "snobbishly" twice is also a
clue to where his family sees itself. The point is that we, as readers, clearly
understand Nick's background. We do not, however, have much to go on when it comes to
Gatsby.
The second major point of these initial paragraphs
is what we learn about Gatsby. We understand, first and foremost, that Nick is
conflicted about his own judgment of Gatsby (and someone who says he "reserves judgment"
at that). Gatsby is someone who represents "everything for which [he has] an unaffected
scorn," yet "there was something gorgeous about him." We also learn that Nick admires
Gatsby's "gift for hope" and "romantic readiness," and that he "turned out all right in
the end." I urge my students not to forget these main characteristics of Gatsby,
because it is this, plus what Nick says about him in Chapter 8 ("They're a rotten
crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together) that make Gatsby
great.
Armed with this knowledge, readers can begin to see
how Nick will become our guide through the sordid events of summer 1922 in New York, and
Jay Gatsby will be our misguided romantic hero.
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