The Great Gatsby - Reading Journal Chapter 6

Chapter 6, pages 97-111

People continue to spread rumors about Gatsby's background, so much that a reporter approaches him just to ask him what he wants to say in general. Nick then describes Gatsby's early life. Gatsby's real name is James Gatz, and Gatsby hails from North Carolina, not upscale New York. A rich sea man named Dan Cody died and left him a large sum of money, which the mistress prevented him from receiving the money, inspiring Gatsby to become a rich man. Daisy begins to spend more time with Gatsby, which angers Tom, who eventually admits Gatsby gets his wealth form bootlegging alcohol into the country.

Dan Cody: “Dan Cody sober knew that lavish doings Dan Cody drunk might soon be about” (100).

Dan Cody is a middle aged, kind man who owned a yacht and employed Gatsby when he was known as James Gatz. Cody eventually became Gatsby's best friend, even leaving him $25,000 in his will upon his death. Although a drunkard, Cody enjoyed living a lavish lifestyle.

Cody provides many different roles throughout chapter 6. In a way, he provides as both a binary opposition and mirror character to the wealthy society at the time, and a mirror to both Tom and Nick. Cody and Tom both have mistresses and a lot of money, however, unlike Tom, Cody seems to have a conscience and cares for other people besides himself, as made evident in Dan leaving money to his best friend Gatsby.

“He talked a lot about the past and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was…” (Fitzgerald 117).

Gatsby's years of dreaming up a fantasy version of Daisy poses a great threat to him. Although Daisy once again is a part of his life, his fantasy of her soon could wear off when he sees the real Daisy. The child like actions of Gatsby remind me of the class discussion and presented theme of dreams vs. reality, and how the roaring 1920s were all about idealism over realism.