Quote from Chapter 7 page 120

"Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly.
That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money -- that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it.... High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl....

Gatsby's Story

F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was obsessed with the idea of wealth and fame, had financial troubles throughout his life. In his novels a re-occuring theme is the relationship between money, success, and happiness. In Chapter 6, as Fitzgerald reveals more about Gatsby's early life, this theme is seen. Gatsby's name was originally James Gatz. He was born on a farm in North Dakota and spent his earlier years working as a janitor at his college and as a fisherman. It was when Dan Cody gave James Gatz a job on his yacht, that James began to transform. He was entranced by the life of luxury and success that Cody lived. James became obsessed with the idea of becoming a wealthy and successful man. He was committed to achieving this status he so desired. It is Gatsby who changes his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. He uses the name Jay Gatsby to distance himself from his past and his lower class identity. Fitzgerald continues to expose the real Jay Gatsby, who was presented as admirable and flawless. Others consider Gatsby to be practically royalty however, besides his wealth, he is not as perfect or content as he seems.

Nick Carraway

Nick Carraway is the narrator of the novel, The Great Gatsby. He is a young man from Minnesota who goes to New York hoping to go into the bond business. He is Gatsby's neighbor on West Egg in Long Island. Nick however, does not possess similar qualities to Gatsby. He is quiet and modest. He tells the reader that he is known for being a good listener, tolerant, open minded, and a good listener, making him a good narrator. His kind demeanor causes others, such as Gatsby, to open up to him. Nick is drawn into the secrets of Gatsby almost immediately after their first meeting at one of Gatsby's parties. Nick is told of Gatsby's devote love for Daisy Buchanan, whom Nick is good friends with. Nick stood out to me among the rest of the upper class New Yorkers living in Long Island who attend Gatsby's parties. Although Carraway does interact with these other people quite smoothly, he is more at ease and less  materialistic than they are. The first half of the novel introduces a budding relationship between Nick and Jordan Baker, who is a friend of the Buchanan's. I predict that this relationship will continue to develop and have a larger significance in the rest of the novel.

It is believed that Gatsby and Carraway represent two very different parts of F. Scott Fitzgerald's personality. One is a flashy wealthy celebrity who uses his wealth to win people over, and the other is a quiet, kind, and honest man. Both however, are drawn to each other prior to their meeting, weather out of curiosity, like Nick, or self interest, like Gatsby.

Jay Gatsby

The title, The Great Gatsby, refers to a young man by the name of Jay Gatsby. He is a wealthy and well known neighbor to Nick Carraway, the narrator, on West Egg Island. Gatsby is initially presented by Fitzgerald as a character who mysteriously hosts extravagant and lavish parties every week at his mansion. He is gossiped about and is somewhat of a celebrity throughout New York. Fitzgerald does not introduce much more information than that about Gatsby in the first couple of chapters. The novel does not have a dry or boring beginning because Fitzgerald holds the suspense with the delayed explanation of Gatsby's background or source of wealth. As I was reading the book, my opinion of Gatsby greatly changed when his love for Daisy Buchanan was revealed. He is in fact, extremely lovesick and naive, contrary to the belief of the public.