Gatsby Chapter 4 Journal

Summary: Gatsby has a few guests over at his house on Sunday morning. Nick gives us the details of many of the guests that attended Gatsby's gatherings throughout that summer in a timestable he made. Gatsby arrives in his fancy car to take Nick out on a surprise lunch. On the way, Gatsby tells Nick that he comes from a wealthy family in the Midwest (San Francisco) and went to Oxford. He also says that his entire family died, the reason for his money. Gatsby tells Nick of his many extravagant travels and the war. Gatsby shows Nick a medal from Montenegro and a picture of him and his buddies at Oxford. Nick believes him after that. Gatsby tells Nick that Ms. Baker will tell him more about himself at tea that afternoon. Gatsby gets pulled over for speeding, but simply shows the officer a card (a Christmas card; Gatsby has connections with the commissioner) and gets off scott free. At lunch, Gatsby introduces Nick to Mr. Wolfsheim, a Jewish mobster wearing cuffs made of human molars, and a colleague of Gatsby. Mr. Wolfsheim reminisces about an incident that occurred at a restaurant across the street in which one of his friends, Rosy Rosenthal, was killed. Mr. Wolfsheim leaves, and Gatsby informs Nick that it was Meyer Wolfsheim that had fixed the World Series in 1919. Nick sees Tom during lunch, and goes over to speak with him, but Gatsby is nowhere to be found at the sight of Tom. Nick is told of gatsby and Daisy's past by Jordan that afternoon: Daisy used to date lieutenant Gatsby, but when he went off to war, Daisy wasn't allowed to say goodbye and ended up being engaged to Tom the next autumn. Jordan recalls to Nick the night before Daisy's wedding, and how Daisy had decided she wasn't going to marry Tom after reading a letter (presumably from Gatsby). The next day, Daisy had recovered, and married Tom. They were happily married for a while, but Tom soon had an affair with a woman from the Santa Barabara hotel. Daisy gave birth to her daughter in Chicago the next April. Jordan then recounts the day her and Nick met at Daisy and Tom's, when Daisy was reminded of Gatsby. Jordan and Nick go for a drive around Central Park, and Jordan tells Nick that Gatsby wants him to invite both Gatsby and Daisy over one day. Nick and Jordan enjoy their romantic drive, ending it with a kiss.

Motifs: Another bad driver - the incident with Ripley Snell and Mrs. Swett. 

Allusions: Stonewall Jackson, the 1919 World Series incident. 

Themes: The corruption of the 1919 baseball World Series represents the corruption of the American dream.

Importance: We learn the history of Daisy and Gatsby, as well as learn more about Gatsby himself, and the business he is in. The subplot between Nick and Jordan thickens.