The Great Gatsby, Chapter 2

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald


Chapter two begins with Nick and Tom's journey to Doctor T.J. Eckleburg's district or in other words, the valley of ashes, "...a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens..."(Fitzgerald 23). I believe Fitzgerald adds bypass of the ash yard as a way to juxtapose the two kinds of living in early 1900's New York. Just as the maid in The House of Mirth displayed to Lily the true problems of the world, the ash-yard does the same for Nick. However, the main reason for Tom and Nick's visit is to meet with Tom's mistress, Mrs. Myrtle Wilson. One aspect of the book that keeps me puzzled is what is the true nature of Tom's propensity towards Nick. Just as its said earlier in the book, for some reason or other, Tom has this desire to earn approval from Nick. You would think, realizing that Tom has accomplished so much more so far in his life, that it would be Nick who searches for camaraderie with Tom, however that is not the case. I think we will find out why in fact Tom takes such a liking to our protagonist.

So Tom and Nick travel to Mrs. Wilson's apartment and commence to have one wild rumpus with Myrtle's sister and the McKee couple. From the narrator's descriptions, a clear painting is portrayed of these people: odd, revolting, arrogant, and very fickle. The ring leader of the motley crew would be Tom's freshly intoxicated mistress, who prances around the tiny apartment gearing all attention towards herself. "The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur" (Fitzgerald 30). At one point, when she discovers that a hard-working bellhop has failed to retrieve the ice she had requested, she responds by shrilly hollering, "These people: You have to to keep after them all the time" (Fitzgerald 32). This remark shows Nick Myrtle's true colors and has to at least make him reflect upon how Tom could betray the courtship of his lovely wife for such a ignorant, obnoxious woman.

I find the end of this chapter pretty amusing, at least if I am right to infer that the sudden obscurity and quick unexplained events are Fitzgerald's attempts to put on the page, Nick's drunken memories. If so, I have to give kudos to this man, because I have never read a book that attempted something such as this. I would like to remark, however, that I am very worried about what happened during the hours when Nick's drunken stupor rejected the last of his memories. All I know is that the chapter ended with, "I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands" (Fitzgerald 38). What Nick is doing with an undressed Mr. McKee, who is originally described as a feminine man, is a question I can not quite answer. I guess I will have to read on to find out.

I find this kind of fitting...