Great Gatsby - Chapter 4 [Audiobook]

Summary

The video script from 'The Great Gatsby' chapter four unfolds a lavish world of mystery and opulence, where rumors of Gatsby's bootlegging past and his enigmatic persona are juxtaposed with the extravagant parties he hosts. The narrative delves into Gatsby's fabricated background, his service in World War I, and the complex relationship with Daisy Buchanan, his long-lost love. The summary captures Gatsby's yearning for Daisy's attention and his elaborate plan to reconnect with her through Jordan Baker, revealing the depth of his obsession and the lengths he is willing to go to win her over.

Takeaways

• 🏠 The script revolves around Gatsby's house and his extravagant parties, which are attended by a diverse and mysterious crowd.
• 🥂 Gatsby is rumored to be a bootlegger, and there are wild stories about his past, including claims of having killed a man and being related to influential figures.
• 📜 The narrator lists the names of Gatsby's guests from a timetable, emphasizing the vast number of people who have visited him but know little about him.
• 🕊️ Gatsby's character is portrayed as enigmatic and somewhat suspicious, with hints that he may not be telling the truth about his background and education.
• 🎖️ Gatsby claims to have been educated at Oxford and to have received military honors, including from Montenegro, which adds to the air of mystique around him.
• 🤝 Gatsby's introduction to Tom Buchanan and the subsequent awkward encounter suggests a tension between the two men and possibly a connection to Daisy.
• 🌆 The description of New York City and its inhabitants provides a backdrop of ambition, wealth, and moral ambiguity.
• 🎭 The script introduces Meyer Wolfsheim, who is implied to be a shady character with connections to criminal activities, including fixing the 1919 World Series.
• 💔 The story of Daisy Buchanan's past with Gatsby and her marriage to Tom is revealed, hinting at a complex love triangle and Gatsby's ongoing infatuation with Daisy.
• 🌹 Jordan Baker is presented as a key character who has connections to both Daisy and Gatsby, and who narrates parts of Daisy's history and her own experiences.
• 🏝️ The script suggests that Gatsby's grand lifestyle and parties are all part of a plan to attract Daisy's attention and possibly rekindle their past relationship.

Q & A

What is the setting of the events described in the script?

The script describes events taking place in the 1920s, primarily in the fictional locations of East Egg and West Egg on Long Island, New York, as well as New York City.

Who is the main character narrating the events in the script?

The main character narrating the events is Nick Carraway, who is also a participant in the story and a neighbor of Jay Gatsby.

What rumors are circulating about Gatsby's background and activities?

Rumors include that Gatsby is a bootlegger, he killed a man who found out he was related to Von Hindenburg, and that he is a nephew to the devil.

What is the significance of the timetable that Nick mentions?

The timetable is significant as it lists the names of people who visited Gatsby's house during the summer, providing a sense of the diverse and mysterious crowd that Gatsby entertained.

What is the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan?

Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan had a romantic relationship in the past, and Gatsby's lavish lifestyle and parties are part of his attempt to attract Daisy's attention and rekindle their love.

Why does Gatsby want to meet Daisy through Jordan Baker?

Gatsby wants to meet Daisy through Jordan Baker because he believes that Daisy would be more comfortable in a familiar setting, and he is cautious about how his past relationship with Daisy might affect their reunion.

What is the significance of the 'valley of ashes' mentioned in the script?

The 'valley of ashes' is a desolate wasteland area between West Egg and New York City, symbolizing the moral decay and social inequality of the era.

What is the role of Meyer Wolfsheim in the script?

Meyer Wolfsheim is a character who is revealed to be the man who 'fixed' the 1919 World Series, implying he is involved in criminal activities and has a significant influence on Gatsby's life.

How does Gatsby's car symbolize his wealth and aspirations?

Gatsby's car is described as being richly colored, luxurious, and adorned with the latest technology, symbolizing his immense wealth and his desire to impress and attract Daisy.

What is the significance of Gatsby's parties and his mansion?

Gatsby's parties and mansion are significant as they are part of his strategy to create an image of success and wealth to win Daisy's heart, despite the fact that he is a self-made man with a mysterious background.

Outlines

00:00

🎉 The Enigmatic Gatsby's Summer Soiree

This paragraph sets the scene of Gatsby's extravagant parties, attended by a diverse and mysterious crowd. It introduces the rumors about Gatsby's background, suggesting he might be a bootlegger or related to infamous figures. The narrator recounts the guests from East Egg, including the peculiar Blackbuck clan and various individuals with notable stories. The paragraph also mentions Gatsby's desire for privacy and the enigma surrounding his identity, as well as the first-person encounter between the narrator and Gatsby, hinting at a deeper connection to come.

05:01

🚗 Gatsby's Grand Automobile and His Elusive Past

The focus shifts to Gatsby's impressive car and his restless demeanor. Gatsby opens up about his supposed wealthy upbringing and education at Oxford, claiming a lineage of tradition. However, the narrator expresses doubt about Gatsby's truthfulness, especially after Gatsby's awkward mention of Oxford. The paragraph delves into Gatsby's alleged military achievements and the various medals he received, including one from Montenegro, which adds to the air of mystique and skepticism surrounding his character.

10:02

🍽️ Lunch with Gatsby and Wolfsheim: The Underworld Connection

The scene moves to a lunch meeting where Gatsby introduces the narrator to Mr. Wolfsheim, a character with a criminal past, known for fixing the 1919 World Series. The encounter is filled with tension and veiled business propositions. Gatsby's mysterious request through Miss Baker is hinted at, adding another layer to his enigmatic persona. The paragraph also provides a glimpse into the underworld through the characters' interactions and the mention of past crimes.

15:05

🏡 Daisy's Early Life and Marriage to Tom Buchanan

This paragraph narrates Daisy's life before her marriage to Tom Buchanan. It describes her popularity, her engagement to a man from New Orleans, and the lavish wedding that followed. The story also touches on Daisy's rebellious streak, her brief scandal with a soldier, and her eventual move to Chicago with Tom. The paragraph paints Daisy as a figure of fascination and charm, setting the stage for her future interactions with Gatsby.

20:05

🌆 Gatsby's Hopes and Daisy's Unawareness of His Presence

The paragraph reveals Gatsby's intentional move to West Egg to be close to Daisy, illustrating his long-standing affection for her. It discusses Gatsby's attempts to reconnect with Daisy through various means, including his grand parties and the hope that she would attend one. The paragraph also highlights the narrator's role in facilitating Gatsby's desire to see Daisy again, without her knowing the true intention behind the meeting.

25:07

🌃 A Drive Through the City and a Glimpse of Gatsby's Plan

The final paragraph captures a nighttime drive through the city, reflecting on Gatsby's grand plan to reunite with Daisy. It details Gatsby's request for the narrator to invite Daisy over without revealing his involvement. The paragraph ends with a moment of intimacy between the narrator and Jordan Baker, suggesting a budding romantic interest that contrasts with Gatsby's unrequited love for Daisy.

Keywords

💡Gatsby

Gatsby is the protagonist of the novel 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He is a mysterious, wealthy figure with a past shrouded in rumors and speculation. In the video script, Gatsby is portrayed as a man of enigmatic origins and grand parties, who is deeply invested in the idea of love and the past, particularly his relationship with Daisy. His character is central to the theme of the American Dream and its disillusionment.

💡Bootlegger

A bootlegger is someone who illegally sells or transports alcoholic beverages, typically during times of prohibition. In the script, it is suggested that Gatsby's wealth may be derived from bootlegging, which adds a layer of moral ambiguity to his character and reflects the broader societal context of the 1920s, an era known for its speakeasies and flouting of Prohibition laws.

💡Oxford

Oxford refers to the prestigious University of Oxford in England. In the script, Gatsby claims to have been educated at Oxford, which is part of his fabricated backstory. This keyword is significant as it contributes to the theme of illusion versus reality, as well as the social climbing and reinvention of oneself that is prevalent in the novel.

💡Valley of Ashes

The Valley of Ashes is a desolate and impoverished area situated between West Egg and New York City. It symbolizes the moral decay hidden by the opulence of the wealthy and is a stark contrast to the lavish lifestyle of Gatsby and his peers. The script mentions passing through the Valley of Ashes, highlighting the divide between the rich and the poor.

💡American Dream

The American Dream is the belief in the possibility of achieving happiness and success through hard work and determination. In the script, Gatsby's pursuit of wealth and his obsession with Daisy represent his quest for the American Dream. However, the novel critiques this dream by showing the corruption and moral decay that can accompany the pursuit of wealth and status.

💡Jordan Baker

Jordan Baker is a professional golfer and a friend of Daisy's. She is also the character who narrates part of the script. Jordan is significant for her skepticism and her role as a confidante to Daisy, as well as her relationship with the narrator, Nick Carraway. She represents the disillusioned and cynical perspective on the social world of the 1920s.

💡Daisy Buchanan

Daisy Buchanan, also known as Daisy Fay, is a character who symbolizes the carefree and privileged lifestyle of the rich during the 1920s. She is Gatsby's former lover and the object of his unrequited love. Daisy's character is central to the exploration of love, class, and the moral complexities of the era.

💡Tom Buchanan

Tom Buchanan is Daisy's husband, characterized by his arrogance and infidelity. He represents the old money aristocracy and the moral decay within it. In the script, Tom's actions and attitudes reflect the theme of the corrupting influence of wealth and the failure of the upper class to live up to its own ideals.

💡Meyer Wolfsheim

Meyer Wolfsheim is a character who is implied to be involved in organized crime. He is associated with Gatsby and is known for his role in fixing the 1919 World Series. Wolfsheim's character adds a layer of criminality and moral ambiguity to the narrative, tying Gatsby's wealth to illicit activities.

💡The Green Light

The green light is a symbol of hope and aspiration, specifically Gatsby's hope for a future with Daisy. It is mentioned in the script as a metaphor for Gatsby's dreams and the broader theme of the unattainable desires that drive the characters in the novel.

💡The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg

The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are depicted on a billboard in the Valley of Ashes and symbolize the omnipresent gaze of God or societal judgment. Although not explicitly mentioned in the provided script, they are a significant symbol in the novel, representing the moral oversight and the watching eyes that observe the characters' actions.

Highlights

Introduction of Gatsby's mysterious background with rumors of being a bootlegger and having a dubious family history.

Description of Gatsby's extravagant parties and the eclectic mix of guests from different social circles.

Narration of the protagonist's attempt to document the names of Gatsby's guests, reflecting the enigmatic nature of the attendees.

Mention of Gatsby's car as a symbol of his wealth and the attention it draws, including from the protagonist.

Gatsby's sudden and unexpected revelation of his supposed education at Oxford and his fabricated family history.

The protagonist's skepticism towards Gatsby's stories, hinting at a potential dark side to his character.

Gatsby's military service and the dubious claim of his valor and the decorations he supposedly received.

Gatsby's association with Wolfsheim, who is implied to be involved in the 1919 World Series scandal.

The protagonist's encounter with Tom Buchanan and the revelation of Daisy's past relationship with Gatsby.

Jordan Baker's recount of Daisy's youth, her popularity, and her encounter with Gatsby before he went to war.

Daisy's marriage to Tom Buchanan, described with its opulence and the string of pearls incident on the wedding eve.

The aftermath of Daisy's marriage, including Tom's infidelity and Daisy's move to Chicago with their daughter.

Gatsby's purchase of his mansion across from Daisy, revealing his long-standing obsession and pining for her.

Gatsby's request for Jordan to arrange a meeting with Daisy, showing his cautious and calculated approach to reconnecting with her.

The protagonist's growing interest in Jordan Baker and the shift of focus from Gatsby's story to his own romantic prospects.

Transcripts

the great gatsby chapter four

on sunday morning while church bells

rang in the villages along shore the

world and its mistress returned to

gatsby's house and twinkled hilariously

on his lawn

he's a bootlegger said the young ladies

moving somewhere between his cocktails

and his flowers

one time he killed a man who had found

out that he was nephew to von hindenburg

and second cousin to the devil reach me

a rose honey and pour me a last drop

into that their crystal glass

once i wrote down on the empty spaces of

a timetable the names of those who came

to gatsby's house that summer

it is an old timetable now

disintegrating at its folds and headed

this schedule in effect july 5th 1922

but i can still read the gray names and

they will give you a better impression

than my generalities of those who

accepted gatsby's hospitality and paid

him the subtle tribute of knowing

nothing whatever about him

from east egg then came the chester

becker's and the leeches and a man named

bunsen whom i knew at yale and dr

webster civit who was drowned last

summer up in maine and the hornbeams and

the willy voltaires and a whole clan

named blackbuck who always gathered in a

corner and flipped up their noses like

goats at whosoever came near and the

ismaes and the christies or rather

hubert auerbach and mr christie's wife

and edgar beaver whose hair they say

turned cotton white one winter afternoon

for no good reason at all

clarence endive was from east egg as i

remember he came only once in white

knickerbockers and had a fight with a

bum named eddie in the garden

from farther out on the island came the

cheatles and the orp schraders and the

stonewall jackson abrams of georgia and

the fish guards and the ripley snells

snell was there three days before he

went to the penitentiary so drunk out on

the gravel drive that mrs ulysses

sweat's automobile ran over his right

hand

the dances came too and sb whitebait who

was well over 60 and maurice a flink and

the hammerheads and beluga the tobacco

importer and beluga's girls

from west egg came the poles and the

mulrides and cecil roebuck and cecil

shone

and gulick the state senator and newton

orchid who controlled film's par

occilons and eckhaus and clyde cohen and

don s schwarze the son and arthur

mccarty all connected with the movies in

one way or another and the catlips and

the bembergs and g earl muldoon brother

to that muldoon who afterwards strangled

his wife

defontano the promoter came there and ed

legross and james b rotgut ferret and

the de jongs and ernest lilly

they came to gamble and when ferret

wandered into the garden it meant he was

cleaned out and associated traction

would have to fluctuate profitably next

day

a man named clipsbringer was there so

often and so long that he became known

as the border i doubt if he had any

other home

of theatrical people there were gus ways

and horus o'donovan and lester meyer and

george duckweed and francis bull

also from new york were the chromes and

the bacchusens and the deneckers and

russell betty and the corrigans and the

kellehers and the dewars and the scullys

and sw belcher and the smirks and the

young twins divorced now and henry l

palmetto who killed himself by jumping

in front of a subway train in times

square

benny mclennan arrived always with four

girls

they were never quite the same ones in

physical person but they were so

identical one with another that it

inevitably seemed they had been there

before

i've forgotten their names

jacqueline i think or else consuelo or

gloria or judy or june and their last

names were either the melodious names of

flowers and months or the sterner ones

of the great american capitalists whose

cousins if pressed they would confess

themselves to be

in addition to all these i can remember

that faustina o'brien came there at

least once and the bedecker girls and

young brewer who had his nose shot off

in the war and mr albrecht's burger and

miss hogg his fiancee and ardita

fitzpeters and mr p jewett once head of

the american legion and miss claudia hip

with a man reputed to be her chauffeur

and a prince of something whom we call

duke and whose name if i ever knew it i

have forgotten

all these people came to gatsby's house

in the summer

at nine o'clock one morning late in july

gatsby's gorgeous car lurched up the

rocky drive to my door and gave out a

burst of melody from its three noted

horn

it was the first time he had called on

me though i had gone to two of his

parties mounted in his hydroplane and at

his urgent invitation made frequent use

of his beach

good morning old sport you're having

lunch with me today and i thought we'd

ride up together

he was balancing himself on the

dashboard of his car with that

resourcefulness of movement that is so

peculiarly american that comes i suppose

with the absence of lifting work or

rigid sitting in youth and even more

with the formless grace of our nervous

sporadic games

this quality was continually breaking

through his petilious manner in the

shape of restlessness he was never quite

still there was always a tapping foot

somewhere or the impatient opening and

closing of a hand he saw me looking with

admiration at his car

it's pretty isn't it old sport

he jumped off to give me a better view

haven't you ever seen it before

i'd seen it everybody had seen it it was

a rich cream color bright with nickel

swollen here and there in its monstrous

length with triumphant hat boxes and

supper boxes and tool boxes and terraced

with a labyrinth of windshields that

mirrored a dozen suns

sitting down behind many layers of glass

and a sort of green leather conservatory

we started to town

i had talked with him perhaps half a

dozen times in the past month and found

to my disappointment that he had little

to say

so my first impression that he was a

person of some undefined consequence had

gradually faded and he had become simply

the proprietor of an elaborate road

house next door

and then came that disconcerting ride

we hadn't reached west egg village

before gatsby began leaving his elegant

sentences unfinished and slapping

himself indecisively on the knee of his

caramel colored suit

look here old sport he broke out

surprisingly what's your opinion of me

anyhow

a little overwhelmed i began the

generalized evasions which that question

deserves

well i'm going to tell you something

about my life he interrupted i don't

want you to get a wrong idea of me from

all these stories you hear

so he was aware of the bizarre

accusations that flavored conversation

in his halls

i'll tell you god's truth

his right hand suddenly ordered divine

retribution to stand by

i am the son of some wealthy people in

the middle west all dead now i was

brought up in america but educated at

oxford because all my ancestors have

been educated there for many years it is

a family tradition

he looked at me sideways

and i knew why jordan baker had believed

he was lying he hurried the phrase

educated at oxford or swallowed it or

choked on it as though it had bothered

him before

and with this doubt his whole statement

fell to pieces and i wondered if there

wasn't something a little sinister about

him after all

what part of the middle west i inquired

casually san francisco

i see

my family all died and i came into a

good deal of money

his voice was solemn as if the memory of

that sudden extinction of a clan still

haunted him

for a moment i suspected that he was

pulling my leg but a glance at him

convinced me otherwise

after that i lived like a young raja in

all the capitals of europe paris venice

rome collecting jewels chiefly rubies

hunting big game painting a little

things for myself only and trying to

forget something very sad that it

happened to me long ago

with an effort i managed to restrain my

incredulous laughter the very phrases

were worn so threadbare that they evoked

no image except that of a turbaned

character leaking sawdust at every pore

as he pursued a tiger through the puerto

boulonn

then came the world sport it was a great

relief and i tried very hard to die but

i seemed to bear an enchanted life

i accepted a commission as first

lieutenant when it began in the argonne

forest i took two machine gun

detachments so far forward that there

was a half-mile gap on either side of us

where the infantry couldn't advance

we stayed there two days and two nights

130 men with 16 lewis guns when the

infantry came up at last they found the

insignia of three german divisions among

the piles of dead i was promoted to be a

major and every allied government gave

me a decoration even montenegro little

montenegro down on the adriatic sea

little montenegro he lifted up the words

and nodded at them with his smile

the smile comprehended montenegro's

troubled history and sympathized with

the brave struggles of the montenegrin

people it appreciated fully the chain of

national circumstances which had

elicited this tribute from montenegro's

warm little heart

my incon incredulity was submerged in

fascination now it was like skimming

hastily through a dozen magazines he

reached in his pocket and a piece of

metal slung on a ribbon fell into my

palm

that's the one from montenegro

to my astonishment the thing had an

authentic look

order

de denilo ran the circular legend

montenegro nicholas rex

turn it

major j gatsby i read for valor

extraordinary

here's another thing i always carry a

souvenir of oxford days it was taken in

trinity quad the man on my left is now

the earl of doncaster

it was a photograph of half a dozen

young men in blazers loafing in an

archway through which were visible a

host of spires there was gatsby looking

a little not much younger with a cricket

bat in his hand

then it was all true i saw the skins of

tigers flaming in his palace on the

grand canal i saw him opening a chest of

rubies to ease with their

crimson-lighted depths the gnawings of

his broken heart

i'm going to make a big request of you

today he said pocketing his souvenirs

with satisfaction so i thought you ought

to know something about me

i didn't want you to think i was just

some nobody you see i usually find

myself amongst strangers because i'd

drift here and there trying to forget

the sad thing that happened to me he

hesitated you'll hear about it this

afternoon

at lunch

no this afternoon i happened to find out

that you're taking miss baker to tea

do you mean you're in love with miss

baker

no old sport i'm not but miss baker has

kindly consented to speak to you about

this matter

i hadn't the faintest idea what this

matter was but i was more annoyed than

interested i hadn't asked jordan to t in

order to discuss mr j gatsby i was sure

the request would be something utterly

fantastic and for a moment i was sorry

i'd ever set foot upon his overpopulated

lawn

he wouldn't say another word his

correctness grew on him as we neared the

city

we past port roosevelt where there was a

glimpse of red-belted ocean-going ships

and sped along the cobbled slum lined

with the dark undeserved saloons of the

faded guilt 1900s

then the valley of ashes opened out on

both sides of us and i had a glimpse of

mrs wilson straining at the garage pump

with panting vitality as we went by

with fenders spread like wings we

scattered light through half astoria

only half for as we twisted among the

pillars of the elevated i heard the

familiar

jug spat of a motorcycle and a frantic

policeman rode alongside

all right old sport called gatsby we

slowed down

taking a white card from his wallet he

waved it before the man's eyes

right you are agreed the policeman

tipping his cap know you next time mr

gatsby excuse me

what was that i inquired the picture of

oxford

i was able to do the commissioner a

favor once and he sends me a christmas

card every year

over the great bridge with the sunlight

through the girders making a constant

flicker upon the moving cars

with the city rising up across the river

in white heaps and sugar lumps all built

with a wish out of nominal factory money

the city seen from the queensboro bridge

is always the city scene for the first

time in its first wild promise of all

the mystery and the beauty in the world

a dead man passed us in a hearse heaped

with blooms followed by two carriages

withdrawn blinds and by more cheerful

carriages for friends

the friends looked out at us with the

tragic eyes and short upper lips of

southeastern europe and i was glad that

the sight of gatsby's splendid car was

included in their somber holiday

as we crossed blackwell's island a

limousine passed us driven by a white

chauffeur in which sat three motish

negros two bucks and a girl

i laughed aloud as the yolks of their

eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty

rivalry

anything can happen now that we've slid

over this bridge i thought anything at

all

even gatsby could happen without any

particular wonder

roaring noon

in a well-fanned 42nd street cellar i

met gatsby for lunch blinking away the

brightness of the street outside my eyes

picked him out obscurely in the anteroom

talking to another man

mr carraway this is my friend mr

wolfsheim a small flat-nosed jew

raised his large head and regarded me

with two fine growths of hair which

luxuriated in either nostril

after a moment i discovered his tiny

eyes in the half darkness

so i took one look at him said mr

wolfsheim shaking my hand earnestly and

what do you think i did

what i inquired politely but evidently

he was not addressing me for he dropped

my hand and covered gatsby with his

expressive nose i handed the money to

cat spa and i said all right katspa

don't pay him a penny till he shuts his

mouth he shut it then and there

gatsby took an arm of each of us and

moved forward into the restaurant

whereupon mr wolfsheim swallowed a

nuisance he was starting and lapsed into

a some ambulatory abstraction

highballs asked the headwaiter this is a

nice restaurant here said mr wolfsheim

looking at the presbyterian nymphs on

the ceiling but i like across the street

better

yes highballs agreed gatsby and then to

mr wolfsheim it's too hot over there

hot and small yes said mr wilsheim but

full of memories

what place is that i asked the old

metropole said gatsby the old metropole

rooted mr wolfsheim gloomily

filled with faces dead and gone filled

with friends gone now forever i can't

forget so long as i live the night they

shot rosie rosenthal there it was six of

us at the table and rosie had eaten

drunk a lot all evening

when it was almost morning the waiter

came up to him with a funny look and

says somebody wants to speak to him

outside all right says rosie and begins

to get up and i pulled him down in his

chair let the bastards come in here if

they want you rosie but don't you so

help me move outside this room

it was four o'clock in the morning then

and if we'd have raised the blinds we'd

have seen daylight

did he go i asked innocently sure he

went mr wilsheim's nose flashed at me

indignantly he turned around in the door

and says don't let that waiter take away

my coffee then he went out on the

sidewalk and they shot him three times

in his full belly and drove away

four of them were electrocuted i said

remembering

five with becker

his nostrils turned to me in an

interested way i understand you're

looking for a business connection

the juxtaposition of these two remarks

was startling gatsby answered for me oh

no he exclaimed this isn't the man no mr

wolfsheim seemed disappointed this is

just a friend i told you we'd talk about

that some other time

i beg your pardon said mr wolfsheim i

had a wrong man

a succulent hash arrived and mr

wolfsheim forgetting the more

sentimental atmosphere of the old

metropole began to eat with ferocious

delicacy his eyes meanwhile roved very

slowly all around the room

he completed the ark by turning to

inspect the people directly behind i

think that except for my presence he

would have taken one short glance

beneath our own table

look here old sport said gatsby leaning

toward me i'm afraid i made you a little

angry this morning in the car

there was the smile again but this time

i held out against it

i don't like mysteries i answered and i

don't understand why you won't come out

frankly and tell me what you want why

has it all got to come through miss

baker

oh it's nothing underhand he assured me

miss baker's a great sports woman you

know and she'd never do anything that

wasn't all right

suddenly he looked at his watch jumped

up and hurried from the room leaving me

with mr wolfsheim at the table

he has to telephone said mr wolfsheim

following him with his eyes fine fellow

isn't he handsome to look at and a

perfect gentleman

yes he's an oxford man

oh

he went to oxford college in england you

know oxford college

i've heard of it

it's one of the most famous colleges in

the world

have you known gatsby for a long time i

inquired

several years he answered in a gratified

way i made the pleasure of his

acquaintance just after the war but i

knew i had discovered a man of fine

breeding after i talked with him an hour

i said to myself there's the kind of man

you'd like to take home and introduce to

your mother and sister

he paused i see you're looking at my

cuff buttons

i hadn't been looking at them but i did

now they were composed of oddly familiar

pieces of ivory

finest specimens of human molars he

informed me

well i inspected them that's a very

interesting idea

yeah he flipped his sleeves up under his

coat yeah gatsby's very careful about

women he would never so much as look at

a friend's wife

when the subject of this instinctive

trust returned to the table and sat down

mr wolfsheim drank his coffee with a

jerk and got to his feet i have enjoyed

my lunch he said and i'm going to run

off from you two young men before i

outstay my welcome

don't hurry meyer said gatsby without

enthusiasm mr wolfsheim raised his hand

in a sort of benediction you're very

polite but i belong to another

generation he announced solemnly you sit

here and discuss your sports and your

young ladies and your

he supplied an imaginary noun with

another wave of his hand as for me i am

50 years old and i won't impose myself

on you any longer

as he shook hands and turned away his

tragic nose was trembling i wondered if

i had said anything to offend him

he becomes very sentimental sometimes

explain gatsby this is one of his

sentimental days he's quite a character

around new york a denizen of broadway

who is he anyhow an actor no

a dentist

meyer wolfsheim no he's a gambler

gatsby hesitated then added he's

the man who fixed the world series back

in 1919.

fixed the world series i repeated the

idea staggered me i remembered of course

that the world series had been fixed in

1919 but if i had thought of it at all i

would have thought of it as a thing that

merely happened the end of some

inevitable chain

it never occurred to me that one man

could start to play with the faith of 50

million people with the

single-mindedness of a burglar blowing a

safe

how did he happen to do that i asked

after a minute he just saw the

opportunity

why isn't he in jail

they can't get him old sport he's a

smart man

i insisted on paying the check as the

waiter brought my change i caught sight

of tom buchanan across the crowded room

come along with me for a minute i said

i've got to say hello to someone

when he saw us tom jumped up and took

half a dozen steps in our direction

where have you been he demanded eagerly

daisy's furious because you haven't

called up

this is mr gatsby mr buchanan they shook

hands briefly and a strained unfamiliar

look of embarrassment came over gatsby's

face

how have you been anyhow demanded tom of

me how'd you happen to come up this far

to eat

i've been having lunch with mr gatsby i

turned toward mr gatsby but he was no

longer there

one october day in

1917 said jordan baker that afternoon

sitting up very straight on a straight

chair in the tea garden at the plaza

hotel i was walking along from one place

to another half on the sidewalks and

half on the lawns i was happier on the

lawns because i had on shoes from

england with rubber knobs on the soles

that bit into the soft ground i had on a

new plaid skirt also that blew a little

in the wind and whenever this happened

the red white and blue banners in front

of all the houses stretched out stiff

and said

in a disapproving way

the largest of the banners and the

largest of the lawns belonged to daisy

faye's house she was just 18 2 years

older than me and by far the most

popular of all the young girls in

louisville she dressed in white and had

a little white roadster and all day long

the telephone rang in her house and

excited young officers from camp taylor

demanded the privilege of monopolizing

her that night

anyways for an hour

when i came opposite her house that

morning her white roadster was beside

the curb and she was sitting in it with

a lieutenant i had never seen before

they were so engrossed in each other

that she didn't see me until i was five

feet away

hello jordan she called unexpectedly

please come here i was flattered that

she wanted to speak to me because of all

the older girls i admired her most

she asked me if i was going to the red

cross and make bandages i was well then

would i tell them that she couldn't come

that day

the officer looked at daisy while she

was speaking in a way that every young

girl wants to be looked at sometime and

because it seemed romantic to me i've

remembered the incident ever since

his name was jay gatsby and i didn't lay

eyes on him again for over four years

even after i'd met him on long island i

didn't realize it was the same man

that was 1917. by the next year i had a

few bows myself and i began to play in

tournaments so i didn't see daisy very

often she went with a slightly older

crowd when she went with anyone at all

wild rumors were circulating about her

how her mother had found her packing her

bag one winter night to go to new york

and say goodbye to a soldier who was

going overseas

she was effectually prevented but she

wasn't on speaking terms with her family

for several weeks

after that she didn't play around with

the soldiers anymore but only with a few

flat-footed short-sighted young men in

town who couldn't get into the army at

all

by the next autumn she was gay again gay

as ever she had a debut after the

armistice and in february she was

presumably engaged to a man from new

orleans

in june she married tom buchanan of

chicago with more pomp and circumstance

than louisville ever knew before

he came down with a hundred people in

four private cars and hired a whole

floor of the seal bock hotel and the day

before the wedding he gave her a string

of pearls valued at 350 000

i was a bridesmaid i came into her room

half an hour before the bridal dinner

and found her lying on her bed as lovely

as the june night in her flower dress

and as drunk as a monkey

she had a bottle of so turn in one hand

and a letter in the other

congratulate me she muttered never had a

drink before but oh how i do enjoy it

what's the matter daisy i was scared i

can tell you i'd never seen a girl like

that before

here dearest

she groped around in a wastebasket she

had with her on the bed and pulled out

the string of pearls take them

downstairs and give them back to whoever

they belong to tell them all daisies

change your mind

say daisies change your mind

she began to cry she cried and cried i

rushed out and found her mother's maid

and we locked the door and got her into

a cold bath she wouldn't let go of the

letter she took it into the tub with her

and squeezed it up into a wet ball and

only let me leave it in the soap dish

when she saw that it was coming to

pieces like snow but she didn't say

another word we gave her spirits of

ammonia and put ice on her forehead and

hooked her back into her dress and half

an hour later when we walked out of the

room the pearls were around her neck and

the incident was over

next day at five o'clock she married tom

buchanan without so much as a shiver and

started off on a three-month trip to the

south seas

i saw them in santa barbara when they

came back

and i thought i'd never seen a girl so

mad about her husband

if he left the room for a minute she'd

look around uneasily and say where's tom

gone and where the most abstracted

expression until she saw him coming in

the door

she used to sit on the sand with his

head in her lap by the hour rubbing her

fingers over his eyes and looking at him

with unfathomable delight

it was touching to see them together it

made you laugh in a hushed fascinated

way that was in august

a week after i left santa barbara tom

ran into a wagon on the ventura road one

night and ripped a front wheel off his

car

the girl who was with him got into the

papers too because her arm was broken

she was one of the chambermaids in the

santa barbara hotel

the next april daisy had her little girl

and they went to france for a year i saw

them one spring in khan and later in

dovil and then they came back to chicago

to settle down daisy was popular in

chicago as you know

they moved with a fast crowd all of them

young and rich and wild but she came out

with an absolutely perfect reputation

perhaps because she doesn't drink it's a

great advantage not to drink among hard

drinking people you can hold your tongue

and moreover you can time any little

irregularity of your own so that

everybody else is so blind that they

don't see or care

perhaps daisy never went in for a moor

at all

and yet there's something in that voice

of hers

well about six weeks ago she heard the

name gatsby for the first time in years

it was when i asked you do you remember

if you knew gatsby in west egg after you

had gone home she came into my room and

woke me up and said what gatsby and when

i described him i was half asleep she

said in the strangest voice that it must

be the man she used to know

it wasn't until then that i connected

this gatsby with the officer in her

white car

when jordan baker had finished telling

all this we had left the plaza for half

an hour and were driving in victoria

through central park

the sun had gone down behind the tall

apartments of the movie stars in the

west 50s and the clear voices of

children already gathered like crickets

on the grass rose through the hot

twilight

it was a strange coincidence i said but

it wasn't a coincidence at all

why not

gatsby bought that house so that daisy

would be just across the bay

then it had not been merely the stars to

which he had aspired on that june night

he came alive to me delivered suddenly

from the womb of his purposeless

splendor

he wants to know continue jordan if

you'll invite daisy to your house some

afternoon and then let him come over

the modesty of the demand shook me he

had waited five years and bought a

mansion where he dispensed starlight to

casual moths so that he could come over

some afternoon to a stranger's garden

did i have to know all this before he

could ask such a thing

he's afraid he's waited so long he

thought you might be offended you see

he's a regular tough underneath it all

something worried me

why didn't he ask you to arrange a

meeting

he wants her to see his house she

explained and your house is right next

door

oh

i think he half expected her to wander

into one of his parties some night went

on jordan but she never did then he

began asking people casually if they

knew her and i was the first one he

found

it was that night he sent for me at his

dance and you should have heard the

elaborate way he worked up to it of

course i immediately suggested a

luncheon in new york and i thought he'd

go mad i don't want to do anything out

of the way he kept saying i want to see

her right next door

when i said you were a particular friend

of tom's he started to abandon the whole

idea he doesn't know very much about tom

though he says he's read a chicago paper

for years just on the chance of catching

a glimpse of daisy's name

it was dark now and as we dipped under a

little bridge i put my arm around

jordan's golden shoulder and drew her

toward me and asked her to dinner

suddenly i wasn't thinking of daisy and

gatsby anymore but of this clean hard

limited person who dealt in universal

skepticism and who leaned back jauntily

just within the circle of my arm

a phrase began to beat in my ears with a

sort of heady excitement

there are only the pursued the pursuing

the busy and the tired

and daisy ought to have something in her

life murmur jordan to me

does she want to see gatsby

she's not to know about it gatsby

doesn't want her to know you're just

supposed to invite her to tea

we passed a barrier of dark trees and

then the facade of 59th street a block

of delicate pale light beamed down into

the park

unlike gatsby and tom buchanan i had no

girl whose disembodied face floated

along the dark cornices and blinding

signs and so i drew up the girl beside

me tightening my arms her one scornful

mouth smiled and so i drew her up again

closer this time to my face