Although Gatsby admitted he wanted to die in the war, he was eventually promoted to Major and awarded several medals. However, Nick judges his story as “threadbare”, and almost worthy of laughter (66).

After Gatsby’s family died, he travelled around the world hunting and collecting jewels because he needed to “forget something very sad that had happened to long ago” (66). He quickly explained to Nick that he was born of wealthy, Mid-West American people (all dead now) and was “educated at Oxford”, although the way he said “educated at Oxford” seemed forced and so, Nick didn’t fully believe him, suspecting there may be “something a little sinister about him, after all” (65). But “then came that disconcerting ride” wherein Gatsby asked Nick directly what his opinion of him was. Even though he had been in his presence a total of about six times, Nick learns that Gatsby really doesn’t have much to say, and so his earlier assumptions of Gatsby fade. Gatsby arrives at Nick’s house to take him to lunch in the city and Nick observes that Gatsby “was never quite still” (64). Nick begins this chapter with an exhaustive list of people “who accepted Gatsby’s hospitality and paid him the subtle tribute of knowing nothing whatever about him” (61). Plot Overview Chapter 1 Summary Chapter 2 Summary Chapter 3 Summary Chapter 4 Summary Chapter 5 Summary Chapter 6 Summary Chapter 7 Summary Chapter 8 Summary Chapter 9 Summary Character Analysis Important Quotes Themes, Motifs and Symbols Major Discussion Questions

Symbols in the great gatsby chapter 4