Dan Cody

Dan Cody is a wealthy copper mogul, a man whom Gatsby met while working at the Lake Superior. Dan Cody owned the yacht, gave James Gatz a name of Jay Gatsby, and made Gatsby as his personal assistant. Gatsby’s chance meeting with Dan Cody started a vast change in Gatsby’s life. They traveled to the Barbary Coast and the West Indies where Gatsby fell in love with the rich and luxurious lifestyle of Dan Cody.
 

Cody was a heavy drinker where Gatsby had to look after him. Gatsby learned lesson not too drink too much and convinced himself not to become a drinker like Dan Cody. Dan Cody’s excessive drinking made Gatsby drink little. This is one of the influences that Gatsby gained from Dan Cody.

When Dan Cody died, he left the inherited money for Gatsby $25,000. Gatsby wasn’t be able to claim it because the malicious intervention of Dan Cody’s mistress, Ella Kaye, who took all of the money away. Gatsby didn’t feel angry but he felt sorry for Dan Cody that many young women took advantages from him.

Dan Cody has influenced Gatsby in many ways and Gatsby always showed his respect to Dan Cody. It was when Gatsby dreamed to be successful and wealthy just like Dan Cody. Gatsby has the portrait of Dan Cody hanged on his wall in his mansion. It was there to remind him of the future he will achieve.

Source:http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/99gg/99gg2/charlis2.htm

The Green Light

Got green?

The end to the first chapter brings to our knowledge the first symbol in this book : that mysterious ‘green light‘. In our first mentions of the light, we see Gatsby reaching out for it, almost worshipping it. Later, we find out that this green light is at the end of Daisy's dock, and symbolizes Gatsby's dream and the hope for the future. Green is the color of promise, hope, and renewal. Gatsby's dream of a future with Daisy has been shown physically in the novel by her green light.

Fitzgerald compares Gatsby's green light by saying that it is the "green breast of the new world" which compares Gatsby's dream of uncovering Daisy true self, just as the explorer's discovery of America and the promise of a new continent. Gatsby's dream is tarnished by his materialistic unrealism. The end of the novel brings about lustful decay, when Gatsby's dream dies because of the careless and superficial minds of Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby himself.

The green light on Daisy’s doc that Gatsby gazes full of yearning from his own house across the water represents the unaccomplished dream. But the green light also represents the foggy future that is forever hard to comprehend, as Nick claims in the last page of the novel, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the great future that year by year leave right before us.”

http://www.shmoop.com/great-gatsby/symbolism-imagery.html

https://www.msu.edu/~millettf/gatsby.html

The Men of Gatsby

The three main men characters in The Great Gatsby are Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Tom Buchanan. Jay Gatsby is very wealthy man. All of his money comes from investing in illegal businesses with Wolfsheim. Jay is a bootlegger but he never tells anyone about it. He also lies about his career and his businesses to everyone. He wants to be rich because he knows that Daisy Buchanan would return to him and love him like before. He says it is possible to renew the past and that he will do anything to get Daisy back. Jay is romantic and ideal. Jay meets with Daisy after five years apart and treats her as his lover. Jay always finds news about Daisy all the time and he keeps all of her pictures. He never falls in love with other women. He only has Daisy in his heart and nothing could change his mind after all. For Myrtle’s death, Jay is not the killer because Daisy is the one who drives Jay’s car and kills Myrtle. But Jay sacrifices himself for Daisy by taking all the blame that he kills Myrtle and days after Jay is dead because Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, kills Jay in the pool. Jay dies for his love and gets nothing in return. I would call this a tragic love.

Nick Carraway is very quiet and reserve man. He always shows respectful to other people around him. He admires Jay Gatsby and it seems like he’s the one who takes care of Jay’s funeral. He always stays at the funeral and he also try to contact Jay’s family, relatives, and friends and invite them to come. Nick is being taught by his father not to judge other people because the other people might not have the advantages that he has. Nick knows what he’s doing. He never takes chances to be rich like Jay Gatsby because he rejects Jay’s invitation in doing businesses. Nick wants to do what he wants to and he didn’t want to depend on other people. He wants be independent and earn more money by himself in doing bond business that he believes he will be successful in. I love the way Nick breaks up with Jordan where he didn’t stick to her but he just walks away and move on.

Tom Buchanan is a muscular man. He always plays sports like polo. He’s graduated from Yale University and be a football star there. He shows disrespect to other people and looks down on them. Sometimes he also makes fun of others where he thinks that he’s the best and no one could beat him. Tom has an affair with Myrtle yet he still loves Daisy. Tom is an arrogant and aggressive person. He punches Myrtle in her nose. Tom is wealthy from his inheritance. He should be ashamed that he never makes his own money. He lives a wealthy life on his parent’s money. He only cares about himself and that’s all he could do. Tom is definitely greedy and selfish person.

Source: https://www.msu.edu/~millettf/gatsby.html