The Great Gatsby — Study Guide (Chapter 4)
Quick recap (what happens)
- Nick lists the wide range of guests who attend Gatsby’s parties, emphasizing how many people enjoy his hospitality while knowing almost nothing about him. - Gatsby invites Nick to lunch in New York and, during the drive, tries to “explain” his past (wealthy family, Oxford, war hero), offering “proof.” - Nick meets Meyer Wolfshiem, Gatsby’s shady associate, who claims ties to fixing the 1919 World Series. - Nick runs into Tom Buchanan at lunch; Gatsby disappears abruptly when Tom arrives. - Later, Jordan tells Nick Gatsby and Daisy’s backstory: Gatsby loved Daisy in 1917; Daisy later married Tom. Gatsby bought his mansion to be near her and wants Nick to invite Daisy to tea so Gatsby can “happen” to come by.
Themes / Big Ideas (connections to the novel’s major themes)
1) Appearance vs. Reality (reinvention and performance)
- Gatsby actively curates a persona: Oxford man, war hero, wealthy family lineage—then backs it with props (medal, photo). - The chapter pushes readers to question what is true and what is constructed, a major through-line in the novel.
Why it matters: Gatsby’s identity is a “story” meant to be believed—by Nick, by Daisy, and by society.
2) The hollowness of wealth and social spectacle
- The party guest list reads like a social roll call: people consume Gatsby’s luxury but offer no real relationship or loyalty. - Gatsby’s mansion becomes a symbol of wealth without intimacy.
Why it matters: Fitzgerald critiques the idea that money creates meaning, community, or morality.
3) Class, status, and social gatekeeping (East Egg vs. West Egg)
- Gatsby can buy extravagance, but the narration suggests he still isn’t fully “inside” old-money society. - Tom’s presence produces visible tension; Gatsby’s sudden disappearance hints at insecurity and social threat.
Why it matters: The novel repeatedly shows that class status is not just money—it’s background, legitimacy, and power.
4) Corruption under the American Dream
- Wolfshiem represents criminal enterprise attached to wealth and influence; Gatsby’s success looks increasingly connected to illegality. - The “dream” of rising is shown as compromised—tied to exploitation, cheating, and connections.
Why it matters: Fitzgerald suggests the American Dream has decayed into materialism and moral compromise.
5) Time, longing, and the attempt to “recover” the past
- Jordan reveals Gatsby’s long wait and careful planning; his mansion and parties are ultimately tools to reach Daisy again. - The idea that Gatsby has been building his life toward one emotional goal reinforces the novel’s obsession with time and memory.
Why it matters: Gatsby’s dream is not only about wealth—it’s about rewriting history.
6) Nick as observer and moral interpreter
- Nick records names, details, and impressions—acting like a historian of excess. - He is both drawn in and skeptical, which frames the reader’s uncertainty.
Why it matters: The novel depends on Nick’s conflicted perspective: fascination + judgment.
Vocabulary (from this chapter)
| Word | Part of Speech | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| mistress | noun | a woman having an affair with a married man; also something that dominates one’s attention |
| hospitality | noun | generous and friendly treatment of guests |
| subtle | adjective | not obvious; delicate, indirect |
| tribute | noun | an act/statement showing praise or respect |
| disconcerting | adjective | unsettling; causing confusion or embarrassment |
| evasions | noun | attempts to avoid something (especially answering directly) |
| bizarre | adjective | strange, unusual, eccentric |
| retribution | noun | punishment inflicted as payback for wrongdoing |
| sinister | adjective | suggesting harm or evil intentions |
| rajah | noun | an Indian king or prince; used to suggest lavish, exotic luxury |
| incredulous | adjective | unwilling or unable to believe something |
| insignia | noun | symbols or badges showing rank/affiliation |
| decoration | noun | an award/honor (often military) |
| anteroom | noun | a small waiting room leading to a larger one |
| somnambulatory | adjective | like sleepwalking; dazed, automatic |
| brooded | verb | thought deeply in a gloomy or moody way |
| juxtaposition | noun | placing two things side by side for contrast |
| ferocious | adjective | fiercely intense |
| delicacy | noun | refined sensitivity or carefulness (often ironic here) |
| denizen | noun | an inhabitant or regular visitor of a place |
| benediction | noun | a blessing (often ceremonial) |
| proprietor | noun | owner of a business or property |
| purposeless | adjective | lacking aim or meaning |
| scepticism | noun | doubt; a tendency not to believe |
Quotes to look for (and why they matter)
“...accepted Gatsby’s hospitality and paid him the subtle tribute of knowing nothing whatever about him.”
- Captures the emptiness of Gatsby’s social world and how people take without understanding.
“It was a rich cream colour... terraced with a labyrinth of windshields that mirrored a dozen suns.”
- Shows Gatsby’s wealth as spectacle; the car becomes a moving symbol of status and excess.
“‘Look here, old sport... what’s your opinion of me, anyhow?’”
- Gatsby’s insecurity leaks through the polished persona; he craves validation and belief.
“‘I’ll tell you God’s truth.’”
- Signals performance: Gatsby tries to control narrative and credibility (even his “truth” feels staged).
“‘That’s the one from Montenegro.’” / “For Valour Extraordinary.”
- Props that complicate the reader’s judgment: some parts of Gatsby’s story are verifiable.
“...with the city rising up... all built with a wish out of nonolfactory money.”
- A poetic, ironic description of wealth’s “clean” surface masking its real origins.
“‘This is my friend Mr. Wolfshiem.’”
- Introduction of Gatsby’s criminal-linked world; a key pivot toward corruption.
“‘He’s the man who fixed the World’s Series back in 1919.’”
- Highlights large-scale moral decay: even national institutions (sports, public trust) are purchasable.
“Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.”
- Reveals Gatsby’s real motivation: the mansion and parties exist to reach Daisy.
“He had waited five years and bought a mansion... so that he could ‘come over’ some afternoon to a stranger’s garden.”
- Summarizes Gatsby’s dream as grand, romantic, and also tragically fragile.
- “‘There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.’”
- A thematic statement about desire and social relationships—who chases, who is chased, who disengages.
Helpful study questions
- What does the guest list suggest about Gatsby’s reputation and about the people who attend his parties?
- Which details make Gatsby’s life story seem believable, and which feel exaggerated or rehearsed?
- Why does Gatsby vanish when Tom appears? What does that imply about power and status?
- How does the introduction of Wolfshiem change your understanding of Gatsby’s wealth?
- In what ways does Gatsby’s plan to meet Daisy show both romance and control/manipulation?