The Great Gatsby - Critical Essay

Introduction

Wolfsheim is an example of this, as he is shown as having a bad reputation through his past affiliations, particularly with the Black Sox Scandal. In 1919, he fixed the World Series in order to make a hundred of money of himself. This is the first sign of Gatsby’s unsavory past, dealing with the illegal means of which he obtained his wealth. Fitzgerald first shows Wolfsheim’s callousness for others when he claims that as Wolfsheim [Forgets] the more sentimental atmosphere of the old Metropole, [he begins] to eat with ferocious delicacy” (Fitzgerald, 75)

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Soon after meeting him, Nick Carroway shows his consciousness of Wolfsheim’s cavalier personality when he reflects, It never occurred to [him] that one man could start to play with the faith of fifty million people—with the single-mindedness of a burglar blowing the safe” (78). Later, Wolfsheim addresses that he cannot attend Gatsby’s funeral, for being Tied up in some very important business and [not being able to] get mixed up in this thing” (174). This quote shows Wolfsheim’s apathy towards his close friend, and that he would prefer to put his own personal affairs before the funeral of Gatsby, whom he has known for many years.

Overall, Wolfsheim is an arrogant embodiment of the new money” class in the novel. The rumors of Gatsby’s bootlegging show his bad reputation as part of the new money class among others in the novel. Jay Gatsby is a very wealthy new money” class man who lives in West Egg in his mansion. His extravagance is shown when Nick claims that Gatsby’s Rolls-Royce becomes an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city” (43). This shows Gatsby’s parties as being very big and popular. Even the guests are decorous and well-mannered.

Gatsby also treats his guests very well. His sympathy is especially shown when one of the guests remarks over how when she tore her gown on a chair, and inside of a week [she] got a package from Croirer’s with a new evening gown in it” (47). This quote shows how Gatsby wants to please everyone, and also that he has so much money that and expensive $250 dress is very minor to him. Aside from his appearance to his guests, Gatsby having a shady past is somewhat surfaced at his first party.

When many rumors are circulating around from guest to guest, some are bound to have some truth to them. Gatsby’s bad reputation is first revealed to Nick when he is talking to Wolfsheim. Wolfsheim lets Nick know about Gatsby dealings with illegal activities such as bootlegging alcohol. Later, in chapter 9, Nick got a letter from Wolfsheim. In the letter Wolfsheim basically says that, He cannot come down as [he] is tied up in some very important business and cannot get mixed up in this thing” (174).

This quote shows that he does not care about his own friend enough to go up to West Egg for his funeral. He is saying that he does not want to get mixed up in his funeral, and that he just wants to deal with his own problems instead of facing Gatsby’s death. I disaproved of him from beginning to end. First he nodded politely, and then his face broke into that radiant and understanding smile”162). I lived at West Egg… the least fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them”