“You can never make a second first impression.” This age-old saying is used in our society to emphasize the importance of making a good, memorable first impression. Any initial encounters with new people, places, and things are significant because it is human nature to make quick judgements and formulate opinions without having the whole story. The wealthy socialites of West and East Egg residing in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, are far more concerned with outward appearances than they are with actuality. In a letter to a friend, Fitzgerald describes the “whole burden” of his novel as “the loss of those illusions that give such color to the world so that you don’t care whether things are true or false so long as they partake
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In fact, Nick begins making assumptions about Gatsby before he can even put a name to the face. When Nick moves into his little bungalow in West Egg, he is astounded by the massive mansion that is majestically perched to the right of him. He describes the home as “a colossal affair by any standard- it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin bead of raw ivy,” and comes to the conclusion that his small dwelling is within “the consoling proximity of millionaires” (Fitzgerald …show more content…
Gatsby invites Nick out of the blue to lunch in the city, as he has a favor to ask of him. Nick accepts, but is understandably cautious. He knows next to nothing about his neighbor, and many of the speculation he has heard are directly contradictory to one another. Gatsby frankly asks what Nick thinks of him, a question that even Nick himself struggles to answer. Gatsby then launches into an elaborate tale of growing up as the offspring of rich parents from San Francisco, coming into their money after their deaths, and attending Oxford. Although Gatsby claims that this is “God’s truth,’ Nick is still unconvinced, and “wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him, after all” (Fitzgerald 65). Nick backtracks a moment later admitting that he “suspected [Gatsby] was pulling my leg, but a glance at him convinced me otherwise” (Fitzgerald 65). As they traverse across the Brooklyn Bridge, Nick finds himself thinking, “‘Anything can happen now that we’ve slid over this bridge,’ I thought; ‘anything at all…’ Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder” (Fitzgerald 69). Nick has begun to see the cracks in Gatsby’s perplexing facade, no matter how minimal. He can tell that Gatsby may not be 100% truthful about his origin story, which seems to make him more real. Nick has become aware that Gatsby may not be as fantastical or otherworldly as the tall tales make
In fact, Nick begins making assumptions about Gatsby before he can even put a name to the face. When Nick moves into his little bungalow in West Egg, he is astounded by the massive mansion that is majestically perched to the right of him. He describes the home as “a colossal affair by any standard- it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin bead of raw ivy,” and comes to the conclusion that his small dwelling is within “the consoling proximity of millionaires” (Fitzgerald …show more content…
Gatsby invites Nick out of the blue to lunch in the city, as he has a favor to ask of him. Nick accepts, but is understandably cautious. He knows next to nothing about his neighbor, and many of the speculation he has heard are directly contradictory to one another. Gatsby frankly asks what Nick thinks of him, a question that even Nick himself struggles to answer. Gatsby then launches into an elaborate tale of growing up as the offspring of rich parents from San Francisco, coming into their money after their deaths, and attending Oxford. Although Gatsby claims that this is “God’s truth,’ Nick is still unconvinced, and “wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him, after all” (Fitzgerald 65). Nick backtracks a moment later admitting that he “suspected [Gatsby] was pulling my leg, but a glance at him convinced me otherwise” (Fitzgerald 65). As they traverse across the Brooklyn Bridge, Nick finds himself thinking, “‘Anything can happen now that we’ve slid over this bridge,’ I thought; ‘anything at all…’ Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder” (Fitzgerald 69). Nick has begun to see the cracks in Gatsby’s perplexing facade, no matter how minimal. He can tell that Gatsby may not be 100% truthful about his origin story, which seems to make him more real. Nick has become aware that Gatsby may not be as fantastical or otherworldly as the tall tales make