Chapter five is the first time that Nick appears to be a stepping-stone for Gatsby. Gatsby wants to get closer to his love interest, Daisy, by utilizing an already-established connection. Coincidently, this is also the first time that Gatsby displays weakness, vulnerability, and imperfection. Awkward and unsure, Gatsby is nervous about his first impression on Daisy, and tries to overcompensate. “Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom” (86). Is Gatsby intentionally using Nick just to get closer to Daisy? Is it appropriate to use Nick as a stepping-stone given the context of their relationship? Even if a relationship is superficial, is it acceptable for one person to take advantage of another?
I was also noticing this whilst reading. I think that Nick will become a stepping stone for Gatsby into many more aspects of his life. After Gatsby notices how helpful Nick is in reaching out and connecting to Daisy, Gatsby will be reaching out for Nick and looking for his guidance for lots of situations. Nick might even become whats equal to Gatsby's life coach if i may use that term, and Gatsby will thus reward Nick in every way possible which will likely be in the form of money or mowed lawns.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Joey. We have seen up until this point in the novel that Nick is the kind of person who does what others want of him. This also sets him up to be used by people, especially since he is enamored with Gatsby. We will definitely see more of Gatsby using Nick as a stepping stone throughout the novel. I believe Nick will "go with the flow" simply because he likes the company and either does not care or does not realize when he is being used by people. Nick may begin to realize how others are using him throughout the novel and change his ways, but we will have to wait and see.
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