Classic book club discussion

question of the week: How does Fitzgerald begin to construct the mystique of Gatsby before we even meet him?

Fitzgerald allows all of these suspicions to circulate about Gatsby's identity, which starts to create his mystery even before we meet him. People make dramatic claims about him, such as that he killed a guy, is a spy, or has royal ties. The narrator, Nick, shares the same curiosity and bewilderment as the readers, which further distances Gatsby from us. He seems to be a mythical character before he even sets foot on the page. The fact that no one seems to know him, they only talk about him, really makes you want to know the whole story even more. You are drawn in immediately by that mystery.

Elizabeth wrote: "Fitzgerald allows all of these suspicions to circulate about Gatsby's identity, which starts to create his mystery even before we meet him. People make dramatic claims about him, such as that he ki..."

hi, I totally agree with what you stated, it is supper interesting how Fitzgerald uses these techniques to add that aspect of mystery to the character :))