The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The beginning of chapter four provided much needed exposition on Gatsby's background and why he lives the way he does. First, Gatsby corroborates a couple of the rumors surrounding him by sharing stories and memorabilia with Nick concerning his Oxford days and involvement in the war. Secondly, Gatsby revealed to Nick that he has been plagued by a "sad thing that happened to me" in the past which resulted in the deaths of his family members but also in his inheriting a large fortune (Fitzgerald 67). Gatsby took advantage of the wealth initially to travel the world, living lavishly as he went in an attempt to drown out any sorrow that the sad thing brought about. However, Gatsby still was not content with his life and instead decided to spend his money on others. After recounting his abridged life story, Gatsby tells Nick that, at lunch, "I'm going to make a big request of you to-day," and that he'll learn just exactly what constituted the sad thing. All of this exposition, description of Gatsby's life, and requesting of Mr. Carraway comprises both rising action and a major turning point in the plot of The Great Gatsby. The main conflict, external or internal, will likely revolve around Gatsby's request of Nick and include a character recently introduced by Gatsby, Mr. Wolfsheim. As Rosedale, somewhat of a stock character in The House of Mirth, portrayed a stereotypically affluent Jewish businessman, so does Mr. Wolfsheim in The Great Gatsby. What business venture has Gatsby planned for Wolfsheim and Carraway?
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