Chapter 6: Summary

There are numerous rumors afloat about Gatsby in New York. At the beginning of the chapter, a reporter comes to Gatsby asking him “if he had anything to say.” Nick gives Gatsby’s real background to the reader, which is in sharp contrast to the stories Gatsby earlier told Nick during their drive to New York. He was born James Gatz, on a farm in North Dakota. He paid his tuition by working as a janitor, work that he greatly despised. He then started working on Lake Superior, digging clams and fishing for salmon. There he meets Dan Cody—a wealthy man in the copper industry.

Cody makes Gatsby his assistant and prepares him for the yachting life. Together, they embark on many journeys and visit places such as the West Indies and the Barbary Coast. During their five years together, Cody and Gatsby go around the continent three times. It is during this time that Gatsby acquires a taste for luxuries. He in fact develops the belief that one has to be rich to be truly happy.

For several weeks after Daisy and Gatsby’s reunion, Nick does not see them. When Nick goes to visit Gatsby next, he sees Tom Buchanan and the Sloanes enjoying a drink at Gatsby’s. Tom is not fond of Gatsby and does not approve of Daisy visiting him. The next Saturday, Daisy and Tom both attend a party at Gatsby’s home.

Gatsby tries to impress the Buchanans by pointing out all the celebrities in attendance. Tom tells Daisy that Gatsby has acquired his wealth through illegal means, but she refutes his claim. Daisy, aside from the half hour she spends with Gatsby, finds the party unnerving and appalling. Gatsby, fearing Daisy did not have a good time, worries about her. He wishes to recreate his past with Daisy; this sentimentality both delights and disgusts Nick.

Chapter 6: Analysis

Much of the mystery surrounding Gatsby is cleared away in this chapter, and the reader learns more about who he really is and where he comes from. A peek into Gatsby’s past allows Fitzgerald to comment on the social inequality of the time. Gatsby is unhappy working as a janitor because he finds it humiliating. Cody symbolizes everything Gatsby wants for himself: wealth, luxury, and social status. When Gatsby “reinvents” himself by changing his name, it is a symbolic act: it’s as if he’s letting go of his impoverished past.

Although money is a large part of the American Dream, just having money isn’t enough. In this chapter, in particular, Fitzgerald distinguishes between “new money” and “old money.” One might accumulate a great deal of wealth, but the source of that wealth matters just as much. Tom, being a West Egger, looks down upon Gatsby’s lack of social manners, making it apparent that there still exists a gap Gatsby may never be able to fill.