The Great Gatsby (Part 2)

1. Meyer Wolfsheim serves to further characterize Gatsby indirectly. We see Wolfsheim as an extension of Gatsby because he is an example of the company that he keeps. Wolfsheim represents the possible corruption of Gatsby. It makes the reader question Gatsby's character.
2. The backstory about Jay and Daisy makes Gatsby seem more vulnerable and human. This is also a double-edged sword, however, because it also makes Jay seem pathetic and whiny.
3. The rest of the story of Gatsby only serves to ruin the mystery of Gatsby. Gatsby is not the grand aristocrat that we believed him to be and is largely a victim of circumstance. The revealing of his past seems to be a method for exposing Gatsby's weaknesses.
4. Overall, these chapters make me like Gatsby a lot less because he is no longer this wonderful and mysterious philanthropist who throws awesome parties for those he doesn't know; he is simply a pathetic young man who can't let go of his past.