Dan Cody

Dan Cody in the book The Great Gatsby was portrayed as a 50 year old man who was a very good friend of Gatsby. Dan Cody comes into Gatsby's life first, while Gatsby is still known as Jimmy Gatz from North Dakota. When he first sees Dan Cody's beautiful yacht and meets Cody himself, Jimmy becomes Jay Gatsby, the romantic vision of himself he has harbored all his life. A millionaire many times over, Cody employs Gatsby on the yacht, dresses him well, and takes him around the continent three times, into a rich life he had never known. Because Cody drinks, Gatsby learns not to drink. When Cody dies, Gatsby is cheated out of an inheritance. He walks away penniless, but he had lived his dream for a little while. He wants more.
Coming home from World War I, Gatsby is broke, owning only the clothes on his back, his uniform. He is hungry, literally, when he meets Wolfsheim in a pool hall. Wolfsheim is a gangster. He puts Gatsby to work in his criminal activities. Gatsby becomes enormously rich very quickly, but his life is not respectable. He becomes corrupt through his association with Wolfsheim.

The transactions in Montana copper made Cody a great millionaire. Cody was softminded, and naive, and many young women took advantage of this. One woman in particular, Ella Kaye, a newspaper woman, took advantage of his weakness. Over the next few years, Gatsby was steward, mate, skipper, secretary and even jailer for Dan Cody, and was very trusted by him. Through all of this, Dan Cody had an insatiable thirst for alcohol and drank continuously. Upon the return of Ella Kaye one night in Boston, Dan Cody inhospitably died. Dan Cody did influence Gatsby in many ways, most importantly, watching Cody's excessive drinking, made Gatsby drink very little. A portrait of Cody hangs on Gatsby's wall.

www.gradesaver.com/the-great-gatsby/study-guide/section6/

The Men of Gatsby

Nick Carraway grew up in a respectable Chicago family and went to Yale, he likes literature and considers himself one of those "limited" specialists known as a "well-rounded man," and he works in the bond business. He’s connected to wealthy and important people, like his cousin Daisy and Tom, but he is by no means one of them. While Nick is fundamentally a pretty honest guy when first we meet him, it doesn’t mean that he’s always a very nice one. He’s skilled in the art of getting along with everyone in public and rather sassily analyzing them in private. Nick may be polite and easy to get along with on the outside, but he’s not afraid to tell it like it is. Nick still seems to see himself as a good Midwestern boy with high standards for everyone he meets, including himself, and prides himself on maintaining his standards, even in the corrupt, fast-moving world.

Gatsby is a guy whose sickening wealth, sketchy business dealings, and questionable background make him both fascinating and repulsive the people at his parties are glad to partake of his riches, but they’re all sure that there’s something not quite right about him. This sense of mystery is a large part of the public display of the Great Gatsby, people are intrigued by him, but very few actually find out what’s at the core of this enigma.Nick is one of these few – perhaps the only person who really comes to understand Gatsby in the end. What makes Gatsby “great” to Nick is not just the extravagance of his lifestyle and the fascinating enigma of his wealth, but his true personality; Nick slowly realizes that Gatsby, in his heart of hearts, doesn’t care about wealth, or social status, or any of the other petty things that plague everyone else in his shallow world. Instead, Gatsby is motivated by the finest and most foolish of emotions – love.From this point of view, Gatsby's love for Daisy is what drives him to reinvent himself, rather than greed or true ambition, and at the end of the day, this unsullied, heartfelt goal puts Gatsby ahead of the rest of the madding crowd. Despite the fact that he attempted to fulfill his “incorruptible dream” through distasteful, sometimes dishonest means, we still emerge from this story profoundly sympathetic to him; he may have been a fool at times, but he’s a fool for love. Even though he’s a self-created image built out of nothing, Gatsby’s emotional honesty, eternal optimism, and simplicity of heart ironically single him out as the only real person in a crowd of fakes as Nick says, Gatsby is “better than the whole damn bunch put together.”

Tom Buchanan is Daisy’s husband, an extremely wealthy man, a brute, and an athlete. He’s selfish and does what he needs to get what he wants. Most of all, he seeks control of his life and control of others. When Tom figures out that Daisy loves Gatsby, he forces a confrontation. He is then able to use Daisy’s momentary hesitation to regain control of his wife. The quality of Tom that’s most likely to stick with you is the fact that he’s abusive. While we never see him get violent with his wife, there are hints of his unbridled physicality when Daisy reveals a bruise on her finger that, although accidental, was caused by Tom. Although he might not be physically abusive to his wife, Tom certainly causes her some emotional damage. There is, of course, his series of affairs, but he hurts Daisy in other ways, too. When Daisy tells us about her daughter being born. Tom’s violent streak really comes across when we see him break Myrtle’s nose with the short, deft movement of his open hand. This makes it clear that such violence means little to Tom.

www.enotes.com/great-gatsby/q-and-a/how-men-portrayed

Women of Gatsby

The novel, The Great Gatsby, takes place in the 1920's: a time of rebellious behavior and living life according to the new founded American Dream. The women of this era are portrayed in two different lights in the novel: defiant and foolish.

As women in the novel start to detach themselves from the stereotypical proper and prim manner in society, there are new stereotypes created. In the novel, it is perfectly all right for women to drink and conduct themselves wildly at parties just as men do. They express their views much more, and begin to take control of their newly established place in society. Daisy, the common prim woman, was treated as in inferior for years in her relationship with Tim. She allowed herself to be degraded as her husband committed acts of infidelity. However, Daisy eventually liberates herself when she has an affair with Gatsby. Now, Daisy has found a way to bring Tom under her thumb.

On the other hand, women also are portrayed as extremely foolish, and easily used by men. Myrtle is an excellent example of his, for Tom is using her. To Tom, Myrtle is a game. He uses her for fun, and never intends on having a substantial relationship with her. He goes to her when he pleases, and she will always be there waiting for him. Tom does not treat her with respect, yet she continually returns to his side.

The American dream has a lot to do with the behavior patterns of the women in the novel. It seems that the novel shows women as becoming infatuated with the 'perfect American life.' The women are shown to anything to meet the unachievable standards that the American Dream puts forth. And this recklessness, defiance and foolishness are clearly shown in The Great Gatsby.

http://www.shmoop.com/great-gatsby/gender-theme.html

http://www.novelguide.com/thegreatgatsby/characterprofiles.html

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Jealousy

We tend to think of jealousy as a single emotion, but actually it is a whole bundle of feelings that tend to get lumped together. Jealousy can manifest as anger, fear, hurt, betrayal, anxiety, agitation, sadness, paranoia, depression, loneliness, envy, coveting, feeling powerless, feeling inadequate, feeling excluded. It often helps to identify what is the exact mix of feelings you experience when you feel jealous. What is the primary emotion you feel when you are jealous? Demystifying the exact components of your jealousy can be a giant step towards getting a grip on things and resolving the problem. Is it always the same for you or does the mix change from time to time depending on circumstances? For instance, one woman figured out that her jealousy was about 50% fear, 20% anger, 20% feeling powerless and 10% feeling betrayed. However, when she asked her partner for reassurance and affection, and he provided it, the anger and betrayal disappeared. Then her jealousy was much more manageable, because most of what was left was fear and she could express those feelings more easily to her partner and resolve them.

It is crucial to understand what jealousy is and what it is about. Jealousy is about fear--fear of the unknown and of change, fear of losing power or control in a relationship, fear of scarcity and of loss, and fear of abandonment. It is a reflection of our own insecurity about our worthiness, anxiety about being adequate as a lover, and doubts about our desirability. For every jealous feeling there is an emotion behind the jealousy that is much more significant than the jealousy itself. Behind jealousy there is an unmet need or a deep fear that our needs will not be met. Recognizing those fears and unmet needs is the key to unmasking jealousy and taking away its power. Jealousy is just the finger pointing at the fears and needs we are afraid to face. When jealousy kicks in, it is the ancient reptilian part of our brain going into a "fight or flight" response because we feel that our very survival is threatened. When you feel jealous, ask yourself, "What is it that I am really afraid of? What do I need to make this situation safe for me?" "What is the worst thing that could happen and how likely is that to happen?"

A new relationship can dramatically alter power dynamics in a relationship. Particularly in a triad or triangle situation, where one person has two lovers and the other two only have one, an unfortunate dynamic of competition and a struggle for control can arise. This can be minimized by encouraging all parties to communicate their needs openly and by negotiating reasonable agreements that are fair to everyone. The person with two lovers should bend over backwards to avoid a power struggle and make sure both of his or her partners get enough time, attention, affection, commitment, and sex. If someone in this position abuses power, they should be called on it immediately. Both lovers should become allies to demand a change in their partner's behavior, rather than allowing themselves to be manipulated against each other. Unless everyone cooperates and is careful of each other's feelings and needs, it is easy for one person to feel like the "odd person out." No one should feel powerless in a relationship-- there is enough love for everyone to be satisfied.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200910/romantic-jealousy

http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/overcoming-jealousy.htm

Gangsters/Mafia

In the public eye, the 1920s gangster and bootlegger "above the law" lifestyle brought money, fame, nice clothes, women, cars, and homes. Quality, high fashion suits and expensive accessories were as much the calling cards of the gangster then as they are today (though I doubt you'd hear the term haute couture being dropped regularly)The 1920s plays host to many other organized criminals with expensive suits and flashy names.

The 20's most famous gangsters were: "Scarface" Capone, "Lucky" Luciano, "Bugs" Moran (AKA Jack "Legs" Diamond), and "Dutch" Schultzn. The 1930s the names became "Pretty Boy" Floyd and "Babyface" Nelson, while the 1940's gives us "Bugsy" Siegal. In more recent years the name parade brings John "The Teflon Don" Gotti, and Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano. Every famous gangster has a colorful name to go along with his fine suit. It's also been said that the gangster, as the American public sees him, is a creation of the mass media.

In the 1920s gangsters became the American icons of the self-made-man. Expanding their organizations into illegitimate markets, namely racketeering, bootlegging, and prostitution, these gangsters live life by their own shady but strict code of ethics, but outside of the iron grip of the law. 1920s gangsters fashion owes much of it's rise in the public's consciousness to the prohibition and the newspaper media's love affair with these criminal media darlings.

Capone was "Public Enemy Number 1". He had moved to Chicago in 1920 where he worked for Johnny Torrio the city's leading figure in the underworld. Capone was given the task of intimidating Torrio's rivals within the city so that they would give up and hand over to Torrio their territory. Capone also had to convince speakeasy operators to buy illegal alcohol from Torrio. Capone was very good at what he did. in 1925, Torrio was nearly killed by a rival gang and he decided to get out of the criminal world while he was still alive. Torrio handed over to Capone his 'business'. Within 2 years, Capone was earning $60 million a year from alcohol sales alone. Other rackets earned him an extra $45 million a year. Capone managed to bribe both the police and the important politicians of Chicago. He spent $75 million on such ventures but considered it a good investment of his huge fortune. His armed thugs patrolled election booths to ensure that Capone's politicians were returned to office. The city's mayor after 1927 was Big Bill Thompson - one of Capone's men. Thompson said

http://www.chicagohs.org/history/capone.html

http://www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/famous-gangsters.html

East Egg vs. West Egg

East Egg and West Egg are "identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay. They are not perfect ovals, but their physical resemblance must be a source of perpetual wonder to the gulls that fly overhead. East Egg is known as old money and West Egg is know as new money. Both of the eggs are people who love money, the difference is how they obtained that money and the way it has shaped their lives. The only thing that seperates the two Eggs is the

East Egg is the fashionable group of social elite, also known as "old money" or people who have always had money. Tom and Daisy represent the old establishment, having lived in the wealthy upper class for most of their lives. Daisy is consumed by the materialistic values associated with her 'social class'. These people are shallow and lack values. They are careless and completely consumed with themselves, which is shown through Jordan Baker. She is a professional.golfer who is very successful and very popular in East Egg. The social elite of East Egg are inhuman, they are spoiled to such an extent that their morality has been twisted. Although these are clearly bad people they are envied and copied constantly by the West eggers. Throughout the novel it seems to be the West are trying to fit in the East, but East eggers, like Tom and Daisy, feel that they are too sophisticated to take part in that.

West Eggers are the newly rich; the people who have worked hard and earned their money in a short period of time. Their wealth is based on material possessions. Gatsby, like the West Eggers, lacks the traditions of the East Eggers. He is considered 'new money', in the sense that his wealth came to him more recently through his business dealings (which we are led to believe are corrupt). Although Gatsby is now a part of this class, his faith and belief in the success of his dreams has allowed him to preserve some morality. Despite the fact Gatsby made his fortune in a corrupt fashion one must recognize that he is someone to admire because of his hopes. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, lives in West Egg and exhibits honesty in this place of superficiality. Clearly the West represents the more moral of the two. Although West Egg is the more moral, it is still a place of superficiality, excessive spending, and gaudy living.

http://www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/grgatsb.html

The 1920's

The 1920s was a time of celebration, there were many fads. People loved to dance, especially the Charleston, Fox-trot, and the shimmy. Dance marathons were something everyone went to every weekend. The longest dance record ever recorded was a record of 3 weeks of dancing. People "tuned" in every day to listen to music, as jazz, sports and live events. A favorite for listening to jazz was "the king of jazz", Louie Armstrong. The start of 3-D movies was in the 1920's.

An invention, which soon after became a popular fad, is the radio. Because of no invention of the TV, the radio was their TV. And, it really did do pretty much everything the TV does for us. If you tuned in at the right time, you could catch comedy shows, news, live events, jazz, variety shows, drama, opera, you name it, the radio had it! Discovered in the 1920's were penicllin and discovery of insulin for diabetic.This decade had some major breakthroughs in medicine and science.

On October 24, 1929, later to be known as Black Thursday, the stock market began its downhill drop. After the first hour, the prices had gone down at an amazing speed. Some people thought that after that day, the prices would rise again just as it had done before. But it didn’t. Prices kept dropping, and on October 29, 1929, Black Tuesday, more than 16 million shares were sold, but by the end of the day, most stocks ended below their previous value, and some stocks became totally worthless. Some people became homeless and penniless, all because of the Stock Market Crash. By November 13, the prices had hit rock bottom. The stock AT&T had gone from $304, to the price of $197. America had celebrated for eight years, but now, everything was wasted in just a few weeks, by the Stock Market. It was a sad ending to this glorious decade!

http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111064/20entertain.htm

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1564.html