The audience finds out about Gatsby’s real personal history in chapter 6 of the novel. It is learned that Jay Gatsby is really James Gatz and that he started off as a poor young man who dreamed of fortune. A reader can infer from his decisions that Gatsby didn’t like to be humiliated. Between the awkward situation with Daisy in chapter 5 and the fact that he was ashamed of being poor shows that he likes to be proud of himself rather than his image be made a joke of. Even though Gatsby is very poor and trying to live for himself, he saves a yacht from a storm; the yacht of a rich man named Dan Cody. Cody is who taught James how to act like a sophisticated rich man, going by the name Jay Gatsby, rather than James Gatz. When Cody died however, Gatsby was back to being a poor man because he couldn’t inherit Cody’s riches not being family. Gatsby dedicated his life to becoming rich and successful. This has to do with his persona of not being humiliated. Gatsby thought being poor was low and to be laughed at so he wanted to make sure he was somebody to look up to and thought highly of.
After the backstory, Tom and Gatsby meet and Tom becomes suspicious of Gatsby when he finds out that he knows Daisy. Gatsby speaks very highly of Daisy so it isn’t without good reason for Tom to be suspicious. However, Tom has no right to be suspicious or angry because he is, after all, cheating on Daisy as well. Gatsby makes light of the situation and assumes Daisy will just leave Tom and continue where they left off, but Nick bursts his bubble telling Jay that he can’t repeat his past with her. Still stubborn, Gatsby says “Why of course you can!” and still pursues thinking about what they had once and trying to relive it in the present.
After the backstory, Tom and Gatsby meet and Tom becomes suspicious of Gatsby when he finds out that he knows Daisy. Gatsby speaks very highly of Daisy so it isn’t without good reason for Tom to be suspicious. However, Tom has no right to be suspicious or angry because he is, after all, cheating on Daisy as well. Gatsby makes light of the situation and assumes Daisy will just leave Tom and continue where they left off, but Nick bursts his bubble telling Jay that he can’t repeat his past with her. Still stubborn, Gatsby says “Why of course you can!” and still pursues thinking about what they had once and trying to relive it in the present.