Gatsby's Past

In chapter six, we finally learned about Gatsby’s true past. Earlier in the book, Nick lied to the reader about how Gatsby accumulated his wealth. Nick lied to us because Gatsby was so embarrassed about his past. Gatsby was self-conscious about having to work as a janitor to pay for his tuition at St. Olaf, so he dropped out of college. After Gatsby met Cody, he became obsessed with wealth and luxury. Now, because Gatsby is a very rich man, he does not want people to know about his life in the past as a lower-class citizen. He worked very hard for his wealth and does not want people to have a different opinion of him if they knew that he used to be poor. Nick finally decides to tell us about Gatsby’s past because Nick will no longer have to lie about how Gatsby accumulated his money. The reader can also feel more sympathy for Gatsby now because they know how hard he has worked throughout his life.