What Is Gatsby Doing When Nick First Sees Him?

What Is Gatsby Doing When Nick First Sees Him?

Nick initially spots Gatsby when he is standing on his balcony, arms extended toward a green light that is visible across the sound. It turns out that this green light is Daisy Buchanan’s dock green light.

Gatsby’s neighbor Nick first spots him one gloomy evening on the lawn, spreading his arms over the lake toward a green light. The two men do not meet until Nick goes to one of Gatsby’s summer parties, even though Nick has seen his silhouette and heard a lot of whispers about him. Their actual meeting turns out to be awkward. Nick informs the stranger that he “hasn’t even seen the host” but that “this man Gatsby sent over his driver with an invitation” after mistaking Gatsby for another guest. Gatsby makes his entrance and offers his apologies for being a bad host.

Nick sees a small inconsistency in the man’s actions now that he is aware that this stranger is Gatsby. On the one hand, Gatsby’s smile conveys “a quality of eternal reassurance” and is serious. However, Gatsby may not be as sincere or honest as he first seems because of his “elaborate formality of speech,” which also suggests “that he was picking his words with care.”

Nick feels that “the green light” no longer belongs to his friend as he watches Gatsby. As the reader will learn later in the story, Gatsby invites practically everyone to his lavish parties with amazing performances. All of this is done just to get Daisy to come to his event so he can see her again.