F. Scott Fitzgerald
Pages 39-46
"...the air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot, and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other's names," (Fitzgerald, 40).
Finally! An opportunity for Nick to meet this mysterious neighbor of his that is the source of so many rumors.
And yet, there only seems to be more rumors... A German spy! A Murderer! An Oxford alumnus!
As Jordan Baker invites Nick to follow her on a self-guided tour through the house, the two stumble upon the library of Gatsby. In the library, they encounter an inebriated man who proceeds to prove that the library contains genuine books (shocking to find real books in a library, I know). Apparently, the man, referred to as Owl Eyes, expected the whole room to be a show, even going as far to compare Gatsby to "Belasco," an allusion to American theatre.
I found it strange to read that allusion in reference to Gatsby. Unless, Gatsby's extravagance, his wealth, and his prestige is all an act, some sort of elaborate performance orchestrated by the man to hide some aspect of his character. What if Gatsby's wealth isn't completely genuine? I don't know why Fitzgerald would include this dialogue in the story other than for that reason. I guess we will see as the book progresses.
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