First Entry:
Today I went to have dinner with my cousin, Daisy. I hoped that dinner would lead to a friendship with her and her husband Tom, as I do not know anyone here. I wasn’t able to make a connection with them either though. When I arrived I met a woman named Jordan who explained to me that Tom was having an affair. I realized I was wrong to expect to fit in, for the rest of the evening I was repeatedly reminded of this. Despite my best attempt, I still have not made a connection with anyone here yet. When I retuned home I saw Gatsby outside his house looking at something in the distance, I think it may have been a little green light, he looked like he was trying to reach it, but it was very far and there was no way for him to get to it. I wonder if Gatsby is any more normal than the rest of the people I have met here so far, maybe I will try to talk to him sometime and see if I can finally make a friend.
Second Entry:
Today when I was riding the train with Tom, he made me get off at one of the stops in the valley of ashes the train goes through on its way to the city. It’s an awful place where all the ashes from the city are dumped and I didn’t understand why Tom wanted us to get out there. We left the train and Tom led me to George Wilson’s Garage, I met George and his wife Myrtle. Then when George left the room for a moment Tom told Myrtle to get on the train behind him. I realized that Myrtle was the woman Tom was having an affair with. Myrtle told George that she was going to visit her sister in the city and we left. Myrtle rode in a different car to seem less suspicious. When we arrived in the city, Tom took me and Myrtle to an apartment he has just for the affair. I was curious how George was able to believe that Myrtle was visiting her sister every time Tom came to the garage. When we got to the apartment Myrtle’s sister and a couple from the building came over and we had a party. I got drunk with all of them and had a pretty good time. Then Myrtle began to talk about Daisy and yell her name over and over. Tom became very annoyed and when Myrtle refused to stop, he hit her breaking her nose. I left soon after to return home.
Third Entry:
I attended one of Gatsby’s parties the other night and even got to meet him. I talked to him and we realized that we had been in the same division in the war. I was glad to meet him; it made me feel as if I fit in better both at the party and the neighborhood. I think it is strange for a man like Gatsby, who hosts so many parties, doesn’t drink himself. He seems more interested in watching the others than actually interacting with them. Then today, I went to lunch with Gatsby in the city. On the way there, Gatsby was pulled over, but he just showed the cop some little card he had and the officer apologized to him. I don’t know what the card said, and Gatsby didn’t tell me, but I had never seen anything like that before. Then, Gatsby introduced me to a man named Meyer Wolfshiem, who is involved in many illegal activities; he even says he fixed the 1919 World Series. I’m not sure, but I think Gatsby might be involved in these same activities with Wolfshiem. After lunch, I saw Jordan again and she told me about a conversation she had with Gatsby at his party. She said that Gatsby told her he is in love with Daisy and has been since before the war. Jordan said that Gatsby bought his house just so he could be close to Daisy. Jordan also said Gatsby wanted me to invite Daisy to tea and he would come over as well and force her to talk to him. I didn’t know what to think, I don’t think Daisy will be interested in meeting Gatsby and she will probably just leave if she sees him. I don’t know what I will do, I think I will invite her just to give Gatsby the chance, though I doubt Daisy will be interested.
Fourth Entry:
I decided to help Gatsby meet Daisy again. He tried to pay me for helping him but I thought that being paid for it made it the wrong thing to do so I told him to keep his money. Gatsby must have thought that my house wasn’t good enough for his meeting so he sent someone over to cut the grass and someone else with some flowers. I thought my predictions were correct at first. After Gatsby and Daisy talked for a short time, Gatsby told me that it wasn’t working and he thought it was a mistake to try this. I was relieved to hear this, I was able to help Gatsby, and Daisy wasn’t going to cheat on Tom. However, when I came back later they were having a great time. Then, Gatsby invited us over to his home and he showed us around, impressing Daisy with his great wealth. I also learned that the other night when I saw Gatsby trying to reach something far away in the water, it was Daisy; he was trying to get to her by reaching for the light at the end of her dock. After showing us around his home, Gatsby has someone come to play the piano for him and Daisy and I left. I think their relationship will ultimately fail; Daisy has changed and is not how Gatsby remembered her. I think Gatsby wants her to be exactly like she was before he left for the war, but she will not live up to his expectations and I think that will make him like her less and end their relationship.
Fifth Entry:
I think Tom is getting suspicious of Gatsby. He dropped in at Gatsby’s for no apparent reason and seemed to think something was going on, but I don’t think he knows yet. Tom knows Daisy goes to Gatsby’s house alone very often and he doesn’t like it. Then, one night, Gatsby has a party and both Tom and Daisy came. I think Tom was only there to watch Daisy, as he does not like Gatsby. While at the party, Tom told Daisy that Gatsby’s money all came from bootlegging and Daisy became upset. She told Tom that he was wrong about Gatsby and that his money comes from a chain of drugstores he owns. After the party, Gatsby came to talk to me; he was upset that Daisy did not enjoy the party. As I expected, Gatsby wants everything to be exactly like it was before he left and is beginning to realize that it won’t be. I tried to tell him that it is impossible to have things the way they were, but he thinks he can, he thinks that because he has so much money he can somehow make things exactly as they were. I think he is upset because he has nothing to strive for now, he has always had a dream of being with Daisy and now that he actually has her he sees it isn’t everything he wanted. He has nothing else to try for so he is trying to make his current situation be what he had dreamed of.
