The Great Gatsby- Chapter 2

Location

- There is a location shift as Nick goes to the 'Valley of Ashes.' This is where Mr Wilson and Myrtle live and it creates a complete contrast to the wealth that we have already seen. This is where the billboard of 'Doctor T.J Eckleburg' is first introduced. This is a recurring motif in the novel. Nick seems to pay particular attention to this advert for glasses and it's written as if his eyes are looking down on them as a godlike figure. Other locations include the train station and then New York. I think that New York is particularly important because this is where you see Tom's other life and how Myrtle tries to fit in with the upper class. Nick pays close attention to when she decides that she wants one of the dogs and so she asks Tom to buy her one. This shows that she wants people to think that money is no object and therefore, faking to be wealthy. 

Themes
- The theme's of deception, status, wealth, class and control. The theme of 'unhappy marriages' is carried from the first chapter into the second and shows a parallel between Tom and Daisy and Mr Wilson and Myrtle . 

Deception: Tom and Myrtle deceive Mr Wilson because they are both having an affair but even though Tom doesn't seem to mind that Daisy knows, they try to keep it a secret from Mr Wilson. This could possibly highlight the difference between gender. 

    -Status, Wealth and Class: Status and class is shown heavily at the beginning of this chapter when Mr Wilson is introduced to us briefly. Tom is a lot more upper class and Mr Wilson is more working class and it isn't specified why but Tom treats him with no respect. This could be because of the class division or it could be the guilt from having an affair with his wife. Wealth is shown in New York when Myrtle is actually shown to appreciate it more because she hasn't got wealth but she has furnished the flat and therefore has made it sound almost tacky- this shows not only the class divide but also the contrast in taste between Myrtle and Daisy who is shown to have taste in the first chapter in Tom and Daisy's home in East Egg. This is highlighted mostly through Tom's character because when Myrtle keeps saying Daisy's name, he believes that he has 'lost' control and the only way that he feels he can gain it back is by physically gaining it back and so breaks her nose. 

Characters
- This is the first time that we feel that Nick is an unreliable narrator as it is only the second time in his life that he has been drunk. Therefore we are unsure whether the information that he is giving us is not only reliable but whether it is all of the information because there could be holes missing in it, for example 'It was nine o'clock - almost immediately afterward I looked at my watch and found it was ten.' This chapter is more biased than the other but seems to be more observational rather than judging the situation. This chapter uses a multi-voice narrator as the voice seems to switch between Mr Wilson, Tom, Myrtle, Catherine and the McKee's. 

-  In chapter 1, no judgement is made by Nick on Tom's affair. Finally, when the reader almost expects some kind of judgement, Nick still doesn't really make one. We, as a reader, would expect for Nick to find what Tom is doing to Daisy disgusting and immoral and yet it seems that Nick has no opinion at all.  

- Tom's character is developed as he seems almost giddy to show Myrtle off to Nick. It seems that he has no respect for Daisy either as not only is Nick a good friend of Daisy's but he is also a blood relative. He doesn't think about putting Nick in an awkward position either and this can come across to the reader as quite selfish. His need for control is also highlighted as he only really has physical control and clearly feels uncomfortable if he doesn't have it. A distorted sense of loyalty is shown as a trait in Tom as even though he is betraying Daisy, he still can't handle the thought of Myrtle disrespecting her and so defends Daisy. 

Narrative Elements Imagery
-Imagery is used in the New York flat to disguise the lack of wealth that Myrtle holds. She tries to do this by buying lots of expensive things but the imagery that is given makes it seem almost tacky. This shows us the background of Myrtle and how she has no taste because she has been brought up on no money and so when she is furnishing a flat, she just throws money at it rather than taste. This gives a contrast to each of Tom's lives.