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Theme Of Doubleness In The Great Gatsby

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II. At this point, hints have already been dropped to the reader about Gatsby and his “doubleness”, (Hays, 1), but even so Fitzgerald now begins to emphasize the extent of that “doubleness” by showcasing not only Gatsby’s strange habits, but his wealth and power as well.
Fitzgerald has already demonstrated to the reader how unrestrained Gatsby’s lifestyle is, and now he has begun to slowly affirm Nick’s doubts about Gatsby. Aside from that, Fitzgerald focuses even more so on hinting at the truth behind Gatsby’s notorious rumors.
The first time the reader actually sees Gatsby use his social status for something other than parties, is during a brief encounter with a highway policeman.
As Gatsby speeds down a highway and is stopped by a policeman, Nick witnesses him wave “a white card from his wallet” right in front of the man’s face. This gaudy display of exemption implies that Gatsby is not at all opposed to using his social status to his benefit, morally just or not. It hints back to the rumors floating around his parties that Gatsby is not a man to be trifled with, so much that Fitzgerald even goes so far as to call Gatsby “second cousin to the devil” (61). Thus, his ‘doubleness’ as a mysterious party host and a rumored “cold-blooded killer” is brought to relevance (Hays, 1). 2. At lunch, Nick is introduced to Meyer Wolfsheim, who very nearly exposes Gatsby’s dealings in shady business. This encounter is used to show where some of the rumors about Gatsby might

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