Chapter 6, The Great Gatsby Summary

After brief commentary on the appearance of a reporter at Gatsby's house, ambitious and interested in what was becoming Gatsby's fame, Nick describes Gatsby's origins. Born James Gatz, Nick says, the man became Jay Gatsby as the result of his relationship with wealthy prospector Dan Cody in the last days of the latter's life. Gatz, Nick says, saw and took an opportunity to integrate himself into Cody's life and lifestyle, with the result that he (Gatz) assumed a new personality (Gatsby). This story, Nick says in narration, was told to him by Gatsby much later, but he recounts it at this point as a commentary on the rumors about Gatsby's history that began to circulate at the time Nick is writing about.

The rest of the chapter is taken up with Nick's narrative description of another of...