Once again, Daisy's time with a love interest is interrupted by a phone call. As Daisy inspects Gatsby's surroundings, she exclaims over all the details of his younger life. She is giddy with excitement over a photo of Gatsby as a young man sporting a pompadour hairstyle and standing on a yacht. Of course, Gatsby doesn't want to tell her the truth about his background; he has spent immense effort crafting a particular, wealthy, image of himself and wants Daisy to focus on all he has accomplished. In the middle of this fantastical reunion, the tone shifts suddenly when Gatsby receives a phone call.
As readers, we can only hear Gatsby's side of the conversation, much as Daisy and Nick would have heard. Although the intention of the caller is somewhat unclear, we can infer that this is a business call. Whether Gatsby is organizing bootlegging distribution or...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
illegal bond sales, this caller is an employee of sorts in need of Gatsby's business direction. Gatsby indicates that he wants to steer clear of business dealings in large cities in this conversation, keeping his criminal activities under the radar as much as possible.
The call is a reminder that Gatsby has crafted a particular image of himself for Daisy, but that image is built on illicit activities. It is also symbolic of the corruption inherent in Gatsby and Daisy's relationship. Both characters bring deceit to their reunion: Gatsby is not truthful with Daisy about the man he really is, and Daisy has no real plans to leave Tom. This call creates a shift in tone that foreshadows the eventual implosion of Gatsby's efforts to win Daisy's heart. When Tom later references Gatsby's shady business dealings as he convinces Daisy to come home with him, she will likely recall this very conversation as evidence that Tom is a more truthful man than Gatsby.
After Gatsby reunites with Daisy for the first time in five years, he takes her on a tour of his magnificent estate, and Nick draws his attention to an old photograph of him in a yachting costume. When Daisy inquires about the photograph, Gatsby attempts to divert her attention by suggesting that she look at clippings of her that he collected over the years. It is apparent that Gatsby is purposely avoiding the subject and does not want to speak about his past, which is something Nick finds suspicious. Just before Nick calls his bluff, Gatsby answers the phone and says,
"Yes ... Well, I can’t talk now ... I can’t talk now, old sport ... I said a SMALL town ... He must know what a small town is ... Well, he’s no use to us if Detroit is his idea of a small town." (Fitzgerald, 100)
One can surmise from Gatsby's shady business partner and fabricated identity that the phone call is associated with some sort of underground, criminal business venture. Gatsby's composed, casual disposition immediately changes on the phone as he takes on an authoritative, direct tone. He is apparently concerned about a decision an associate made to conduct business in Detroit after being told to manage business in a small town.
The fact that Gatsby desires to conduct business in a small town implies that he wishes to remain inconspicuous and avoid certain risks. In regards to a criminal enterprise, small towns have less police and competition that threaten to jeopardize the operation. The phone call not only interrupts Gatsby's fantasy but reminds the reader that there is much more to Gatsby than meets the eye.