Nick explains to the reader how Gatsby got his name and what his childhood was like on page 104, and when Nick explains again to the reader what happened when Gatsby returned from the war on page 160. The placement and effectiveness of these flashbacks allow Fitzgerald to give more background to each character and to allow the reader to better understand the situation that each character is experiencing. The first example of flashback that Fitzgerald provides takes place on page 79. In this flashback, Jordan explains to Nick how she first met Gatsby. She explains to Nick that when the girls were eighteen, he was with Daisy Fay in her "little white roadster."
This flashback is effective because it gives us an idea of how Daisy and Gatsby's relationship was purely based on beauty and not friendship. The placement of the above quote was essential because it allows us to experience early in the novel how Gatsby had a relationship with Daisy. This first example of flashback by Fitzgerald proves to be effective and its placement essential because of the way it is used in the play. A second example of flashback that Fitzgerald uses is on page 104. Here, Nick explains to the reader how "James Gatsby" got his name Jay Gatsby. He chose the name
Jay because James sounded to plain and it would not impress someone of Daisy's status.
It also explains Gatsby's childhood. This is an effective flashback because it gives the reader an insight to how Gatsby made his money and his relationship with Dan Cody, the man who gave