Why Is The Quester Important In The Great Gatsby
The quest. Ancient like the story of Adam and Eve yet as modern as the daily trip to the bus stop. Quests have evolved and shaped over time, but they all have something in common. Thomas C. Foster, the author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, explains in his book the basic elements of a quest, which are exemplified by F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Foster does not create his idea of a quest, but rather reminds his readers of the old quest, the quest that has existed over decades of time. Foster theorizes that in every story, no matter the importance, there is a quest. Specifically, the quest consists of five main components, those elements being the quester, a place for the quester to go, the stated reason for leaving, the
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These elements, as described earlier, include a place for the quester to go and a stated reason for going to that place. In the beginning chapter of The Great Gatsby, Nick explains the background context for which he writes about a past personal experience, his quest. Carraway states in his explanation, "I decided to go East and learn the bond business. Everybody I knew was in the bond business, so I supposed it could support one more single man" (Fitzgerald 3). The place for the quester to go tends to be obvious in most stories, due to the fact that the location is commonly found in the background context of the story. Like the destination, the stated reason for leaving tends to be simple. The stated reason is the reason the character claims for having left their original home. These two elements, according to Foster, should be considered together: another character tells the hero to go somewhere and do something. Carraway's "destination" is stated bluntly in his quote, declaring that he was heading east. Following the destination, is the stated reason for leaving. Nick claims he was heading east for the sole reason of joining the bond community. Based off of these facts, the reader gets a sense of Nick's priorities, which is only one aspect of Nick's personality. As the story continues, defining moments materialize in the dense fog that is Nick's character. Slowly the fog lifts, until there is no cloudiness but a fine-tuned picture of Nick created by Nick's choices. The beginning elements create Nick
These elements, as described earlier, include a place for the quester to go and a stated reason for going to that place. In the beginning chapter of The Great Gatsby, Nick explains the background context for which he writes about a past personal experience, his quest. Carraway states in his explanation, "I decided to go East and learn the bond business. Everybody I knew was in the bond business, so I supposed it could support one more single man" (Fitzgerald 3). The place for the quester to go tends to be obvious in most stories, due to the fact that the location is commonly found in the background context of the story. Like the destination, the stated reason for leaving tends to be simple. The stated reason is the reason the character claims for having left their original home. These two elements, according to Foster, should be considered together: another character tells the hero to go somewhere and do something. Carraway's "destination" is stated bluntly in his quote, declaring that he was heading east. Following the destination, is the stated reason for leaving. Nick claims he was heading east for the sole reason of joining the bond community. Based off of these facts, the reader gets a sense of Nick's priorities, which is only one aspect of Nick's personality. As the story continues, defining moments materialize in the dense fog that is Nick's character. Slowly the fog lifts, until there is no cloudiness but a fine-tuned picture of Nick created by Nick's choices. The beginning elements create Nick