In Chapter 4, Gatsby is telling his fabricated life story to Nick, speeding from West Egg into New York City, when he is stopped by a police officer. Gatsby must have been going quite fast, as Fitzgerald's description indicates: "With fenders spread like wings we scattered light through half Astoria - only half, for as we twisted among the pillars of the elevated I heard the familiar 'jug-jug-spat!' of a motorcycle, and a frantic...
In Chapter 4, Gatsby is telling his fabricated life story to Nick, speeding from West Egg into New York City, when he is stopped by a police officer. Gatsby must have been going quite fast, as Fitzgerald's description indicates: "With fenders spread like wings we scattered light through half Astoria - only half, for as we twisted among the pillars of the elevated I heard the familiar 'jug-jug-spat!' of a motorcycle, and a frantic policeman rode alongside" (68).
It's worth noting that the car is described as though it has wings, as though they are flying, which adds a dreamlike quality to the tale that Gatsby is weaving for Nick. Another detail to notice in this scene is that Gatsby escapes without a ticket: "Taking a white card from his wallet, he waved it before the man's eyes. 'Right you are,' agreed the policeman, tipping his cap. 'Know you next time, Mr. Gatsby. Excuse me!" (Fitzgerald 68). Even though Gatsby is earning his money in unscrupulous ways, this scene seems to suggest that the law is in on it too, meaning that no one in the novel is above moral corruption.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribners, 2003. Print.
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