In this month’s issue of the Esquire (the “Dubious Achievements” issue), there’s a list of “365 Reasons to Kill Yourself.” Number 216 is “The debate of whether or not The Great Gatsby was black.” What’s going on? I haven’t heard about this, and I’m a pretty foaming at the mouth Fitzgerald fan.
What’s the story, morning glory?
We’re finishing up Gatsby in English class…I never heard anything about it. Weird…i wonder why the debate over it is a reason to kill yourself though?
There is a brief news story at this site:
http://www.cnn.com/2000/books/news/08/14/salon.gatsby/
Assistant Professor Carlyle Thompson has put forward the theory that Gatsby is a light-skinned black who is passing as white. IMHO this might as well be true, in that Gatsby might be seen as any “outsider” trying to be accepted by “insiders.” Professor Thompson goes on to say the Fitzgerald deliberately made all references to Gatsby’s race extremely vague so that his publishers would accept a book with such a taboo subject. This reader doubts that Fitzgerald would write anything so vague that it takes 75 years for someone to notice a central plot point. I always think of this as “Heart of Darkness logic” – it’s so secret that there aren’t even any clues to it. What a clever secret!
Sounds absurd. The whole of Fizgeralds work has almost no black characters. I can’t think of any but a few servants.
Well, Scott’s buried about five miles from my apartment here in Rockville. I have the day off tomorrow, want me to stop by and ask him?
It does sort of make sense…white color imagery is considered corrupt in this book. So its almost like Gatsby is trying to fit into this corrupt, but white, society. Anyway…I could see it as maybe valid. Besides even if the late great F. Scott didn’t intend it this way, its just one interpretation…and people should encourage new ways of looking at things, right?
I haven’t read anything or heard anything aside from this that Gatsby was black. He had a tan, which was explained in the flashbacks of the time with Dan Cody on the boat. There is nothing in the book to even hint that Gatsby was black (Not even Cliff’s Notes made any hints to that effect :)). In fact, I believe all evidence points at Gatsby being white.
'course he’s white… Haven’t you guys seen the movie? 
I have to say that it would be an interesting twist, but I read it about 30 times in my final year of high school, memorising it, looking it from every single possible angle, trying to guess what the examiners would ask me etc etc etc and I never saw anything that would suggest this.
However, it is a good idea and quite appropriate to the character but I sincerely doubt that the author had it in mind.
The only Black Characters i can recall in Gatsby (and i’ve been pretty obsessed with it for a few years now) are the Blacks being driven in the large Limo which (i believe) Nick and the Big Mean Bastard married to Daisy pass on their first trip into NY to see the Big Mean Bastards Soon To Be Dead Girlfriend.
Although, it is an interesting thing Fitzgerald does regarding the Race issue, seeing as Tom (Big Mean Bastard) has the same views on people like Gatsby as he does on other races. I’m still pretty sure Gatsby’s a member of the “Nordic” race though (i really, really want to kick Tom every time i read that book…)
Upham