Question

Out of the corner of his eye Gatsby saw that the blocks of the sidewalks really formed a ladder and mounted to a secret place above the trees – he climb to it, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder." What does this say about Gatsby’s true nature and why?

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

What it says about Gatsby’s true nature is that he is a man of adventure and vision; someone who looks forward and anticipates a higher and more pleasurable form of life, somewhere out there. "Out of the corner of his eye"—Gatsby has a visual perspective about life. He sees sidewalks actually form into a ladder which he climbed up alone, and later looked down to see “an incomparable milk of wonder”. This gives the impression of someone (in this case, Gatsby) who is looking forward to have a great future—he is a positive visionary by nature. Why? Because, he is just like other ordinary people on sidewalks that don't actually form into a ladder. But, in his case, a ladder forms in his inner vision and makes him see greater life out there—the ladder makes greater life to be within reach because, after climbing above the trees, he could gulp down and see “incomparable milk of wonder”.