The Great Gatsby: Personification

"He smiled understandingly--much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It face--or seemed to face--the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that tit had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey." pg. 48

I think this description of Gatsby's smile has honestly been my favorite part of the book so far. This meeting of Nick and Gatsby was enhanced by every moment prior to this one in which Gatsby was mentioned. Just as Nick was curious about the man, so too was I biting my nails at his description, anxious for his actual arrival into the story. I can't say I was disappointed when he was finally introduced. The man did seem to exude an air of wonder like many had described. But this moment in particular, where Nick addresses the effect of Gatsby's smile, I found pretty awe-inspiring. The personification of the man's smile really shows what effects it can have on you and it shows how powerful this man really is. If his mere smile can make you feel understood and appeased, there must be no limit to this man's charm. Though this personification and extended description of Gatsby's smile could seem unnecessary, I think it provides the right effect that Fitzgerald was trying to create. It succeeds in expressing the true wonder that is Jay Gatsby.