‘The Great Gatsby’ Parallel in ‘Taboo’

Published January 31, 2017 · Updated July 6, 2022

First, I have an only child, a daughter. So, like many times before, my wife and daughter (17) mentioned the period at the dinner table tonight. Just a warning if you three ever end up with daughters.

I’ll credit my wife with this parallel. She’s going back to school for a degree in literature and is developing a thesis on “The Great Gatsby”. So after dinner tonight she was talking in a stream of conscientiousness about her difficulty developing this thesis and discussing Gatsby’s character and it seemed to match some stuff in Taboo: sent to the military because that’s what the rich did (although Gatsby wasn’t, were the Delaney’s at that time?); flawed, in fact a mobster (dark past), and who’s real purpose isn’t to make money but to impress Daisy (Zilpha). At one point Gatsby wakes up in a gay man’s bed, but it’s not believed he is gay (Godders?). Maybe I’m reaching, and I haven’t read the book in some years. Gene might put some thought into this, or debunk it.

Lastly, it seems James has abandoned the search for his father’s killer and focused solely on revenge. And I still believe there is more to Nootka sound than the trade monopoly, otherwise the EIC would just take another of the many sounds on the island.

Thanks!

Tom

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