The Mysterious Gatsby

Thus far in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, the title character has remained quite a mystery.  He seems like a man who is very hard to get to know, as he doesn't extend himself often.  Nick Carraway has yet to actually ever meet Gatsby when he is invited to one of his party's.  At the party, the crowd is a curious group, made up largely of people that weren't invited, but accompanied somebody else.  This fact is rather peculiar, as it seems Gatsby did not personally invite many people, which means he does not know very many people.  He seems lonely at his own party when everyone else was playing games and "no one swooned backward on Gatsby, and no French bob touched Gatsby's shoulder, and no singing quartets were formed with Gatsby's head for one link," (Fitzgerald, 50).  Gatsby seems to simply be viewed by his guests at the host of the parties, not an actual participant.  He is a social elite, so nobody feels worthy to extend themselves to be his friend.  After Nick's encounter with Gatsby, it seems that something he wants is companionship.  Gatsby's actual standing in the social ladder has not been revealed, but it seems he may be one the very few worthiest people in the society.  His extending a personal invitation to someone who is by no means prestigious on the social pyramid is quite intriguing.