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Aldwin Aguilar asked this question about The Great Gatsby:
My teacher keeps on insisting that Jay Gatsby is black. Is he?
Christie As stated by Emma, there was a well done article alluding to that written last year. Mostly focused on the 'other' in his bloodline. So he may not hav…moreAs stated by Emma, there was a well done article alluding to that written last year. Mostly focused on the 'other' in his bloodline. So he may not have been Black, but he could have been something else (like Eastern European) or Mediterranean (maybe Italian or Gallic back down the line), which could account for the skin tone.

I don't see how it could be inconsistent for him to be Black. There were many people of African decent that would and did 'pass' during this time, and even before. I even have some ancestors in my bloodline that could have been mistaken for White, right down to hair texture. Though this is probably not true in his case, it's not completely implausible. (less)
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The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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