Dan Cody

Dan Cody comes into Gatsby's life first, while Gatsby is still known as Jimmy Gatz from North Dakota. When he first sees Dan Cody's beautiful yacht and meets Cody himself, Jimmy becomes Jay Gatsby, the romantic vision of himself he has harbored all his life.A millionaire many times over, Cody employs Gatsby on the yacht, dresses him well, and takes him around the continent three times, into a rich life he had never known. Because Cody drinks, Gatsby learns not to drink. When Cody dies, Gatsby is cheated out of an inheritance. He walks away penniless, but he had lived his dream for a little while. He wants more.



Chapter Six reveals Gatsby's sordid past. James Gatz, Gatsby's legal name, worked as a janitor at the college of St. Olaf for two weeks until he tired of the indifference of manual labor. He then returned to the shores of Lake Superior where he had worked the year before as a clam digger. His new life as Gatsby began on the lake. Dan Cody, a wealthy copper miner from Montana, dropped anchor for a few days near Gatsby's residence. Gatsby then seized the opportunity to escape his mundane life on the yacht, the Tuolomee,with Cody.



Cody and Gatsby sailed around the world three times over the next five years. During this time, Gatsby served as steward, mate, skipper, and secretary for Dan. Gatsby chose then to abstain from alcohol forever after witnessing the destructive behaviors of Cody during his periods of drunkenness. Gatsby even had to jail Cody on occasion to prevent him from committing dangerous acts. When the Tuolomee dropped anchor in Boston, Ella Kaye, one of Cody's lovers, joined the crew. Unfortunately, Cody died a week after she had boarded the yacht of mysterious and unknown causes. Although Cody willed twenty-five thousand dollars to Gatsby, Ella Kaye swindled him out of it in court.


http://www.enotes.com/great-gatsby/q-and-a/how-do-roles-dan-cody-daisy-meyer-wolfsheim-shape-60003
http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/99gg/99gg6/chap6.htm