Nick first believes he sees Gatsby outside the man's palatial mansion on West Egg one summer night. He is a shadowy figure. He is alone and somewhat aloof as Nick indicates he has the feeling the man wanted to be left undisturbed. Gatsby is looking eastward to the light at the end of the dock where Daisy Buchanan lives in the mansion across the bay in East Egg. He is reaching out "in a curious way." It is symbolic that Gatsby is in the West and Daisy in the East. He represents the nouveau riche as opposed to the established Eastern money of Tom Buchanan. Daisy is symbolic of the wealth and acceptance which Gatsby strives for and the reason he is portrayed as reaching out.
Nick doesn't actually meet Gatsby until chapter three at one of Gatsby's parties. Nick does not even recognize the man he has been sitting with until he comments that he hasn't met the host yet. Gatsby informs Nick that he is the host and Nick is quite surprised. He is immediately impressed by Gatsby, yet he comments that Gatsby's way of speaking was almost "absurd." Nick seems to recognize that there is something phony about Gatsby but this doesn't keep him from taking an instant liking to the man.
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