The Great Gatsby, our credulity switched back to her

Question

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, our credulity switched back to her

I'd like to know if in this excerpt from the third chapter of The Great Gatsby the word "credulity" is used in the negative sense of "readiness to believe on weak or insufficient grounds" or in a more positive sense such as "inclination to believe":

“Oh, no,” said the first girl, “it couldn’t be that, because he was in the American army during the war.” As our credulity switched back to her she leaned forward with enthusiasm. “You look at him sometime when he thinks nobody’s looking at him. I’ll bet he killed a man.”

Thank you.

Asked by eric c #312325 on 4/19/2013 2:11 PM

Last updated by jill d #170087 on 4/19/2013 2:39 PM

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Answered by jill d #170087 on 4/19/2013 2:39 PM

Being that this quote is taken directly from the novel's gossip fest (the party), I'd have to say that credulity would be defined as "inclination to believe." The people who frequent Gatsby's parties are always ready to exaggerate his already questionable past. The first girl isn't making negative comments about Gatsby, she is exaggerating what she believes she knows in order to make him sound even more exciting. That's not to say someone else wouldn't see it differently, Gatsby's guests are also ready to believe everything said.

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The Great Gatsby

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