PlotOverview

NickCarrawaynarratesthestorysometimeafter
1922.ThestorybeginswithNickmovingto
WestEgg,LongIslandlookingforajobasa
bondsalesman.Helatergoestovisithiscousin
DaisyBuchananandherhusbandaswellas
JordanBaker.OnedayTominvitedNicktome
hismistress,MyrtleWilson,whoisalready
marriedandherhusbandownsagasstation.
Laterintheevening,influencedbyalcohol,
TomandMyrtlefightoverDaisywhichendsin
TombreakingMyrtle'snose.Nickattendsone
ofGatsby'sparties,inwhichhemeetshimand
learnstheheisn'ttheguypeoplethinkheis.
Throughoutthesummerandthestory,Nickand
Gatsbybecomegoodfriends.Whilehavingtea
withJordan,NickthenlearnsthatGatsbyand
Daisyarelonglostlovers.Gatsbycameback
afterbecomingrichtotrytogetDaisyback.
NickandGatsbyarrangeameetingwithDaisy,
inwhichGatsbyandDaisyrekindletheirlove.
NickthentellsthestoryofhowGatsbybecame
themanhewas.Ononeofthehottestdaysof
thesummer,theBuchanansandJordanhave
lunchwithNickandGatsby.There,Gatsby
confessesthatDaisyneverlovedTombut
Gatsby.Onthewaybackhome,afteraheated
argument,DaisyrunsoverandkillsMyrtlewith
Gatsby'scar.AsthestoryunfoldsWilson,
Myrtle'shusband,huntsdownGatsbybecause
hethinkshekilledhiswifeandkillshim.Inthe
end,NickislefttoarrangeGatsby'sburialalone
aftereveryonerefusestobeinvolved.Toend
thebook,Nickdescribeshowwearesimilarto
Gatsby,boatsgoingupariver,goingforward
butbeingpulledbackbythepast.

AbouttheAuthor

NovelNotes
F.ScottKeyFitzgeraldwasbornin
MinnesotaonSeptember24,1896.After

studyinginPrincetonhedroppedouttojoin
thearmy,wherehemethiswife.Heis
TheGreatGatsby
mostlyknownforwriting
TheGreatGatsby
,
aswellas
TenderistheNight
andmany

others.
TheGreatGatsby
waswrittenin
FrancewhileFitzgeraldwaslookingfora
F.ScottFitzgerald
newscenery.Manyofhisbookswerebased
andwhenontheJazzAge.Hewasmajorly

recognizedafterhisdeathonDecember

JackieMireles

1/7/16

21,1940.

HistoricalContext

Includeinformationonthetimeperiod,social,
economical,cultural,andothersignificant
influencesthatcharacterizethisnovel.

The

GreatGatsby
wassetduringthe
summerof1922.Fitzgeraldfocusedthis
bookonthepopulartopicsofthetimelike
popculture,theextravagantparties,andsex
beingthemainthingpeoplefocusonatthe
time.TheJazzAgewasawonderfultime
fulloflifeandsecretsatthesametime.

EssentialQuotes
Letuslearntoshowourfriendshipforaman
whenheisaliveandnotafterheisdead
(Fitzgerald131).

Iwaswithinandwithout,simultaneously
enchantedandrepelledbytheinexhaustible
varietyoflife(29).

CharacterAnalysis

Identifyeachmajorcharacterinthenovel.
Describethemostimporttraitsthatcharacterize
thisperson.(
S
peech,
T
houghts,
E
ffectsonother,
A
ction,
L
ooks)

JayGatsby:
JayGatsbyisayoungmanwhocomes
fromapoorneighborhoodinNorthDakota.Asa
childhedespisedpoverty,sogrownuphedreamsof
becomingrich.Asthestoryunfolds,welearnthat
hismainmotivationforachievingwealthisforhis
loveDaisyBuchanan.DaisyandGatsbymetbefore
GatsbylefttofightinWorldWar1.Hechangedhis
namefromJamesGatztoJayGatsbyinorderto
becometheguyofhisdreams.Althoughitis
discreetlymention,welearnthatGatsbyachieved
hisfortunebyparticipatinginorganizedcrime.He
spendsmostofhistimetryingtoimpressDaisyand
peoplearoundhim.Hebecomesknownforhis
lavishpartiesandmysteriousidentitybutafterhis
deatheveryoneactslikethey'veneverheardofhim,
leavinghimlonelyintheend.

NickCarraway:
NickCarrawayisintroducedas
thenarratorofthestory.He'sayoungmanthat
comesfromtheMidwesttoliveinWestEgg,next
toGatsby.WelearnthatheiscousinswithDaisy
Buchanan.BeingacquaintedwithbothGatsbyand
Daisygiveshimtheinsightintotheloveaffairthat
ishappeningbetweenthetwo.Hecanbedescribed
asoneofthemosthonestcharacters.Hebecame
fascinatedwithhiswealthyfriendsandsticks
aroundeventhoughheknowsit'strouble.Although
heisdisgustedbythewayhelives,heseemstobe
oneoftheonlypeoplethatactuallycaresabout
Gatsby.Hewasagoodnarratorbecausehe'sopen
mindedandagoodlistener.Hechosetoobserve
andcommentontheeventinsteadoftakingover.In

Themes

MotifsandSymbols

SocialClass:
Thestoryshowsthree
differentsocialclasses:theoldmoney,
whichisrepresentedbyTomandDaisy
Buchanan'sthenewmoney,which
Gatsbyrepresentsandthepoorwhichis
representedbyGeorgeandMyrtleWilson.
Theoldmoneyfamilieshavemoneythat
camefrompastrelatives,socialconnections
andhavehideitbybeingcivil.Thenew
moneydoesn'thaveanyconnectionsand
likestoshowofftheirmoneybybeing
lavish.Thepoorisusuallyoverlookedbythe
uppertwoclasses.

Gender:
Inthestorythemenaretheones
thatwork.Manoverpowerwoman,justlike
Tomwhouseshisstrengthtosubdue
woman.Jordan,ontheotherhand,is
describedmoremasculinethananyofthe
otherfemalecharacters.Womaninthestory
don'tfallunderpure,whichisusedto
describethefemalepopulationatthetime.
Myrtleisobviouslyoneoftheleastofthem
all,whileJordanandDaisytrytohideit.

Weather:
Fitzgeralduseofthechangein
weathertomatchthescenesandmoodsof
thecharacters.DaisyandGatsbyreuniteon
arainyday,makingthingsbetweenthem
awkward.Oncethesuncomesout,thelove
theysharedwasrekindled.Althoughthe
storytakesplaceduringthesummer,the
weatherchangesveryoften.Itcangofroma
warm,sunnydaytoaterriblerainstormas
thestorycontinues.

GreenLight:
Inthestory,thegreenlightis
placedattheendofdaisysdock.Thegreen
lightrepresentsthedreamsGatsbytriesto
achieveinhislife.Inthebeginningofthe
story,Gatsbyisdescribedtobereachingout
tothegreenlight,tryingtoreachDaisy.
Laterinthebook,Nickdescribesthegreen
lightasAmericaseenfromtheoceanbythe
colonizers.

ValleyofAshes:
TheValleyofAshesis
locatedbetweenWestEggandNewYork
City.Thevalleyisalongpieceofdeserted
landmadeupofthedumpingofindustrial
ashes.Thevalleyrepresentsthemoraland
socialdecaythatresultsfromtheuninhibited
pursuitofreality,astherichfocusontheir
pleasureandnothingelse.Thevalleyalso
representstheunfortunatesituationthepoor
isputinbylivingamongtheashes,like
GeorgeWilson.

theendhechosetomovebackhomeforaquieter
life.