Plot Overview
Novel Notes
In The Great Gatsby, the story is narrated by a
young man, Nick Carraway. Nick moves from his
home in the Midwest to West Egg, Long Island in
hopes for a new life. Just a short distance away, his
cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom live
on the lavish East Egg. Nick visits them and is also
introduced to Jordan Baker. He immediately finds
out they are very different from him, living privileged
and luxurious lifestyles instead of his modest life.
When he gets home he sees his neighbor, Gatsby,
for the first time. Gatsby seems mysterious to Nick
at first glance as he is just looking beyond the bay
staring at the green light. Gatsby is his next-door
neighbor but lives in a huge mansion compared to
Nick's small home. Soon after, Tom invites Nick to
go meet his mistress, Myrtle Wilson. She is married
to Mr. Wilson who owns a gas station in a run-down
area. After spending the strange afternoon with
Tom, Myrtle, and some friends, Nick goes home to
find an invitation from Gatsby to one of his
extravagant house parties. At the party is when
Nick first meets Gatsby. They hit it off, and as
summer starts to come they spend a lot of time
together and become quite close friends. Nick also
spends a lot of time with Jordan and she tells him
Gatsby's big secret of him being in love with Daisy.
Gatsby and Daisy went way back and were once
together but Daisy couldn't be with him because he
had no money and wasn't able to support her.
Gatsby worked for his extravagant, lavish lifestyle
and threw all of the crazy parties in hopes that
Daisy would one day come back to him. With the
help of Jordan and Nick, Gatsby and Daisy finally
reunite face to face. Once they break the ice, it's as
if they had never been separated. Tom and Daisy
attend one of Gatsby's grand parties, and Gatsby
tells about his dream of completely winning Daisy
over and have things exactly how they once were.
As Daisy and Gatsby's relationship grows over
summer, one day everybody goes out to lunch.
Daisy shows all of her attention and affection to
Gatsby, without giving any care as to who sees.
Tom gets upset, learning that Mr. Wilson is planning
About the Author
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born September 24, 1896 in
St. Paul, Minnesota. Ever since he was young,
Fitzgerald was a bright young man and had an
early talent for writing. His first story was published
in a newspaper when he was a mere 13 years old, The Great Gatsby
and later he attended Princeton University. It was
there that he really became dedicated to writing and
wrote for Princeton Triangle Club musical,
Princeton Tiger humor magazine, and Nassau
Literary Magazine. He was put on academic
probation and dropped out of school in 1917 to join
F. Scott Fitzgerald
WW1. He started writing novels yet again due to
the fact that he could possibly die. His first works
were rejected but he kept on revising and working Amaris M. Villanueva
on his craft. He was stationed in Montgomery,
Alabama when he found Zelda Sayre, his future 3/10/17
wife and inspiration for his novels. His first novel
The Side Of Paradise was written in 1920 and he
soon became one of the most promising young
writers in the country. He wrote another novel in
1922, The Beautiful And Damned. In 1924 he felt Essential Quotes
he needed inspiration so he and his wife and baby
girl moved to Valescure, France. It was there where They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they
he wrote his greatest novel, The Great Gatsby smashed up things and creatures and then
which was published in 1925 and is considered one retreated back into their money of their vast
of the best American novels ever written. Shortly carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them
after he wrote The Great Gatsby, he started together, and let other people clean up the mess
drinking heavily, had severe writer's block, his wife they had made. (Ch.9)
was suffering from mental breakdowns and
disorders, and his life was falling apart. He finally Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic
published his last finished novel Tender is the Night future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded
in 1934. After fighting years of depression and us then, but that's no matter- tomorrow we will run
alcoholism, Fitzgerald suffered a tragic heart attack faster, stretch out our arms farther.And one fine
on December 12, 1940 causing him his life, and moment- So we beat on, boats against the current,
never allowing him to never finish the last novel he borne back ceaselessly into the past. (Ch.9)
would write The Love of the Last Tycoon.
Historical Context
The Great Gatsby was written and published in the
1920s. The book takes place in Long Island, New
York which is notorious for the famous and wealthy
to take Myrtle out of Long Island because of her lifestyle. This time period was very significant
affair she was hiding, and he had also just learned because WW1 had just taken place, and the author
about his own wife's affair. Tom is livid and even himself took part in fighting in the war. The nation
gives Daisy the ultimatum of himself or Gatsby and was scared, falling apart, and in no aspect was it in Add Work Cited Here:
she chooses Tom. They all start heading back to a good place during this time, until the famous "F. Scott Fitzgerald." Biography.com. A&E Networks
the city, distraught and mad when Nick, Jordan, and Roaring Twenties had hit. Many trends socially, Television, 22 Feb. 2017. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.
Tom find Myrtle dead, caught in a hit-and-run by economically, and culturally were coming to life,
Gatsbys car. Everybody is certain that Gatsby was and the economy was at an all-time high. Gatsby is
responsible for Myrtles death, but Nick soon finds a perfect example of this economic boom, living a "The Time Period of The Great Gatsby - Video &
out that it was actually Daisy who was driving the lavish and extravagant lifestyle. Many things in Lesson Transcript." Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09
car and ran over Myrtle, but Gatsby takes the society were changing like the perspective of Mar. 2017.
blame. Tom tells Mr. Wilson that it was Gatsby who women and how much they were capable of.
killed Myrtle and he goes to Gatsbys house and Although they were earning equality, The Great
shoots and kills him, and then himself right after. Gatsby still shows the side of how misogynistic Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The great Gatsby. London:
Nick has a small funeral for Gatsby, as none of his society still was. Society was becoming more Penguin , 2000. Print.
friends or old sports come, trying to brush off his risque, taking chances, and pushing the
fatality and not paying much attention to it. Nick boundaries. Ultimately, this story shows the
decides to move back to his home in the Midwest, struggles of love, living in the Roaring Twenties and
also leaving behind Jordan. He is desperate to trying to find the American Dream.
leave the ugly, shallow lifestyle of the people on the
East Coast consumed by money and power. Before
he leaves, he takes one last stop at Gatsbys house
and reflects as he looks across the bay into the
green light. Is it here where he finds the revelation
of how corrupted we all are. Gatsby was killed for it,
but everybody has those same characteristics of
him inside, dreaming to turn our dreams to a reality
and being successful. Just as Gatsbys
relationship with Daisy was corrupted with money
and pride, the whole idea of being happy,and living
the life of the American Dream is corrupted by the
continual hunger of wealth and power. Just as
Gatsby is dead, Nick realizes the pure idea of the
American dream is also deceased, killed by the
greediness of men.
 Character Analysis
Nick Carraway: Narrator of the story who is the only
person who isnt totally consumed by the lavish
lifestyle of the West Egg. Grew up in Midwest,
fought in WW1, and is a true and honest person.
He befriends Gatsby and his only true friend, helps
him find his one true love, and is the only person
who stays with him until the end.
Jay Gatsby: Protagonist in the story whose
newfound wealth and popularity allows him to make
a big come up from his background of poverty.
Madly in love with Daisy Buchanan and is chasing
after her and his convoluted American Dream which
eventually gets him killed.
Daisy Buchanan: Married to Tom Buchanan who
provides her a privileged and elite lifestyle. The one
true thing Gatsby chases after. Is very controlled by
her husband, and is beautiful yet materialistic and
superficial.
Tom Buchanan: Daisy's husband who is very mean
and controlling. Has lots of influence, money, and
power. Continually having affairs (w/ Myrtle Wilson).
Jordan Baker: Professional golfer who is friends
with Daisy. Has a relationship with Nick Carraway.
Men often chase after her, and like many of the
wealthy women of that time are shallow &
materialistic.
George Wilson: Myrtle's husband who runs a
garage and gas station, not having much wealth or
power. Responsible for Gatsby's death.
Myrtle Wilson: Married to George Wilson but is
having an affair with Tom Buchanan. Changes
vastly as she gains social class and goes in the
realm of the elite class being with Tom. Gets killed
by Daisy in a hit-and-run.
Themes
- Losing hope in the American Dream:
After the death of Gatsby, Nick realizes that
the great American dream that everybody
hopes to reach one day isnt what it is really
perceived as. Everybody wants to be
successful and happy, making their dreams
a reality but Nick comes to the realization
that most of that dream is based on having
wealth and power, having a whole dream
solely based on money. Just like how
Gatsby died with his dream unfulfilled of
having Daisy his, the hope of the American
dream slowly fell out of reach.
- Shallowness of Elite and Upper
Class: Nick is an outsider looking in and has
a different perspective of things, so he sees
firsthand how materialistic and money
hungry people in the upper class. Many
times they compromise their values and
don't follow their conscience because they
are so concerned about how they should be
acting and staying in the realm of the elite.
So many people were mistreated trying to fit
in the social class and being oblivious to
doing what was right. Many of the things
that would be considered unacceptable
were simply overlooked. For example, the
deaths of Myrtle and Gatsby were kept fairly
low-key and even for Gatsbys funeral
nobody cared to show respect and attend.
- Inequality of women: The book took
place in the 1920s, a time where women
were earning more rights but by no means
did they have the same equality as men.
Many times throughout the book it can be
seen that the women are put in very
degrading situations from Tom breaking
Myrtles nose to Tom having complete
control over Daisy and thinking it's fine to be
having affairs and not being quiet about it
either. Many women were breaking many
barriers but there was certainly a fine line
Motifs and Symbols
Motifs: geography,weather, money
1. Geography: The West Egg as well
as the East Egg, Midwest, and New York
City all represent things of the 1920s. For
example the West Egg represents the new
fortune and social class of the roaring 20s.
2. Weather: The weather correlates to
the emotions in the story. For example when
Gatsby and Daisy are finally being
reunited,they are very nervous and scared,
and it starts pouring rain. As they become
closer and their live grows for each other,
the sun comes out and it begins to be sunny
again.
3. Money: From Gatsbys huge house
parties to the carelessness of spending
money, money is constantly being thrown
around spent without a concern. Although
money is the most important thing to the
elite social class, they have too much of if to
appreciate what they truly obtain.
Symbols: The green light, The Valley of Ashes
1. The green light: Located at Daisys
dock and visible from Gatsbys lawn, ever
since chapter one Gatsby is seen trying to
reach the light, a symbol for his dream of
one day earning Daisy and the American
dream.
2. The Valley of Ashes: place between
the West Egg and New York representing
the Lower and poor class of society.
from the two genders.