PlotOverview

AbouttheAuthor

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.

F.ScottKeyFitzgeraldwasbornin
MinnesotaonSeptember24,1896.After
studyinginPrincetonhedroppedouttojoin
thearmy,wherehemethiswife.Heis
mostlyknownforwriting
TheGreatGatsby
,
aswellas
TenderistheNight
andmany
others.
TheGreatGatsby
waswrittenin
FrancewhileFitzgeraldwaslookingfora
newscenery.Manyofhisbookswerebased
andwhenontheJazzAge.Hewasmajorly
recognizedafterhisdeathonDecember
21,1940.

NovelNotes

TheGreatGatsby

F.ScottFitzgerald

TamiyaDavis

April1,2016

EssentialQuotes

HistoricalContext

Includeinformationonthetimeperiod,social,
economical,cultural,andothersignificant
influencesthatcharacterizethisnovel.

The

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

Addtwoquotesthatcapturetheessenceofthe
novel.Besuretocitethequotationsproperly.

Letuslearntoshowourfriendshipforaman
whenheisaliveandnotafterheisdead
(Fitzgerald131).

Iwaswithinandwithout,simultaneously
enchantedandrepelledbytheinexhaustible
varietyoflife(29).

AddWorkCitedHere:(googlehowtodothis)

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

Themes

Identifyandanalyzesomeofthesignificantthemes
inthenovel.

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.

MotifsandSymbols

Identifyandinterpretsomeofthemajormotifsand
symbolsinthenovel.

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

GreenLight:
Inthestory,thegreenlightis
placedattheendofdaisysdock.The
greenlightrepresentsthedreamsGatsbytries
toachieveinhislife.Inthebeginningofthe
story,Gatsbyisdescribedtobereachingout
tothegreenlight,tryingtoreach
Daisy.Laterinthebook,Nickdescribesthe
greenlightasAmericaseenfromtheocean
bythecolonizers.

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

andcommentontheeventinsteadoftakingover.In
theendhechosetomovebackhomeforaquieter
life.

representstheunfortunatesituationthe
poorisputinbylivingamongtheashes,like
GeorgeWilson.