The Great Gatsby

To properly understand this novel, it is important to familiarize with the background settings in which it was written. The novel is set in the 1920’s, when there was a lot of money to be made, irrespective of the way it was made.  This made two distinct class of rich people. The one in the West Egg is home to the nouveau riche (those who have recently made money and lack an established social position), while neighboring East Egg is home to the insular, narrow-minded denizens of the old aristocracy. The period of 20’s also saw the World War I, which though not central to the Gatsby story, is used as a prop to show the supposed nationalism and removal of class consciousness, but which however, at the end fails to remove the Class distinction so predominant in the Europe and Britain. The novel throws up the double standards that existed in the American dream where dishonesty and immoral activities is considered normal in some class but illegal if done by another class.

A brief of the key characters are important to understand in this novel and they are:

The narrator, Nick Carraway, is Gatsby's neighbor in West Egg. Nick is a young man from a prominent Midwestern family. Educated at Yale, he has come to New York to enter the bond business. The novel in a way is a view, through Nick’s eyes, the events of the summer of 1922 and as such, his impressions and observations necessarily color the narrative as a whole even though the first lesson he learnt from his dad was not to pre judge people when his father told him “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”He has tried to remain impartial, but Gatsby influence on him and his tilt towards him can be felt through out the novel.

Gatsby, the novel's title character and its protagonist is a mysterious and fantastically wealthy young man who lives in his garish Gothic mansion in West Egg that serves as the site of extravagant parties. Born as James Gatz in North Dakota to an impoverished farming family, the novel shows his keen intent from the childhood to chase the American dream of becoming rich and, assuming wrongly, of being accepted in the high class society. The novel shows in various layers his attempt to do that; i) by changing the name to Gatsby, ii) by serving in the Army to become socially acceptable, iii) by acquiring wealth, and iv) finally by taking a huge mansion in West Egg and throwing large parties. Gatsby, comes across as a simple man who hopelessly fell in love with an upper class girl called Daisy, but who ditched him to marry someone with money and class. Though hurt, he took the insult to propel him to generate wealth and be accepted by her rather than taking the passion revenge route which Tom another character takes.

Daisy Buchanan: Daisy is Nick's cousin and Tom's wife, and the woman that Gatsby loves. She had promised to wait for Jay Gatsby until the end of the war, but after meeting Tom Buchanan and comparing his extreme wealth to Gatsby's poverty, she broke her promise. Daisy uses her frailty as an excuse for her extreme immaturity.

Tom Buchanan: A brutal, hulking man, Tom Buchanan is a former Yale football player who, like Daisy, comes from an immensely wealthy Midwestern family. His racism and sexism are symptomatic of his deep insecurity about his elevated social position. Tom is a vicious bully, physically menacing both his wife and his mistress. He is a thorough hypocrite as well: though he condemns his wife for her infidelity, he has no qualms about carrying on an affair himself.

Myrtle Wilson: An earthy, vital, and voluptuous woman, Myrtle is desperate to improve her life. She shares a loveless marriage with George Wilson, a man who runs a shabby garage. She has been having a long-term affair with Tom Buchanan, and is very jealous of his wife, Daisy. After a fight with her husband, she runs out into the street and is hit and killed by Gatsby's car.

George B. Wilson: George is a listless, impoverished man whose only passion is his love for his wife, Myrtle. He is devastated by Myrtle's affair with Tom. After her death, the magnitude of his grief drives Wilson to murder Jay Gatsby before committing suicide himself.

Meyer Wolfsheim: A notorious underworld figure, Wolfsheim is a business associate of Gatsby. He is deeply involved in organized crime, and even claims credit for fixing the 1919 World Series. His character, like Fitzgerald's view of the Roaring Twenties as a whole, is a curious mix of barbarism and refinement (his cuff links are made from human molars). After Gatsby's murder, however, Wolfsheim is one of the few people to express his condolences, but even he fails to attend the funeral.

Owl Eyes: An eccentric, bespectacled man whom Nick meets at one of Gatsby's parties. He is one of the few people to attend Gatsby's funeral.

SUMMARY OF THE GREAT GATSBY

Scott Fitzegerald has conveyed this story through a narrator, Nick Carraway. Nick is a young man from a prominent Midwestern family. Educated at Yale, he has come to New York to enter the bond business. Nick wanted to move away from the slow life to a supposedly different life in the Long Island.

He carries with him an advice, his wealthy father once gave him, that he should not criticize people and which he has been mostly following; however, he admits that this habit often causes him problems, with particular reference to events concerning a man named Gatsby

Upon arriving in New York, Nick visits his cousin, Daisy Buchanan and her husband, Tom. The Buchanans live in the posh Long Island district of East Egg, an area of high social connections, while Nick, like Gatsby, resides in nearby West Egg, a less fashionable area looked down upon by those who live in East Egg. West Egg is home to the nouveau riche, people who lack established social connections, and who tend to vulgarly flaunt their wealth. Like Nick, Tom graduated from Yale, and comes from a privileged Midwestern family and is a former football player, a brutal bully obsessed with the preservation of class boundaries. Daisy, by contrast, is an almost ghostlike young woman who affects an air of sophisticated boredom.

Nick is the next-door neighbor of Jay Gatsby, an extremely wealthy man known for hosting lavish parties in his enormous mansion, where every Saturday, hundreds of people come. Although many of the guests are uninvited, Nick is soon personally invited by a rather formal invitation through one of Gatsby's butlers, and finds himself becoming involved in this party scene, although he states that he despises the entire concept of mindless entertainment. At this party, Nick notices that no one is very sure of who or how Gatsby looks. He locks into a conversation with a stranger in the party only to realize that it is the Great Gatsby.  Nick and Gatsby begin a close friendship.

Nick is initially confused as to why Gatsby throws parties without introducing himself to his guests. Some time later, Gatsby visits Nick's home and invites him to lunch. At this point in the novel, Gatsby's origins are unclear. He claims to come from a wealthy San Francisco family, and says that he was educated at Oxford after serving in the Great War (during which he received a number of decorations). At lunch, Gatsby introduces Nick to his business associate, Meyer Wolfeishiem. Wolfeishiem is a notorious criminal; many believe that he is responsible for fixing the 1919 World Series.

Meanwhile, a friend of Nick, Jordan eventually reveals to Nick that Gatsby was holding these parties in hopes that Daisy, his former love, would visit by chance. Jordan also tells Nick that Tom has been having an affair with Myrtle Wilson a woman who lives in the valley of ashes, ­ an industrial wasteland outside of New York City. Also through Jordan, Gatsby requests Nick to arrange a meeting with Daisy. Nick obliges.

Gatsby has meticulously planned their meeting: he gives Daisy a carefully rehearsed tour of his mansion, and is desperate to exhibit his wealth and possessions. Gatsby is wooden and mannered during this initial meeting; his dearest dreams have been of this moment, and so the actual reunion is bound to disappoint. Despite this, the love between Gatsby and Daisy is revived, and the two begin an affair.

While out horseback riding, Tom Buchanan happens upon Gatsby's mansion. There he meets both Nick and Gatsby, to whom he takes an immediate dislike. To Tom, Gatsby is part of the "new rich," and thus poses a danger to the old order that Tom holds dear. Despite this, he accompanies Daisy to Gatsby's next party; there, he is exceedingly rude and condescending toward Gatsby. Nick realizes that Gatsby wants Daisy to renounce her husband and her marriage; in this way, they can recover the years they have lost since they first parted. Gatsby's great flaw is that his great love of Daisy is a kind of worship, and that he fails to see her flaws. He believes that he can undo the past, and forgets that Daisy's essentially small-minded and cowardly nature was what initially caused their separation.

After his reunion with Daisy, Gatsby ceases to throw his elaborate parties. The only reason he threw such parties was the chance that Daisy (or someone who knew her) might attend. Daisy invites Gatsby, Nick and Jordan to lunch at her house. In an attempt to make Tom jealous, and to exact revenge for his affair, Daisy is highly indiscreet about her relationship with Gatsby. She even tells Gatsby that she loves him while Tom is in earshot.

Although Tom is himself having an affair, he is furious at the thought that his wife could be unfaithful to him.

One day, Tom Buchanan takes Nick into New York, and on the way they stop at the garage owned by George Wilson. Wilson is the husband of Myrtle, with whom Tom has been having an affair. Tom tells Myrtle to join them later in the city.

In the city, Tom takes Nick and Myrtle to the apartment in Morningside Heights at which he maintains his affair. There, they have a lurid party with Myrtle's sister, Catherine and an abrasive couple named McKee. They gossip about Gatsby. The more she drinks, the more aggressive Myrtle becomes; she begins taunting Tom about Daisy, and he reacts by breaking her nose. The party, unsurprisingly, comes to an abrupt end.

Eventually, Nick learns the true story of Gatsby's past. He was born James Gatz in North Dakota, but had his name legally changed at the age of seventeen. The gold baron, Dan served as Gatsby's mentor until his death. Though Gatsby inherited nothing of Cody's fortune, it was from him that Gatsby was first introduced to world of wealth, power, and privilege.

Later one day, Gatsby, Nick, Daisy and Tom meet in a suite at the Plaza Hotel, Tom and Gatsby have a bitter confrontation. Tom denounces Gatsby for his low birth, and reveals to Daisy that Gatsby's fortune has been made through illegal activities. Daisy's real allegiance is to Tom: when Gatsby begs her to say that she does not love her husband, she refuses him. Tom permits Gatsby to drive Daisy back to East Egg; in this way, he displays his contempt for Gatsby, as well as his faith in his wife's complete subjugation. On the trip back to East Egg, Gatsby allows Daisy to drive in order to calm her ragged nerves

Meanwhile, George Wilson is having a fight with his wife Myrtle about the love affair, but does not know who her lover is. During this fight Myrtle rushes out.

Passing Wilson's garage, Daisy swerves to avoid another car and ends up hitting Myrtle who is rushing out; she is killed instantly.

Nick advises Gatsby to leave town until the situation calms. Gatsby, however, refuses to leave; he remains in order to ensure that Daisy is safe. George Wilson, driven nearly mad by the death of his wife, is desperate to find her killer. Tom Buchanan tells him that Gatsby was the driver of the fatal car. Wilson, who has decided that the driver of the car must also have been Myrtle's lover, shoots Gatsby before committing suicide himself.

After the murder, the Buchanans leave town to distance themselves from the violence for which they are responsible. Nick is left to organize Gatsby's funeral, but finds that few people cared for Gatsby. Only Meyer Wolfsheim shows a modicum of grief, and three people attend the funeral. They were Nick, Henry Gatz, the father of Gatsby and Owl eyes a regular visitor to the famous Gatsby parties. From Henry, Nick learns the full scope of Gatsby's visions of greatness and his dreams of self-improvement.

Thoroughly disgusted with life in New York, Nick decides to return to the Midwest. Before his departure, Nick sees Tom Buchanan once more. Tom tries to elicit Nick's sympathy; he believes that all of his actions were thoroughly justified, and he wants Nick to agree.

Nick muses that Gatsby, alone among the people of his acquaintance, strove to transform his dreams into reality; it is this that makes him "great." Nick also believes, however, that the time for such grand aspirations is over: greed and dishonesty have irrevocably corrupted both the American Dream and the dreams of individual Americans.