REVIEW OF

THE GREAT GATSBY

Chapter I: Introduction to the Writer

Chapter II: Context and Setting

Chapter III: Character Sketch

Chapter IV: Summary

Chapter V: Conclusion

Chapter VI: Themes

Chapter VIII: Symbols

Chapter IX: Lessons learned from the book

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940), was one of the

most brilliant writers of the twentieth century. He was raised in New York after being born into a

middle-class family in St. Paul, Minnesota. His first article was published in his school

newspaper when he was 13 years old. He composed musicals and other works of literature

throughout his time at Princeton. His academics worsened as a result of his dedication to writing,

and he had to quit college and join the army. He met his wife Zelda while in the service in 1917,

but she couldn't commit to him until she knew he could financially support her. Fitzgerald was

released from the service in 1919 and moved to New York. Fitzgerald's debut novel, This Side of

Paradise (1920), was a cultural phenomenon that secured his status as one of the decade's most

famous writers . A week later, he asked Zelda to marry him and they eventually had a kid. His

second masterpiece, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him even farther into the

creative elite. His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received largely good reviews but was a

commercial flop, selling less than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its rocky start, The

Great Gatsby has now earned great praise, with some even dubbing it the "Great American

Novel. Fitzgerald resorted to Hollywood, creating and editing scripts, while he struggled

financially owing to the decline in popularity of his books during the Great Depression. He died

of a heart attack at the age of 44 in 1940. Fitzgerald's unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon

(1941), was completed and published after his death by his friend Edmund Wilson.
Context and setting

It takes place during the Jazz Age in 1922 on prosperous Long Island. The Jazz Age lasted from

just after World War I to the stock market crash of 1929. America underwent a period of

economic growth and development. In terms of politics, the country achieved significant strides

in the field of women's empowerment. Women had gained economic independence throughout

the war by filling in for males serving overseas. They sought financial independence and a more

liberated lifestyle after the war.

The setting of The Great Gatsby is crucial because it reveals a lot about the characters that live

there. The narrative is set in four key locations: East Egg, West Egg, Valley of Ashes, and New

York City. Nick and Gatsby reside in the West Egg, which is considered home to the newly

wealthy. East egg, on the other hand, is a place for old aristocratic families that are already

wealthy . Daisy and Tom Buchanan are from the east coast. The valley of the ashes is where

poor people like Wilson and Myrtle reside and are victims of the elite, as shown towards the

climax of the novel. New York, on the other hand, represents what America had become in the

1920s, a place where everything goes and business is conducted, where bootleggers and crime

thrive.
Character sketch

1. Nick Carraway

He is a Yale University graduate from the Midwest and the narrator of the story. He also served

during World War I. Nick is Gatsby's neighbour, Daisy’s second cousin and also the love interest

of Daisy's childhood friend , Jordan Baker. He is luminous, intelligent and honest. He chooses to

migrate from the Midwest to Newyork and works as a bond salesman. He is a trustworthy friend

and confidante for people who have dark secrets. He is tolerant, open-minded, and an excellent

listener. He is always torn between the benefits and drawbacks of living in the city. On one hand,

he is drawn to New York City's fast-paced, luxurious, and fun-oriented lifestyle, yet on the other

hand, he claims that living in the city has a "quality of distortion." He ultimately returns to the

Midwest after witnessing the tragic sight of Gatsby's funeral.

2. Jay Gatsby

He is the story's protagonist and the title character. He is a personification of the American

Dream. He is portrayed as an enigmatic and mysterious self-made millionaire who throws lavish

parties every Saturday night. He was born James Gatz and subsequently changed his name to

Jay Gatsby. He keeps his roots hidden and only shows the world what he wants them to see,

which leads to conjecture and rumours. His whole emphasis is on accumulating riches, power,

and reputation to be worthy of Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby's ideal, like the persona he built, was

false and ephemeral, resulting in his demise. He embodies both the finest and worst aspects of

the American Dream.

She is a beautiful young debutante and socialite from Louisville who comes from a wealthy

family. She is Nick's second cousin, the wife of Tom Buchanan, and the love interest of Gatsby.

Daisy is a selfish, shallow, and self-absorbed woman despite her beauty and charisma, which

comes to light towards the conclusion of the novel when she kills Myrtle Wilson and flees the

scene, chooses Tom over Gatsby and fails to attend Gatsby's funeral. Daisy was inspired by

Fitzgerald's lifelong obsession with Ginerva King and his affection for her.

4. Tom Buchanan

He is Daisy's extremely affluent husband, who is powerfully built and comes from a socially

strong old family from East Egg. Physically he is big, muscled exuding an aura of aggression and

menace. His social ideas are tainted with racism and sexism and he never considers trying to live

up to the moral standard he holds others to. He has no moral qualms about his extramarital

romance with Myrtle, but he becomes enraged and pushes a confrontation when he suspects

Daisy and Gatsby of having an affair. To disguise his misdeeds, he manipulates events and

people. He depicts the wealthy and powerful looking down on the poor.

5. Jordan Baker

She is Daisy's childhood friend and a rich professional golf player with a caustic streak and an

aloof demeanour. For most of the novel, she is Nick Carraway's girlfriend, however, they grow

apart towards the end. She has a dubious reputation as a result of accusations that she cheated in

a competition, which affected her social and golfing reputations.

She is George's wife and Tom Buchanan's mistress. Myrtle, who exudes a fiery vitality, is

anxious to rise above her low social standing and dislikes her husband because he is

impoverished. She is one of the novel’s tragic characters. At the start of the novel, she is

imprisoned in the symbolic cage of her social class and her dismal marriage. Halfway through

the story, the symbolic cage becomes a literal one as her husband suspects that she is cheating on

him and locks her in their apartments above the garage. This circumstance intensifies her desire

to flee, leading to her death in Chapter 7 when she erroneously believes Tom is still driving the

car and chases it down.

7. George B. Wilson

He is a mechanic and owner of Wilson's garage. His wife, Myrtle Wilson, dislikes him due to his

low social and economic status, as does Tom Buchanan, who characterizes him as "so stupid he

doesn't realize he's alive." George murders Gatsby at the end of the novel, mistaking him for the

driver of the vehicle that killed Myrtle, and then kills himself.
Summary

This novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, a Yale University graduate from the Midwest who has

moved to New York after World War 1. The Great Gatsby opens with Nick Carraway, offering

us his father's admonition not to criticize others. He narrates the story of his next-door neighbour,

Jay Gatsby, with a sequence of flashbacks.

As soon as Nick arrives in the Midwest, he pays a visit to his second cousin Daisy Buchanan and

her husband, Tom Buchanan. He meets Jordan Baker there, and she immediately becomes Nick's

romantic interest. Jordan Baker informs him about Tom's adulterous romance with Myrtle

Wilson. The Buchanans dwell in the East Egg, whereas Nick lives in the West Egg. Mr Jay

Gatsby, a wealthy and mysterious man who owns a massive home next door to Nick is

mentioned soon after in the story.

Tom takes Nick to the city and he meets Tom’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson. She is married to

George Wilson, a docile, working-class guy who runs an auto shop and is blissfully unaware of

his wife's adulterous affairs. Back on West Egg, Gatsby is known for holding expensive parties

every week that are open to the public. At one of his large Saturday night events, Nick meets and

cautiously befriends the mystery man. He also begins to spend time with Jordan, and the two

begin to date.

Moving on, Gatsby brings Nick to Meyer Wolfsheim, his "business partner." Gatsby then tells

Nick about his love affair with Daisy before he went to war and she married Tom. Gatsby is
desperate to reunite with Daisy, so he asks Nick for a favour. He wants Nick to invite Daisy over

for tea and stage an accidental run-in with him.

Nick carries out the plan, and Gatsby and Daisy reconcile and begin an affair. Everything goes

well until Tom meets Gatsby, dislikes him, and starts looking into his shady business affairs.

Nick, on the other hand, is well aware of the situation: Gatsby was born in a poor, illiterate

household until he met the wealthy and elderly Dan Cody, who served as his mentor.

In the city, a major fight breaks out between Tom and Gatsby about who gets to be with Daisy;

in short, Gatsby is exposed as a bootlegger, and Daisy is unable to abandon her husband.

Everyone is presumably in a foul mood as they go home, and Tom's mistress, Myrtle, is hit and

killed by the car in which Gatsby and Daisy are riding. Gatsby admits to Nick that Daisy was

behind the wheel, but that he will bear the brunt of the blame. In the meantime, Tom tricks

Myrtle's husband, George, by informing him that Gatsby was driving the car. George

assassinates Gatsby and then kills himself. Daisy and Tom flee, leaving their shambles behind.

Conclusion

Nick arranges Gatsby's funeral, which is only attended by Gatsby’s father, a few of his servants

and a man called 'Owl-eyes'. Nick realises how damaging the East is for him, and he resolves to

return home. Before departing, he takes one more look at Gatsby's mansion, reminiscing how it

used to be during Gatsby’s parties.

1. The American Dream

The American Dream is one of the major themes in The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby's life

exemplifies the American Dream, since he starts as a poor farm lad who changes his name and

reinvents himself to become wealthy and successful, at least monetarily. Dan Cody, Gatsby's

mentor, was the ultimate self-made guy who mentored Gatsby throughout his formative years.

When Gatsby realized he couldn't win Daisy's heart, he embarked on a quest for the American

Dream.

2. Class

Gatsby’s entry into a lavish lifestyle comes, of course, from "new money," since he is a self-

made guy. Even if he lives a luxurious life and interacts with individuals who have been wealthy

their whole lives, he will never fully belong to the "old money" class. Gatsby may be able to

keep up with them, but he will never be one of them. Those who come from riches continue to

look down on Jay and others with "new" money, even as they, at least on the surface, make room

in their lives for newcomers to the lavish social scene.

3. Dissatisfaction

Jay Gatsby was unsatisfied with his success even after obtaining a version of the American

Dream and enjoying the lifestyle he desired ever since he was a little kid. Despite everything he

had done and achieved, Gatsby yearns for something he can't have. He achieves one milestone or
objective only to discover that there is always another level to conquer, leading to a point where

further progress is elusive or unattainable.

4. Love and Marriage

We can see how love and marriage are intertwined with society and class, as well as

dissatisfaction, throughout the story. Daisy and Gatsby had an affair earlier in life, but when it

was time for marriage, she picked someone from her social status (Tom Buchanan) instead of

Gatsby. Marriage is portrayed negatively in the story. Daisy is aware of her husband’s infidelity

and his extramarital affairs but she chooses to turn a blind eye to it and stay with him just for the

luxury and social status.

5. Power

Power is an important theme in The Great Gatsby. Daisy stays with Tom because of his

influence over her, despite his adultery and awareness of Gatsby's affections for her. Daisy's

social standing is inextricably linked to her position as Tom Buchanan's wife. Daisy is more

concerned with her social status and reputation than with Gatsby or even with herself. Tom is

well aware of his authority, which he cherishes since it allows him to command not just Daisy

but also Gatsby. Tom likes the concept of Gatsby wanting Daisy but not being able to have her.
Symbols

1. Jay Gatsby:

The protagonist himself is the personification of the American Dream. He begins by attempting

to emulate the American concept of prosperity to win Daisy, his childhood sweetheart. But what

began as a straightforward task suddenly devolved into a nightmare. His passion for Daisy drove

him to alter his identity and go to any length to get riches and prestige. This illustrates how the

American Dream, which began with noble intentions, was finally corrupted in the 1920s. His

death at the end of the novel represents the death of the American dream, a concept that was

once widely cherished by people.

2. The Green Light:

There are several ways to interpret this. Gatsby reaches out with desire toward the light when it

shines. This is not simply Gatsby's, but everyone's, vision for the future. Everyone was vying for

the richness and magic of the Roaring Twenties, much like Gatsby was vying for Daisy no

matter what. Gatsby's feelings for Daisy are symbolized by the colour green, which is the colour

of greed and passion. It's also the hue of jealousy, which he has for her husband Tom. The colour

green is generally linked with money, and the green light represents Gatsby's belief that fortune

will allow him to reclaim Daisy from Tom.

3. East Egg/West Egg:

East Egg was known to be the residence for people with "old money." These were the folks who

had inherited a large sum of money from their family. They showed aristocracy and refined taste.
The residents of West Egg were known as "New Money." They were people who had just

become wealthy through the Jazz Age's flourishing economy or illicit operations. They were

frequently linked with crassness and pompousness. This is related to the larger issue of East-

West attitudes. The story's location reflects both Eastern and Western views. The West was

frequently perceived as being more sincere and virtuous. The East was seen to be corrupt.

4. Weather:

The weather in different instances contributed to the tone of several scenes. The pouring rain

during Gatsby and Daisy’s reunion adds to the discomfort and awkwardness of their encounter.

The sun begins to come out in the following scene which symbolises the reawakening of their

love. The temperature rise creates a tense environment in the narrative, foreshadowing the

disputes and tragedy that is about to come in the story. The weather was rainy and gloomy on the

day of Gatsby's funeral.

5. Broken Clock:

Although minor, the broken clock in the room when Gatsby and Daisy meet up for the first time

shows how time has stopped for Gatsby. He cannot forget the past, or let go of it, either.
Lessons learned from the book

1. Let go of the past and live in the present

I believe the novel conveys the notion that nothing can be changed about the past (in contrast to

what gatsby said). Gatsby has an insatiable need to live in the past. He wants to return to the

moment when he first saw Daisy, and for time to come to a halt there. We can learn that the past

is a door that should be kept shut. We can recall and love a moment, but we should not attempt to

maintain or recreate it.

2. Money doesn't buy happiness

Money can buy you a lavish existence, but nothing matters when you die. Many people took

advantage of Gatsby's extravagant parties, yet there was not a single person present for his

funeral. What's the purpose of having all the pleasures in the world if you can't have a proper

funeral when you die? Money can purchase worldly items, but it cannot buy genuine friends,

love, or permanent pleasure.

3. Love the person not what they represent

Gatsby was enamoured with the idea of Daisy rather than Daisy herself. He anticipated her to be

the same person he met five years ago and fell in love with. He had spent his whole youth

idolizing that version of Daisy. He spent his whole life trying to be wealthy and worthy of her

love .
 4. Be who you are

To be liked or accepted by someone, we shouldn't have to change who we are or pretend to be

someone else. If someone truly loves us then they’ll accept us for who we are. Gatsby made up a

fake persona in the hopes that Daisy would embrace him. He got outrageously wealthy and

hosted expensive parties to lure Daisy back to his life and have a happily ever after which

ultimately failed in the end

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/g/the-great-gatsby/book-summary

https://reference.yourdictionary.com/books-literature/5-major-themes-great-gatsby

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Great-Gatsby

http://www.clevelandhs.org/ourpages/webdesign4/shrestha/literature.html