The Great Gatsby: Full Book Summary

Overview

• Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Setting: Long Island and New York City, 1920s
• Narrator: Nick Carraway

Main Characters

• Nick Carraway: A young man from Minnesota who moves to New York to learn about the bond business. Lives in West Egg next to Gatsby.
• Jay Gatsby: A mysterious, wealthy man living in a Gothic mansion in West Egg. Known for extravagant parties.
• Daisy Buchanan: Nick's cousin, married to Tom Buchanan. Former lover of Gatsby.
• Tom Buchanan: Wealthy, aggressive, married to Daisy, having an affair with Myrtle.
• Jordan Baker: A friend of Daisy, a professional golfer, and Nick's romantic interest.
• Myrtle Wilson: Tom's lover, married to George Wilson.

Plot Summary

• Nick's Arrival: Nick moves to West Egg, befriends his neighbor Gatsby.
• Dinner at East Egg: Nick visits Daisy and Tom. Learns of Tom's affair with Myrtle.
• Gatsby's Party: Nick attends one of Gatsby's parties, meets him, learns of Gatsby's love for Daisy.
• Reunion: Gatsby hopes to rekindle romance with Daisy. Nick arranges a meeting.
• Affair and Confrontation: Daisy and Gatsby renew their relationship. Tom confronts them in New York, reveals Gatsby's bootlegging.
• Tragic Accident: Daisy accidentally kills Myrtle with Gatsby's car. Gatsby takes the blame.
• Tragic Ending: Myrtle's husband, George, kills Gatsby, then himself.
• Aftermath: Nick holds Gatsby's funeral, ends his relationship with Jordan, and returns to the Midwest.

Themes

• The American Dream: Exploration of its corruption and unattainability.
• Class and Society: Differences between East Egg and West Egg, old money versus new money.
• Love and Desire: Gatsby's idealization of Daisy and the destructive nature of their love.
• Moral Decay: Wealth and excess leading to moral decline.

Symbols

• The Green Light: Represents Gatsby's unreachable dream of reuniting with Daisy.
• The Valley of Ashes: Symbolizes moral and social decay resulting from uninhibited pursuit of wealth.
• The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg: Symbol of the loss of spiritual values in America.

Conclusion

Nick reflects on the futility of Gatsby's dream and the moral decay of the American Dream, leaving him disillusioned with the East Coast's wealthy society.