Summary
Set in the Roaring Twenties, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby explores the impact of prosperity and societal pressures during an era of dramatic change, exciting possibilities, and rampant corruption. The story focuses on Jay Gatsby, a wealthy individual seeking to rekindle a past romance with the married Daisy Buchanan. Narrator Nick Carraway provides his perspective on the tension between wealth and reality. Through Gatsby’s ultimately tragic story, Fitzgerald addresses themes including love, longing, regret, ambition, and the American Dream.
Plot
In the summer of 1922, Nick Carraway moves to West Egg, Long Island, to start a career as a bond salesman. West Egg is home to many new millionaires, including Jay Gatsby, known for hosting lavish parties. Across the bay, in East Egg, live Tom Buchanan, Nick's former college classmate, and his spouse, Daisy, Nick’s cousin. Their marriage faces strain due to Tom's affair with Myrtle Wilson, a mechanic's wife from the industrial "valley of ashes."
Nick becomes involved with Gatsby, discovering his love for Daisy. Gatsby's wealth aims to reignite a past romance with Daisy. With Nick's help, Gatsby and Daisy resume their relationship. Tom grows suspicious of Gatsby's fortune and motives.
Tensions escalate at the Plaza Hotel when Tom confronts Gatsby about his history and intentions with Daisy. Daisy ultimately chooses to stay with Tom. While driving Gatsby’s car, Daisy accidentally kills Myrtle. Gatsby plans to take responsibility, but George Wilson, misled by Tom, believes Gatsby had an affair with Myrtle and caused her death. Wilson kills Gatsby and then himself.
Following these events, Gatsby’s opulent lifestyle unravels. His funeral is sparsely attended, revealing the superficial nature of his social circle. Disillusioned by the morality of the Eastern elite, Nick returns to the Midwest, reflecting on Gatsby's life and the hollow nature of the American Dream.
Themes
In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald contrasts the pursuit of wealth with the ideals of the American Dream. The novel examines ethical issues linked to ambition and materialism. Gatsby’s focus on acquiring and flouting his fortune to gain Daisy's affection reflects societal preoccupation with opulence and status, often at the expense of achievement and integrity. Gatsby accumulates riches through illegal activities such as bootlegging. This indicates a shift in the American Dream from hard work to corruption. The distinction between East Egg and West Egg illustrates wealth disparities, highlighting tensions between inherited and self-made fortunes. Characters like Tom and Daisy Buchanan act recklessly. This suggests that wealth often enables them to avoid accountability, offering a critical perspective on moral decline in society.
Characters
Jay Gatsby: A self-made millionaire focused on rekindling his past relationship with the married Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby’s extravagant parties and mysterious background represent the opulence and carelessness of the 1920s.
Nick Carraway: The story's narrator. A recent Yale graduate and a native Midwestern, Nick offers an outsider’s perspective and a connection to the West Egg elite through his cousin, Daisy. His insights and moral considerations provide clarity on the indulgent world he enters.
Daisy Buchanan: Nick's cousin and the object of Gatsby’s desires. Daisy embodies superficial allure that hides deep cynicism and materialism. Her decisions reflect a preference for convenience and security over love.
Tom Buchanan: Daisy's husband. Tom represents wealth and arrogance. His aggressive nature and prejudices underscore the harsh reality of the affluent class. He is a major obstacle to Gatsby because of his dominating personality and social status.
Jordan Baker: Daisy's friend and a professional golfer. Jordan embodies the independence of modern women in her era. Her involvement with Nick and her tendency for dishonesty reveal the moral complexity of the time.
Myrtle Wilson: Tom's affair partner. Seeking an escape from her difficult life, Myrtle becomes entangled in the destructive influence of the Buchanans.
George Wilson: Myrtle's husband. George is a mechanic whose grief leads him to violence. He is unaware of the full scope of his wife's infidelity.
Meyer Wolfsheim: Gatsby's questionable associate. Wolfsheim sheds light on the corruption beneath the era's glittering facade.
Dan Cody: A copper magnate and Gatsby's mentor. Cody is crucial in shaping Gatsby's aspirations for wealth and success.
Quick facts
The Great Gatsby initially sold fewer than 20,000 copies and was not successful until after Fitzgerald's death.
The novel experienced a popular revival during WWII when distributed to American soldiers, helping it become an American classic.
Fitzgerald considered several titles for the novel, including “Trimalchio” and “The Gold-Hatted Gatsby,” before choosing The Great Gatsby.
The iconic dust jacket artwork, “Celestial Eyes” by Francis Cugat, was completed before the novel was finished and greatly impressed Fitzgerald.
Daisy Buchanan's character was inspired by both Fitzgerald's youthful love Ginevra King and his wife, Zelda Fitzgerald.
“Old sport,” Jay Gatsby’s favorite phrase, appears 45 times in the book.
The Great Gatsby vividly captures the ethos of the Jazz Age, a term popularized by Fitzgerald himself, showcasing the extravagance and decadence of 1920s America.
Symbolism in the novel prominently includes the green light at the end of Daisy's dock and the Valley of Ashes, reflecting aspiration and societal decay.
The Great Gatsby critiques the American Dream, illustrating its corruption and moral decay in 1920s America.
Gatsby’s associate Meyer Wolfsheim connects the novel to real-life events, specifically the infamous 1919 World Series fix.
The Great Gatsby has inspired numerous adaptations, including films, stage plays, musicals, and a surge of new interpretations since entering the public domain in 2021.
The real-life historic Oheka Castle in New York’s Huntington, Long Island, inspired Gatsby's mansion in Baz Luhrmann's 2013 film adaptation.
Setting
The Great Gatsby reflects the exuberance and complexities of the Jazz Age. Set during the Roaring Twenties, the novel captures a time of rapid economic growth, cultural innovation, and changing social norms. Fitzgerald depicts the era’s extravagance through Jay Gatsby's lavish parties. These illustrate an America full of wealth but empty at its core. Jazz music and speakeasy culture dominate Gatsby's events, showing the influence of Prohibition and bootlegging on his fortune. Characters like Meyer Wolfsheim reflect the intertwining of high society and crime, based on figures from that period. The novel explores gender roles and class distinctions as characters like Daisy Buchanan navigate evolving women's rights often hindered by traditional power dynamics. Fitzgerald encapsulates the spirit of the 1920s while examining its moral ambiguity and unstable opulence.
Symbolism
The Great Gatsby uses symbolism to explore themes of aspiration and the moral climate of the 1920s:
The green light at Daisy's dock is a central symbol, representing Gatsby’s pursuit of the American Dream and his quest for Daisy. The light remains out of reach, which signifies Gatsby's longing for an irretrievable past. As he approaches Daisy, the light loses its power. This means that his idealized vision crumbles.
The Valley of Ashes represents moral decay. Located between West Egg and New York City, this wasteland results from affluence and industrial waste, symbolizing spiritual desolation in society. It underscores the social divide and the era's disenchantment.
The billboard with Doctor T. J. Eckleburg's eyes. Watching over the Valley of Ashes, this billboard serves as a reminder of moral judgment or divine oversight. To George Wilson, these eyes mean a moral conscience, equating them to the gaze of God. Their presence suggests the lack of true moral guidance, indicating that materialism has replaced spiritual values.
Film adaptations
1926: Shortly after the novel’s release, Herbert Brenon directed a silent film featuring Warner Baxter as Gatsby. Though the original film is lost, it reportedly followed the book's themes and captured the Jazz Age's vibrancy. Fitzgerald was not a fan of the film, and neither was Zelda. Despite this, the film demonstrated the novel's potential for future screen adaptations.
1949: Directed by Elliott Nugent, this version starred Alan Ladd as Gatsby. The film adopted a noir aesthetic but struggled to effectively convey the novel's complex themes.
1974: Jack Clayton directed a film with Robert Redford as Gatsby, using a screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola. While the film was noted for its visual splendor, it received mixed reactions regarding its portrayal of Gatsby's elusive charm. Translating the novel's subtleties to screen posed challenges.
2013: Leonardo DiCaprio starred in this adaptation, directed by Baz Luhrmann, that incorporated modern elements and opulence. While it was praised for its visuals, some critics argued that the emphasis on spectacle overshadowed the novel's nuanced storytelling. Luhrmann focused on symbols like the iconic green light to address themes of the American Dream's unattainability.
About the author
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer best known for his literary works capturing the Jazz Age. He launched his career in 1920 with This Side of Paradise, followed two years later with The Beautiful and the Damned. In 1925, The Great Gatsby established him as a literary icon. His fourth novel, Tender Is the Night, provides insight into his personal struggles, financial and moral, and his troubled relationship with his wife, Zelda, who suffered from schizophrenia. The novel, which took him 15 years to write, received disappointing reviews upon its release in 1934. Today, Tender Is the Night is widely regarded by critics as Fitzgerald’s most accomplished work. His unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon, was completed by his friend, the literary critic Edmund Wilson, and published posthumously in 1941. In addition to his novels, Fitzgerald published four story collections and 164 short stories.
