# Book Candy: The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald

## Plot Summary

In the spring of 1922, Nick Carraway, a veteran of World War I and a Yale graduate, relocates from the Midwest to West Egg, Long Island, to pursue a career in the bond business. He finds himself living in a modest "weather-beaten cardboard bungalow" next to the extravagant mansion of the enigmatic Jay Gatsby. Nick's journey into the opulent world of the East begins with a visit to his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her brutish husband, Tom, at their East Egg estate. It is here that he meets the cynical golfer Jordan Baker and becomes entangled in Tom's affair with Myrtle Wilson.

As the narrative unfolds, Nick receives a rare invitation to one of Gatsby's lavish parties, which are frequented by uninvited guests drawn to the spectacle of wealth. The story takes a pivotal turn when Gatsby enlists Jordan to arrange a tea for him and Daisy, rekindling a romance that began in Louisville in 1917. Gatsby's life becomes a carefully orchestrated performance aimed at winning Daisy back, as he believes he can recreate the past.

However, the dream begins to unravel on a sweltering day at the Plaza Hotel, where Tom exposes Gatsby's dubious business dealings, shattering the illusion of Gatsby's social standing. In a tragic turn of events, Daisy, driving Gatsby's yellow car, accidentally kills Myrtle Wilson. Gatsby, determined to protect Daisy, takes the blame. This leads to a devastating conclusion: George Wilson, misled by Tom, murders Gatsby before taking his own life. Nick is left to oversee Gatsby's sparse funeral, as the careless elite of East Egg retreat into their wealth, indifferent to the consequences of their actions.

## Main Characters

- **Nick Carraway:** The "honest" narrator who prides himself on withholding judgment, yet his narrative is rife with personal biases. He is drawn into the decadence of the East and struggles with his complicity in the moral decay surrounding him.
  
- **Jay Gatsby (James Gatz):** The self-made "Son of God," whose life is a manifestation of his idealized self. Gatsby's singular motivation is to reclaim Daisy, representing the unattainable beauty and wealth he desires. His romantic idealism blinds him to the realities of time and social class.

- **Daisy Buchanan:** The "Golden Girl" whose voice is "full of money." Daisy's primary concern is maintaining her social status and security. Her superficiality and inability to commit lead to tragic consequences for those around her.

- **Tom Buchanan:** The brutish embodiment of "Old Money," characterized by his physical dominance and moral malice. Tom's motivations revolve around power and control, particularly over women, and his arrogance blinds him to the suffering he causes.

- **Jordan Baker:** The "incurably dishonest" professional golfer who navigates life with a veneer of skepticism. Her motivations stem from self-preservation, leading to a reckless disregard for the consequences of her actions.

- **George and Myrtle Wilson:** The "ashen" victims of the American Dream. George, a spiritless mechanic, is trapped in a loveless marriage, while Myrtle, driven by a desire for a better life, seeks escape from her bleak existence in the Valley of Ashes.

## Themes

1. **Class and Social Stratification:** Fitzgerald critiques the myth of the American Dream, illustrating how the divide between "Old Money" and "New Money" is insurmountable. Despite Gatsby's wealth, he remains a "Mr. Nobody from Nowhere" to the Buchanans, highlighting the entrenched nature of social hierarchies.

2. **Illusion vs. Reality:** Gatsby's life is a façade built on hope and illusion. The defunct mantelpiece clock he nearly breaks during his reunion with Daisy symbolizes his desperate attempt to halt time and reclaim a lost past.

3. **The Morality of Carelessness:** The novel serves as a scathing indictment of the wealthy elite, who "smash up things and creatures" without accountability. This carelessness ultimately suffocates the dreams of those like Gatsby, who strive for a better life.

## Key Symbols

| Symbol | Narrative Significance |
| :--- | :--- |
| **The Green Light** | Represents Gatsby's unattainable dreams and the chasm between his current life and his past with Daisy. |
| **The Valley of Ashes** | A grim landscape symbolizing the moral and social decay resulting from the pursuit of wealth. |
| **The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg** | The "giant" blue eyes on a billboard that loom over the wasteland, interpreted by George Wilson as a representation of divine judgment amidst the corruption of society. |
| **Gatsby’s Library** | Filled with "real" books but with uncut pages, symbolizing the façade of Gatsby's life—a carefully constructed illusion that lacks true substance. |

## Important Questions

1. Given Nick’s assertion that "reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope," how does his eventual disdain for Gatsby’s guests affect his reliability as a narrator?
2. Does Gatsby's obsession with Daisy render her irrelevant to his dream, or is she the only one capable of sustaining it?
3. Daisy's admission, "I did love him once—but I loved you too," raises questions about her honesty. Is this a moment of genuine transparency or a reflection of her careless nature?
4. How do the grotesque details of Meyer Wolfshiem’s business practices reveal the underlying corruption of Gatsby’s "romantic readiness"?
5. Is Gatsby's death a tragic accident or an inevitable consequence of a class system that sacrifices individuals to protect the elite?

## Modern Relevance

Fitzgerald's exploration of identity and the performance of self remains strikingly relevant today. Gatsby's transformation from James Gatz into a self-invented persona reflects contemporary obsessions with curated identities and the belief in self-creation through wealth. The novel's critique of class disparity resonates in a world where social mobility is often an illusion, and the desperation of the "young clerks" echoes in the lives of those still striving for a better future.

Moreover, Fitzgerald's portrayal of the "foul dust" that accompanies dreams tied to consumerism serves as a cautionary tale. When wealth becomes the measure of worth, the human spirit risks commodification. The narrative compels us to reflect on the moral decay that can arise when the pursuit of the American Dream is corrupted by materialism.

## Discussion Prompts

- **The Honesty Paradox:** Nick claims to be "one of the few honest people" he has known, yet he facilitates Gatsby’s affair and conceals the truth about the accident. Can we trust a narrator who is so deeply enmeshed in the events he recounts?
  
- **The Objectification of Daisy:** Does Gatsby truly love Daisy, or does he love the idea of her? Is she a person to him, or merely an "enchanted object" representing his dreams?

- **The Hierarchy of Carelessness:** While Daisy is responsible for Myrtle's death, it is Tom who manipulates George Wilson. Who bears the ultimate responsibility for the tragic events that unfold?

- **The Beautiful Fool:** Analyze Daisy's statement, "I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." Is this a cynical defense mechanism or a genuine wish for her daughter's survival?

## Cheat Sheet

- **Setting:** West Egg (New Money), East Egg (Old Money), the Valley of Ashes, and New York City, 1922.
- **Key Conflict:** Gatsby's pursuit to "repeat the past" clashes with the harsh realities of social class and Tom Buchanan's possessiveness.
- **The Murder-Suicide:** George Wilson, manipulated by Tom, kills Gatsby and then himself.
- **The "Principal Witness":** Michaelis, the young Greek who provides an objective account of Myrtle’s death and Wilson’s descent into madness.
- **The "Boarder":** Klipspringer, who prioritizes his own interests over Gatsby’s funeral.
- **The Fixer:** Meyer Wolfshiem, who orchestrates Gatsby's illicit dealings and embodies the corruption of the American Dream.
- **The "Death Car":** A yellow car driven by Daisy, symbolizing the perilous intersection of wealth and carelessness.