THE GREAT GATSY WHOLE TEXT NOTES
Argument of the novel - Fitzgerald is critiquing the greed and immorality of 1920s America
that has corrupted feelings and emotions but then argues that this is part of humanity that is
destructive.
SUMMARY
Chapter 1
Nick starts by describing himself and his father’s teaching to reserve judgement. He then talks about
major events that had happened in his life, such as WW1 (The Great War); his ancestry and living in
the West. He then goes on to describe his decision to move to the East to pursue the bond business
(American dream – going East to make money).
Furthermore, when he arrives in the East, we learn that he is living on one of two eggs (the West
Egg). He lives next to this man call Gatsby. His cousin and her husband live on the other egg (known
as the East Egg). He goes to visit them. He goes to a dinner party at their house, and Jordan Baker is
there as well. Nick finds Tom to be a cruel man, and learns that he has a ‘woman in New York’. Tom
is also vehemently racist. After an awkward dinner party, Jordan goes to bed and Daisy suggests that
they should be romantically involved.
When Gatsby returns home, he sees a man walking and looking toward the green light. He realises
that this is Gatsby.
Chapter 2
The chapter opens up with Nick describing the Valley of Ashes that is between New York and the
Eggs. Tom takes Nick off the train to go to a garage. In this garage lives George and Myrtle Wilson
who are described as lifeless and full of life respectively.
Tom then tells Myrtle to get the next train up to New York so that they can be together. Tom buys a
dog for Myrtle and then they go back to their apartment in New York. They invite the McKees and
Myrtle’s sister over and get really drunk and party. However, the party ends in disaster as Myrtle
starts chanting the name Daisy and Tom punches her, breaking her nose. The women start helping
Myrtle clean up as Mr. McKee and Nick leave and end up by Mr. McKee’s bed late at night in their
underwear.
Chapter 3
This is Gatsby’s party chapter. It begins by describing the extravagance that goes into planning and
creating an event of this size. It shows the vulgarity and the tastelessness of the 1920s. They party is
in full swing with lots of flappers and alcohol. Then Jordan and Nick go the library where they meet
the man with the glasses who sees Gatsby for who he truly is. He talks about the realness of the
books despite the fact that everything else was fake.
Nick then rejoins the party and meets Gatsby for the first time. Gatsby then pulls Jordan away from
the party (which we later learn was to talk about Daisy). As they leave the party there is a car crash,
showing the careless nature of these drivers and people.
Nick then gives us a general update on the status of his time in New York so far, which has been
relatively mundane bar from Gatsby’s party. He also describes his growing relationship with Jordan.
Chapter 4
, Nick describes the people who show up to Gatsby’s party and is scorning towards them as they are
exploiting Gatsby for his parties.
Then Gatsby takes Nick on a car drive in his massive car. He tells Nick the made up version of his life
story and proves it using the medal from Montenegro. Gatsby is also being told to slow down by the
police car and he flashes him a white card and the police leave him alone straight away. Gatsby tells
Nick that he is going to have a meal with Jordan.
Gatsby and Nick have a meal with Wolfshiem in a speakeasy with alcohol! Tom is there and meets
Gatsby briefly but he runs off before there is any proper conversation. Tom is also being hypocritical
as he critiques bootleggers later on but here he is in a speakeasy, which is illegal.
Chapter 5
Nick and Gatsby meet in the garden at 2am and Nick tells Gatsby that he will invite Daisy over. Daisy
comes over and there has been a lot of rain. Gatsby has set the house up for them. It was very
awkward at the start but then Nick leaves and comes back to find them chatting happily with Daisy
having tears from emotional happiness/what could have been.
They then go to Gatsby’s house where Nick third wheels to a new level. Gatsby looks at Daisy to re-
evaluate everything he owns. He then shows her the shirts which cause her to cry. They look out of
the window and make someone play the piano. But it ends with Daisy and Gatsby sitting in their own
little bubble with Nick finally retreating back to his house.
Chapter 6
This tells the true story of Gatsby’s background. Starting from his history of having a family that were
from nowhere and his discovery of Dan Cody. It shows Gatsby being exploited from getting the
money that he deserved – it shows how precarious the status of a person relying on others for their
wealth is. It also shows the exploitation of the poor that is done by the rich.
Gatsby meets some of the old money people on their polo horses and wants to go with them. They
make it very hard for him as he has a car but not a horse showing the difference in status. They end
up leaving him with just Nick and Tom waiting for him to come.
Daisy then comes to the first party of Gatsby’s (with Tom). She is appalled by everything because it is
all new money. Gatsby then talks of his expectations of his relationship with Daisy and his desire to
turn back time and there is a small passage which alternates between the present and the past,
showing the confusion of the time.
Chapter 7
Gatsby has changed all his staff for Daisy and there are no more parties so that she can come over
secretly. Everybody goes over to Daisy and Tom’s to tell Tom that Daisy and Gatsby want to marry.
Gatsby meets Pammy for the first time.
They are at the dinner and Daisy is despairing about what to do because there is a lack of purpose to
her life. Tom realises that Daisy and Gatsby are having an affair and declares that they shall go into
town. Then there is the famous Daisy’s voice is full of money quote. When they (Tom, Nick and
Jordan) fill up at the garage, George tells them that he is moving west and taking his wife there. Tom
is getting stressed because he is losing both his wife and his mistress.
Everyone is at the hotel and they start to have a fight as Tom confronts Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby
needs Daisy to say that she never loved Tom, which she tries to do but Tom is there and she reveals
Argument of the novel - Fitzgerald is critiquing the greed and immorality of 1920s America
that has corrupted feelings and emotions but then argues that this is part of humanity that is
destructive.
SUMMARY
Chapter 1
Nick starts by describing himself and his father’s teaching to reserve judgement. He then talks about
major events that had happened in his life, such as WW1 (The Great War); his ancestry and living in
the West. He then goes on to describe his decision to move to the East to pursue the bond business
(American dream – going East to make money).
Furthermore, when he arrives in the East, we learn that he is living on one of two eggs (the West
Egg). He lives next to this man call Gatsby. His cousin and her husband live on the other egg (known
as the East Egg). He goes to visit them. He goes to a dinner party at their house, and Jordan Baker is
there as well. Nick finds Tom to be a cruel man, and learns that he has a ‘woman in New York’. Tom
is also vehemently racist. After an awkward dinner party, Jordan goes to bed and Daisy suggests that
they should be romantically involved.
When Gatsby returns home, he sees a man walking and looking toward the green light. He realises
that this is Gatsby.
Chapter 2
The chapter opens up with Nick describing the Valley of Ashes that is between New York and the
Eggs. Tom takes Nick off the train to go to a garage. In this garage lives George and Myrtle Wilson
who are described as lifeless and full of life respectively.
Tom then tells Myrtle to get the next train up to New York so that they can be together. Tom buys a
dog for Myrtle and then they go back to their apartment in New York. They invite the McKees and
Myrtle’s sister over and get really drunk and party. However, the party ends in disaster as Myrtle
starts chanting the name Daisy and Tom punches her, breaking her nose. The women start helping
Myrtle clean up as Mr. McKee and Nick leave and end up by Mr. McKee’s bed late at night in their
underwear.
Chapter 3
This is Gatsby’s party chapter. It begins by describing the extravagance that goes into planning and
creating an event of this size. It shows the vulgarity and the tastelessness of the 1920s. They party is
in full swing with lots of flappers and alcohol. Then Jordan and Nick go the library where they meet
the man with the glasses who sees Gatsby for who he truly is. He talks about the realness of the
books despite the fact that everything else was fake.
Nick then rejoins the party and meets Gatsby for the first time. Gatsby then pulls Jordan away from
the party (which we later learn was to talk about Daisy). As they leave the party there is a car crash,
showing the careless nature of these drivers and people.
Nick then gives us a general update on the status of his time in New York so far, which has been
relatively mundane bar from Gatsby’s party. He also describes his growing relationship with Jordan.
Chapter 4
, Nick describes the people who show up to Gatsby’s party and is scorning towards them as they are
exploiting Gatsby for his parties.
Then Gatsby takes Nick on a car drive in his massive car. He tells Nick the made up version of his life
story and proves it using the medal from Montenegro. Gatsby is also being told to slow down by the
police car and he flashes him a white card and the police leave him alone straight away. Gatsby tells
Nick that he is going to have a meal with Jordan.
Gatsby and Nick have a meal with Wolfshiem in a speakeasy with alcohol! Tom is there and meets
Gatsby briefly but he runs off before there is any proper conversation. Tom is also being hypocritical
as he critiques bootleggers later on but here he is in a speakeasy, which is illegal.
Chapter 5
Nick and Gatsby meet in the garden at 2am and Nick tells Gatsby that he will invite Daisy over. Daisy
comes over and there has been a lot of rain. Gatsby has set the house up for them. It was very
awkward at the start but then Nick leaves and comes back to find them chatting happily with Daisy
having tears from emotional happiness/what could have been.
They then go to Gatsby’s house where Nick third wheels to a new level. Gatsby looks at Daisy to re-
evaluate everything he owns. He then shows her the shirts which cause her to cry. They look out of
the window and make someone play the piano. But it ends with Daisy and Gatsby sitting in their own
little bubble with Nick finally retreating back to his house.
Chapter 6
This tells the true story of Gatsby’s background. Starting from his history of having a family that were
from nowhere and his discovery of Dan Cody. It shows Gatsby being exploited from getting the
money that he deserved – it shows how precarious the status of a person relying on others for their
wealth is. It also shows the exploitation of the poor that is done by the rich.
Gatsby meets some of the old money people on their polo horses and wants to go with them. They
make it very hard for him as he has a car but not a horse showing the difference in status. They end
up leaving him with just Nick and Tom waiting for him to come.
Daisy then comes to the first party of Gatsby’s (with Tom). She is appalled by everything because it is
all new money. Gatsby then talks of his expectations of his relationship with Daisy and his desire to
turn back time and there is a small passage which alternates between the present and the past,
showing the confusion of the time.
Chapter 7
Gatsby has changed all his staff for Daisy and there are no more parties so that she can come over
secretly. Everybody goes over to Daisy and Tom’s to tell Tom that Daisy and Gatsby want to marry.
Gatsby meets Pammy for the first time.
They are at the dinner and Daisy is despairing about what to do because there is a lack of purpose to
her life. Tom realises that Daisy and Gatsby are having an affair and declares that they shall go into
town. Then there is the famous Daisy’s voice is full of money quote. When they (Tom, Nick and
Jordan) fill up at the garage, George tells them that he is moving west and taking his wife there. Tom
is getting stressed because he is losing both his wife and his mistress.
Everyone is at the hotel and they start to have a fight as Tom confronts Gatsby and Daisy. Gatsby
needs Daisy to say that she never loved Tom, which she tries to do but Tom is there and she reveals
