The Great Gatsby Chapter
Summaries with Complete
Solutions
Chapter 1 - ANSWER - In Chapter 1, the reader is introduced to the narrator Nick
Carraway, a young man from Minnesota. He states that he learned from his father to
reserve judgement about other people. Nick moves to New York to work in the bond
business, and rented a house in West Egg. One night, he drives to East Egg to have
dinner with his cousin Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan. Daisy lounges on a
couch with her friend Jordan Baker, a competitive golfer. There is an awkward
dinner, where Nick finds out that Tom is having an affair. When Nick arrives home
aftwewards, he sees Gatsby for the first time, reaching out toward the dark water.
Nick looks out at the water and sees a green light at the end of the dock.
Chapter 2 - ANSWER - In chapter 2, Nick reveals the Valley of Ashes, a gray valley
where New York's ashes are dumped. The train that runs between West Egg and
New York passes through the valley. One day, as Nick and Tom are riding the train
into the city, Tom forces Nick to follow him out of the train, leading Nick to George
Wilson's garage, which sits on the edge of the valley of ashes. Tom's lover Myrtle is
Wilson's wife. Tom takes Nick and Myrtle to New York City. They have an impromptu
party with Myrtle's sister, Catherine, and a couple named McKee. Catherine tells
Nick that she has heard that Jay Gatsby is the nephew or cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm,
the ruler of Germany during World War I. Tom sternly warns Myrtle never to mention
his wife. Myrtle begins chanting Daisy's name. Tom breaks her nose. Nick leaves,
drunkenly, with Mr. McKee, and takes the 4am train back to Long Island.
Chapter 3 - ANSWER - In Chapter 3, the reader learns that Gatsby throws elaborate
parties every weekend. One day, Gatsby's chauffeur brings Nick an invitation to one
of these parties. Guests mill around exchanging rumours about their host. Nick runs
into Jordan Baker, whose friend, Lucille, speculates that Gatsby was a German spy
during the war. Nick also hears that Gatsby is a graduate of Oxford and that he once
killed a man in cold blood. Nick and Jordan, curious about their host, set out to find
Gatsby. Instead, they run into a middle-aged man with huge, owl-eyed spectacles,
who sits poring over the unread books in Gatsby's library. The pair sit down and
meet Gatsby. Later on, a butler tells Jordan that Gatsby would like to see her. Jordan
emerges from her meeting with Gatsby saying that she has just heard something
extraordinary. Nick begins a relationship with Jordan.
Summaries with Complete
Solutions
Chapter 1 - ANSWER - In Chapter 1, the reader is introduced to the narrator Nick
Carraway, a young man from Minnesota. He states that he learned from his father to
reserve judgement about other people. Nick moves to New York to work in the bond
business, and rented a house in West Egg. One night, he drives to East Egg to have
dinner with his cousin Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan. Daisy lounges on a
couch with her friend Jordan Baker, a competitive golfer. There is an awkward
dinner, where Nick finds out that Tom is having an affair. When Nick arrives home
aftwewards, he sees Gatsby for the first time, reaching out toward the dark water.
Nick looks out at the water and sees a green light at the end of the dock.
Chapter 2 - ANSWER - In chapter 2, Nick reveals the Valley of Ashes, a gray valley
where New York's ashes are dumped. The train that runs between West Egg and
New York passes through the valley. One day, as Nick and Tom are riding the train
into the city, Tom forces Nick to follow him out of the train, leading Nick to George
Wilson's garage, which sits on the edge of the valley of ashes. Tom's lover Myrtle is
Wilson's wife. Tom takes Nick and Myrtle to New York City. They have an impromptu
party with Myrtle's sister, Catherine, and a couple named McKee. Catherine tells
Nick that she has heard that Jay Gatsby is the nephew or cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm,
the ruler of Germany during World War I. Tom sternly warns Myrtle never to mention
his wife. Myrtle begins chanting Daisy's name. Tom breaks her nose. Nick leaves,
drunkenly, with Mr. McKee, and takes the 4am train back to Long Island.
Chapter 3 - ANSWER - In Chapter 3, the reader learns that Gatsby throws elaborate
parties every weekend. One day, Gatsby's chauffeur brings Nick an invitation to one
of these parties. Guests mill around exchanging rumours about their host. Nick runs
into Jordan Baker, whose friend, Lucille, speculates that Gatsby was a German spy
during the war. Nick also hears that Gatsby is a graduate of Oxford and that he once
killed a man in cold blood. Nick and Jordan, curious about their host, set out to find
Gatsby. Instead, they run into a middle-aged man with huge, owl-eyed spectacles,
who sits poring over the unread books in Gatsby's library. The pair sit down and
meet Gatsby. Later on, a butler tells Jordan that Gatsby would like to see her. Jordan
emerges from her meeting with Gatsby saying that she has just heard something
extraordinary. Nick begins a relationship with Jordan.
