The Great Gatsby: Summary and Analysis

Chapter 1: Summary

As The Great Gatsby opens, Nick Carraway, the story’s narrator, is seen recalling his upbringing and the lessons his family had taught him. Readers learn of his past, his education, and his sense of moral justice. He also claims to be very tolerant. The story begins when Nick moves from the Midwest to West Egg, Long Island, to become a “well-rounded man.” As he tries to make his way as a bond salesman, he rents a small house next to Gatsby’s mansion.

Nick is different from the others in West Egg; he is a Yale graduate and has connections in East Egg, where the elite live. He drives to East Egg to have dinner with his cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom, a brutish, powerful man, who is arrogant to his family connections. Nick also meets Jordan Baker, the professional golfer and a friend of Daisy’s. The dinner is awkward, and there is not much conversation afterward.

Nick gets home and sees Gatsby for the first time. Gatsby, standing by the waterside, stretches his arms toward the darkness, trembling. This gesture seems odd to Nick because all he can make out is a green light. Soon, Gatsby vanishes.

Chapter 1: Analysis

Fitzgerald opens his novel by introducing Nick Carraway, the story’s narrator. The reader learns that the story has taken place at some point in the past and Nick is retelling it. Time has granted Nick the distance needed to be able to recount the story, though Nick’s view isn’t entirely objective..

To lend credibility to the narrator, Ftizgerald introduces us to him even before he introduces Gatsby. Nick’s background and middle-class values are discussed. We learn that he is impartial and has a sense of good judgment. He has graduated from Yale and has moved to New York to become a bond salesman.

The story’s first adventure is Nick’s visit to his cousin Daisy’s place in East Egg. The visit not only introduces the other characters crucial to the plotline but also presents themes that will be developed in various ways throughout the novel. Their conversation highlights the superficialities that pervade the upper classes.

Toward the end, we are introduced to Gatsby, but not in any significant way.