PlotOverview

In
TheGreatGatsby,
F.ScottFitzgerald
capturestheroaring20sbycapturingthe
differencebetweenthetruthandimagination.
NickCarraway,thenarrator,tellsthestory
throughhispointofviewandthatcausesthe
readerstocapturethetruthandwhatcouldbe
seenasimagined.AsCarrawayproceedsto
sharethestory,hemeetsJayGatsbyandthey
proceedtobecomegreatfriends.Asthestory
proceeds,thereaderscometofindthatGatsby
wasonceinlovewithCarrawayscousin,Daisy
Buchanan.In1917,Gatsbywasasoldierand
metDaisy.Theyfellinlove,butlikeanylove
story,Gatsbyhadtoleave.Daisypromisedto
waitforhimtillhecameback,butthingsdidnot
goasplanned.Shemovedonandmarrieda
mannamedTom.Fiveyearslatertheywere
broughtbacktogetherwithNickshelp.The
lovetheyoncehadwasbroughtbackthus
causingthemtohaveanaffair.Tocontinuelike
anylovestory,theplottwistandDaisyfinds
thewayGatsbygetsrichanddoesnotagree.
Shegoesbacktoherhusbandandasksfor
forgivenessforthemistakeshehadmade.

AbouttheAuthor

NovelNotes

TheGreatGatsby

F.ScottFitzgerald

FrancisScottFitzgeraldwasbornin1896
andinhighschoolwasknownforhiswritings.
Asastudenthewasknownforhisstoriesand
waspushedtowritemoreaboutthethingsthat
fascinatedhim.Fitzgeraldbegantowrite
The
GreatGatsby
in1923andgotpublishedin
1925.Whenwritingthisbook,Fitzgeraldwas
inspiredbythetimeperioditself.Itwasthe
timeofJazz,parties,prosperity,etc.Healso
wrotemanyotherbooks,suchas,
TheSideof
Paradise,TheBeautifulandDamned,Tender
istheNight,etc.
Mostofthesestorieswere

basedinthe1920s.Fitzgeraldhadawaywith
ErinCabatingan
words,thepassionatewayhedescribedthings

andproceededtoshowhisview.Henotonly
January11,2016
wrotenovels,butalsowroteshortstories.

Someshortstoriesare
TheCuriousCaseof

BenjaminButton,WinterDreams,
and
Babylon

Revisited.

EssentialQuotes

"Wheneveryoufeellikecriticizinganyone...

justrememberthatallthepeopleinthisworld
haven'thadtheadvantagesthatyou'vehad."
HistoricalContext
(Page5).
Fitzgeraldmanagedtocapture,
TheGreat
Gatsby
in1920s.Hedidthistoemphasizethe "Theywerecarelesspeople,TomandDaisy
theysmashedupthingsandcreaturesand
Jazzpartofthistimeperiodandthewealthy
peopleofthesetimeperiods.Whenwritingthis thenretreatedbackintotheirmoneyoftheir
vastcarelessness,orwhateveritwasthatkept
pieceFitzgeraldmanagestoshowthe
rowdiesttimeperiod.The1920sareknownas themtogether,andletotherpeoplecleanup
thepartiesandJazzforexamplethewayJay themesstheyhadmade."(Page170).
Gatsby,amillionaireinthebook,throwsparties
eventhoughhedoesnotknoweveryonewho
attendsthem.Heproceedstoshowthetime
wasalsoaroundthetimeofWW1.Hedoes
thistosymbolizethetimethathaspassedfrom
thetimehemethisloveandandhowit
rekindled.

AddWorkCitedHere:(googlehowtodothis)
Avey,Tori."TheGreatGatsby,Prohibition,and
Fitzgerald."PBS.PBS,14May2013.Web.10Jan.
2016.


CharacterAnalysis
NickCarraway
isthenarratorand
portraysthestoryassomeonewhoisnota
millionaire.HeisjustaneighbortoJayGatsby
andsoonbefriendshim.Asthestoryproceeds,
Carrawayissoonportrayedassomeonewho
cankeepsecrets.Althoughhedoesnotagree
withthishighendrichlife,hemainlybefriends
them.Carrawayfindsthingsthatsoonmake
himwanttoleadalifethatisnotsohard.
PeaceiswhatisneededinNickslifesohe
proceedstofindit.

Themes

MotifsandSymbols

Affairs:

Thethoughtofcheatingwillnothelpanyone.
Havinganaffairwillmostlikelycausepain,for
onespartnerofthepersontheyarehavingan
affairwith.Althoughonepersoncanhavean
affairdoesnotmeantheotheriscapableto
also.Forexample,whenTomproceededto
haveanaffairwhileDaisyaskedfor
forgivenessafterhavinganaffairwithJay
Gatsby.

Motifs

Identifyandinterpretsomeofthemajormotifsand
symbolsinthenovel.

Settings:
Thesettingwasimportant
becauseitshowedthewayNewYork
wasbackinthe1920s.
Time:
Inthe1920s,peoplepartiedand
didthingstheyshouldnothave.Thatis
whatthe20sareknownfor.
JayGatsby
servedinthearmyandmet
Affairs:
Theaffairsthathappenshould
UpperClassPeople:
hislove,DaisyBuchanan,whichhappentobe
Theupperclassareusuallytheoneseveryone nothavetakenplacebuttheydidfor
NickCarrawayscousin.Gatsbywasapoor
manyreasons.Onereasonisbecauseit
hopestobe.However,NickCarrawayis
manwhenhefellinlovewithherandthemade
showsthatDaisydidnotseethenew
someonewholivesnexttosomeonewho
himreachtoberich.Becomingrichwasnot
throwsbigparties.Gatsby,ontheotherhand, Gatsbytilltheaffair.Shewasblindedby
easytocomeby,hedidmanyillegalthingsto
throwspartiesanddoesillegalthingsbut
theoldGatsbyandbelievehehadjust
reachhisgoals,andfromthathedeniedhis
doesntgetcaught.
becomerich.
loveforDaisy.Thisshowshowdrivenheisto
LoveDies:
dowhathewants.Heknowswhathewants

andheisnotafraidtochaseafterit,nomatter
whatthecostis.

DaisyBuchanan
isNickCarraways
cousinandJayGatsbyslonglostlover.She
fellinlovewithGatsbyyearsagobeforehe
wasdeployed.Shewassupposetowaitfor
him,butinsteadshefoundTom.AfterGatsby
findsDaisyshebeginstohaveanaffair.She
soonfindsallthethingsGatsbydidtobecome
richjusttosupportherlife.Thisshowshow
Daisyisdrawntoamansheoncelovedandis
blindedtothemanhehasbecome.Theman
sheoncelovedchangedandshedidnotfocus
onthathowever,afterrealizinghisways,she
breaksitoffandasksforherhusbands
forgiveness.

Afterreunitingwithhislongtimelove,Gatsby
fallsinlovewithDaisyagainandtheflame
beginsagain.ThisleadstoDaisyhavingan
affair.Althoughthesparkswererekindling
doesnotmeantheyshouldhavebeen
portrayed.

Symbols
TheAmericanDream:
Inthisbookis
differentfromtheactualAmerican
Dream.GatsbyjustwantedDaisyandto
getherheneededtobecomewealthy.
TostaywealthyandfitinGatsbyhadto
throwparties.Heisdoomedbecausehe
willneverbeacceptedintotheirsociety.
TheGreenLight:
Symbolizesthehope
ofbeingwithDaisyagain.Thisgreen
lightshowsthedreamshereachesforto
bewithDaisy.Intheendofthestoryhe
comparestheGreenlightwithAmerica
toalsoshowtheAmericanDream.