The Great Gatsby: Plot, Setting, Symbols, and Author’s Life

Posted on Dec 1, 2024 in Medicine & Health

The Great Gatsby: Plot Summary

The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s neighbor, who moves to Long Island seeking fortune. Nick visits his wealthy cousin Daisy and her husband Tom. He then meets the mysterious Jay Gatsby at Daisy’s house. Tom, an adulterer, takes Nick to meet his mistress, Myrtle. Gatsby, deeply in love with Daisy, throws lavish parties in his mansion hoping to attract her attention. They begin an affair.

Tragic Climax: During a confrontation at the Plaza Hotel, Daisy accidentally kills Myrtle while driving Gatsby’s car. Gatsby takes the blame. After the accident, Myrtle’s husband, Wilson, shoots and kills Gatsby. Daisy and Tom leave Long Island, and Gatsby is buried with few attendees, forgotten despite his past popularity.

Prohibition Era Context

  • 1920-1933: Alcohol sale prohibited in the U.S. by Constitutional amendment.
  • Intention: To improve American lives through a faith-driven initiative.
  • Outcome: Liquor consumption increased; criminal activity thrived (e.g., Gatsby?).
  • Speakeasies: Illegal bars where people consumed alcohol.

Key Elements of The Great Gatsby (1925)

Characters

  • Nick Carraway: Narrator.
  • Jay Gatsby: A wealthy man whose name is a pun on the slang term “gat” (pistol).
  • Tom & Daisy Buchanan: Representatives of “old money.”
  • Jordan Baker: Based on golfer Edith Cummings; her name combines two car brands.
  • George & Myrtle Wilson: Tom’s mistress and her husband; they live in the valley of ashes.
  • Meyer Wolfshiem: Based on real-life gangster Arnold Rothstein.

Setting

  • East and West Eggs: Fictional peninsulas on Long Island Sound.
    • East Egg: Home to “old money” families like the Buchanans.
    • West Egg: Home to the “newly rich,” like Gatsby.
  • Gatsby’s Mansion: A symbol of Gatsby’s success, the American Dream, and the hollowness of wealth.
  • Valley of Ashes: A desolate area between West Egg and New York City, symbolizing moral and social decay.
  • New York City and Plaza Hotel: Settings for the novel’s themes of excess, irresponsibility, and adultery.

Symbols

  • The green light at the end of Buchanan’s dock
  • Gatsby’s library/books
  • Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes on the billboard
  • Owl Eyes
  • Valley of Ashes
  • East Egg/West Egg

F. Scott Fitzgerald: Life and Career

  • Born: September 24, 1896
  • Died: December 21, 1940
  • Early Life: Son of an “aristocratic father” and “energetic mother”; named after Francis Scott Key.
  • Education: Attended private schools and Princeton University; active in the Triangle Club (dramatic society).
  • Military and Marriage: Left Princeton, joined the army; met Zelda Sayre in Alabama. She initially refused to marry him due to his lack of success.
  • Early Success: Published This Side of Paradise (1920), achieving fame and marrying Zelda.
  • The “Jazz Age” Couple: Known as the “prince and princess” of their generation.
  • Family: Daughter, Scotty, born in 1921.
  • Expatriate Years: Moved to the French Riviera; wrote The Great Gatsby; part of an expatriate community including Ernest Hemingway.
  • Zelda’s Breakdown: Zelda’s first mental breakdown in 1930; spent the rest of her life in and out of care.
  • Return to America and Decline: Returned in 1931; financial struggles despite Fitzgerald’s fame.
  • The “Crack-Up”: 1935-37; marked by alcoholism, debt, and inability to care for Scotty.
  • Hollywood Years: Moved to Hollywood in 1937; worked as a screenwriter for MGM; fell in love with Sheilah Graham.
  • Death: Died of a heart attack in Graham’s apartment in 1940. Zelda died in a fire in 1948.