Literature Analysis 3 Notes

The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald.
Characters: Jay Gatsby: The main character of the story lived in poverty as a child. His one goal in life was to become rich, not only to escape poverty but mainly to try and impress Daisy Buchanan, the love of his life. He does everything to try and win her.
Nick Carraway: Nick is the narrator of the story. He is the narrator because he happens to be Daisy Buchanan’s cousin, which lets him help in the affair between Jay and Daisy and everyone seems to entrust in him their secrets.
Daisy Buchanan: She was in love with Jay, but when he left for the war, she found Tom and married him. The only things that Daisy really cares about are money, being wealthy and living in luxury. She can’t seem to really show affection for the people around here.
Summary: Nick Carraway moves to New York in the West Egg district in Long Island. His neighbor is Jay Gatsby, who has huge parties every week. Nick goes to a dinner party, with his cousin, Daisy and her husband Tom. They introduce Nick to Jordan, who he has a relationship with. Jordan tells Nick that Tom is having an affair, with Myrtle. Nick goes to one of Gatsby’s parties and he meets Gatsby, with Jordan. Through Jordan Nick finds out more about Gatsby and his lifestyle. Gatsby then wants want Nick to create a meeting between him and Daisy. Nick does this and Gatsby and Daisy begin an affair. After a while Tom begins to suspect of his wife’s affair. When he figures out that it is with Gatsby he approaches Gatsby and says that Daisy and he have a history and he can’t ever comprehend it, she then tells his wife that Gatsby is a criminal and he obtained his fortune from bootlegging. Daisy then stays faithful to Tom and leaves Gatsby. When Nick Jordan and Tom are driving through the valley of ashes, where Myrtle lives. They find that Gatsby’s car has hit and killed Myrtle. When they go back to Long Island, Nick finds out from Gatsby that Daisy was driving, when she hit Myrtle, but Gatsby is going to take responsibility. Tom tells Myrtle’s husband George, that Gatsby killed Myrtle. George then assumes that Gatsby was Myrtle’s affair. George then finds Gatsby and kills him then shoots himself. Nick holds a funeral for Gatsby calls it off with Jordan and moves back to the Midwest.
Theme: A theme from The Great Gatsby is the shallowness of the upper class. Daisy cares about no one except herself and being rich. She only really cares about material items and possessions.