Summary of "The Great Gatsby | Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis | F. Scott Fitzgerald"

Summary of Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby

Main Ideas and Analysis

Narrator Introduction

Nick Carraway, a 29-year-old Yale graduate and Army veteran, reflects on his life. He moves from the Midwest to New York, settling in West Egg, Long Island. Nick rents a home next to Jay Gatsby, a wealthy and mysterious businessman.

Setting and Social Context

Across the bay in East Egg live Nick’s cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom Buchanan. East Egg represents “old money” wealth, while West Egg symbolizes “new money.”

Key Characters Introduced

Nick Carraway: Honest, non-judgmental narrator, able to navigate both old and new money social circles.
Jay Gatsby: Wealthy, enigmatic neighbor who reaches out toward a green light across the bay.
Daisy Buchanan: Nick’s cousin, a socialite characterized as foolish and flighty.
Tom Buchanan: Daisy’s brutish, arrogant husband with a mistress in New York.
Jordan Baker: Daisy’s friend and a professional golfer, also flighty and superficial.

Plot Points

Nick is invited to dinner at the Buchanans’ mansion where superficial topics dominate. During the evening, Tom Buchanan leaves to take a phone call, revealing he is speaking with his mistress. Later, Nick observes Gatsby standing on his lawn, reaching toward a distant green light.

Themes and Symbolism

Nick’s father’s advice frames him as a moral and impartial observer. The contrast between old money (East Egg) and new money (West Egg) highlights social tensions.

Fitzgerald uses detailed descriptions of opulent lifestyles—mansions, butlers, silver polish, horse stables—to emphasize the characters’ superficiality. Women like Daisy and Jordan are depicted as frivolous and aimless, while Tom is portrayed as domineering and entitled.

The green light Gatsby reaches for symbolizes money, desire, and Gatsby’s hope to win Daisy’s love. Located at the end of the Buchanans’ dock, the green light represents Gatsby’s longing and the distance between his dream and reality.