Summary Of The Book Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald; This Literature prose is the official literature text for IJMB Literature from 2021 – 2024, IJMB students are advised to study this summary after they read the book.
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Summary Of The Book Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic American novel set in the Roaring Twenties, a period of excess and decadence in America. It explores themes of love, wealth, social class, and the elusive nature of the American Dream. The novel provides a vivid portrayal of the Jazz Age and serves as a commentary on the hollowness and disillusionment that often underlie the pursuit of wealth and success.
Plot Summary:
The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, a young man from the Midwest who moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to work in the bond business. He rents a small house in West Egg, a wealthy suburb of Long Island, situated across the bay from the extravagant mansions of East Egg. The most prominent of these mansions belong to the enigmatic and wealthy Jay Gatsby.
Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan, lives in East Egg with her husband Tom, who comes from old money. Nick reconnects with Daisy and becomes acquainted with Tom’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson, who lives in the industrialized and desolate area known as the Valley of Ashes. Through Tom, Nick is introduced to Jay Gatsby, a man with a mysterious past and an extravagant lifestyle.
Gatsby is deeply in love with Daisy, whom he met years ago but lost due to their different social standings. He throws lavish parties at his mansion in hopes that Daisy will one day attend. Gatsby befriends Nick and reveals his desire to reunite with Daisy. Nick agrees to help Gatsby in his pursuit, acting as an intermediary between them.
As the summer unfolds, the complexities of relationships and hidden motives become apparent. Tom’s infidelity and Daisy’s waning affection for him drive Gatsby and Daisy closer. Their rekindled romance takes center stage, while Gatsby’s elaborate facade begins to crumble under the weight of reality and the secrets he hides.
Tragedy strikes when Myrtle, Tom’s mistress, is killed in a hit-and-run accident, which Gatsby is mistakenly believed to have caused. The true culprit is Daisy, who was driving Gatsby’s car at the time. Tom, seeking revenge for Myrtle’s death, informs Myrtle’s husband, George, that Gatsby owns the car involved in the accident.
George, driven by grief and anger, assumes Gatsby is responsible and seeks him out. He finds Gatsby floating in his opulent pool and shoots him before turning the gun on himself. Gatsby’s death highlights the ephemeral nature of his American Dream and the futility of his relentless pursuit of wealth and status.
In the end, only a few people attend Gatsby’s funeral, as the glittering world he built around himself dissipates. Nick, disillusioned by the shallow and corrupt society he encountered, returns to the Midwest, reflecting on the moral decay and empty pursuit of material success he witnessed in the East.
Themes:
- The American Dream: The novel explores the illusion and decline of the American Dream, symbolized by Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth and love. It highlights the idea that the American Dream may be unattainable and that the quest for material success can lead to spiritual emptiness.
- Social Class and Wealth: Fitzgerald examines the divisions between the “old money” elite and the newly rich, exploring how wealth and social class shape the characters’ lives and relationships. He portrays the stark contrast between the opulence of the upper class and the moral decay that often accompanies it.
- Love and Desire: Love, desire, and romantic idealism are central to the story. Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy drives his actions, blurring the lines between reality and
