F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: Themes, Characters, and Analysis
F. Scott Fitzgerald: Biographical Data
F. Scott Fitzgerald (St. Paul, Minnesota, 1896 – Los Angeles, 1940) was an American novelist. Born into a wealthy family of Irish descent, he began his literary career in 1920 with This Side of Paradise, an autobiographical work in which his own pessimism was a faithful reflection of the American post-war mentality. This novel brought him considerable fame and popularity, establishing him as one of the most important writers of his time.
As his career as a
The Great Gatsby: Plot, Setting, Symbols, and Author’s Life
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
The Great Gatsby: Chapter Summaries and Analysis
Chapter 6
Rumors about Gatsby continue to swirl in New York. Nick decides to reveal Gatsby’s true past, starting with his birth as James Gatz on a North Dakota farm. Gatsby attended college but dropped out due to financial struggles. He worked on Lake Superior and met Dan Cody, a wealthy copper mogul, who hired him as a personal assistant. Gatsby traveled with Cody, developing a love for wealth and luxury. When Cody died, Gatsby was cheated out of his inheritance, fueling his ambition to become rich
Read MoreThe Great Gatsby: Character Guide & Analysis
Main Characters
Nick Carraway
The novel’s narrator, Nick is a young man from Minnesota. After being educated at Yale and fighting in World War I, he moves to New York City to learn the bond business. Honest, tolerant, and inclined to reserve judgment, Nick often serves as a confidant for those with troubling secrets. After moving to West Egg, a fictional area of Long Island that is home to the newly rich, Nick quickly befriends his next-door neighbor, the mysterious Jay Gatsby. As Daisy Buchanan’s
Read MoreThe Identity Plot in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
IDENTITY PLOT
The narrative revolves around the question of how to define and understand a character’s identity. The character must be a member of a minority within a larger society. The character is at odds with the minority group of which he/she is a part. The character stands in conflict with the majority as well as with the minority on account of his/her difference.
Authenticity and origin are always at stake in the character’s quest for personal identity. There are comic and tragic versions
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