Roaring Twenties Flashcards
ROARING TWENTIES
In the 1920s the United States experienced a very strong economic expansion, unlike
Europe, which, after the Great War, was reduced to poverty.
There was a process of urbanization, people moved from the countryside of the South
to the cities of the North. In addition, the mass culture conveyed by radio and cinema
was developed. The American 1920s were also associated with the idea of modernity
in terms of costumes, arts, and music, in fact thanks to Louis Armstrong the black
community began the age of jazz. Women also had a revolution, they changed their
habits and abandoned the typical Victorian clothes: they wore short skirts, had short
hair, and smoked in public.
However, for the black people it was not a happy decade: anti-migration laws were
enacted (Immigration Act, 1924), while the Ku Klux Klan, resurrected in 1915, raged
with the practice of lynching and persecution of blacks, Catholics, and Jews
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
1929-1939
The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the
industrialized world. It began in 1929, after the stock market crash of October 29
(crollo della borsa di NY – Black Tuesday), which sent Wall Street into a panic and
wiped out millions of investors. By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest
point, million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the Country’s banks had
failed. However, in politics, the Democratic President Roosevelt sought to revive the
fortunes of America. During Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office, his administration
passed legislation that aimed to stabilize industrial and agricultural production, create
jobs, and stimulate recovery. In addition, Roosevelt sought to reform the financial
system to regulate the stock market and prevent abuses of the kind that led to the 1929
crash.
LOST GENERATION
violence of war, considering it an extensive act of brutality that destroyed the innocence
of early 20th century society. In fact, the generation was called lost because the writers
of this group (Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stain) felt a sense of emotional
confusion and alienation from society.
Lost Generation members often lived a very bohemian lifestyle, they carried out ideals
that were detached from social conventions, gender roles, and morality.
FRANCIS SCOTT FITZGERALD
Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul (Minnesota) in 1896 to a salesman father
and an Irish-Catholic mother. He was named F. S. Fitzgerald for his distant cousin, the
writer of the poem that became the lyrics to American National anthem.
Until 1908 the family stayed in New York, but when his father lost his job the
Fitzgeralds moved to St. Paul, Minnesota.
When Scott was 13, he published his first detective story, printed in the school
newspaper. However, he was expulsed to the school for lack of academic effort, after
that he attended a catholic school in New Jersey. After graduation in 1913, he attended
Princeton University, where he wrote articles, stories, and scripts for the musicals.
However, again he neglected his studies, in 1917 he was placed on academic probation
(libertà vigilata accademica) and he dropped out of Princeton to join the army.
Shortly before reporting for duty, Fitzgerald wrote his first novel, The Romantic Egoist,
and although the publisher rejected it, he was encouraged to submit later works.
Zelda (Fitzgerald’s wife).
Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre while he was in the army in Camp Sheridan, Alabama.
She was the daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge. Zelda would not marry
Scott until he could support her financially, and although he moved to New York to
work in advertising and write short stories, she broke off the engagement.
So, Fitzgerald moved home to his parents to work on The Romantic Egoist. Another of
his plays, This Side of Paradise, was accepted for publication in 1919, after that Zelda
and Scott resumed their engagement and they were married in New York a week after
publication. Their only child, Frances Scott Fitzgerald, was born a year later.
In 1930 Zelda was diagnosed with schizophrenia and she was hospitalized.
Writing and celebrity
This Side of Paradise became an immediate success, with the literary success Scott
became rich and he started to be a playboy and to drink heavily. He supported himself
through short stories published in popular magazines and papers like The Saturday
Evening Postand Esquire. In 1922 Fitzgerald published his second novel, The
Beautiful and the Damned, this novel’s satire of the Jazz Age secured his position as a
member of the Lost Generation.
However, Zelda and Scott lived beyond their economic possibilities and Fitzgerald had
to take out frequent loans from his literary agent and editor to avoid financial troubles.
He moved to France, where he met Ernest Hemingway and there he wrote his most
famous work The Great Gatsby.
Decline and death
In the 1920s Fitzgerald fell into severe alcoholism and suffered from writer’s block.
Zelda was diagnosed with schizophrenia and her mental health deteriorated, she was
hospitalized in Switzerland and Baltimore.
In 1932 Zelda published her semi-autobiographical novel Save me the Waltz that drawn
their private life. For this reason, Scott was furious, but he did the same in his
novel Tender is the Night (1934), a story of an American psychiatrist married to a
schizophrenic.
Fitzgerald’s alcoholism, depression, and financial problems worsened, and after Zelda
was placed in a North Carolina hospital in 1937, Scott left his wife and moved to
Hollywood to try the career of a screenwriter.
In 1939 he began work on his final novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, but died of a
heart attack the following year without completing the work. He was forty-four and
considered himself a failure at the time of his death. It is only posthumously that he has
been acknowledged as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century
THE GREAT GATSBY
The Great Gatsby is the third novel written by F. S. Fitzgerald, published in 1925.
It gained popularity in the 1950s and it is now considered a masterpiece of American
literature. There have been several film adaptations on the novel: one starring Robert
Redford and one starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby.
The story novel was set in 1920s America, during The Roaring Twenties, it vividly
captures the American historical moment: the economic boom of postwar, the
new jazz music, the prohibition (the 18 Amendment banned the sale of alcohol)
SUMMARY OF THE GREAT GATSBY
The Great Gatsby talks about the story of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, and his
pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a rich young woman whom he loved in his youth.
The book is narrated in third person by Nick Carraway, who recounts the events of the
summer of 1922, after he takes a house in the fictional village of West Egg on Long
Island. There he lives among the rich people, while across the river, in the more refined
village of East Egg, live his cousin Daisy and her brutish rich husband, Tom Buchanan.
During the summer, Nick was invited to attend one of the fantastic parties held by Jay
Gatsby, his neighbor. At Gatsby’s request, Nick invites Daisy to his house, where she
and Gatsby meet again and renew their relationship. Tom soon becomes aware of the
affair and confronts Gatsby at the Plaza Hotel. Daisy tries to calm them down, but
Gatsby insists that he and Daisy have always been in love and that she has never loved
Tom. Tom reveals what he had learned from an investigation into Gatsby’s affairs: that
he had earned his money by selling illegal alcohol, but Gatsby denies it.
Gatsby and Daisy leave together in Gatsby’s car and she drives. On the road she hits
and kills Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress, though her identity is unknown to Daisy, who
knew only that Tom was having an affair. Terrified, Daisy continues driving, but the
car is seen by witnesses. The next afternoon George Wilson, Myrtle’s widower, arrives
in East Egg, where Tom tells him that it was Gatsby who killed his wife. Wilson goes
to Gatsby’s house, where he shoots Gatsby and then himself. Afterward the Buchanans
leave Long Island and Nick arranges Gatsby’s funeral.
Chapter 1 G.G.
A young Nick Carraway reflects on the experiences of his recent past. After graduating
from Yale and serving in the army, Nick decides to leave the Midwest and move to
New York to become a bondsman. He takes up residence in West Egg, a Long Island
community, where he rents a home next to Jay Gatsby, a wealthy and mysterious
businessman. Nick’s cousin, the beautiful rich woman Daisy Buchanan, lives across
the bay in East Egg with her brutish husband, Tom. Soon after moving to West Egg,
Nick is invited to the Buchanans’ home for dinner, where he meets Jordan Baker, a
cynical professional golfer. During dinner, Tom leaves to take a phone call, and while
he’s gone, Jordan reveals that he must be talking to his mistress: a woman in New York
whom he makes no attempt to hide.
Upon returning home Nick sees his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, emerge from his extravagant
mansion. Resisting the urge to call out to him, Nick watches Gatsby that confused is
watching a green light across the bay.
Analysis
Nick is immediately revealed to be an honest narrator. His father’s advice to avoid
criticizing people because “all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that
you’ve had” suggests that he is nonjudgmental and moral, which is the perfect lens
through which to view this story of deception, superficiality, and immorality.
Because Nick is well-educated and comes from a good background, it’s clear that he
will fit easily into both social circles: the old money of East Egg and the new money
of West Egg. Residents of East Egg are accustomed to a life of privilege, and
generations of wealth have made many residents, like Tom Buchanan, arrogant.
On the other side of the bay, new-money residents, like Jay Gatsby, aren’t quite
accustomed to their great wealth yet, making them emotionally vulnerable (they know
what they have to lose). Nick is the perfect, balanced narrator to navigate both groups
without bias. During the dinner in East Egg, much is revealed about the Buchanans and
their superficiality. Fitzgerald uses detailed descriptions to highlight the luxury in
which these characters live: they have a grand mansion, a butler and silver polisher,
stables, and more. In the first descriptions of the women, they are twice described as
“balloons,” suggesting they simply float through life—an apt description of the novel’s
old- money characters. In these opening scenes, both Daisy and Jordan are seen as
foolish and flighty, while Tom is opinionated, insensitive, and expects to have his way,
particularly around women. On his drive home Nick feels slightly confused and
disgusted with what he’s learned about the Buchanans and the way they live their lives.
The green light Gatsby reaches toward is deeply symbolic: in literature, green is often
symbolic of money, and Nick later realizes that the light emanates from the end of the
Buchanans’ dock. As the novel progresses, it is revealed that Gatsby has amassed all
his wealth in the hopes of winning Daisy’s love, a desire perfectly symbolized in this
scene.
Chapter 2 G.G.
Chapter 2 opens with a description of the “valley of ashes”, a location between the
Eggs and New York City. The valley is the dumping ground for New York City’s ashes,
and the entire area is coated with gray dust. As Nick Carraway describes the desolate
place, he mentions the faded billboard of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg: two large eyes peering
out from enormous yellow spectacles. Tom and Nick are taking the train to New York
City, and Tom wants to stop at the valley of ashes to introduce Nick to “his girl”, Myrtle
Wilson, the wife of garage owner George Wilson. The Wilson garage is described as
“unprosperous and bare”, and the Wilsons’ lives are simple. Shortly after, Myrtle
appears in the garage and under the ruse of meeting her sister Catherine in New York,
joins Tom on the train. The threesome takes a taxi from the New York train station,
and Myrtle frivolously insists they stop to buy a puppy from a street vendor because a
dog will be “nice” for the apartment. After being joined by Catherine and her friends,
the McKees, everyone begins drinking excessively, and they all become quite drunk.
Myrtle pays attention to the puppy only to show it off as a new accessory for the
apartment. As the party progresses, Myrtle begins complaining about her life and about
Tom’s marriage to Daisy. Infuriated that she would mention Daisy’s name, Tom strikes
Myrtle in the face, breaking her nose. The party ends and Nick takes an early morning
train back to Long Island.
Analysis
The valley of Ashes is a hugely symbolic place, literally covered in the waste of
capitalism. The pursuit of wealth and damages left in its wake are important topics in
the novel. Hovering over the valley of ashes are the faded eyes of Dr. Eckleburg, eyes
George Wilson later refers to as the eyes of God. The fact that they are faded suggests
that spirituality and religion are long-forgotten institutions, which further highlights
the immorality and corruption of the novel.
The Valley of ashes again uses geography as a motif for differentiating social classes.
Fitzgerald uses the stark contrast between the valley of ashes, the Eggs, and New York
to vividly represent the socioeconomic status of the people living in these areas.
Against these backdrops he examines the concept of class and, specifically, the elite
versus the lower class. Using the gathering at Wilson’s garage in the valley of ashes as
a backdrop, the contrast between the Buchanans and the Wilsons is clear.
George seems content with his station in life, while Myrtle (like Jay Gatsby) longs for
attention and affluence. Once the party is in full swing, Myrtle has fully transformed
from poor garage-owner’s wife to what she perceives to be a wealthy socialite.
Her behaviors are affected and obviously mimicked, but she is eager to display the
fantasy life she has created for herself—including the puppy, her newest domestic
accessory toward which she displays a superficial affection. It’s clear, however, that
the puppy is a frivolous purchase and has no real meaning for either Myrtle or Tom.
Although the group knows of the affair between Tom and Myrtle, there is no
acknowledgment of the affair’s immorality. Despite her eagerness, it’s clear that Myrtle
does not have the breeding or refinement to pull off the facade. Drunk, she begins
chanting Daisy’s name. Irate, Tom breaks her nose, reminding Myrtle of her place, and
displaying his brutishness
Chapter 3 G.G.
Jay Gatsby is well known throughout town for his lavish weekly parties. One week,
Nick Carraway is surprised to receive a handwritten invitation, and nervously attends.
The party guests revel in Gatsby’s immense wealth—his fancy cars, swimming pools,
elaborately catered menus, and full orchestra—and swap tales of how Gatsby must
have made his fortune. Nick feels awkward and out of place at the party until he meets
Jordan Baker. Together they mingle with other guests, and Nick is as astounded by the
lavish festivities as he is by the partygoers’ discussions of Gatsby’s past and the source
of his fortune. Whenever Nick asks where Gatsby himself is, no one seems to know.
It’s unclear whether anyone at the party has actually even met the host. As Nick and
Jordan continue to search for Gatsby, Nick strikes up a conversation with a handsome
gentleman at a nearby table, thinking he looks vaguely familiar. The man turns out to
be Gatsby himself, and the two men realize they served in the same division during the
war. Nick is struck by Gatsby’s easy style and the genuine interest with which he talks
to his guests. When Gatsby is called away, Jordan begins to speculate about who
Gatsby really is and joins the others in sharing rumors about him.
Breaking into present tense, Nick makes it clear that he didn’t waste his entire summer
partying. He worked hard in New York and dated a few women, but by midsummer he
begins dating Jordan more seriously. He feels drawn to her even though he finds her
dishonest (he knows, for example, that she cheated at her first major golf tournament),
and by the end of the summer he wonders whether he is in love with her.
Analysis
Gatsby is symbolic of the new money of West Egg: people who aren’t used to being
rich and are thus prone to lavish displays of wealth, such as his opulent parties. No one
seems to know who Gatsby is or how he got rich, but they’re more than happy to take
advantage of his generosity by partying into the wee hours of the morning, eating the
food and drinking the wine of a host they cannot even identify. Despite having few
facts, people happily swap rumors about Gatsby—that he was a German spy, or that he
killed a man. The theme of superficiality versus truth or facade versus reality continues
when Nick meets Gatsby. Despite Gatsby’s fame, Nick is taken aback by how humble
the man seems, and is surprised to learn that they served in the same military division
during the war. Gatsby’s accent, however, seems fake; he throws parties where he
knows none of the guests, and in touring his home, it’s clear that each detail has been
painstakingly chosen to create the appearance of vast wealth. In the library, for
example, one guest is amazed that the books are real, not just ornate cardboard
fashioned to look like real books.
In this chapter Fitzgerald uses Nick’s perceptions to elaborate on the superficiality of
the individuals and events he is experiencing. Although he is absorbed in the exciting
lifestyle that the East Coast offers, Nick is not completely won over. Nick’s personal
ethics can be glimpsed as he muses on what he calls Jordan’s “incurable dishonesty.”
He is drawn to both Gatsby and Jordan despite their seeming dishonesty (or hidden
truths). This is interesting because morality and honesty are at the core of Nick’s
character. He calls himself “one of the few honest people that I have ever known,” yet
he is willing to overlook these flaws in others— perhaps due to his father’s advice at
the novel’s opening not to criticize anyone.
Nick also seems concerned with how his character comes across in the novel, speaking
directly to readers to assure them that he didn’t fritter away his summer with mindless
partying—he worked hard in New York and tried to date other women. In the end,
though, he was drawn back to the mystery and opulence of West Egg.
Chapter 4 G.G
Throughout the summer Nick Carraway continues to attend Jay Gatsby’s parties and
notices that some guests attend a Gatsby gathering only once, while others appear each
week. One frequent guest, Ewing Klipspringer, attends the parties so often that he
becomes known as “the boarder.” As the summer progresses, Gatsby and Nick’s
friendship grows, with Gatsby encouraging Nick to enjoy his beach, ride in his
hydroplane, and join him for lunch. While out for a ride with Gatsby one afternoon,
Nick realizes that Gatsby is aware of the many stories being shared about him.
To set the record straight, Gatsby tells Nick about his past, claiming that he’s from the
Midwestern town of “San Francisco,” that he graduated from Oxford, and that he is a
decorated war hero. Gatsby also intimates that his family had died and left him a good
deal of money. Many of Gatsby’s facts about his past directly reflect the obviously false
rumors circulating around him, and ring false to Nick.
In New York, Gatsby introduces Nick to Meyer Wolfsheim, a business associate, and
Nick discovers that Wolfsheim has a questionable past in gambling and other illegal
activities. Following the meeting with Wolfsheim, Nick spots Tom Buchanan and
introduces Gatsby to him. Gatsby appears inexplicably flustered to meet Tom. Through
Jordan, it is revealed that many years ago—before the war—Gatsby and Daisy
Buchanan had a passionate love affair. Gatsby had wanted to marry her, but her parents
were vehemently against it because he was poor. Gatsby was called into service and
Daisy promised to wait for him, but while Gatsby was away, she met and was quickly
engaged to Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby dedicated himself to amassing wealth
and moved across the bay from Daisy, hoping to impress her and win her back. Gatsby
asks Nick to arrange a lunch with Daisy that he can unexpectedly arrive at, surprising
Daisy.
Analysis
This chapter continues the theme of superficiality versus truth, or facade versus reality.
In creating a new life for himself—one to impress Daisy—Gatsby has obviously left
the reality of his past behind him. His personal history is fabricated, and the origin of
his money is just as murky, and possibly illegal. Through these lies, the true picture of
Gatsby is beginning to emerge: like many other characters in the novel, he is dishonest
and obsessed with appearances. He may, in fact, even be a criminal. Nick’s fears of
Gatsby being involved in organized crime are a sharp contrast to Jordan’s perception
of Gatsby as a brokenhearted soldier who would stop at nothing to win back the woman
he loves. Both interpretations of Gatsby’s characters are somewhat true. After hearing
both sides of the story, Nick is equally perplexed about his feelings for Gatsby: he
admires the man’s determination and drive yet is disgusted by his (seemingly) illegal
means of amassing wealth.
While driving to meet Wolfsheim for lunch, Gatsby is pulled over for speeding. He
simply waves a card at the officer, however, and is let go without even a warning. This
is another clue that Gatsby occupies a high rank in society and that he may have come
by his celebrity immorally. Gatsby’s clout hints again at his involvement in organized
crime—the officer practically apologizes to Gatsby for pulling him over, rather than
reminding him of the law.
Gatsby’s past relationship with Daisy provides more insight into her character. It
appears that she truly was in love with Gatsby but was discouraged from marrying him
because he was poor. Even though she said she would wait for him, she chose to marry
Tom, a man capable of gifting her with pearls worth more than $350,000.
For Daisy, and clearly for her old-money family, good breeding, wealth and status are
more important than love. Perhaps this is why Daisy chooses to stay with Tom despite
his abusive behavior and obvious adultery. Again, appearances are more important than
reality in her circle, and to East Eggers, Tom is the catch of a lifetime.
Chapter 5 G.G
Upon returning home late one evening, Nick Carraway is surprised to find Jay Gatsby
nervously waiting for him. It’s clear that Gatsby wants to know whether Nick has
arranged the tea with Daisy Buchanan, but doesn’t want to come right out and ask him.
He first invites Nick to Coney Island and then over for a swim, which Nick declines,
citing the time. When Nick announces that he will invite Daisy for tea in two days,
Gatsby becomes visibly excited and nervous. He offers to find Nick a side job to make
more money doing very little work. Nick realizes that Gatsby is offering his friendship
and money in exchange for help in reconnecting with Daisy, and he feels offended; he
would have preferred that Gatsby felt friendship was enough motivation for Nick to
help him. Nevertheless, Nick calls Daisy the next day, invites her to tea, and asks her
to not bring Tom. On the appointed day, Gatsby sends over a gardener to cut Nick’s
lawn and orders a “greenhouse” of flowers to decorate the interior of Nick’s home.
Gatsby arrives early, desperately nervous, worried that Daisy will not come. Daisy does
arrive, but when Nick shows her into the living room where Gatsby had been waiting,
he is gone. He knocks at the front door a few moments later, as if he’s just arrived,
having snuck out the back.
At first the reunion is awkward. Gatsby nervously breaks Nick’s clock and even laments
that the meeting was a mistake. Nick decides to leave the pair alone for a short time,
and when he returns, Daisy has tears in her eyes and Gatsby is glowing with delight. It
appears their love is rekindled. Gatsby invites Nick and Daisy over to his house for a
tour. As they walk through the vast mansion, it’s clear that every detail has been handselected to impress Daisy. She is impressed, breaking into tears when she sees all of
Gatsby’s fine shirts. Gatsby and Daisy are so overwhelmed to be together again that
Nick is able to slip out of the house unnoticed.
Analysis
Gatsby’s dream, which he has spent five years working toward, is finally realized when
he is reunited with Daisy. The build-up to their meeting is comically awkward,
although Nick insists “it wasn’t a bit funny.” Gatsby, who has been controlled and
measured throughout the novel, is suddenly nervous, emotional, and vulnerable. When
he knocks on Nick’s door after Daisy’s arrival, he is “pale as death.” Gatsby wants
everything to be perfect for Daisy, so he micromanages every detail to ensure it’s as
beautiful as he’s always dreamed, hiring a landscaper to cut Nick’s lawn, and sending
over a “greenhouse” of flowers. He dresses in white, gold, and silver to ensure Daisy
doesn’t miss the fact that he’s rich now. When they actually meet, however, it’s
awkward, foreshadowing the fact that reality is never as beautiful as the dream. In a
bumbling attempt to appear relaxed, Gatsby breaks Nick’s clock, a vivid symbol of his
botched attempt to rewind time.
After some time alone, however, it’s clear that Gatsby and Daisy’s love has been
rekindled. Daisy’s eyes are filled with tears twice in this short chapter, most notably
after she sees Gatsby’s fine shirts. Daisy married Tom hastily, attracted to his money,
leaving Gatsby because he was too poor. Now he has more money than he knows what
to do with, and Daisy’s tears suggest a realization that she made a terrible mistake. Had
she waited for Gatsby, she could have had love and wealth, but she sold herself short.
Gatsby’s vulnerability is also seen when he offers to pay Nick for helping him arrange
the meeting. Nick is offended by the offer—he would have helped Gatsby simply
because they’re friends. The offer suggests that Gatsby has few true friends. Since
becoming rich and shedding his past, Gatsby has had to pay for everything, including
friendship. His superficiality has caused him to lose touch with reality. The interaction
leaves Nick in deep thought, as he questions again just how much of the person known
as Gatsby is a façade.
Chapter 6 G.G
A reporter approaches Jay Gatsby’s house hoping to question him about his past and to
resolve the various rumors that have been circulating around New York. Nick
Carraway interrupts the story to relate Gatsby’s true past: his real name is James Gatz
and his parents are poor North Dakota farmers. He attended college for two weeks,
paying his tuition through janitorial work, but dropped out because he found the work
too demeaning. He took a job fishing on Lake Superior, and one fateful day warned a
yacht owner of an impending storm. Dan Cody, the wealthy yacht owner, took an
immediate liking to James and hired him as an assistant. James, who had by now
changed his name to the more fashionable “Jay Gatsby,” became obsessed with wealth
and luxury, learning many important lessons from Cody. In his will, Cody left the
amount of $25,000 to Gatsby. Gatsby was unsuccessful in actually claiming the
inheritance; nevertheless, he used the lessons he learned from Cody to amass his
fortune. Returning to the summer of 1922—Tom stops at Gatsby’s house for a drink
after a day out riding with friends. Gatsby is the consummate host, offering them
cigarettes, his best liquor, and even dinner, an invitation they politely decline. The
threesome shallowly invites Gatsby to join them for dinner, and he eagerly accepts, not
realizing that the invitation is only a polite formality. They sneak out while Gatsby is
fetching his coat. Tom, who has become suspicious of Gatsby’s strange behavior and
no longer wants Daisy visiting him unattended, joins her at one of Gatsby’s parties.
Despite Gatsby’s best efforts, no one has a particularly good time, even Nick, who sees
the party through Daisy’s eyes, in all its garish opulence. After the party, Gatsby is
depressed about Daisy and vows to “fix everything just the way it was before” when
they knew each other in Louisville.
Analysis
Insight into Gatsby’s true past highlights the transformation his character has
undergone. At the age of 17, Gatsby abandoned his past, even changing his name, to
chase a dream. In all this time his character hasn’t matured past his teenage dreams, he
still naively believes that with enough determination (and money) anything is possible.
His dream won’t be complete until Daisy admits that she never loved Tom, leaves him,
and runs back to Louisville to marry Gatsby.
Nick tries to shake sense into Gatsby by warning that he can’t re-create the past, but
Gatsby responds incredulously, “Of course you can!” Gatsby has been so dedicated to
chasing a dream that he no longer sees its impossibility.
Gatsby’s crucial flaw is that he believes money can buy him anything. Unfortunately,
Gatsby is new money and will never be accepted in the old-money social circle. This
is painfully obvious when the riding party visits for a drink. They haven’t come to
socialize with Gatsby—they use him for a rest and free booze. Gatsby foolishly thinks
he can buy their friendship, just as he tried to do with Nick in Chapter 5, and he
becomes a laughingstock. Tom and his friends sneak out of Gatsby’s house, both
horrified and amused that he believed their dinner invitation to be sincere. The clash
between old money and new money is further highlighted during the unsuccessful party
that weekend. Even Nick finds the garish opulence of the party appalling. He, like the
Buchanans, is impressed with what Gatsby can buy but finds the gluttony and excess
disgusting.
Chapter 7 G.G.
The relationships between Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan reach a
breaking point in Chapter 7. To protect Daisy, Gatsby becomes more reclusive, even
firing all of his servants so that there won’t be anyone to gossip about her comings and
goings. The brewing confrontation between Gatsby and Tom reaches its boiling point
at a luncheon at the Buchanan home. Daisy and Gatsby have become bolder in their
displays of affection. When Tom takes a phone call in another room, for example,
Daisy kisses Gatsby and proclaims her love. Suddenly her toddler daughter, Pammy,
appears, led by her nurse. The child is allowed to stay just long enough for Daisy to
show her off to the group and is then whisked away so the adults can have lunch on
their own. During the meal Gatsby and Daisy gaze lovingly at each other, and Tom can
no longer deny that they are having an affair. Abruptly, Daisy suggests a trip to New
York. Tom agrees but demands to drive Gatsby’s car with Jordan and Nick, leaving
Gatsby to drive Tom’s car with Daisy. In the car Tom explodes about the obviousness
of Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. On the way, he stops at Wilson’s garage for gas.
Wilson, who is obviously ill, inquires about when he can buy Tom’s old car. He says
he needs money because he has just learned his wife is having an affair and he needs
to move them away. Tom is aghast—in a short space of time learning he may lose his
wife and his mistress. As they drive away Nick notes the hovering eyes of Dr.
Eckleburg, and also Myrtle Wilson’s eyes jealously peeking out from behind the
curtains. It’s oppressively hot in the city, so the party decides to rent a hotel room and
drink. As they relax, Tom tries to catch Gatsby in a lie but Gatsby is cool and
composed. Realizing he’s getting nowhere, Tom finally bursts out, “What kind of row
are you trying to cause in my house anyhow?” Aghast, Daisy tries to deny that anything
is going on, but Tom is determined, insisting that he won’t let “Mr. Nobody” make love
to his wife. Boldly, Gatsby rises and tells Tom that Daisy never loved him—she’s loved
Gatsby for the past five years, and only married Tom because she was sick of waiting
for Gatsby to get rich. At Gatsby’s insistence, Daisy robotically agrees that she never
loved Tom. Tom seems genuinely hurt by this and presses Daisy to refute her
statement. Under Tom’s questioning, Daisy admits that of course she loves Tom, and
scornfully says that Gatsby asks too much of her: “I can’t help what’s past.” Buoyed,
Tom lays into Gatsby, bitterly announcing the unsavory ways he made his fortune,
clearly affecting Daisy: “with every word she was drawing further and further into
herself.” Knowing that he has shattered Daisy’s illusion of Gatsby and that he is no
longer a threat to their marriage, Tom arrogantly tells Gatsby to drive Daisy home.
Tom drives Nick and Jordan back to East Egg, and as they pass through the valley of
ashes, they come upon a terrible sight: fleeing from her home, Myrtle has been killed
in a hit-and-run accident. It’s obvious that it was Gatsby’s car that struck her, and Nick
is horrified to learn that it didn’t stop after the accident. Back at the Buchanan home,
Nick finds Gatsby hiding in the bushes in case Daisy needed his protection from Tom.
However, when Nick left them, they were calmly eating dinner at the table. Gatsby
admits that Daisy had been driving the car when it killed Myrtle, but that he’ll take full
blame. Nick leaves, disgusted.
Analysis
Chapter 7 is the turning point in the novel. The tension that has been mounting blows
open in the climactic moment when, after a heated fight, Daisy chooses Tom over
Gatsby. Gatsby’s dream is shattered, and everything he has worked to achieve slips
away. Everyone in the hotel room feels the excruciating tension as both men vie for
Daisy’s commitment. In the end, Gatsby’s fantasy cannot trump the reality of the life
Daisy and Tom have created, despite its obvious flaws. Daisy’s choice is foreshadowed
before lunch when her young daughter appears, breaking the romantic moment she and
Gatsby shared. While Daisy dotes on her daughter, Gatsby “kept looking at the child
in surprise.” Although Daisy treats the toddler with what seems like a superficial
display of attention, Pammy represents the love Daisy and Tom share, and denying that
love is as ludicrous as trying to deny the child’s existence. Tom cements this truth in
the hotel room when he states, “there’s things between Daisy and me that you’ll never
know.” Indeed, Gatsby’s money cannot erase Daisy and Tom’s shared future in their
daughter. Interestingly, Daisy repeatedly calls Pammy dream, highlighting that her
dreams are far different from Gatsby’s. After the hotel room fight, Daisy’s intentions in
her relationship with Gatsby are revealed. Like everyone else in Gatsby’s life, Daisy
has been using him—to get back at Tom for his infidelity. Realizing that he might lose
Daisy, Tom admits his affairs, and promises “I’m going to take better care of you from
now on”. This seems to be enough for Daisy, who at the chapter’s end, sits calmly
eating dinner with her husband, uncaring that she has just killed a woman and broken
a man’s heart. Gatsby’s retelling of the hit-and-run suggests that Daisy intentionally
mowed Myrtle down, hinting at Daisy’s mindset leaving the hotel: if she can’t have fun
with Gatsby anymore, then she’s going to ensure Tom can’t have fun with his mistress,
either. At the end of the chapter, Nick is disgusted by the self-serving behavior of
everyone he’s met. Nothing, not even a woman’s death, can pull them from their
spoiled, selfish pettiness. Gatsby gave up everything—his past, his name, his
morality—in pursuit of Daisy. He is desperate and would do anything to be welcomed
into their elite circle. By refusing to join the Buchanans for dinner, Nick takes a clear
moral stance: he is not, and has no desire to be, one of them. The difference between
Gatsby and the Buchanans is made clear one final time: while the Buchanans are united
in their perverse view that everyone is disposable (Myrtle and Gatsby, for example)
and are able to calmly sit and eat dinner together, Gatsby still wants to protect his
perfect image of Daisy. Despite her abhorrent crime, he is willing to sacrifice himself
for her. In pursuing her, he’s given up everything and no longer has anything to lose.
Chapter 8 G.G.
The morning after the accident, Nick Carraway visits Jay Gatsby and tries to encourage
him to leave West Egg for a while, but Gatsby refuses to leave Daisy. He describes
how he first met and courted Daisy before the war, dazzled by her beauty, wealth, and
social position. Before shipping out, he and Daisy made love, leaving Gatsby to feel
“married to her, that was all.” Daisy promised to wait for Gatsby to return, but grew
anxious the longer he was away. The following spring, she met and married Tom, who
matched her social rank and whom her parents approved of. When Gatsby returned,
Daisy was already on her honeymoon. Despite everything, Gatsby remains convinced
that he and Daisy will end up together. Nick feels heartbroken for Gatsby and his
stubborn refusal to accept the obvious truth. Before boarding the train Nick calls out
that Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch put together”.
Meanwhile, in the valley of ashes, George Wilson is struggling with Myrtle’s death and
the recent discovery of her infidelity. He convinces himself her death was murder, not
an accident. He believes that God demands revenge. Obsessed with finding Myrtle’s
killer, he asks around until he learns, from Tom Buchanan, that it was Gatsby’s car that
killed his wife. Believing Gatsby was the driver responsible for the accident, George
travels to West Egg and shoots Gatsby in his pool.
Then he turns the gun on himself. Nick, worried when he cannot get through to Gatsby
on the phone, leaves work early and discovers the bodies.
Analysis
When Gatsby returns from his vigil outside Daisy’s home, he is surprised that Daisy
didn’t need him. Gatsby has fantasized his relationship with Daisy for so long that he
cannot come to grips with the idea that she has changed since he first met her.
The reality is, Gatsby doesn’t really know her. Spiritually, he feels “married” to her
because they consummated their relationship five years ago, but Daisy obviously didn’t
feel the same way, yet Gatsby—the perpetual dreamer—still clings to the idea that
Daisy has lost her way and needs him to save her. As frustrating as Gatsby’s dreams
are, Nick prefers them to the moral emptiness of the “rotten crowd” Daisy and Tom are
a part of. Morally shaken by the events surrounding Myrtle’s death, Nick even ends his
relationship with Jordan, realizing that it is shallow. He shows genuine care for Gatsby,
more concerned about his friend than his family (Daisy), urging him to leave Long
Island until the dust has settled around Myrtle’s death. Unfortunately, Gatsby has
worked too long, given up too much, to slink away in hiding. He cannot admit, even to
himself, that his dream of living a happy life with Daisy has died. The symbolism of
Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes returns in this chapter, with George insisting that while Myrtle
may have been able to fool him, she “can’t fool God.” When George looks up at the
faded billboard, the reader is reminded how easily the characters have shed their
morality in pursuit of personal gains (wealth, romance, and so on).
The characters regularly pass under the billboard, God’s eyes, on their way to and from
illicit trysts, meetings with unscrupulous businessmen, and indeed, after a murder.
The faded (forgotten) billboard hangs above the valley of ashes, suggesting a broader
symbolism of America’s rejections of morality in its capitalistic pursuit of wealth.
Armed with the belief that he is exacting God’s revenge, George sets out to find
Myrtle’s murderer. This belief, and the unfortunate mistaken identity of Gatsby as the
killer, is just another example of distorted reality. Daisy, the truly guilty party,
continues her life without consequence while Gatsby is sacrificed. Fitzgerald is here
again examining the idea of class struggle, with Myrtle, George, and Gatsby
representing collateral damage, casualties of the games the rich can afford to play.
Chapter 9 G.G.
The day of Jay Gatsby’s death descends into a stream of gossipy police, reporters,
photographers, and rubberneckers gazing into Gatsby’s pool and theorizing about his
life. Fearing he’ll have to plan Gatsby’s funeral on his own, Nick Carraway reaches out
to Gatsby’s friends, but they’ve all disappeared. Even Daisy and Tom have abandoned
their home, sneaking away without leaving a forwarding address. Nick is infuriated by
the fickleness of Gatsby’s “friends,” but not entirely surprised when he, a few of
Gatsby’s servants, and Gatsby’s father, who has traveled from Minnesota, are the lone
attendants of Gatsby’s funeral. Even though Gatsby had abandoned his past, his father
talks fondly of his son, saying how proud he was of him, and saving a photo of Gatsby’s
enormous house to remember him by. In New York one afternoon, Nick bumps into
Tom, who admits that he told George Wilson that Gatsby killed Myrtle Wilson.
Nick is outraged, but Tom insists that Gatsby deserved to die. Tom also insists that he
suffered terribly after Myrtle’s death, and that giving up the New York apartment where
they used to meet was heartbreaking. Nick leaves the conversation feeling as if he had
been talking to a child. After saying goodbye once and for all to Jordan, Nick packs up
his belongings and prepares to move back to the Midwest. On his last night, he visits
Gatsby’s house and stares across the bay at the green light in the distance.
Analysis
This final chapter ties up the novel’s loose ends and brings many of the themes full
circle. Tom’s blind arrogance allows him to blame Gatsby for the accident, and to feel
no remorse for the false accusation or for Gatsby’s death. Initially, Nick does not want
to shake Tom’s hand, but relents before saying goodbye because it would be “silly not
to.” Nick realizes that there is no point in being angry with Tom, despite his horrific
behavior. Tom, like Daisy, is too self-involved, too shallow, and too spoiled to realize
the tragedy he caused. Tom’s insistence that he “had his share of suffering” in giving
up his New York apartment seems to him punishment enough for Gatsby’s death.
This interaction solidifies the divide between old money and new money. Although
Nick doesn’t have the extreme wealth Gatsby enjoyed, he is representative of the same
social circle: privileged, but not elite. Nick’s time in West Egg gave him a taste of an
upscale lifestyle filled with riches and leisure foreign to his Midwestern upbringing.
Through his friendship with Gatsby and the Buchanans, he sees what people are willing
to sacrifice in pursuit of social standing, and what they will trample on to cling to their
positions. Like Gatsby, Nick must decide if the ends justify the means.
Nick, like many other characters in the novel (Gatsby, Myrtle), grapples with the
trappings of the American dream. America is the land of opportunity, where rags-toriches stories are celebrated. Gatsby was able to create an entirely different persona for
himself and amass unimaginable wealth, but he was never able to fully achieve his
dream. When Nick visits Gatsby’s house one last time, he sees the green light and
imagines how Gatsby must have believed his dream to be just out of grasp, not realizing
that “it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity.” For Myrtle
and Gatsby, being born poor prevented them from being truly accepted into the elite
rank of social hierarchy, and no matter what either accomplished, acceptance would be
impossible. In this way, their dreams were always doomed. Nick has the social
breeding to be accepted into the elite circle (he is Daisy’s cousin, after all), but not the
wealth. Had he worked to gain a fortune like Gatsby did, he might have a chance of
acceptance, but for Nick, the reward is not worth losing his morality. Instead, he packs
his bags and moves home to the Midwest, leaving the green light and the valley of
ashes behind him.
