Plot Summary (AQA A-Level English Literature A): Revision Notes
Plot Summary
Introduction: Nick Carraway arrives in New York
The story begins in the summer of 1922 when Nick Carraway, a young man originally from Minnesota, relocates to New York to pursue a career in the bond business. This decision marks a significant turning point, as Nick leaves behind his Midwest roots to experience the glamorous yet morally complex world of 1920s New York society.
Nick secures accommodation in West Egg, an area on Long Island that represents new wealth. Unlike its neighbouring district, West Egg lacks the social prestige and established connections of old money families. The residents here are characterised by their recent fortunes and their tendency towards ostentatious displays of wealth, often viewed as garish by more established social circles.
The contrast between West Egg and East Egg is fundamental to understanding the novel's social dynamics. West Egg represents the newly rich—those who have recently acquired wealth through business or other means—while East Egg symbolises old money, inherited wealth, and established social standing. This geographic divide reflects the deep class divisions of 1920s America.
Meeting the mysterious Jay Gatsby
Nick's next-door neighbour in West Egg turns out to be the enigmatic Jay Gatsby, who lives in an enormous Gothic mansion and hosts legendary parties every Saturday night. These gatherings are extravagant affairs that attract hundreds of guests, yet Gatsby himself remains a mysterious figure, with wild rumours circulating about his background and the source of his wealth.
Unlike the other inhabitants of West Egg, Nick has connections to East Egg through his education at Yale University. East Egg represents established wealth and social position, home to families with long-standing fortunes and deep-rooted social networks. This connection proves crucial to the unfolding story.
Gatsby's parties serve a deliberate purpose beyond mere entertainment. The extravagant gatherings are carefully orchestrated to create an aura of wealth and success, while also serving as a beacon that Gatsby hopes will eventually attract Daisy's attention from across the bay.
Nick's connection to East Egg
One evening, Nick visits his cousin Daisy Buchanan in East Egg for dinner. Daisy lives there with her husband Tom Buchanan, who was Nick's classmate at Yale. During this visit, Nick is introduced to Jordan Baker, a beautiful young woman known for her cynical outlook on life. Jordan becomes Nick's romantic interest as the story progresses.
Through Jordan, Nick learns crucial information about Daisy and Tom's marriage. Jordan reveals that Tom has a lover, providing Nick with his first glimpse into the moral corruption beneath the surface of wealthy society. This revelation begins Nick's education in the complex and often dishonest relationships among the upper classes.
The affair with Myrtle Wilson
Tom's lover is Myrtle Wilson, who lives in the valley of ashes—a bleak, grey industrial wasteland situated between West Egg and New York City. This location serves as a stark contrast to the opulence of both Eggs, representing the consequences of wealth and industrialisation on those less fortunate.
The Valley of Ashes as Symbol
The valley of ashes is one of the novel's most powerful symbols, representing the moral and social decay that results from the uninhibited pursuit of wealth. It's the forgotten wasteland where the less fortunate live, literally overlooked by the wealthy as they travel between their mansions and the city. This stark landscape foreshadows the tragic events to come.
Shortly after learning about the affair, Nick accompanies Tom and Myrtle to New York City. They attend a crude, gaudy party at the apartment Tom maintains for his extramarital relationship. The evening takes a violent turn when Myrtle repeatedly taunts Tom about Daisy, leading him to break her nose. This incident reveals Tom's brutality and the volatile nature of his relationship with Myrtle.
Attending Gatsby's legendary parties
As summer progresses, Nick receives an invitation to one of Gatsby's famous parties—a rare honour, as most attendees simply arrive uninvited. At the party, Nick encounters Jordan Baker, and together they eventually meet Gatsby himself. The party is filled with wild speculation about their host, with guests gossiping about Gatsby's past and the origins of his wealth.
During a quieter moment, Gatsby asks to speak with Jordan privately. This conversation proves significant, as Gatsby confides in Jordan about his history with Daisy. Gatsby reveals that he first met Daisy in Louisville in 1917 and fell deeply in love with her. His current lifestyle—the mansion, the parties, the wealth—represents an elaborate attempt to impress Daisy and win her back.
The green light and Gatsby's obsession
Gatsby's devotion to Daisy manifests in a particularly poignant symbol: he spends many nights staring at the green light at the end of her dock, visible across the bay from his mansion. This green light becomes a powerful representation of his longing and his seemingly impossible dream of recapturing the past.
The Green Light Symbol
The green light at the end of Daisy's dock is the novel's central symbol, representing Gatsby's hopes and dreams for the future. It embodies his yearning for Daisy and, more broadly, the elusive American Dream itself. The light is always visible but forever out of reach—just like Gatsby's dream of recapturing the past and winning Daisy's love permanently.
Gatsby's extravagant lifestyle and wild parties serve a single purpose: to attract Daisy's attention and demonstrate that he has achieved the wealth and status he believes necessary to win her love. However, he fears that if Daisy discovers he still loves her, she will refuse to see him, believing their past relationship is irretrievable.
The reunion
Gatsby enlists Nick's help in arranging a reunion with Daisy, asking him to invite her to tea at his house without revealing that Gatsby will also be present. After an initially awkward encounter, Gatsby and Daisy reestablish their connection, and they begin an affair. Their relationship rekindles quickly, and Daisy becomes a regular visitor to Gatsby's mansion.
Tom's suspicions and the confrontation
Tom gradually becomes suspicious of his wife's relationship with Gatsby. His suspicions reach a peak during a luncheon at the Buchanans' house. Gatsby stares at Daisy with such undisguised passion that Tom immediately recognises that Gatsby is in love with his wife.
Despite his own extramarital affair, Tom is deeply outraged by the possibility that his wife could be unfaithful to him. This hypocrisy reveals his double standards and sense of entitlement. Tom forces the group—himself, Daisy, Gatsby, Nick, and Jordan—to drive into New York City, where he confronts Gatsby in a suite at the Plaza Hotel.
The Plaza Hotel Confrontation
This confrontation represents the climactic moment when Gatsby's dream collapses. Tom's accusations about Gatsby's criminal activities and his assertion of his shared history with Daisy force her to choose between her husband and her lover. The scene exposes the fundamental impossibility of Gatsby's dream—he cannot erase the five years of Daisy's marriage to Tom, nor can his wealth overcome the social barriers that separate them.
During this confrontation, Tom aggressively asserts that he and Daisy share a history that Gatsby can never understand. He claims that Gatsby is a criminal, suggesting his fortune comes from bootlegging alcohol and other illegal activities. Tom's verbal assault proves effective: Daisy realises that her allegiance remains with Tom, and she begins to withdraw from Gatsby. Recognising her retreat, Tom contemptuously sends her back to East Egg with Gatsby, confident that Gatsby can no longer threaten his marriage.
The tragic accident
The group's journey through the valley of ashes leads to catastrophe. Gatsby's car strikes and kills Myrtle Wilson, Tom's lover. The accident occurs when Myrtle, seeing the car she recognises from earlier, runs into the road. Tragically, Daisy is actually driving the car at the time, though this fact initially remains unknown to most characters.
Critical Detail: Who Was Driving?
It is crucial to understand that Daisy, not Gatsby, was driving when Myrtle was killed. This detail reveals Daisy's moral weakness—she allows Gatsby to take the blame and does nothing to prevent the tragic consequences that follow. Gatsby's willingness to protect Daisy, even at the cost of his own life, demonstrates the depth of his devotion and the tragic nature of his love.
Nick later learns from Gatsby that Daisy was behind the wheel when the accident occurred, but Gatsby intends to take the blame to protect her. This decision demonstrates the depth of his devotion to Daisy, even as she withdraws from him.
George Wilson's revenge
The following day, Tom reveals to Myrtle's husband, George Wilson, that Gatsby was the driver of the car that killed his wife. Tom's disclosure, whilst technically accurate in terms of ownership, deliberately omits the crucial fact that Daisy was actually driving. This manipulation sets in motion the final tragedy.
George, driven mad by grief and seeking revenge for his wife's death, locates Gatsby at his mansion. He finds Gatsby in the pool and shoots him dead. George then fatally shoots himself, completing the tragic sequence of events.
Gatsby's death occurs while he's floating in his pool, still waiting for a phone call from Daisy that will never come. This image captures the pathos of his situation—he dies alone, his dream unfulfilled, abandoned by the woman for whom he sacrificed everything.
Nick's disillusionment and departure
Following Gatsby's death, Nick organises a small funeral and ends his relationship with Jordan. He prepares to return to the Midwest, profoundly disgusted by the emptiness and moral decay he has witnessed among the wealthy on the East Coast.
Nick's final reflections reveal his understanding that Gatsby's life represents a corrupted version of the American Dream. Just as Gatsby's dream of Daisy was tainted by money and dishonesty, the broader American dream of happiness and individualism has deteriorated into a mere pursuit of wealth. Gatsby's power to transform his dreams into reality is what made him 'great' in Nick's eyes, yet Nick recognises that the era of dreaming—both Gatsby's personal dream and the collective American dream—has ended. The novel concludes with Nick's meditation on the impossibility of recapturing the past and the inevitable disillusionment that follows the pursuit of an idealised dream.
Thematic Resolution
The novel's conclusion emphasises its central theme: the impossibility of recapturing the past and the corruption of the American Dream. Gatsby's tragedy lies not in his criminal activities or his impossible love, but in his belief that he could turn back time and recreate a perfect past. This futile pursuit mirrors America's own tendency to chase an idealised vision while ignoring present realities.
Key Points to Remember:
- Nick Carraway narrates the story as an outsider with connections to both West Egg (new money) and East Egg (old money), providing a unique perspective on the events
- Gatsby's entire lifestyle is constructed around winning back Daisy Buchanan, whom he loved in 1917—the green light symbolises this impossible dream
- The valley of ashes represents the moral and social decay hidden beneath the wealth and glamour of 1920s society
- The tragic climax involves two deaths: Myrtle Wilson is killed by Gatsby's car (driven by Daisy), and Gatsby is subsequently murdered by George Wilson, who mistakenly believes Gatsby was driving
- The novel ultimately presents a critique of the American Dream, showing how it has been corrupted by the pursuit of wealth and materialism, leaving only disillusionment in its wake