The Great Gatsby · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.
Chapter 1
Dedication
A brief, personal dedication of the book to the author's wife, Zelda.
Chapter 2
Epigraph
A four-line poem attributed to Thomas Parke d'Invilliers, which serves as the book's epigraph. It presents a cynical view of courtship, suggesting that extravagant displays of wealth and effort (symbolized by a gold hat and high bouncing) are the means to win a woman's affection.
Chapter 3
The Great Gatsby
Nick Carraway recounts the events of the summer of 1922, moving to West Egg and becoming entangled in the lives of his wealthy cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom, as well as his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby. The chapter establishes the novel's setting, introduces key characters and social tensions, and culminates in Nick's first invitation to one of Gatsby's legendary parties.
Chapter 4
Chapter I
Nick Carraway, the narrator, describes his move to West Egg and his dinner with his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom at their lavish East Egg mansion. He observes the tension and superficiality of their lives, including Tom's racist views and the revelation of his affair. The chapter introduces Jordan Baker and ends with Nick's first glimpse of his mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, reaching towards a distant green light across the bay.
Chapter 5
Chapter II
Nick is drawn by Tom into the Valley of Ashes to meet Tom's mistress, Myrtle Wilson. They travel to the New York apartment Tom keeps for the affair, where Myrtle hosts a small, raucous party. The gathering includes her sister Catherine and the McKees. The party descends into drunkenness and revealing gossip, exposing the crude ambitions, social pretensions, and marital dissatisfactions of the attendees. Nick observes the scene with a mix of fascination and disgust.
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