The Great Gatsby
Chapter Summaries

"Welcome to West Egg" (Chapter One)

The narrator, Nick Carraway, is portrayed as a sounding board to everyone's problems.
The reader is introduced to Tom and Daisy Buchanan.
Nick's opinion of Tom is not very favorable.
The reader meets Jordan Baker, a golf champion.
Jordan Baker is portrayed as snobby and stuck up. Jordan's chin was "raised a little as if she were
balancing something on it which was quiet likely to fall." (pg. 13)
Daisy is a sweet woman with a "voice like money."
There are hints given throughout the first chapter that there is a problem going on between Daisy and
Tom. Jordan Baker then implies that Tom is having an affair.
Gatsby's name is mentioned several times, but it is not until the very end of the chapter that the readers
receive their first glimpse of Gatsby.


"Scornful Eyes" (Chapter Two)

In this chapter the reader meets Myrtle Wilson, the woman of which whom Tom is having an affair.
Myrtle's husband is very intimidated by Tom.
While going to the apartment that Tom bought for Myrtle and himself, they stop at a newsstand. There,
instead of a classy magazine, Myrtle buys the Town Tattle, a tabloid. This shows the difference of social
classes.
Myrtle calls people up to their apartment for a gathering. While there, Tom and Myrtle start to argue. Tom
becomes violent and breaks Myrtle's nose with his bare hands.
In this chapter, rumors start to fly about Gatsby. It is the readers job, at this time, to start to decide which of
these rumors are true and which are false.


"Gatsby's Party" (Chapter Three)

Nick receives an invitation to Gatsby's house for one of his huge parties.
While there, Nick sees Jordan Baker.
While walking around and talking, Nick hears more rumors about Gatsby. He himself starts to look for
Gatsby. He soon finds out that although Gatsby throws these huge parties, he does not like to stand out or
be very social.
At this point in time, Nick and the reader finally meet Gatsby.


"The Truth Begins to Surface" (Chapter Four)

Gatsby appears at Nick's house one day with an invitation to lunch. At this time Gatsby tells Nick of his
life. He talks about going to Oxford and inheriting his fortune through the family fortune.
Gatsby introduces Nick to one of his friends/partners in business. Mr. Wolfshiem is a man involved in a
shady gambling business. Wolfshiem is used to indicated that Gatsby may be involved in shady deals as
well.
Jordan tells Nick of the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy as she knows it. She also tells Nick that
Gatsby wants him to set up a reunion between the old lovers.


"Cloudy Dreams" (Chapter Five)

Nick reunites Gatsby and Daisy at Gatsby request and without Daisy's knowledge.
Gatsby wants to show Daisy his house. He does so to show Daisy what he has become through his
possessions.
Daisy cries about Gatsby's shirts because it symbolizes all that she has missed out on in Gatsby's life.
Gatsby becomes confused because when his dream is right in front of him, it/she isn't as perfect as he
imagined her to be. Gatsby expects Daisy to be perfect...she isn't.
"In the meantime, In between time-" is sung during one of the scenes. The "in between time" represents
the spot at which Daisy and Gatsby are right now. They are somewhere between the past and the future.


"The Other Side" (Chapter Six)

Tom and Daisy attend one of Gatsby's parties. Tom does not enjoy himself and begins to suspect
something between Gatsby and Daisy.
At this point in time, the reader finds out most of Gatsby's life story.
The reader also learns Gatsby's version of the first time he realized he and Daisy were in love.


"Rock Bottom" (Chapter Seven)

Nick finally meets Daisy's daughter.
The group decides to go into town, where most of the "action" takes place.
Tom finally figures out what is going on between Gatsby and Daisy and becomes very upset.
Gatsby requests that Daisy says to Tom that she never stopped loving Gatsby and that she never loved
Tom.
Wilson discovers Myrtle's unfaithfulness but does not know with whom she is cheating.
Myrtle is locked up by Wilson but escapes. Upon her escape, Gatsby's car hits Myrtle and kills her.

"Good-byes" (Chapter Eight)

The story of who Gatsby was before he became Gatsby unfolds.
The reader finds out that Daisy was the one in the driver's seat of Gatsby's car, not Gatsby.
Wilson becomes insane. He had no one in his life but Myrtle and she has been taken from him.
Wilson discovers that it was Gatsby's car that killed Myrtle. He hunts Gatsby down and kills him. Wilson
then takes his own life.

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