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Analysis. Nick Carraway’s perceptions and attitudes regarding the events and characters of the novel are central to The Great Gatsby. Writing the novel is Nick’s way of grappling with the meaning of a story in which he played a part. The first pages of Chapter 1 establish certain contradictions in Nick’s point of view.
The silhouette of a moving cat wavered across the moonlight and turning my head to watch it I saw that I was not alone—fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow of my neighbor's mansion and was standing with his hands in his pockets regarding the silver pepper of the stars.
Analysis: Chapters 1–3. Lauren’s two-part dream foreshadows the novel’s consequential events. As a 15-year-old, Lauren dreams of teaching herself to fly, gradually building her confidence with every self-taught lesson. The act is not only suggestive of the freedom and independence she yearns for but of the freedom she ultimately attains.
Summary and Analysis Chapter 1. Summary. As The Great Gatsby opens, Nick Carraway, the story's narrator, remembers his upbringing and the lessons his family taught him. Readers learn of his past, his education, and his sense of moral justice, as he begins to unfold the story of Jay Gatsby. The narration takes place more than a year after the ...
Detailed Summary. Nick Carraway, the protagonist and narrator, starts The Great Gatsby by sharing a lesson his dad taught him: not to judge others, as most haven't had the privileges and opportunities he's had. He states that by following this advice, he's developed into someone who is tolerant and forgiving and avoids forming hasty opinions.
Hypocrisy and rot are at the heart of old money in the 1920s boom. Upon returning from dinner, Nick sees Jay Gatsby standing on his lawn and gazing out across Long Island sound. Nick considers calling out to Gatsby, but stops himself when he sees Gatsby extend his arms out toward the far side of the water.
Summary. Analysis. A woman sits in an armchair in a small, hexagonal room, like the cell of a beehive. There are no windows, lamps, or ventilation openings, but it is filled with soft light and fresh air. There are no instruments, but music is playing. The only furniture is the armchair and a reading-desk.
