The Great Gatsby
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The Great Gatsby Extended Notes Chapter Summaries Characters: Major: 1. Jay Gatsby- aka James Gatz. Made his fortune bootlegging grain alcohol, originally from North Dakota. Meats Dan Cody, a wealthy man, whom he started to work for as an assistant like job. Joined the army poor, met Daisy, and was determined to make a living. 2. Nick Caraway- neighbor to Gatsby, second cousin of Daisy. Works selling bonds in the city. Forms a bond with Gatsby and Jordan Baker. 3. Tim Buchanan- hulking brute of a man. (Daisy) Marries Daisy. Football player at New Haven, former. Lives in East Egg. Affair with Myrtle Wilson. 4. Daisy Fay Buchanan- married to Tom. Used to date Gatsby. Married Tom because rich girls don’t marry poor boys. Has a daughter. Affair with Gatsby. Eventually accidentally runs over Myrtle Wilson. Allows Gatsby to take blame. 5. Jordan Baker- golf player. Cheats and denies it. Involved with Nick Caraway. Friend of Daisy and Gatsby. Lived in Louisville with Daisy when younger. 6. Myrtle Wilson- Married to car engineer, Wilson. Having an affair with Tom, has an apartment in the city. Tom slaps her around a bit. Has a sister, Catherine. Dies when she runs into traffic. 7. Wilson- car mechanic. Married to Myrtle. Passive, doesn’t realize Tom is sleeping with his wife. Wants to move her away, to please her. 8. Meyer Wolfsheim- bootlegger. Boss to Gatsby. Fixed the 1918 World Series. Tries to get Nick to join his group. 9. Owl Eyes- Meets Nick in Gatsby’s library, recovering alcoholic. Only one to come to Gatsby’s funeral. 10. Mr. Henry Gatz- Gatsby’s father from North Dakota. Proud of his son’s accomplishments, dotes on how organized he always was. Overwhelmed by his death and vast wealth. 11. Michealis- neighbor to Wilson. Watches him after Myrtle dies, making sure he eats and rests. One of the only neighbors who keeps returning to help out. 12. Klipspringer- Ewing Klipspringer, almost permanent boarder at Gatsby’s home. Plays the piano for him. Setting: East Egg/West Egg- Long island. East Egg is slightly more high class then the west. Valley of Ashes- land between Manhattan and Long island where the people live in poverty and squalor. Chapter One:
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“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had”
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Nick Caraway, is the narrator of the story. He sells stocks and was in the war. Gatsby’s house was fashioned after some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower under ivy and a swimming pool, along with a huge front lawn. Daisy was Nick’s second cousin once removed, and Nick knew Tom in college. Tom once played football; he came from a very wealthy family. Daisy and he drifted from France to Chicago to East Egg. Nick goes to the Buchanan home, a cheerful red and white Victorian garrison on the beach, with polo ponies from the west. Daisy has a low thrilling voice that makes you want to lean in, adding to her charm. She introduces Nick to Jordan Baker. Daisy and Tom have a three year old baby Jordan Baker complains about being sore, that she is in training. She says she knows a Gatsby from West Egg. At dinner, Daisy suddenly announces that Tom bruised her little finger. Tom gets a phone call, and Jordan announces to Nick that he has a girlfriend. When Nick leaves, Daisy hints at him taking interest in Jordan. Nick goes home and sees Gatsby on the beach, looking at a green light.
Chapter 2 About Half way between West Egg and New York the road joins the railroad, and runs beside it, called the valley of Ashes. Doctor T.J. Eckleburg has a billboard on the road of his huge blue eyes. Nick meets Tom’s girlfriend from the Valley of Ashes, a Myrtle Wilson, wife to a car mechanic. George Wilson is blonde, slightly handsome, pale and spiritless. He wants to buy Tom’s old car. Myrtle Wilson is in her 30’s, thick, but had sex appeal. She had not beauty but looked alive and spirited. Tom tells Myrtle to go into the city; her husband thinks she is always visiting her sister. Myrtle gets a dog from a street vendor from Tom Tom keeps an apartment, Morningside Heights for his affair. Invites Nick over for a get together with the neighbors, the McKee’s and Myrtles sister, Catherine. Mr. McKee is a photographer.
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Catherine says Gatsby gets his money from being descended from Kaiser Wilhelm’s of Germany. Tom and Myrtle met on the train. Myrtle mentions Daisy’s name and Tom get angry, smacking her making her nose break. Chapter 3 Gatsby threw many parties at his house, most of which people just showed up for without being invited, making Gatsby popular. Gatsby’s butler comes to Nick’s cottage one day with an invitation to one of the events. Meets up with Jordan Baker, the only other person he knows at the party. Nick wanders into the library where Owl Eyes is sitting, exclaiming praise over all the books, which are originals. Nick meets a mysterious man. They discuss the war briefly, and the man invites him to go hydroplaning on the water. Nick tells him he hasn’t even seen the host, to which the mysterious man is shocked, because he is Gatsby. Rumor is Gatsby went to Oxford, but Jordan doesn’t believe it. Rumor also says he killed a man. Gatsby asks to speak with Jordan, and she leaves Nick. They speak for over in hour, and Jordan seems excited when she leaves. She asks Nick to contact her. Owl eyes crashes his car into the ditch outside the house. Nick then describes his life, the dates he went on with a girl from Jersey, and then how he started seeing Jordan Baker, who is a dishonest person. He knows she cheated in her first golf tournament.
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“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Nick Caraway, is the narrator of the story. He sells stocks and was in the war. Gatsby’s house was fashioned after some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower under ivy and a swimming pool, along with a huge front lawn. Daisy was Nick’s second cousin once removed, and Nick knew Tom in college. Tom once played football; he came from a very wealthy family. Daisy and he drifted from France to Chicago to East Egg. Nick goes to the Buchanan home, a cheerful red and white Victorian garrison on the beach, with polo ponies from the west. Daisy has a low thrilling voice that makes you want to lean in, adding to her charm. She introduces Nick to Jordan Baker. Daisy and Tom have a three year old baby Jordan Baker complains about being sore, that she is in training. She says she knows a Gatsby from West Egg. At dinner, Daisy suddenly announces that Tom bruised her little finger. Tom gets a phone call, and Jordan announces to Nick that he has a girlfriend. When Nick leaves, Daisy hints at him taking interest in Jordan. Nick goes home and sees Gatsby on the beach, looking at a green light.
Chapter 2 About Half way between West Egg and New York the road joins the railroad, and runs beside it, called the valley of Ashes. Doctor T.J. Eckleburg has a billboard on the road of his huge blue eyes. Nick meets Tom’s girlfriend from the Valley of Ashes, a Myrtle Wilson, wife to a car mechanic. George Wilson is blonde, slightly handsome, pale and spiritless. He wants to buy Tom’s old car. Myrtle Wilson is in her 30’s, thick, but had sex appeal. She had not beauty but looked alive and spirited. Tom tells Myrtle to go into the city; her husband thinks she is always visiting her sister. Myrtle gets a dog from a street vendor from Tom Tom keeps an apartment, Morningside Heights for his affair. Invites Nick over for a get together with the neighbors, the McKee’s and Myrtles sister, Catherine. Mr. McKee is a photographer.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Catherine says Gatsby gets his money from being descended from Kaiser Wilhelm’s of Germany. Tom and Myrtle met on the train. Myrtle mentions Daisy’s name and Tom get angry, smacking her making her nose break. Chapter 3 Gatsby threw many parties at his house, most of which people just showed up for without being invited, making Gatsby popular. Gatsby’s butler comes to Nick’s cottage one day with an invitation to one of the events. Meets up with Jordan Baker, the only other person he knows at the party. Nick wanders into the library where Owl Eyes is sitting, exclaiming praise over all the books, which are originals. Nick meets a mysterious man. They discuss the war briefly, and the man invites him to go hydroplaning on the water. Nick tells him he hasn’t even seen the host, to which the mysterious man is shocked, because he is Gatsby. Rumor is Gatsby went to Oxford, but Jordan doesn’t believe it. Rumor also says he killed a man. Gatsby asks to speak with Jordan, and she leaves Nick. They speak for over in hour, and Jordan seems excited when she leaves. She asks Nick to contact her. Owl eyes crashes his car into the ditch outside the house. Nick then describes his life, the dates he went on with a girl from Jersey, and then how he started seeing Jordan Baker, who is a dishonest person. He knows she cheated in her first golf tournament.
