The Great Gatsby Summary

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” What does this iconic line reveal about the dreams, class struggles, and illusions of the American Dream?

1. The Illusion of the American Dream

The Great Gatsby questions the ideal that hard work alone guarantees success and happiness. Jay Gatsby, born James Gatz to a poor North Dakota family, reinvents himself to rise in wealth and status. He embodies the belief that one can achieve greatness through ambition and determination. However, despite his extravagant parties and immense wealth, Gatsby’s dream of winning Daisy remains elusive.

Gatsby’s pursuit of his dream reflects a larger critique of the American Dream. His opulent lifestyle is a façade that cannot mask the emptiness of his life without Daisy, the love he idealizes as the ultimate prize. This unattainable goal mirrors how the promise of riches and fulfillment often remains out of reach for those tirelessly chasing it. Gatsby’s longing for Daisy shows that personal connections, not material wealth, underpin genuine happiness.

Nick Carraway’s perspective as an outsider highlights the futility of Gatsby’s pursuit. While Nick admires Gatsby’s optimism, he sees the hollowness behind the glitz, symbolized by the green light across the bay. Despite his immense effort, Gatsby’s dream is like the American Dream itself—compelling but fundamentally flawed.

Examples

• Gatsby reinvents himself as a successful millionaire for Daisy’s approval.
• His mansion and lavish parties fail to lure Daisy back into his life initially.
• The green light represents a dream that remains just out of reach, symbolizing desire and failure.

2. Social Class Divides and Their Permanence

Class distinctions play a central role in driving the characters’ actions. Gatsby’s wealth earns him entry into high society but cannot bestow him the social legitimacy of "old money." The Buchanans represent this entrenched class, wielding privilege with a sense of superiority, while Gatsby remains an outsider despite his riches.

Tom Buchanan, in particular, personifies the arrogance of old money. He belittles Gatsby, dismissing his wealth as new and unearned, and he uses his class privilege to dominate and manipulate others. Daisy’s wavering between Gatsby and Tom reflects the power of social standing. Her decision to remain with Tom, despite his infidelity, underscores her unwillingness to relinquish the security and status that her marriage provides.

The Wilsons, representing the working class, remain trapped in their circumstances. Their struggles and eventual tragedy highlight how societal structures limit mobility and exacerbate inequalities. The book suggests that no amount of ambition or wealth can fully blur the lines of class.

Examples

• Tom’s snobbery toward Gatsby (“Mr. Nobody from Nowhere”) reveals class barriers.
• Daisy chooses the comfort of her marriage over Gatsby’s idealized love.
• The fate of Myrtle and George Wilson reflects the lack of social mobility for the lower class.

3. The Power of Love and Obsession

Love, in its many forms, drives much of the story’s drama. Gatsby’s love for Daisy possesses an obsessive and idolized quality. His life and wealth revolve around the singular goal of winning her heart, even though the woman he loves is more fantasy than reality. His romantic vision blinds him to Daisy’s flaws, including her selfishness.

On the other hand, Tom’s love for Daisy contrasts sharply with Gatsby’s idealism. Although unfaithful and emotionally abusive, Tom refuses to relinquish Daisy to Gatsby. Tom’s sense of ownership over Daisy reflects his possessiveness rather than genuine affection. Daisy’s feelings are more complex. She values Gatsby as a romantic memory but chooses Tom, prioritizing stability over passion.

Ultimately, love remains unbalanced and unfulfilled for every character. Gatsby sacrifices everything for Daisy, but her selfishness leads her to let him take the blame for Myrtle’s death. In the end, Gatsby’s love symbolizes unreachable dreams and illusions.

Examples

• Gatsby’s mansion and parties are efforts to win Daisy’s attention.
• Tom’s fury at Gatsby’s revelation of their affair reveals his possessiveness.
• Daisy’s passive decision to stay with Tom leaves Gatsby betrayed and isolated.

4. The Role of Jealousy and Envy

Jealousy drives both romantic and social conflict. Green, the color of the light on Daisy’s dock, symbolizes this feeling—longing for what others have. Gatsby envies Tom’s place in Daisy’s life and her privileged world. His attachment to Daisy stems not only from love but also from what she represents: status and legitimacy.

Tom exemplifies jealousy in his response to Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. Though he blatantly engages in infidelity, he cannot tolerate the idea of Daisy preferring someone else. His jealousy pushes him to investigate Gatsby’s background and use it to destroy him. Jealousy also impacts Myrtle, who longs to escape her lower-class life and resents Daisy as Tom’s wife.

Envy fosters destructive actions in the novel, showing how people’s desire for what others hold can lead to tragic outcomes. For Gatsby, jealousy feeds his relentless pursuit of a dream that ultimately destroys him.

Examples

• The green light symbolizes yearning and jealousy of others’ fortunes.
• Tom’s investigations of Gatsby come from his envy of their connection.
• Myrtle’s resentment of Daisy fuels her attempts to corner Tom into leaving his wife.

5. The Corrupting Influence of Wealth

Wealth saturates the novel, but rather than bringing happiness, it leads to moral decay. Gatsby’s extravagant displays of riches attract countless partygoers, but none of them are truly his friends. Money facilitates transactions—not meaningful bonds.

The Buchanans’ wealth shields them from consequences. Even after Daisy kills Myrtle, Tom and Daisy retreat into their privilege, avoiding accountability. By contrast, Gatsby uses his fortune to chase a dream, reflecting its emptiness and inability to bring personal satisfaction or change his identity.

Nick cynically observes that wealth cannot buy respect, friendship, or love. The moral emptiness of the rich leaves tragedy in its wake, with Gatsby’s efforts to win Daisy resulting in his death.

Examples

• The Buchanans move away with no repercussions after Gatsby’s death.
• Gatsby’s glamorous parties attract only fair-weather acquaintances.
• Daisy falls back on her wealth and security instead of staying with Gatsby.

6. The Fragility of Dreams

Gatsby’s longing for Daisy epitomizes a fragile dream that can never be fully realized. While Gatsby achieved financial success, he misreads Daisy’s character and the constraints of their social reality. His dedication blinds him to the fact that the idealized Daisy he loves no longer exists—or never did.

The novel suggests that fragility defines all dreams, especially those tied to wealth or romance. Even Nick, who seems disenchanted with the 1920s, might struggle against the same sense of disillusion Gatsby faces. When Gatsby dies, so does the fantasy that any dream can be endlessly pursued.

Examples

• Gatsby’s five-year yearning for Daisy crumbles in conflict with Tom.
• The green light becomes a haunting symbol for dreams unattainable.
• Nick returns to the Midwest, rejecting the false allure of East Coast wealth.

7. Loneliness and Isolation

Gatsby stands in stark contrast to the lively crowds at his parties. His wealth isolates him because no one truly knows or understands him. They are content to share in the festive atmosphere but abandon him in death. Friendship appears transactional in a world focused only on self-interest.

Nick, too, feels out of place as a transplanted Midwesterner. Despite his relationships with Jordan, Daisy, and Gatsby, he remains more of an observer than an active participant, often reflecting on the emptiness around him.

In the end, Gatsby’s funeral reflects how little connection and community truly exist. For all his efforts to fit in, Gatsby dies alone, and the few who remember him seem distant or indifferent.

Examples

• None of Gatsby’s party attendees come to his funeral.
• The Buchanans quickly move to avoid any ramifications.
• Nick’s role as a narrator highlights his distance from others.

8. The Hypocrisy of Morality

Though claiming higher morals, the characters indulge in lies, affairs, and selfish behavior. Tom’s relationship with Myrtle shows his utter disregard for societal norms, even as he demands fidelity from Daisy. Daisy plays innocent but lets Gatsby take the blame for Myrtle’s death.

These double standards reveal gaps between image and action. While Gatsby bends the law for wealth, others exploit their status, conveniently excusing themselves from fault. In this morally ambiguous world, the rich shield themselves from judgment.

Examples

• Tom’s infidelity contrasts with his outrage over Daisy’s love for Gatsby.
• Daisy claims innocence but allows Gatsby to take responsibility.
• Partygoers enjoy Gatsby’s riches but turn their backs on him at the end.

9. The Inescapable Past

The novel’s final message emphasizes the futility of escaping the past. Gatsby reinvents himself to shed his humble beginnings, but the Buchanans’ rejection reminds him of society’s permanence. He can never fully become "one of them."

Nick’s closing thoughts reflect the weight of history. He sees individuals as bound to repeat the past or remain shaped by it, longing for what they’ve lost. The American Dream crumbles under the inescapable pull of old ideas and entrenched divides.

Examples

• Gatsby changes his name and history to fit societal expectations.
• Daisy’s choice to stay with Tom solidifies his failure to escape class boundaries.
• The final line reflects all dreams pulled backward by unchangeable realities.

Takeaways

1. Pursue connections and meaningful relationships over material success, knowing that true fulfillment comes from bonds, not wealth.
2. Recognize and challenge societal divides or biases—whether related to class, race, or gender—that still persist today.
3. Understand the importance of authenticity and being grounded in reality rather than chasing illusions or unattainable ideals.