The Great Gatsby Paper

In the book The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby does things that other people wouldn't be proud of. Daisy runs over Myrtle and Gatsby doesn't report the accident. Gatsby gets involved in illegal business to make quick money. Jay also goes for Daisy even though she is married. Jay Gatsby loses his sense of right and wrong the day he met Daisy.

Towards the end of the book, Daisy and Gatsby are in a big yellow vehicle and run over Myrtle. Daisy was driving when this accident happened. Instead of taking this happening to the police and reporting the accident, they decide to just keep driving. This would be classified in a hit and run. Daisy gets out of the car and Gatsby tells her that he will hide the car so that no one will find it. "I got to West Egg by a side road and left the car in a side garage. I don't think anyone saw us but of course I can't be sure" (Fitzgerald 151). Gatsby even said that he would take all the blame so that Daisy wouldn't get in trouble.

Jay Gatsby gets involved in illegal business in this story. He meets Meyer Wolfshiem, who supposedly fixed the 1919 world series. " He's the man who fixed the World Series back in 1919" (Fitzgerald 78). Meyer Wolfshiem had killed people and had molars for cufflings. They were accused of bootlegging by Tom. They were also accused of having illegal bonds and turning them into the banks and collecting the money. Gatsby wanted a way to get fast money so he could win back Daisy and he would do anything to get it, even if it means doing something illegal.

Jay Gatsby kept going after Daisy even though she was married and had children. He moved all the way to West Egg so he could be by her. He keeps throwing parties just to see if she might show. He tells Tom to his face that she has never loved him and that she has always loved him and always will. He says that they have been together for five years. "No, we couldn't meet. But both of us loved each other all the time, old sport, and you didn't know. I used to laugh sometimes to think that you didn't know" (Fitzgerald 138). Gatsby would do anything to get Daisy and did. He was willing to go after Daisy even though she was married.

Gatsby seemed like a level-headed guy before he met Daisy. He was going into the army and had a good future. He met her and all of his thoughts were consumed by her. He moved to be by her. Gatsby got into and illegal business so he could have enough money for her. He hid the vehicle that ran over Myrtle. Lastly, he kept going after Daisy even though she was married. He was focused on one thing and that was getting Daisy and having the relationship be like it was in Louisville. He would do anything do get her back. That obsession would lead to his downfall.

Character List for The Great Gatsby

Tom: Husband to Daisy and was with Myrtle at the same time. Argued with Jay Gatsby often about his wife being over at his house. Famous football player back in the day. 

Daisy: Tom's wife. She was with Gatsby in Lousiville and left him because he didn't have alot of money. She has a daughter. She was perfect in appearance and tried to make everything seem perfect, even though it wasn't. 

Jay Gatsby: Very rich man who lives in a mansion next to Nick Carraway. He was supposedly involved in bootlegging. He was obsessed with getting back with Daisy. He was shot and killed by George Wilson when he was lying in his pool. He had great parties at his house, trying to see Daisy. 

Nick Carraway: Cousin to Daisy and was the narrator in this story. He lived next to Jay Gatsby and became for good friends with him. He came from the Midwest. He lives in West Egg in this story. Main character. He never judged anyone in this story. 

Jordan Baker: Good golfer but she cheats. Liked Nick in this story and was with him. 

Myrtle: Tom's other girlfriend in this book. Meets him on the train to go back to his apartment. Gets run over by a yellow car driven by Daisy and dies. 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 9

Abstract: Nick tries to have a funeral for Gatsby in this chapter. He thinks Gatsby wouldn't want to go through the funeral alone. He tries to invite alot of different people to the funeral. Nick cant get anyone to go. He tries to get Daisy and Tom to go but they moved away. Nick talks about Gatsby's past. Nick is getting sick of the East and decides to move back to the Midwest. He breaks up with Jordan. Right before Nick leaves he sees Tom. He was reluctant to shake his hand but did. Tom says how much he suffered from giving up his apartment in the city and that Gatsby deserved to die. Nick thinks that Tom and Daisy think they can do whatever they want and be shield by their money. He thinks they are horrible people. Nick is thinking about the East where he is moving from. He remembers his past and thinks about how bad the East is in comparison to the West. On his last night, Nick goes over to Gatsby's empty mansion and erased a bad word on his steps. He thinks of Gatsby's unfulfilled goal of getting Daisy. He wonders if the finding of America was a goal. Nick says that everyone is motivated by a goal. Nick relates struggles to going against the current in a boat. 

Response: Nick realizes that everyone has a goal that they want to reach in life. Gatsby's goal was not getting rich and powerful like he did, he wanted Daisy. He didn't get her so his goal is unreached. Fitzgerald's goal is very similar to Jay Gatsby's goal. Fitzgerald's goal was to get enough money so that the girl that he loved would marry him. He eventually did get rich and she married him basically because of his money. Gatsby's goal was to get Daisy. She wouldn't go with him because he went to war and he didn't have enough money. Fitzgerald related his real-life situation in this book. 

Question:Why was Tom in New York when Nick meet him? 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 8

Abstract: The next night, Nick goes to Gatsby's house to talk to him. Gatsby said that he waited on his deck at 4 in the morning for Daisy to come out but she never did. Nick suggests that Gatsby should forget about Daisy and move. Gatsby doesn't want to leave Daisy behind. He says that Daisy and he were really close before he went to the war and were going to get married. When he was gone she married Tom. Gatsby decides he is going for a swim later that day. Nick leaves because he has to go to work. He couldn't concentrate on work though. The story then talks about George Wilson. He told Myrtle that she couldnt keep doing what she was doing and that god is watching. He thinks that whoever drove the car was probably the killer. He saw Tom but then decided it couldnt be Tom because he showed up at a different time. He then says that is was Gatsby. He goes to Gatsby's house and finds him in the pool. He shoots him and then shoots himself. Nick hurries back and sees Gatsby dead. He thinks that his last thoughts were meaningless because he didn't fulfill his goal of getting Daisy.
Response: Gatsby was shot and killed while floating in his pool. I really don't understand why George Wilson killed him anyway. He wasnt the one that Myrtle was cheating with. He assumed that he ran her over and he killed him based on assumption. If he would have known he did it, he would have killed Daisy. Gatsby really did nothing to deserve what he got. I would have guessed that Wilson would have gone after Tom for everything he has done. I really dont even think that Gatsby minded dying. He had the love of his life and lost for a second time. She said she loved him and then goes back on what she says. She needed to chose who she wanted to be with alot earlier. She was leading on Gatsby and disappointed him. He couldnt handle the disappointment.
Question: Why did Wilson kill himself after he killed Gatsby?

The Great Gatsby Chapter 7

Abstract: Gatsby calls off all of his parties and fires all of his servants so rumors won't get spread. Gatsby goes over to Tom and Daisy's house on the hottest day of the summer. Gatsby and Daisy can't hide the love between them. Tom realizes this and says they should all go to town. They get a suite at the Plaza Hotel. Tom and Gatsby begin to argue. Tom gets mad that Gatsby always says old sport. Gatsby replies and says that Daisy has always loved him. Daisy agrees with Gatsby. Tom accuses Gatsby of running a bootlegging operation. Tom sends Daisy back with Gatsby. Nick then realizes that it is his 30th birthday. On their way back, Nick, Tom, and Jordan see a horrible sight. They realize that someone was hit by a car and it was Myrtle. Nick realizes that Gatsby and Daisy must have hit her with Gatsby's big yellow vehicle. Tom thinks Wilson will remember the vehicle and assumes Gatsby was driving. Back at Tom's house, Nick is outside and sees Gatsby in the bushes. He wants to make sure Tom didn't hurt her. Gatsby says that Daisy was driving the car when Myrtle was hit but he will take the blame. Gatsby sends Nick into the house to check on Daisy. He sees them eating chicken. They are not fighting anymore and Nick leaves Gatsby in the moonlight by himself.
Response: Gatsby and Tom argue alot in this chapter. Tom says that all of Gatsby fortune comes from bootlegging and that Daisy really loves him. Gatsby claims that Daisy really loves him and only him. Daisy is always with Gatsby. The relationship between Daisy and Tom is really not good. Tom cheats on her and she cheats on Tom with Gatsby. Tom says that what they have is true love and the things they did in the past is a tribute to their love. To me, people who love each other do not cheat on each other. They remain loyal to their significant other and stay faithful. There can't be alot of trust in that relationship.
Question: Is Daisy with Tom or Gatsby?

The Great Gatsby Chapter 6

Abstract: The rumors about Gatsby begin to go through out town. A newspaper writer comes to interview Gatsby. Nick interupts the interview to talk about the past of Gatsby. He says that Gatsby really name is James. He worked on Lake Superior as a fisherman and also dug for clams. He met Dan Cody, who owned a yacht. Gatsby worked on their for years, and fell in love with money and power. He left 25,000 dollars for Gatsby and dedicated himself to become wealthy. Nick doesn't see Gatsby and Daisy for a couple weeks. Nick goes over to Gatsby's house one day and is surprised to see Tom there. Tom doesnt know about Daisy and Gatsby's love yet but is being suspicious. Gatsby throws a party and Tom and Daisy attend the party. Daisy isn't having a great time at the party. Tom tells her that Gatsby got all his money from bootlegging. This upset her and she said he got his money from a chain of drug stores. Gatsby finds Nick. He is upset by Daisy not having a good time. Gatsby wants things to go back to the way they were in Louisville. Nick thinks that now that Gatsby has her, his dream is pretty much over.

Response: Nick thinks that now Gatsby has Daisy, he will not have anything to work for. He bought a house to be close to her and showed her all of his belongings. He worked really hard to get all of his money and power and now that he has reached his goal, he doesn't feel as happy as what he thought he would be. He thought about it to much and expected way to much of Daisy. He set himself up for disappointment. He wanted things to be like they were in Louisville but things change.
Question: Why did Daisy get upset when Tom said Gatsby got all of his money from bootlegging?

The Great Gatsby Chapter 5

Abstract: Nick comes home after his date with Jordan. He is surprised to see Gatsby's mansion lite up. Nick is walking home and Gatsby approaches him from across the lawn. Gatsby offers many different things to Nick, like having his lawn mowed and a business opportunity. Nick then realizes this is just so he would set the meeting up with Daisy. Nick agrees to the meeting. Daisy comes over and Gatsby disappears. He comes back and sees Daisy. The first half an hour was very awkward for everyone. Finally they begin to talk. Gatsby offers everyone to go to his house. Daisy sees all of his nice things and is overwhelmed by his wealthy lifestyle. Nick suddenly realizes they don't notice him and leaves. 

Response: Nick did a very nice thing for Gatsby. He really really wanted to see Daisy and Nick set it up. I see problems in the future though. Tom and Nick were friends and Nick and Gatsby are starting to become closer friends. If Tom finds out that Nick set up Gatsby with his wife, he will be very angry, even though he cheats on Daisy all the time. 

Question: Will Gatsby and Daisy get back together? 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 4

Abstract: Nick is describing a trip he he went on with Gatsby through New York. Gatsby tells Nick about his past, claiming he was from the midwest and attended the Oxford University. Nick asks what city and he says he is from San Francisco. Gatsby talks about some accomplishments of his life and what he has done. Nick is a little skeptic of Gatsby and he sees that. Gatsby shows different pictures of his past to prove his story. They get pulled over and Gatsby shows a white card to the cop and they don't get a ticket. They go to lunch. After lunch, Nick sees Jordan and she tells him that Gatsby loved Daisy. He says that Gatsby met her when he was stationed in the army but he was shipped out. She then met Tom. Gatsby bought his house in West Egg just so he could be around her. They get a plan to get Nick to invite Daisy to Nick's house and Gatsby will be there. She will be forced to see him then. 

Response: This chapter is very similar to Fizgerald's life. He was in the army and was with a woman named Zelda. They were engaged but broke up because he couldn't finacially provide support to her. They broke up and then got back together later in the story. I believe that Daisy and Gatsby will get back together later on in the story because that is what happened in his life. 

Question: Why did Nick and Gatsby go to New York? 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 3

Abstract: In the beginning of this chapter, there is a huge party thrown by Gatsby. He is known for throwing good parties with very wealthy guests. People look in amazement at the things Gatsby has, like a Rolls Royce and a swimming pool. Nick attends this party and meets Jordan there. Her friend Lucille is there as well and she says that she thinks Gatsby was a German spy and killed a man.  Around midnight, Nick and Jordan go out to see the entertainment. They sit at a table and Nick recognizes the guy at the table but didn't know his name. The guy says his name is Jay Gatsby, the man who threw the party. Nick notices that Jay Gatsby is not drunk and keeps to himself. Later, the butler tells jordan that Gatsby wants to speak to her. She comes out saying that she heard something great. Nick says goodbye to Gatsby and begins to walk home. He sees a car in the ditch and notices it is the same man they met in the library earlier. Nick also took the advice of Daisy and Tom and is now seeing Jordan.

Response: This chapter made Gatsby more mysterious. His house is huge and he throws many great parties, but no one ever sees him. He is never the center of attention, even though it is his party. There is also a rumor that he killed a man and was a spy for the German army. Jordan goes into talk to Gatsby and says she heard something great. She never says what it was. Fitzgerald was in the army for a short period of time during his life. I believe he used some of his knowledge from that to help form Gatsby.

Question: What did Gatsby tell Jordan? 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 2

Abstract: This chapter starts out with Tom and Nick going on a train. Tom forces Nick out of the train on one of the stops. They go to George Wilson's garage. They go there to meet Myrtle. She is the other lover of Tom's. They get back on the train and leave for Morningside Heights, where Tom keeps an apartment for his affair. They have a party and Nick hears that Jay Gatsby is a nephew or cousin to the leader of the German army in WW1. Everyone starts drinking and soon after, everyone is beginning to get obnoxious and loud. Myrtle is getting very loud. Tom buys her a puppy as a gift. Myrtle then begins to talk about Daisy and Tom gets mad.  He tells her to stop but she wouldn't. She started yelling Daisy repeatedly. Tom then breaks her nose. Nick leaves the place and gets on a train to get back home. 

Response: Nick was again put in an awkward situation by Tom. He goes to this party where he knows no one. People are getting crazy and drunk. He then witnesses Tom hit Myrtle in the face and he broke her nose. Nick then decides to get on the train and ride home. He did find out some good information though. He found out that Jay Gatsby was closely related to the leader of the German army. 

Question: Why is Nick going different places with Tom? 

The Great Gatsby Chapter 1

Abstract: This chapter begins with Nick Carraway's, who is the narrator in this story, dad telling him not to judge other people. He should treat them the way he would want to be treated. The story then skips to  the summer of 1922. Nick is renting a house on West Egg, which is apart of Long Island. West Egg is the home to the newly rich people who haven't established a name for themselves. East Egg is a place for the very wealthy and very powerful people. Nick goes to East Egg to visit Daisy, his cousin, and Tom Buchanan, whom Nick knows from his days at Yale. Tom greets him at the door with riding clothes on. Tom receives a call and Daisy runs after him when he leaves. Jordan Baker says it is his other girl. Jordan is a golfer. They have an awkward dinner and Jordan leaves to go to bed because of a golf tournament the next day. Daisy and Tom hint to Nick that they want him to have romantic interest in Jordan. Nick leaves and when he gets home he sees Gatsby for the first time. He was standing near the water. 

Response: Gatsby seems like a very mysterious character. He is just standing near the water with his hands out toward the water. His house is very large and gothic like. When Nick was at Tom's house, Tom received a call from supposedly his other girl. This would have been very awkward for Nick to be there. I read also that Tom and Daisy wanted Nick to like Jordan. Maybe they just left so they could get alone time to talk and try to develop a relationship. 

Question: Why was Gatsby standing near the water with his arms extended?