A Man of Destiny
The Great Gatsby Plot Analysis
Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
Initial Situation
Nick Carraway sets up the scene, visits his second cousin, and describes the parties thrown by Jay Gatsby next door.
The narrator, Nick Carraway, recently returned from World War I, finds a job in New York City and rents a small house in West Egg, a small town on Long Island. His cousin Daisy and her husband Tom live nearby in East Egg, and Nick is a frequent visitor to their house. Jay Gatsby, Nick’s next door neighbor, is a wealthy newcomer who throws large parties weekly, during which his guests discuss the latest rumors about who Gatsby is, how he achieved his wealth, and what crimes he might have committed.
Conflict
Tom has a mistress. Daisy meets Gatsby and they begin to have an affair.
Despite their wealth, their child, and the front they put on for society, Tom and Daisy’s marriage is a sham. Everybody knows that Tom "has a woman," who even calls him at home. Sure enough, before long, Tom introduces Nick to his mistress, a married woman named Myrtle Wilson whose husband, George, runs an auto garage. Nick learns that Myrtle believes Tom wants to leave Daisy but can’t. This is clearly a lie. Tension rises as we recognize the potentially explosive nature of this situation – especially with a man like Tom around. Our fears are confirmed when Tom is physically abusive to his mistress. The second piece of the conflict emerges later, but it’s a doozy: About halfway through the novel, Jordan Baker reveals that Jay Gatsby fell in love with Daisy some years before. He’d like Nick to invite Daisy to tea so he can see her. Nick helps reunite the two former lovers. Now we’ve got the conflict of Tom’s violence, conflict with Daisy and Gatsby’s love, and some potential conflict between Nick and
Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
Initial Situation
Nick Carraway sets up the scene, visits his second cousin, and describes the parties thrown by Jay Gatsby next door.
The narrator, Nick Carraway, recently returned from World War I, finds a job in New York City and rents a small house in West Egg, a small town on Long Island. His cousin Daisy and her husband Tom live nearby in East Egg, and Nick is a frequent visitor to their house. Jay Gatsby, Nick’s next door neighbor, is a wealthy newcomer who throws large parties weekly, during which his guests discuss the latest rumors about who Gatsby is, how he achieved his wealth, and what crimes he might have committed.
Conflict
Tom has a mistress. Daisy meets Gatsby and they begin to have an affair.
Despite their wealth, their child, and the front they put on for society, Tom and Daisy’s marriage is a sham. Everybody knows that Tom "has a woman," who even calls him at home. Sure enough, before long, Tom introduces Nick to his mistress, a married woman named Myrtle Wilson whose husband, George, runs an auto garage. Nick learns that Myrtle believes Tom wants to leave Daisy but can’t. This is clearly a lie. Tension rises as we recognize the potentially explosive nature of this situation – especially with a man like Tom around. Our fears are confirmed when Tom is physically abusive to his mistress. The second piece of the conflict emerges later, but it’s a doozy: About halfway through the novel, Jordan Baker reveals that Jay Gatsby fell in love with Daisy some years before. He’d like Nick to invite Daisy to tea so he can see her. Nick helps reunite the two former lovers. Now we’ve got the conflict of Tom’s violence, conflict with Daisy and Gatsby’s love, and some potential conflict between Nick and