Chapter One

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Chapter One - Background to the Class Rivalry of Long Island

The novel begins with the narrator, Nick Carraway, recalling a piece of advice from his father: instead of criticizing people, he should 'just remember that all the people in the world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.'

Description of Gatsby

Nick then goes on to mention Gatsby, 'the man who gives his name to this book'.
Nick states that Gatsby was the kind of person for whom he normally has 'an unaffected scorn', but that in this case, he doesn't pass judgement and instead admires his 'gorgeous' character.
Gatsby, Nick suggests, is a victim who has been destroyed by the 'foul dust' of the times.

Nick's background

Nick reveals some of his own background: his family has lived for generations in the same city in Minnesota, and Nick graduated from Yale University in 1915, after which he joined the army and fought in World War I.
Upon returning from the war, Nick found himself restless in his hometown and so, in the spring of 1922, Nick decides to relocate to New York City to 'learn the bond business'.

Nick's home in New York

Nick sees New York as an exciting place where he hopes to reinvent himself, and goes on to find himself living in a rented house in West Egg, a Long Island suburb which is directly across the bay from East Egg.
Nick says that West Egg is 'the less fashionable of the two' because it is where the ‘new rich’ live, while East Egg is home to ‘old money’.

Gatsby's mansion

Nick describes how his own small rented house is next to Gatsby’s mansion, 'a colossal affair by any standard' which is a replica of a French hotel.
The grand house has 'a marble swimming pool' and 'more than forty acres of lawn and garden'.

Chapter One - Summary

After this introduction to the class rivalry of Long Island, the main story commences. Nick describes how he drives over to East Egg to visit his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her husband, Tom.

Meeting Tom Buchanan

When Nick arrives at the Buchanan’s house, he is greeted by Tom. Tom is 'in riding clothes' and 'standing with his legs apart on the front porch'.
Nick recalls how there were many people at university who 'hated his guts', and it seems that Tom hasn't changed much since his university days: he still comes across as arrogant and condescending.

Meeting Jordan Baker

Also at the Buchanan’s house is Jordan Baker, a woman who is a professional golf player.
She is a beautiful woman but she also seems to be completely disinterested in everything that surrounds her.
Jordan speaks 'contemptuously' when she talks about West Egg, but goes on to mention to Nick that she knows Gatsby.
Nick does not have time to tell Jordan that Gatsby is his next-door neighbour, because dinner is announced.

Tom's reading

Over dinner, Tom tells the others about a book he has read called The Rise of the Colored Empires.
The book describes how the white race is at risk of being usurped by 'other races'.
He urges everyone to read the book so that they can understand how important it is that they protect 'the dominant race'.

Tom's affair revealed

The dinner is interrupted as the butler tells Tom that he has a phone call.
Daisy soon follows behind Tom, leaving Jordan and Nick alone at the table. As Nick begins to make conversation, he is quickly silenced by Jordan, who is trying to listen to what is happening in the other room.
Jordan reveals to Nick that 'Tom’s got some other woman in New York', meaning that he is cheating on his wife, Daisy.

Hints to Nick Carraway

Tom and Daisy return, but there is an uncomfortable atmosphere in the room for the rest of the dinner.
When Nick is leaving, Tom and Daisy hint that he should become romantically involved with Jordan.

Seeing Jay Gatsby

When Nick returns home, he sees Jay Gatsby in the front garden of his mansion, looking out across the bay towards East Egg.
Nick almost calls out to greet Gatsby, but is stopped because Gatsby 'stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way'.
In an attempt to understand what Gatsby is reaching out for, Nick looks out to sea but sees only a 'single green light' in the distance.