The Great Gatsby

Nick Carraway pilots his boat across the harbor to Daisy and Tom's mansion in East Egg, beginning the story. He quickly senses trouble in their marriage and learns Tom is having an affair with a woman in New York. The encounter introduces Gatsby, the mysterious neighbor known for his extravagant parties.

Nick moves into a small cottage in West Egg next to the mysterious Gatsby, a decorated WWI veteran who throws lavish parties. The neighbor's wealth and the rumors surrounding Gatsby set the tone for Nick's new life. This contrast between East Egg and West Egg underscores the social tensions of the time.

Tom takes Nick to meet his mistress Myrtle Wilson in New York, where she lives with her husband George. Myrtle taunts Tom by mentioning Daisy's name, highlighting the tangled web of infidelity. George Wilson is an automotive mechanic who embodies the couple's fragile world.

Daisy asks Nick to set him up with her friend Jordan Baker, a professional golfer, creating a connection between Nick and the social circle. Later, Nick and Jordan attend a party at Gatsby's home, and Gatsby privately invites Nick to lunch the next day. The invitation sets the stage for Daisy and Gatsby to reunite.

Gatsby surprises Daisy at lunch, and Nick meets Gatsby's associate Meyer Wolfsheim, a gangster figure who helped build Gatsby's wealth. The gathering reveals Gatsby's wealth and his intense desire to rekindle the past with Daisy. The meeting marks the return of Daisy and Gatsby's romance after years apart.

The group spends time together in the city, ending up at the Plaza Hotel in New York for a confrontation about the affair. Gatsby wants Daisy to deny she ever loved Tom. Daisy refuses and drives away in Gatsby's car, leaving the others to return separately to the island.

On the drive back, Daisy drives Gatsby's car and unintentionally hits Myrtle as Myrtle runs into the street. The accident ties Daisy forever to the tragedy surrounding Gatsby. Gatsby remains entwined in the aftermath, while the consequences begin to unfold.

Believing Gatsby killed his wife, George Wilson goes to Gatsby's mansion and fatally shoots him. He then commits suicide, deepening the tragedy and isolating Gatsby's dream. The violence catalyzes the collapse of the world surrounding Nick and Daisy.

Nick holds Gatsby's funeral, and Gatsby's father appears, revealing Gatsby's original name was Gatz. No one else from Gatsby's extravagant circle attends, highlighting the emptiness at the heart of the social world. The funeral marks the definitive end of Gatsby's dream.

Daisy and Tom continue with their lives as though nothing occurred, while Nick breaks up with Jordan and moves back to the Midwest. He laments Gatsby's inability to escape his past and the moral drift of Eastern society. The narrator's exit underscores the era's hollow glamour.

From the Midwest, Nick reflects on Gatsby's relentless dream and the impossibility of recapturing the past. He acknowledges the moral failure around him and the tragedy that defined Gatsby's life. The tale ends on a note of melancholy and critique of the East's superficial charm.