The Great Gatsby (1949) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Gatsby's obsession with Daisy stems from their romantic relationship during World War I, when they fell in love and Gatsby promised to marry her once he earned enough money. When he left to seek his fortune, Daisy grew impatient and married the wealthy Tom Buchanan. Gatsby spent years building a fortune through bootlegging, believing that by acquiring wealth and status equal to Tom, he can recapture the past and prove that he deserves Daisy.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that Gatsby's entire empire was built specifically to lure Daisy back, with his lavish parties serving as a magnet for her attention.

• gatsby
• daisy
• love
• promise
• wealth
• marriage

Gatsby built his fortune through bootlegging during Prohibition. The timeline reveals he shot and killed two rival gangsters in a street confrontation in 1928, securing his position in the criminal underworld. This violent act marked the birth of his 'dark empire,' which he used to purchase his lavish Long Island estate and fund the extravagant lifestyle designed to attract Daisy.

Foreshadowing: Nick's opening narration frames Gatsby's world as one of 'temptation and danger,' referencing Proverbs to suggest the moral precariousness of his ascent.

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• wealth
• bootlegging
• prohibition
• fortune
• crime

Daisy is behind the wheel of Gatsby's Duesenberg roadster when she strikes Myrtle Wilson in the street. Gatsby had given Daisy the car as part of his effort to impress her and demonstrate his wealth. The scene depicts the fatal accident as an unintended consequence of Gatsby's attempt to win Daisy through material display.

Foreshadowing: Gatsby's decision to let Daisy drive his prized car during the city outing sets up the tragic collision that drives the film's final act.

• daisy
• car accident
• myrtle
• gatsby
• driving

Technically, Daisy is driving the car and strikes Myrtle, making her the one who caused the accident. However, the group conspires to pin the blame on Gatsby to protect Daisy from consequences. Tom, Daisy, and Jordan deliberate on how to place responsibility on Gatsby, and George Wilson ultimately believes Gatsby is guilty, leading to the tragedy.

Foreshadowing: The cover-up plan is overheard by Gatsby from the veranda, foreshadowing how this deception contributes to his downfall.

• myrtle
• death
• responsibility
• cover-up
• daisy
• gatsby

Tom maintains silence about Gatsby's involvement to protect himself and preserve his own position. He knows that revealing Gatsby's name would expose his own affair with Myrtle and his complicity in the events surrounding the accident. Tom's refusal to name Gatsby ultimately directs Wilson's vengeance toward Gatsby instead.

Foreshadowing: This moment completes Tom's pattern of self-protection throughout the film, as his affair with Myrtle already established his moral compromise.

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• gatsby
• name
• wilson
• secret
• concealment

Nick finds the conspiracy to blame Gatsby morally reprehensible and withdraws from the scheme. His objection represents his growing discomfort with the corrupt social circle he has been drawn into. Nick's decision to detach from the planning signals his moral awakening and his eventual rejection of the East's values.

Foreshadowing: Nick's withdrawal from the conspiracy foreshadows his later departure from Long Island and his critical narration of Gatsby's fate.

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• cover-up
• moral
• objection
• withdraw

George Wilson shoots Gatsby dead at his pool. Wilson has become convinced that Gatsby was responsible for Myrtle's death after Tom refuses to reveal the driver's name. Driven by grief and rage over his wife's death, Wilson seeks revenge on the man he believes killed Myrtle, ultimately murdering Gatsby in a tragic act of misplaced vengeance.

Foreshadowing: Wilson's earlier confrontation with Tom at the Buchanan residence establishes his growing certainty about Gatsby's involvement.

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• death
• wilson
• murder
• revenge
• shooting

Gatsby's funeral is sparsely attended, with only Nick and Jordan present. This reflects the hollowness of the social world Gatsby built, despite hosting extravagant parties attended by hundreds, no one from his circle attends his funeral. The empty ceremony underscores the film's critique of the superficiality and moral emptiness of the wealthy elite he sought to join.

Foreshadowing: Nick's earlier observation about Gatsby's world being one of 'temptation and danger' foreshadows this ultimate isolation.

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• gatsby
• attendance
• isolation
• critique

After the accident, Daisy confesses to Tom, Nick, and Jordan that she was driving the car that killed Myrtle. However, she and Tom scheme to place blame on Gatsby to shield themselves from responsibility. Daisy ultimately returns to her life with Tom, suffering no apparent consequences, representing the moral impunity of the wealthy class.

Foreshadowing: The film's opening frame in 1948 shows Nick and Jordan visiting Gatsby's grave while Daisy remains absent, suggesting she escaped accountability.

• daisy
• aftermath
• accountability
• confession
• tom

Nick leaves the East because he has become disillusioned with the moral corruption and emptiness of the wealthy society surrounding Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom. After witnessing the cover-up, Gatsby's death, and the hollow nature of the social world he inhabited, Nick chooses to return to the Midwest with Jordan, seeking a more authentic life defined by simpler values.

Foreshadowing: Nick's decision to visit Gatsby's grave in the opening scene, paired with his moral condemnation, establishes his reflective judgment of the East's values.

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• departure
• midwest
• leaving
• values
• disillusionment

Gatsby tells Nick by the pool that he wants to renounce his illicit bootlegging empire and start fresh. This moment represents his desire to become worthy of Daisy through legitimate means rather than criminal wealth. However, this public renunciation comes too late, moments later, Wilson arrives and kills him, making his attempt at redemption futile.

Foreshadowing: Gatsby's desire for a 'new chance at life' underscores the tragic timing of his moral awakening.

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• renunciation
• repentance
• death
• pool
• redemption

Tom attempts to call Gatsby to warn him of the danger from Wilson, but Gatsby does not answer the phone. This missed connection seals Gatsby's vulnerability, he remains unaware of the threat approaching and is subsequently killed by Wilson. The unanswered call highlights Gatsby's isolation from the very people whose secrets he helped protect.

Foreshadowing: This failed communication underscores the breakdown of any potential loyalty between Gatsby and the Buchanans.

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• warning
• call
• gatsby
• phone
• missed

Wilson becomes convinced of Gatsby's involvement because Tom deliberately redirects his suspicion. When Wilson confronts Tom about the driver, Tom refuses to name Gatsby, which Wilson interprets as confirmation. Combined with the fact that Gatsby owns the car involved, Wilson wrongly concludes that Gatsby was driving and bears responsibility for Myrtle's death.

Foreshadowing: Tom's strategic silence during the confrontation plants the idea in Wilson's mind.

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• gatsby
• blame
• myrtle
• death
• convinced