The Great Gatsby Full Plot Summary - Powering through Prose
Summary
TLDRThe video script narrates the tale of Nick Carraway, who moves to New York in the 1920s and becomes entangled in the complex life of his enigmatic neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby's lavish lifestyle and obsession with his former love, Daisy Buchanan, set the stage for a tragic love story. As the truth about Gatsby's wealth and Daisy's loyalties unravel, the narrative explores themes of illusion, ambition, and the corrupting influence of the American Dream.
Takeaways
- 📚 The script is a summary of 'The Great Gatsby', a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, set in the 1920s.
- 🎩 Nick Carraway is the narrator and the audience's guide through the story, known for his honesty and trustworthiness.
- 🏠 Nick moves to New York City and rents a cottage in West Egg, next to the mysterious Gatsby's mansion.
- 💔 Daisy Buchanan, Nick's second cousin, lives in East Egg with her husband Tom, and their marriage is troubled.
- 🕵️♂️ Tom introduces Nick to Myrtle Wilson, his mistress, revealing the affair and the complex relationships in the story.
- 🎉 Gatsby is known for throwing extravagant parties, hoping to attract Daisy's attention.
- 💡 Gatsby's backstory is revealed through a fabricated narrative of wealth, war heroism, and education at Oxford.
- 🔮 Jordan Baker reveals Gatsby's past love affair with Daisy and his ongoing longing for her.
- 🚗 A pivotal moment occurs when Daisy accidentally hits and kills Myrtle with Gatsby's car, under complex circumstances.
- 🏊 Gatsby's tragic end comes when George Wilson, seeking revenge for Myrtle's death, mistakenly kills Gatsby.
- 🌅 The story concludes with Nick reflecting on the nature of dreams, the past, and the disillusionment that can come from chasing unattainable goals.
Q & A
What is the nickname that people use for Nick Carraway in the script?
-In the script, Nick Carraway is referred to as 'old sport' by others.
What significant event from 1922 does Nick Carraway recount in the script?
-Nick recounts meeting Jay Gatsby and the events surrounding Gatsby's life and parties in 1922.
Where did Nick move to from the Midwest, as mentioned in the script?
-Nick moved to New York City and also rented a cottage on Long Island's West Egg.
What is the relationship between Daisy Buchanan and Nick Carraway?
-Daisy Buchanan is Nick's second cousin.
What is the significance of the green light that Gatsby is seen reaching out to in the script?
-The green light signifies Gatsby's hope and longing for Daisy, as it is located at the end of her dock.
What is the name of Tom Buchanan's mistress, as mentioned in the script?
-Tom Buchanan's mistress is named Myrtle Wilson.
How does the script describe the Valley of the Ashes?
-The Valley of the Ashes is described as an industrial wasteland located halfway between the Eggs and New York City.
What is the profession of George Wilson, Myrtle's husband?
-George Wilson owns a garage.
What tragic event occurs involving Myrtle Wilson and Gatsby's car?
-Myrtle Wilson is killed when she runs out onto the road to flag down Gatsby's big yellow car, which hits her.
Who is ultimately responsible for Myrtle's death, according to the script?
-Daisy Buchanan was driving the car when Myrtle was killed, but Gatsby offers to take the blame.
How does the script describe Gatsby's end and the lessons it might offer?
-The script describes Gatsby's end as a delusion and a nightmare, suggesting that his pursuit of an unattainable dream and association with the careless and rotten crowd like the Buchanans led to his downfall.
Outlines
🎬 Introduction to the Roaring Twenties and Nick Carraway
The script opens with a dramatic introduction to the 1920s, setting the stage for a tale of love and ambition. Nick Carraway, the narrator, is portrayed as an honest man who becomes the confidant of many, including the enigmatic Jay Gatsby. Nick's move to New York City and his proximity to Gatsby's mansion on West Egg sets the scene for the unfolding drama. Key characters like Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, and Jordan Baker are introduced, each with their own secrets and roles in the story. The first paragraph establishes the social landscape and the complex relationships that will drive the narrative.
💔 The Unfolding Affairs and Gatsby's Grand Entrance
This paragraph delves into the tangled web of relationships and infidelity that pervades the lives of the characters. Tom Buchanan's affair with Myrtle Wilson is revealed, and the sordid nature of their relationship is highlighted by a violent incident at a party. Gatsby's mysterious persona is further explored as Nick is introduced to Gatsby's extravagant lifestyle and parties. The paragraph culminates in Gatsby's formal introduction to Nick and the revelation of Gatsby's backstory, which, while seemingly impressive, also raises questions about his true identity and past.
🏠 Gatsby's Obsession and the Tragic Consequences
The final paragraph brings the story to its climax and conclusion. Gatsby's deep-seated love for Daisy and his relentless pursuit of her affection are laid bare. The tension between Gatsby's dream and the harsh reality of Daisy's marriage to Tom reaches a breaking point. The tragic accident involving Myrtle Wilson and the subsequent fallout, including Gatsby's death and the revelation of Daisy's role in the accident, are detailed. The response of the other characters to Gatsby's death, and Nick's reflections on the nature of dreams and the past, provide a poignant end to the narrative.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Roaring 20s
💡Nick Carraway
💡Gatsby
💡Old Money
💡The Great Gatsby
💡West Egg and East Egg
💡Tom Buchanan
💡Myrtle Wilson
💡American Dream
💡Green Light
💡Valley of Ashes
💡Moral Decay
Highlights
Nick Carraway, the narrator, shares his experiences of life and love in the 1920s.
Nick moves to New York City and becomes neighbors with the enigmatic Jay Gatsby.
Nick's cousin Daisy Buchanan and her wealthy but unhappy marriage is introduced.
Gatsby's mysterious presence and his longing for Daisy are revealed.
Tom Buchanan's infidelity and the tragic consequences of his affair with Myrtle Wilson.
Gatsby's extravagant parties, designed to attract Daisy's attention.
Nick's encounter with Gatsby's fabricated backstory and his connection to Wolfsheim.
The revelation of Gatsby's past love affair with Daisy and his unrequited love.
Daisy's visit to Gatsby's mansion and the awkwardness of their reunion.
The exploration of Gatsby's rise from poverty to wealth under the mentorship of Dan Cody.
Tom's discovery of Gatsby and Daisy's affair and the confrontation at the Plaza Hotel.
The tragic car accident involving Myrtle Wilson and the subsequent fallout.
Gatsby's loyalty to Daisy, even in the face of her silence after the accident.
George Wilson's quest for revenge and Gatsby's ultimate demise.
Nick's role as Gatsby's advocate after his death and the revelation of Gatsby's true character.
The lack of support from Gatsby's supposed friends and the attendance of his father at the funeral.
Nick's reflection on the nature of dreams, the past, and the tragic end of Gatsby's pursuit.
Transcripts
[Music]
hold on to your hats
our narrator nick carraway has some
hair-raising things to share about life
and love in the 1920s
was it the roaring 20s or the rotten 20s
you'll have to stick around to find out
old sport
nick's an honest kind of guy who people
tend to confide in
which is why he has lots to tell us
about what happened in 1922.
of all the people nick met that year the
one who made the biggest impression on
him was gatsby
ah
gatsby
it all began in the summer
nick had recently moved from america's
midwest to take a job in new york city
he'd also rented a cottage on long
island's west egg right next door to
gatsby's mansion
nick's second cousin daisy buchanan
lived across the bay in the more
fashionable east egg where the old money
resides
one evening daisy invites nick over for
dinner
nick receives a warm welcome from daisy
but her friend jordan baker is
standoffish
although jordan does know who nick's
neighbor is
who's gatsby
nick went to yale with daisy's obnoxious
husband tom buchanan
the unhappy state of tom and daisy's
marriage is showcased during dinner when
tom's mistress calls twice
poor daisy is clearly miserable
when he arrives back home nick sees his
neighbor gatsby standing out on his
manicured lawn in the moonlight
gatsby hold his arms out towards a green
light that flashes in the distance
what's he doing
a short time later tom introduces nick
to his mistress myrtle wilson
she lives in the valley of the ashes an
industrial wasteland that lies halfway
between the eggs and new york city she's
married to george wilson who owns a
garage
george doesn't realize that tom visits
his garage to see myrtle not discuss
cars
later that afternoon they all end up at
tom and myrtle's love nest in the city
myrtle invites a few people over and it
turns into a party
but the shindig ends abruptly when tom
breaks myrtle's nose for repeating
daisy's name
what a brute
but that wasn't a proper party only
gatsby throws real parties
soon enough nick is formally invited to
one
jordan baker saves him from social
isolation and they go on a mission to
find the mysterious gatsby
inside
they find an owl-eyed man in the library
but no gatsby
at around midnight gatsby finally
introduces himself to nick
they chat briefly before gatsby takes a
phone call and then asks to speak to
jordan alone
is gatsby trying to steal nick's date
it turns out that gatsby had pulled
jordan aside to tell her something
amazing
but nick must make a date with her if he
wants to know more
so
nick starts dating jordan
even though he hasn't officially broken
up with his girlfriend back home
one morning gatsby drives nick into the
city in his big yellow car
on the way
gatsby tells nick his life story
apparently he comes from a wealthy
midwest family is a decorated war hero
was educated at oxford and was affected
by a very sad thing that happened in his
past
it all sounds like a lie until he pulls
out a medal and photo to corroborate it
gatsby also says that jordan will fill
nick in on the very sad thing
ah
so that's what jordan and gatsby were
discussing at the party
maybe gatsby is legit
at lunch
gatsby introduces nick to his longtime
business partner maya wolfsheim bit of a
shady character that one
an awkward moment also occurs when nick
bumps into tom buchanan at the
restaurant
gatsby vanishes after nick introduces
him to tom
what's all that about
later that afternoon jordan gives nick
the scoop
five years ago back in louisville daisy
had a steamy love affair with a young
army officer named jay gatsby
but then gatsby went off to war and
daisy married tom buchanan
gatsby has been pining for daisy ever
since he even bought that crazy mansion
to be close to her
he throws big parties in the hope that
daisy will show up to one but she hasn't
so now it's down to nick gatsby wants
nick to invite daisy to afternoon tea at
his cottage
but daisy isn't to know that gatsby will
be there
being a dutiful friend nick invites
daisy over a few days later
gatsby shows up an hour earlier looking
sleep deprived
when daisy arrives gatsby runs out
through the back door and knocks on the
front door as if he's just arrived
fashionably late cool moves old sport
the lover's reunion is super awkward at
first daisy hardly knows what to say
but eventually the atmosphere shifts
until daisy and gatsby are absolutely
absorbed in one another
gatsby then takes daisy and nick next
door for a tour of his jaw dropping
house
goodness knows how he earned the money
to buy it in only three years as the
evening draws in nick decides to leave
them to it they don't need him anymore
after this nick doesn't see gatsby for a
few weeks so he uses this interval to
tell us more about the great gatsby
jay gatsby was born james gatz the son
of poor farmers from the midwest
but gatsby had big dreams and reinvented
himself at age 17.
his career officially began when he
introduced himself as jay gatsby to the
millionaire dan cody
cody became gatsby's employer and mentor
teaching him how to be a man of
substance
nick visits gatsby one sunday afternoon
tom buchanan and his posh riding buddies
also drop in as if gatsby's house is a
pub
the way these east egg toffs treat
gatsby is quite rude although gatsby
makes a point of telling tom
i know your wife
sure enough tom and daisy show up to
gatsby's next party except daisy doesn't
enjoy herself
west egg just isn't her scene
at the end of the night tom announces
that he's going to find out who gatsby
really is
uh-oh
a short time later nick jordan and
gatsby are invited to the buchanans for
lunch
it's not long before tom sniffs out the
affair
instead of exploding then and there he
decides they'll all go into the city
so
tom drives nick and jordan in gatsby's
car while gatsby drives daisy in tom's
blue coupe
on the way tom stops by wilson's garage
for gas
while george fills gatsby's car he tells
tom that he and myrtle are leaving town
for good
nick sees myrtle staring down at the car
from an upstairs window will tom lose
his wife and mistress on the same day
after they reach the plaza hotel tom
confronts gatsby about his affair with
daisy
gatsby rises to the challenge but tom
quickly gains the upper hand
when daisy loses the nerve to end her
marriage tom goes for the jugular
he reveals how gatsby makes his millions
from organized crime with maya wolfsheim
gatsby tries to deny it but daisy shuts
down
she wants to go home
tom's so sure of his victory that he
tells gatsby to take daisy home in his
own car this time
when myrtle wilson sees gatsby's big
yellow car coming she runs out onto the
road to flag it down but the car doesn't
stop it hits myrtle killing her
instantly
by the time tom pulls up at wilson's
garage a crowd has gathered
tom soon realises what's happened
a policeman is recording details about a
big yellow car so tom acts quickly he
grabs george sits him down and denies
any personal connection to the car
on the drive home
tom sobs quietly blaming gatsby for
myrtle's death
but by the time they reach tom's house
he's pulled himself together
as nick waits for his taxi
gatsby emerges from the bushes
nick tells gatsby that the woman he hit
on the road was killed
gatsby admits that daisy was driving but
he'll say he was driving if anyone asks
for now he's waiting in the garden in
case tom hassles daisy about the ugly
scene at the plaza hotel
nick is suddenly concerned
what if tom finds out that daisy killed
myrtle
nick peers through a window to check on
them but all he sees is tom and daisy
talking
they look united
almost as if they're conspiring
nick assures gatsby that daisy is fine
but gatsby stays just in case
gatsby returns home at dawn having
waited for nothing
nick goes to see gatsby and tells him to
leave town for a while
but gatsby wants to stay until he knows
what daisy wants to do
meanwhile george wilson is on a mission
to find the owner of the big yellow car
deranged with grief and lack of sleep
he'd started walking towards west egg
just after dawn
at some point on his journey someone
gives him gatsby's name
he reaches gatsby's house at around 3
p.m and finds gatsby in his pool
sensing trouble nick rushes to gatsby's
house after work but he's too late
he finds gatsby lying dead on his
inflatable pool mattress
george wilson's body is sprawled in the
grass nearby
when no one comes forward to handle
gatsby's affairs nick becomes gatsby's
champion
it seems that no one else cares
with radio silence from daisy and a
cowardly refusal from maya wolfsheim
nick is disgusted with everyone
but then
gatsby's father shows up henry c gatz
left minnesota as soon as he read about
his son's death in the newspaper
even though gatsby or
jimmy had walked out on his parents many
years prior henry was still very proud
of his son
once he became successful gatsby was
generous with his parents
only one more unexpected person attends
gatsby's funeral
the owl-eyed man from gatsby's library
of gatsby's legions of guests
allies is the only one who pays his
respects
soon after this nick decides to return
home to the midwest
when he meets jordan baker to break
things off she coolly informs him that
she's already engaged to someone else
ouch
a short time later nick encounters tom
buchanan on the street nick refuses to
shake his hand he assumes tom was the
one who gave gatsby's name to george
wilson
tom admits that he did
but he'd basically done it at gunpoint
besides tom believed gatsby deserved it
for being a liar and for killing myrtle
like a stray dog
it seems that daisy hasn't admitted to
being the driver
what a bunch of rotten careless snobs
on nick's last night he sits on gatsby's
beach gazing across the bay
he imagines how hopeful gatsby must have
felt when he saw that green light at the
end of daisy's dock
but gatsby failed to realize that his
dream of a life with daisy belonged to
the past
it was over
perhaps we all have a touch of gatsby in
us
with our relentless pursuit of dreams
and bright futures
but to nick we're more like boats
beating against a current that pulls us
back
gatsby's beautiful dream crumbled into a
delusion and ended as a nightmare
his epic failure might be a lesson for
all of us
then again
maybe we could all just dream big work
hard and avoid rotten crowds like the
buchanans
what do you think
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