Chapter+One+-+The+Great+Gatsby

=Chapter One= Nick moves to Long Island's West Egg for the sake of establishing himself in the bond business in nearby New York. Gatsby was a gentleman living next door in a lavish mansion, whom Nick does not meet until later. Settling into his own small, ramshackle house and bursting with idealism under the heat of the approaching summer, Nick soon adjusts to his new surroundings after a man comes seeking directions, not knowing Nick to be a newcomer to the area. Suddenly a man of local knowledge, Nick's initial isolation disappears as he plans to read so many books, holding in mind great plans for self-rejuvenation and monastic thought. He yearns to be "the well-rounded man" true to the words of his father, to be open to many things. One servant, a Finnish woman, prepares meals for him and cleans. One day he decides to visit his "second cousin once removed," Daisy and her husband,Tom Buchanan at East Egg located at the opposite end of Long Island. It is the more fashionable of the two sides of the island with its "white palaces." Nick had known Tom Buchanan from Yale, who even then would flout his family's wealth. A tremendous football star and national figure, in the ten years since his graduation Tom seemed to be living a retired life of careless extravagance. After living in Chicago for a bit and then a year in France, he had come with his wife Daisy to the East, presumably to settle down for good. In addition to the luxury of his own estate and its servants, Buchanan had purchased a string of polo ponies for his enjoyment while on Long Island. Despite this appearance of happiness, Nick senses that Tom's personality was that of a man who "would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game." Upon arriving, Tom greets Nick on the porch, admiring his new property. Inside the house two women sit sprawled out upon a couch nursing cocktails amidst a storm of breezes and billows from the airy white curtains. Daisy greets her cousin somewhat sarcastically and wittily, "I'm p-paralyzed with happiness." The other woman is identified later as Jordan Baker, a famous sportswoman, particularly in golf, who has been Daisy's confidante for many years. Nick speaks of how everyone in Chicago, where he had stopped on his way East, had inquired about Daisy; she absorbs her popularity calmly, as if such compliments were nothing new. She adds offhandedly that Nick should see her and Tom's three year-old baby sometime, although the baby is currently sleeping. Miss Baker begins to complain of the heat and the stiffness of sitting for so long. Abruptly she speaks of how she knows of a man named Gatsby who lives in West Egg. At hearing this comment Daisy demandingly cries out, "What Gatsby?" Yet dinner is announced before this man can be discussed. The group moves onto the porch outside to eat. Although mentioned only periodically, the mystery of Gatsby increases as he is mentioned and then forgotten so quickly. Daisy protests at seeing four candles lit on the table, complaining about enjoying the light while it is there and not rushing into night so quickly; "In two weeks it'll be the longest day in the year....Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it." Even as she speaks, the sun has begun to set in the west and she snaps out the candles with her fingers so quickly that her fingers are burnt; she displays them for all to see, lamenting that she has hurt herself. During dinner Nick chats with Tom, feeling slightly disconnected due to the casualness of their meal. He recalls how in the West where he had grown up, everyone adhered to a set schedule and the day - including meals - was rushed from phase to phase without interruption. Tom next starts talking about a book he has read by Goddard which warns that the white race must stand on its feet or else other minority races shall take over the world. Tom attributes the creation of science and art, products of civilization, to the white race and declares that they must protect their own interests. Daisy agrees nonchalantly, her eyes still fixed upon the setting sun. The butler informs Tom that he has a phone call and is quickly followed inside by Daisy. Jordan informs Nick that Tom has a mistress in New York and this is why Daisy is so quick to stay near him. The two return to join Nick at the table, who is still shocked at this news. The phone rings again and this time Tom allows it to ring while Daisy shakes her head at him softly. The four candles are lit again, although for the rest of dinner a certain tension lingers over the porch due to these thoughts of an extramarital affair. Afterwards Tom and Jordan Baker wander back into the library, and Daisy opens herself to Nick as the two walk out across the mansion's lawn, past verandas, and around to the front porch. Recalling the birth of her daughter, she tells him how, when she had heard she had given birth to a girl shesaid, "I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool....You see, I think everything's terrible anyhow....And I//know//. I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything." The same restlessness beneath an appearance of happiness, which Nick notices in Tom, he sees in Daisy as well. Returning inside, Miss Baker is reading aloud to Buchanan. Upon finishing the story, Miss Baker prepares to go to bed since she has a tennis match in Westchester in the morning. Nick also prepares to leave. Jokingly, Daisy declares that he must come back so that a marriage can be arranged between him and Miss Baker and to look after her at least since she'll be spending her summer weekends there. Tom cautions Nick not to believe what he hears, sensing that Daisy had told him certain things while they were outside alone. The Buchanan couple suddenly inquire about Nick's love life, having heard he was engaged while back West, which Nick denies, giving little detail except that he had "an old friend." Somewhat disgusted with this scene of gross wealth and thoughts of Tom's mistress, Nick arrives at home only to observe an odd scene while going inside from the garage. Out across his lawn, near the sea, is his first glimpse of Gatsby, holding his arms outstretched to the sea toward "a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock." This green light is across the bay near East Egg, from which Carraway has just returned. The man suddenly disappears and Nick goes off to bed. The mystique surrounding Gatsby only intensifies. Various people have mentioned him several times already to Nick, and he has yet to encounter him firsthand. Nick's infatuation and curiosity about this man continue to grow. || Nick’s home in West Egg is symbolic of a new beginning. He notes “the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” However, despite its supposed beauty, Nick admits that he lives in “one of the strangest communities in North America.” West Egg itself is described as one of two islands, which are “identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay.” But Nick points our their “dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size.” He lives in “well, the less fashionable of the two.” West Egg is made up of ‘wannabe’ residents who are strongly influenced by European architecture. Houses such as the recreation of the Hotel de Ville (Gatsby’s mansion) seem awkward and out of place: the old-fashioned style is sharply contrasted fact that it is not old but “spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy.” East Egg is described to us when Nick goes to visit his second cousin twice removed, Daisy, and her husband, the powerful and intimidating Tom Buchanan. The traditional wealth of the East is made explicitly apparent in the setting. The façade of the happiness of the wealthy can be seen in the “cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay.” Nick sees “bright vines” and windows that are “glowing…with reflected gold.” The inside of the Buchanan’s house crystallises their immense wealth. Tom tells Nick that “’I’ve got a nice place here.’” While arrogant, this is proven true. We can see this through various rich images, seen through Nick’s eyes: “a bright rosy-coloured space;” “the windows were…gleaming white against the fresh grass outside;” “the frosted wedding-cake of the ceiling;” “the wine coloured rug.” The stark differences between East Egg and West Egg can be seen through the setting. East Egg has traditional, obvious wealth whereas West Egg’s wealth is newfound and unclassified. Mr Gatsby’s property is briefly observed by Nick as he returns from his visit to the Buchanan’s. It is a “loud, bright night, with wings beating in the trees and a persistent organ sound as the full bellows of the earth blew the frogs full of life.” It is a clear night: the “silver pepper of the stars” are visible. He notes a body of water as Gatsby comes outside and outstretches his arms towards a far away dock, lit up with green light. || This atmosphere carries throughout the chapter untill Nick is met with the "boom" of the Buchanon windows, trapping nick into what would turn out to be a very tense and almost awkward dinner. This "boom" deflates the atmosphere, snapping Nick back into the reality that the American dream is based on appearances, and that underneath the thin layer of gold lies turmoil and unhappyness. This shift in atmosphere replaces the overwhelmed, and star struck Nick with an outsider in a dysfunctional family, curtained in wealth ||
 * Plot Events || The narrator, Nick Carraway begins his story by recalling the words of his father, "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." From an early age Nick was taught not to judge others since they may not have been as fortunate as he. Living in the East had changed this philosophy, and Nick returned home again to the Midwest with a set of defined ideals rather than accepting just any group of people for friends. The exception of his general rule is Jay Gatsby. As described by Nick, Gatsby is a man still free of guilt, except for some tragic flaw or sickness of character that had disillusioned him. Nick says that it was "what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men." Born and raised in the Midwest as part of a semi-aristocratic family, and having attended Yale in New Haven, Nick then went on to serve in World War I. He returned home after the war ended only to find that it suddenly felt like "the ragged edge of the universe" after all his adventures and travels.
 * Setting || Setting is introduced not in the opening of //__The Great Gatsby__//, but rather partway through Chapter One. We are given a background to the narrator’s origins: his family are well-to-do and come from the Midwest. The narrator, Nick Carraway, anchors the story in time and place when he announces that he left the East and moved to West Egg in New York. Nick lives in “a commuting town” slightly out of the city, and his house is “a weather-beaten cardboard bungalow.” Nick thinks he is very fortunate to have “a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbour’s lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires – all for eighty dollars a month.”
 * Atmosphere || The bulk of the atmosphere created in this first chapter is that of reflection and surrealism. It's worth noting that this reflective atmosphere is used at the beginning of the book, adding to the introductory tone of this chapter. It is almost presented as the beginning's of a play, introducing the narrator, setting, characters and ideas's/themes to the 'audience', as to bring focus and emphasis. Not only is the atmopshere reflective, it is also calm, giving a point of reference for later turbulent times. This dreamy, surreal atmosphere encapsulates everything that Nick is seeing, hearing and feeling. He is immersed in the appearance of the American dream.
 * Nick || * Narrator of the novel
 * Is a good listener
 * Describes the events and surroundings
 * Next Door neighbour of Gatsby
 * West-Egg
 * Attentive to detail ||
 * Gatsby ||  ||
 * Daisy ||  ||
 * Tom || Details: Tom Buchanan is Daisy's husband, Daisy is a distant cousin of Nick. He is cheating on Daisy with a woman in New York.

Status:
 * Extremely rich “his family were enormously wealthy”, he is one of the typical East Egg (old money) families
 * “They had spent a year in France for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together”. They were rich to the point where they did not know what to do with their money

Physical attributes:
 * Tom is physically very strong
 * He is described to be a “sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner”
 * Even his eyes are described as “two shining arrogant eyes”, which is quite an unpleasant image
 * Tom has a dominating nature and this is apparent in his arrogance
 * He had a “body capable of enormous leverage – a cruel body”
 * Nick is very much intimidated by Tom and his obvious physical strength

Personality:
 * He had peaked at the age of twenty-one and now everything in life seems anti-climactic compared to his days as the golden boy. Nick “felt that Tom would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game”
 * Tom desires dominance in every situation. He speaks of a book he is reading about how coloured people are gaining more power and his reaction is “it's up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things”, revealing his racist perspective
 * He is unhappy with his life and desires something more, he is unsatisfied. “Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart” ||
 * Jordan ||  ||
 * Myrtle ||  ||
 * George || Not present in this chapter. ||
 * Relationships ||  ||
 * Conflict ||  ||
 * Diction || The diction in chapter one is very interesting and helps set themes, portray atmosphere, add to setting, and build up characters personalities.


 * For example, words such as 'gorgeous', 'romantic', 'flowed', 'warmth' are used when trying to the personality of Daisy, developing her personality and movements and outlining her femininity
 * Words such as 'firmly', 'heavily' and 'hulking' are used to show the power of Tom.
 * Words such as 'accusingly', 'brute' and 'physical' are used to show the violence in the Buchanan household.
 * Words such as 'balloon', 'rippling' and 'fluttering' add to the atmosphere of the lounge by making it seem calm and surreal.
 * Words such as 'Boom' and 'died' illustrate the way in which nature is shut from the room.
 * The house is described by elegant words such as 'fragile', 'frosted', 'wedding cake' showing the wealth of the Buchanan's
 * Words such as 'jumping' add life to nature and illustrate themes such as the life of nature.
 * The word 'sinister' describes the gap between the west egg and the east egg.

Of course there are many more examples, these are only a few. The chapter is extremely rich with diction and Fitzgerald's style of writing could be described as elegant and formal to show off the wealth of the Buchanan's || -“Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay” – page 7
 * Imagery ||  ||
 * Symbolism || Chapter One Symbolism
 * The Egg: New York City is separated into 2 parts which are east and West Egg.

-It is where everyone wants to be -In this chapter, the reader discovers that Nick and Gatsby live at this egg. -West Egg is a place where people who don’t have any real standing live, even if they are wealthy. -“and started the wholesale hardware business that my father carries on to-day” – The Carraways worked for their money, it is not old money -page 6 -“I graduated from New Haven in 1915” – Nick’s education represents new money - page 6 -“I lived at West Egg, the-well, less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them." -People who live here have been around a while -Tom and Daisy live here -“Across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water” – page 8 - (Tom’s) “family were enormously wealthy-even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach” – page 8 -“a certain desolate area of land” – the fact that it is isolated shows that not many people would like to live there. This valley could be lifeless and perhaps dark, which is not a desirable place to be, in comparison with the east and West eggs which represent class - page 2 -“The whole town is desolate. All the cars have the left rear wheel painted black as a mourning wreath, and there’s a persistent wail all night along the north shore.” – page 11 -white is often mentioned in the book and is introduced in this chapter -White could be symbolic of honour, class, and purity. Examples: -“the white palaces of fashionable East Egg” – page 8 -“a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion” – page 9 -“white against the fresh grass”- page 10 -Two young women (referring to Daisy and Jordan at the Buchanan mansion: **“both in white”** “Our white girlhood was passed together there. Our beautiful white” – page 19 -“The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold” – **The Buchanan's mansion** - page 9 -To Gatsby, it is symbolic of his dreams and hopes in the future which is to be with his long time love for Daisy Fay Buchanan. The fact that he is waving from West Egg to the other side could represent welcoming and friendliness. -“Two shining **arrogant eyes** had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward” – page 9 -“(Tom) I’ve got a nice place here, he said, his **eyes** flashing restlessly.” -To the reader, the character of Tom Buchanan may be perceived to be a very arrogant individual. -“The idea is f we don’t look out the white race will be-will be utterly submerged.” – page 14 -“It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things.” – page 14
 * West Egg represents new money, which refers to people who just got their money.
 * East Egg represents old money which refers to people who grew up with money that has been passed down through generations.
 * The valley of ashes
 * The colour white
 * The colour gold
 * Gold is symbolic of wealth. Further on into the novel, Gatsby shows off his belongings within his mansion to try and win Daisy back into his heart.
 * The green light
 * Tom’s arrogant eyes
 * Through Tom’s arrogant eyes**, the reader is shown his social attitudes towards the white race; this arrogant attitude is highlighted with racial remarks on the topic of white supremacy.
 * Through his “arrogant eyes,” it may also suggest **Tom’s arrogance** is evident through his affair with “some woman in New York.” – page 16 ||
 * Themes || Class
 * Nick acknowledges that people are not born equally. Some people have more advantages they are born with and others do not.
 * ‘…remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’
 * ‘a sense of the fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth.’
 * Nick makes comparisons between the West Egg and the East Egg.
 * ‘I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two… across the courtesy bay the white palaces of fashionable East Egg glittered along the water’
 * Tom, Daisy and Jordan’s characteristics dominate over Nick. Their characters have an air of superiority that makes clear their position as upperclassmen.
 * ‘You make me feel uncivilized, Daisy,’

Secrets and Gossips
 * Nick is shown to be privy of many people’s secrets as many people engage him in gossip. This makes him a good narrator as he has many different sources and information from various people.
 * ‘I’ll tell you a family secret…’
 * ‘I was privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men’
 * In the first chapter we are made known that the characters in the book keep a lot of secrets and like to gossip. For example, the secrets Nick is told by people, Tom’s ‘secret’ affair, and Daisy’s supposed ‘happiness’.

Hopes
 * The theme of hope is introduced in this chapter. Linked only with Nick’s descriptions of Gatsby. He is described to have a great amount of hope and is shown to look upon Tom’s estate at the end of the chapter with hope and longing
 * ‘…there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away.’

Facades/ Falseness >> This was untrue. I am not even faintly like a rose.” ||
 * There are several times where the characters demonstrate a degree of falseness and facades while they keep the truth hidden away. This is often done by lying.
 * ‘we have a tradition that we’re descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch, but the actual founder of my line was my grandfather’s brother who came here in fifty-one, sent a substitute to the Civil War and started the wholesale hardware business that my father carries on today.’
 * “’You remind me of a— of a rose, an absolute rose. Doesn’t he?’ She turned to Miss Baker for confirmation. ‘An absolute rose?’
 * Satirical targets ||  ||