The Great Gatsby: Study Guide

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 Jazz Age novel about the impossibility of recapturing the past, was initially a failure. Today, the story of Gatsby’s doomed love for the unattainable Daisy is considered a defining novel of the 20th century. Explore a character analysis of Gatsby, plot summary, and important quotes.

Summary

Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis.

Plot Overview
Video Plot Summary
Key Questions and Answers
What Does the Ending Mean?

Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in The Great Gatsby and in-depth analyses of Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Myrtle Wilson.

Character List
Jay Gatsby
Nick Carraway
Daisy Buchanan
Tom Buchanan
Jordan Baker
Myrtle Wilson

Main Ideas

Here's where you'll find analysis about the book as a whole, from the major themes and ideas to analysis of style, tone, point of view, and more.

Themes
Plot Analysis
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Motifs
Symbols
Genre
Allusions
Style
Point of View
Tone
Foreshadowing
Key Facts
What Does the Green Light Mean?

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the book by reading these key quotes.

Important Quotations Explained

Quotes by Theme
Class
The American Dream
Love and Marriage

Quotes by Section
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Quotes by Character
Nick Carraway
Jay Gatsby
Daisy Buchanan
Tom Buchanan
Jordan Baker
Myrtle Wilson

Quotes by Symbol
The Green Light
The Valley of Ashes
The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg

Further Study

Test your knowledge of The Great Gatsby with our quizzes and study questions, or go further with essays on context, background, and movie adaptations, plus links to the best resources around the web.