1. Chapter 1
Pages 1-21
2. Summary: In chapter 1, Nick Carraway introduces himself to the reader. After returning from the war, he buys a small, rundown house in between two mansions in the West Egg. He gives us a small description of Mr. Gatsyby’s house and talks about his college experience at New Haven and the Easy and West Egg. Nick gets a job in bonds because almost everyone he knew was getting into the bond business. He goes to his cousin’s house, Daisy Buchanan, and meets her husband Tom and Miss Baker or Jordan Baker who is a professional athlete. He learns that Tom may have an affair with another woman in New York but we are not positive. Nick then leaves and goes back to his house when he sees Mr. Gatsby outside of his house; he wants to introduce himself to Mr. Gatsby, but he figured that he wanted to be alone and Mr. Gatsby walked towards the water and vanished into the darkness.
3. a) Tom Buchanan
b)”He had changed since his New Haven years. Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and supercilious manner. Two shinning arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward…It was a body capable of enormous leverage-a cruel body.”(7)
c) Tom a wealthy, arrogant man who grew up with a very wealthy family. He is very strong, aggressive and athletic after playing football at New Haven College. He tries to appear very smart by reading very big books with a lot of meaning to them and talking about them but he really doesn’t understand his reading. He is cheating on his wife but he does not trust her because he is always wondering what she is doing and where she is.
d) After reading the 1st chapter, I think Tom will be the antagonist of the novel because he is always trying to be better than Nick and belittle Nick’s work and accomplishments. They are almost polar opposite with Tom being a big, arrogant, racist, wealthy, cheating and sexist man. Nick does not like Tom and I hope he will stand up to later in the novel.
4. “Whenever you feel like criticizing someone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
This quote stood out to me because it is put on the 1st page and it is intended for the reader to think about throughout the duration of the novel. I think this is a great lesson to teach people at a young age because it teaches humility and how to not be critical or greedy.
