The Great Gatsby: Chapters 1-7 Summary & Analysis - Wealth, Love, & the American Dream

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald follows the story of Nick Carraway, a young man from the Midwest who moves to New York City to work in the bond business. He settles in a small house in West Egg, a wealthy area of Long Island. Across the bay, in the even richer East Egg, lives Nick's cousin Daisy Buchanan with her husband Tom, a former Yale football player. Nick is invited to dinner at their house and meets Jordan Baker, a professional golfer who becomes one of his love interests. Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, who is married to a mechanic in the valley of ashes, a poor industrial area between West Egg and New York City.

Nick also meets his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who throws extravagant parties every weekend hoping Daisy will attend one. Gatsby is a mysterious figure with a shady past, and Nick becomes intrigued by him. Gatsby asks Nick to arrange a meeting with Daisy, and they rekindle their past romance.

Throughout the first seven chapters, Fitzgerald delves into themes of wealth, social class, and the American Dream. He utilizes symbolism, like the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, to represent Gatsby's yearning for a better life and his desire for Daisy. The novel is set in the 1920s, a time of great prosperity and excess, but also a time of disillusionment and moral decay.

Overall, the first seven chapters of The Great Gatsby lay the groundwork for an intricate and captivating story of love, ambition, and tragedy.