Gatsby is the main character in the novel. In fact, this novel is about the story of Gatsby’s dream. He is a mysterious figure, extremely rich but no one knows the source of his wealth. Now at his early thirties, he has a great desire to win the love of Daisy. Gatsby has made Daisy a symbol of everything he values, and made the green light on her dock a symbol of his destiny with her. Gatsby is destroyed by the illusion that he had lived with – illusion is that he can recreate past and win the love of Daisy by accumulating wealth.

His past:
His real name was Jay Gatz, the son of unsuccessful farmer. He left home at the age of 17 to make his fortune. One day he rescued a millionaire named Dan Cody and went with him. From that day he changed his name and the image of himself. From his early days Gatsby hated poverty and longed for wealth. When he was young military officer in Louisville before leaving to fight in World War I in 1917, he immediately fell in love with Daisy. Daisy promised to wait for him when he left for the war, but married Tom Buchanan in1919, while Gatsby was studying at Oxford after the war in an attempt to gain an education. So Gatsby engages in criminal activities like bootlegging, trading in stolen securities in order to win back Daisy and recreate his past.

His lavish parties | Rumours about Gatsby | Role of social gathering:
Gatsby is the symbol of American dream. He is almost alone in most of his life. He gives lavish parties and invites everyone he knows. He gives parties in order to relieve from loneliness; but he remains more lonelier in the crowd. More than invited, the uninvited guests attend the party. Most of the people who come to the party even do not know Gatsby. They return from the party even without meeting him. Gatsby’s main aim of giving parties in his large mansion is to impress Daisy with his wealth. He thinks that one day Daisy would come to his parties and meet him. Most of the people who come to the party do not know each other. He gives parties because he has a mistaken notion that from it he can buy identity and fame. He gives parties every Friday. There is music in the night and men and girls rush there like moths. Parties run whole night. Servants bring food, juice, fruits and drinks from the town. Tents are set in the garden. Orchestra plays music. Hams, salads, pastry pigs and turkeys, and drinks are served. As the night progresses, there is noise of the bottle smashing and people falling and dancing in wild ecstasy. Gatsby remains as a mystery in the novel. He remains mysterious for Nick too. In the party, the guests talk about him as ‘an oxford man’, ‘German spy’, ‘murderer’, ‘fraud’ etc. Some said ‘he killed a man’; while others said, ‘he earned money by bootlegging’.

Personality of Gatsby:
To understand Gatsby one has to look at not only his true life, but the life that he tried to create for himself. He is a showy person. He has a formal style of talking to fit his social position. He is a self-invented man. Gatsby thinks that if he has money he can recreate his past, can buy happiness, can achieve prestige in his society and can win Daisy. But he is unable to achieve all of these though he is enormously rich. Gatsby believed that once he achieved his financial goal, he would live a better life. Even Gatsby dresses in white flannel suit, silver shirt and gold coloured tie. Silver and gold are the colours of wealth. Gatsby’s every items are lavish with smell of wealth. He has his own library with unread books. He wants to show the people that he is an ‘oxford man.’

His illusion:
Gatsby has an illusion that he can recreate his past and gain the love of Daisy. For him, illusion is more real than reality itself. He believes that he can win Daisy by wealth and prosperity. So, he accumulates wealth by criminal and illegal means. He also has illusion that Daisy is equally faithful to him. But at the end, he dies before he knows that illusions are destructive.

His meeting with Daisy and his deep love for her | Separation of Gatsby and Daisy | His death :
Gatsby has a sincere and deep love for Daisy. When he was young military officer in Louisville before leaving to fight in World War I in 1917, he immediately fell in love with Daisy. Daisy promised to wait for him when he left for the war, but married Tom Buchanan in1919, while Gatsby was studying at Oxford after the war in an attempt to gain an education. After his return, he purchased the huge mansion in West Egg in order to be close to her. Gatsby asks Nick to arrange a tea party and invite both Daisy and him. Gatsby meets Daisy in the tea party given by Nick. Again, they resume their love. They both start meeting in privates. Later during the quarrel between Tom and Gatsby, Gatsby asks Daisy in front of Tom to declare that she never loved Tom. But Daisy is unable to declare that she never loved Tom. When Daisy denies that she did not love Tom, Tom incites both Gatsby and Daisy to drive home on the same car. On the way Gatsby’s car kills Myrtle Wilson. Daisy was driving the car. She does nothing to own the accident. George Wilson, the husband of Myrtle Wilson, goes to Tom to inquire about the car. Tom shows him the way to Gatsby’s mansion explaining that it was Gatsby’s car and Gatsby was driving. Wilson goes to Gatsby’s mansion and meets him at the pool, and then shoots him. Thus Gatsby dies for love. Gatsby’s death is caused by his illusion.

Important Questions:

• Discuss the relationship between Tom Buchanan and Gatsby.
• Describe Gatsby’s parties that become the topic of the area.
• Describe the first Gatsby’s parties which Nick attends.
• Nick Caraway’s first meeting with Gatsby in the Gatsby mansion.
• What does Gatsby’s car indicate?
• What rumours does Nick hear about Gatsby?
• What was the past of Gatsby like?
• Sketch briefly the character of Gatsby.
• What kind of personality has Gatsby built of himself ?
• Discuss Gatsby’s death in brief.
• Write down the separation of Daisy and Gatsby.
• Write a character sketch of Jay Gatsby.
• Daisy once had coldly rejected Gatsby’s love for her. But Gatsby cherished passionate feeling to her. Explain the possible reasons why Gatsby tries so hard to win back Daisy to his love?
• Gatsby’s war experience in Europe.
• escribe the extreme ways of love shown by Gatsby for Daisy.