Chapter One (p. 1-21)

Summary:
In the first chapter, the reader is introduced to Nick Carraway, who is the narrator of the book. He talks about himself in the beginning and informs his readers that he has just moved to New York and rented a house in Long Island in an area called the West Egg. He describes his house as an "eyesore" that had been overlooked next to the grand mansion of Mister Gatsby. In this chapter, Nick goes to his cousin, Daisy's, house and has dinner with her husband, Tom Buchanan ( who was a college acquaintance of Nick's) and their friend Miss Jordan Baker. During the dinner, he realizes he doesn't really know these "friends" at all and is also informed by Miss Baker that Tom has a "woman in New York". The topics of the dinner conversation include Tom's ideas about "Nordic Superiority".

Character:
Daisy Buchanan
- "Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered 'Listen,' a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour." (FITZGERALD 9)
- The way she talks makes people want to listen to her. Carraway says that he has heard people say that "Daisy's murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming." (FITZGERALD 9)
- Carraway also talks about the warmth that came from her whenever she talked. "She was only extemporizing, but a stiffing warmth flowed from her, as if her heart was trying to come out to you concealed in one of those breathless, thrilling words." (FITZGERALD 14)
- Daisy describes herself as being "cynical about everything" and later says "God, I'm sophisticated!" with a hint of insincerity in her voice. (FITZGERALD 16, 17)

- Daisy is the first female character we read about in the book. She is married to Tom Buchanan, a strong, wealthy, egotistical, and unfaithful man. She lives in a mansion that is furnished with nice things and she lives very well. She is also Nick Carraway's second cousin once removed but she seems to think that she and him are much closer than they really are. She is described as being a lovely woman but also seems to act a little superficial and in this first chapter we don't really get to know her. She is an important character because I feel that she is going to be a major part of the rest of the book and she sets the tone for the way females during this time period should/would act.

Meaningful Quote:
-"And so with 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." (FITZGERALD 4)
- I chose this quote because it helped me to visualize the setting and I could see the sun setting over the lawn and the light on the leafs on the trees. Also, I could relate to the quote because I really feel like every summer I have a chance to start over again and make this new period of time without the pressures of school and hectic schedules whatever I want it to be. It really stood out to me because I could picture summer and it made me want it to be June and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin.