Summary:
The opening of The Great Gatsby is a self description of the background of Nick Carraway. It is learned that he, at one time, lived in the west; however, he later moves east not only for his job, but also because he wishes to escape the rumors that he had become engaged. In the East, Nick finds himself an inexpensive house in West Egg, as opposed to East Egg, the more affluent of these two geographically similar peninsulas. There, the well read Carraway lives with his Finnish maid.

Nick, one evening, goes to visit the house of his wealthy cousin Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan, whom Nick knew in college, in East Egg. Also at this "get-together" is Jordon Baker, the golfer with a questionable playing technique. As the evening progresses, idle chatter is made about Nick, his job and why he came East, Daisy's daughter, and even the "Nordic Race," whose responsibility it was to keep down the blacks. Eventually in the course of the evening, a phone call came in for Tom. Knowing who it would be, Daisy takes Nick out onto the veranda to tell him about the phone call, coming from Tom's mistress in New York. While out on the veranda, Daisy tells Nick nonchalantly not only of Tom's mistress but also about her hopes for her daughter. From her life, Daisy has come to the conclusion that in life, it would be best for her daughter to be stupid. Beautiful and stupid.

After the party, Nick first sees his rich neighbor Gatsby while on his way home. About to introduce himself, he halts, seeing Gatsby staring intently across the bay. He is apparently looking across the bay to a green light, from a dock.

Characters:

Nick Carraway - Nick Carraway is a bondsman moved East. In this chapter it is learned that he is friends with Tom from college, a cousin of Daisy, and has just met Jordon Baker, the golf player.

Jordon Baker - Ms. Jordon Baker is a golf player, and also a friend of the Buchanans.

Daisy Buchanan - Daisy is the wealthy cousin of Nick Carraway. Her husband Tom is cheating on her, with her full knowledge. She is also of the opinion that in this world, the best role of a woman is to be beautiful and stupid.

Tom Buchanan - Tom is the husband of Daisy, whose mistress, it is learned, lives in an apartment in New York. He first knew Nick in college.

Gatsby - Gatsby is the next door neighbor of Nick Carraway. In this chapter, all that is seen of him is late at night when he is in his yard looking at a green light across the bay.

Symbols:

Green light on dock: The light on the dock represents that for which Gatsby is longing, as can be seen in the way he looks toward the light from across the bay.

Motifs and Themes:

Subservience of women:  This trait is seen through the wishes that Daisy has for her daughter.  These qualities are to be stupid, and beautiful, these being the most important traits for the subservient woman.

White supremacy: The themes of white supremacy can be seen through Tom's exultation of the "Nordic" race, and their need to keep the other races under suppression.

Middle class v. Rich:  This relation can be seen through the comparisons of Nick's former life and current living situation, with those of both Gatsby, and Tom & Daisy.

Setting: East and West Egg, two peninsulas in New York, very near to Manhattan Island during the 1920s.

Significant Quotations:

"After boasting of my tolerance, I come to the admission that it has a limit. Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes, but after a certain point I don't care what it's founded on" (6).

"She told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept. 'All right,' I said, 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool'" (21).