Summary
Highlights
Nick, feeling empathetic, helps Gatsby arrange a reunion with Daisy at his house. Initially awkward, their meeting becomes joyous when they realize their enduring feelings. Gatsby shows Daisy his lavish mansion, and they begin an affair.
Nick Carraway moves to West Egg, Long Island, in 1922, and becomes neighbors with the wealthy and enigmatic Jay Gatsby. Nick visits his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her arrogant husband Tom in East Egg, where he learns of Tom's affair with Myrtle Wilson.
Tom takes Nick to meet his mistress, Myrtle, in the Valley of Ashes. They go to a party in the city, where Tom brutally strikes Myrtle when she taunts him about Daisy.
Nick attends one of Gatsby's extravagant parties, where he finally meets Gatsby, a younger and more approachable figure than rumored. Gatsby later reveals a fabricated background to Nick and confides in Jordan Baker about his past romance with Daisy and his desire to win her back.
Gatsby's true identity as James Gatz, a poor farmer's son who created a new persona, is revealed. Tensions escalate during a hot day at the Buchanan's mansion when Tom realizes Gatsby and Daisy's affair. A heated confrontation erupts at the Plaza Hotel, where Daisy struggles to choose between Tom and Gatsby.
On the drive home, Myrtle is tragically killed by Gatsby's car, driven by Daisy. Gatsby insists on taking the blame. The next day, a grief-stricken George Wilson, misled by Tom, shoots Gatsby in his pool before taking his own life.
Only Nick, Gatsby's father, and one party guest attend Gatsby's sparsely attended funeral. Disgusted by the moral decay of the rich on the East Coast, Nick decides to return to the Midwest. Tom and Daisy also flee without consequence, leaving Nick to reflect on Gatsby's unfulfilled dream.