ANNOTATION NOTES:

Society and Class. Right away, we see the difference between West Egg, the town of the vulgar nouveau riche and those driven by ambition to become them, and East Egg, the place where the old money elite lives in more classy luxury. Nick is hyper-aware of class differences when he has lunch with Daisy and Tom. Everything about them, from their house and its decor, to the way Daisy and Jordan flop on the furniture in carefree boredom, shows how incredibly wealthy and pampered they are. At the same time, Daisy’s half-joking remarks about her boredom and her cynicism show the darker side of having whatever you want whenever you want it—there stops being much point to life.

Love and Relationships. Nick has several insights into Tom and Daisy’s dysfunctional marriage. First, that Tom is having an affair so indiscreet that everyone including Jordan knows about it. Second, that Daisy is clearly miserable about Tom’s cheating. But finally—and most importantly—that Daisy simply will not leave no matter how terrible she feels about his behavior. Their relationship, however flawed, works for the two of them—something Nick figures out almost immediately when he sees them standing next to each other as he leaves. This foreshadowing is crucial to keep in mind as we watch Gatsby’s attempt to win Daisy over.

The Green Light. This chapter marks our first encounter with one of the most important symbols in the novel: the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock to which Gatsby assigns almost indescribable value. This light stands for everything that has been driving him over the past five years: the desire to be with Daisy, the quest for enough money to marry her, and the delusion that she has been as obsessed with him as he has been with her.

The American Dream. More universally, this desire to obtain something that is forever just out of reach—and arguably can never actually be reached—is true for many of the novel’s characters as they pursue their versions of the American Dream (the idea that hard work alone will guarantee success).