The Great Gatsby facts for kids
Cover of the first edition in 1925
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| Author | F. Scott Fitzgerald |
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| Cover artist | Francis Cugat |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Published | April 10, 1925 (Charles Scribner's Sons) |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Preceded by | The Beautiful and Damned (1922) |
| Followed by | Tender Is the Night (1934) |
The Great Gatsby is a famous novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was first published in 1925. The story takes place in New York City and Long Island, New York, during the exciting summer of 1922.
This book is one of the most well-known novels in the United States. It was ranked highly on lists of the best books of the 20th century. Many high schools in America teach The Great Gatsby in their English classes.
The story is told by a character named Nick Carraway. He moves to Long Island from the Midwest. Nick lives in a wealthy area with two towns, East Egg and West Egg. East Egg is home to families who have been rich for a long time. West Egg is where people who recently became rich live. Nick lives in a small house in West Egg. His next-door neighbor is a mysterious and very rich man named Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is deeply in love with Nick's cousin, Daisy. However, Daisy is married to a man named Tom. The novel follows Jay Gatsby's efforts to win Daisy back.
What is the Story About?
The story of The Great Gatsby happens during the summer of 1922. Nick Carraway, a young man from the American Midwest, tells the story. Nick fought in World War I and went to Yale University. He moves to New York to work as a bonds salesman.
Nick rents a small house in West Egg. His neighbor is the very wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby. Gatsby often hosts huge, fancy parties at his mansion. But strangely, he rarely joins his own parties. This leads to many rumors about who Gatsby really is and where he came from.
Nick visits his cousin Daisy in East Egg. There, he meets her husband, Tom Buchanan. He also meets Daisy's friend, Jordan Baker. Nick learns that Tom has been spending time with another woman named Myrtle Wilson. Nick tries not to judge anyone.
Gatsby's Dream
Later that summer, Nick gets an invitation to one of Gatsby's parties. He finally meets Gatsby, who is a young and friendly man. Nick discovers that Gatsby and Daisy knew each other many years ago. They had a special connection back then.
Gatsby is still in love with Daisy. He spends many nights looking across the bay at a green light on Daisy's dock. He hopes to impress Daisy with his rich lifestyle and his big parties. Gatsby grew up very poor. This made him want to become wealthy so he could feel worthy of being with Daisy.
Gatsby asks Nick to help him meet Daisy again. Nick invites both of them over for tea. Gatsby and Daisy start spending time together again.
A Tragic Summer
After a while, Tom notices that Daisy and Gatsby are very close. The group meets at a hotel in the city. Daisy is forced to choose between Gatsby and Tom. She decides to stay with Tom.
On the way home, Daisy is driving Gatsby's car. She accidentally hits and kills Myrtle Wilson. Gatsby tells Nick that he will take the blame for the accident to protect Daisy. Later, Gatsby is killed by Myrtle's husband, George. George wrongly believes that Gatsby was responsible for Myrtle's death.
Nick arranges a funeral for Gatsby. But even though Gatsby was famous for his parties, very few people come to his funeral. Nick feels angry and sad about everything that has happened. He decides to leave New York and move back to the Midwest.
Images for kids
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The Plaza Hotel in the early 1920s
See also
In Spanish: El gran Gatsby para niños
