Introduction
The Great Gatsby is a timeless classic written by F. Scott Fitzgerald that critiques the concept of the American Dream and the excesses of the 1920s. The events are narrated from Nick Carraway’s point of view. He tells the story of the main character, Jay Gatsby, who leads a decadent lifestyle and is obsessed with Daisy Buchan, his lost love, whom he tries to win back throughout the book. This plot analysis will focus on examining the main plot elements of the book, including the exposition, conflicts, crisis, and falling action, ultimately leading to the conclusion. It will delve into how the plot, themes, and characters make this book one of the most outstanding books of world classic literature.
Exposition
In the book’s exposition, the author introduces the story’s narrator, Nick Carraway. Nick Carraway is a young man who moves to a wealthy suburb of New York City and becomes neighbors with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious man who will become the book’s protagonist. Nick learns the details about Gatsby’s life, such as his passion for throwing extravagant parties and his obsession with Daisy Buchan (Scott Fitzgerald 39).
It is also uncovered in the exposition that Gatsby’s lifestyle and all the parties he throws have one goal: to win Daisy back. There is also a deeper layer to the exposition: the critique of the decadence of the Roaring Twenties. Nick Carraway felt this after getting immersed in this lifestyle: “I’ve been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library” (Scott Fitzgerald 51). The driving forces behind the actions of all the main characters are wealth, status, and an unhealthy obsession with love. The themes of lust for money and power, set in the exposition, are explored later throughout the story.
Conflicts and Complications
The first major conflict, a person-versus-person conflict, is introduced in the story’s exposition. This is a conflict between Gatsby and Tom, Daisy’s husband. Daisy is Gatsby’s ex-lover, a relationship the author conveys to readers through flashbacks of their past. He cannot let her go and keeps trying to bring her back; however, Tom uses his power and wealth to hinder his attempts (Scott Fitzgerald 138). This conflict also has complications: Tom uses Gatsby’s criminal connections to discredit him. The conflict is resolved at the end of the book when Daisy decides to stay with her husband, and Gatsby dies.
The story’s plot is complex as several conflicts are intertwined. A person versus society conflict is also present in the story, and the conflicting parts in this conflict are Gatsby and society’s expectations. Gatsby’s way of life contradicts the expectations of the upper class, which views him as vulgar and unfit for their company (Scott Fitzgerald 55). There is also a complication to this conflict, namely that Gatsby is deeply involved in illegal activities. This minor conflict is also introduced in the exposition and is resolved with Gatsby’s death.
The following person-versus-person conflict, also introduced in the exposition, plays a significant role in this story, specifically a conflict between Myrtle, Tom’s mistress, and Tom and Daisy as a family. Myrtle’s and Tom’s relationship threatens to destroy Tom and Daisy’s family, and is also exacerbated by Myrtle’s coming from a lower class. A complication to this conflict arises when Myrtle’s husband, George, suspects that his wife is not loyal to him. The resolution to this conflict and its complications comes with Myrtle’s death.
Finally, the exposition also presents a person-versus-self conflict in which Nick, the narrator of the book, is involved. Nick feels conflicted as his morals clash with the actions of those around him, a conflict that plays a significant role in the story (Scott Fitzgerald 51). Ultimately, the conflict is resolved when Nick distances himself from the corrupt world in which he has found himself.
Crisis and Climax
The story becomes a crisis when Gatsby realizes his dream of returning to Daisy is doomed. Daisy chooses her husband, which leads Gatsby to lose all hope and ultimately to a downfall, the point of the highest tension in the story. The crisis ultimately culminates in Gatsby’s death. Most major conflicts are resolved at this point, and the author demonstrates how destructive this lifestyle can be and how illusory the American Dream is.
Falling Action to Conclusion and Resolution
The writer leads the reader to the conclusion of the story by depicting Gatsby’s funeral, which only a few people attend. He shows how all of Gatsby’s acquaintances have disappeared, and Gatsby is found alone, even after his death. Then, the resolution happens when Nick decides to leave the world of the elite and concludes that the pursuit of wealth and power is entirely meaningless. Gatsby’s idea of illusory love is also doomed.
Conclusion
The Great Gatsby is a classic masterpiece with a complex plot that explores human relationships and critiques the decadent lifestyle and the American Dream. The book presents several complications and intertwined conflicts that are resolved at the end of the story with the death of the main character. Through these conflicts, the crisis, and the climax, the author exposes the false values of American society in the 1920s. The complexity and depth of the plot make Scott Fitzgerald’s work a timeless classic.
Works Cited
Scott Fitzgerald, Francis. The Great Gatsby. E-book ed., Planet Ebook, 2020.