The Great Gatsby

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jay Gatsby seemed to be a very wealthy man, living a riotous lifestyle in a mansion on New York's Long Island. His parties lasted until the morning and pretty much anyone who dropped by was welcome. With catered food, lots of booze and a live band, things were pretty lively. But when asked just who Gatsby was his guests could only supply conjecture and rumor. Where did Gatsby come from? Where did he get his money? Some said he had killed a man...
When young Nick Carraway moved into the humble house next door to Gatsby's, he didn't know that he had a connection with Gatsby. A connection that Gatsby, when he learned of it, was eager to exploit. Nick had a cousin, named Daisy that Gatsby knew before she was married. Daisy and her very wealthy husband Tom live just across the bay from the Gatsby mansion, in the old money community of East Egg. In fact, Gatsby bought his mansion because he knew it was just across the bay from Daisy.
As Nick settles in to his new home and renews his acquaintance with his cousin he finds out that Tom is cheating on Daisy with the wife of a man who owns a small, failing car repair business. Nick is invited to the love nest Tom has set up for this woman in the city and witnesses the lovers' quarrel and Tom breaks the woman's nose. But that doesn't end the affair because the woman is too fond of Tom's money and is willing to endure the abuse. Daisy is aware of the affair but seems content to live with it too.
Nick gets invited to one of Gatsby's parties and upon knowing him better agrees to set up a meeting between Gatsby and Daisy, inviting Daisy over for tea, her not knowing that Gatsby will be there too. So the two ex-lovers finally meet and their love affair is rekindled with Gatsby's ultimate goal of getting Daisy to leave Tom and come away with him. His beautiful mansion with its sparkling swimming pool, manicured lawns and lush gardens, fine furnishings and his high-flying parties were all just a lure to get his Daisy away from her wealthy husband and back into Gatsby's life.

This was a pretty good story. It doesn't have a happy ending. Gatsby's dream turns into a nightmare and his lovely Daisy turns out every bit as selfish and callous as her husband, Tom. One of the key scenes to Daisy's character is where the nanny brings Daisy's young daughter in to visit for a few brief minutes. Daisy gushes over how pretty her daughter is but shortly tires of her and she is sent off with the nanny. Gatsby must have a pretty good idea of her real character since she sent him packing because he didn't have enough money to suit her. Still he longs for her and everything he has done since she dumped him has been part of a plan to get her back. He is a man obsessed but the object of his obsession is not worthy of it.