The Great Gatsby

Interesting Facts

• The main character, Jay Gatsby, was actually born as James Gatz.
• The novel is set in 1922, during the Jazz Age and Prohibition in the United States.
• Gatsby throws lavish parties every week in the hope that his beloved Daisy Buchanan will one day attend one of them.
• The green light at the end of Daisy's dock symbolizes Gatsby's dream of a future with her.
• Fitzgerald uses the image of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg's eyes on a billboard as a symbol of divine observation and moral judgment.
• The novel was initially met with lukewarm reviews and did not achieve significant commercial success during the author's lifetime.
• Tom Buchanan, Daisy's husband, represents old money and contrasts with Gatsby, who earned his wealth himself.
• The final scene of the novel takes place on Long Island, where Gatsby is killed in his pool.
• Nick Carraway, the novel's narrator, is Daisy's cousin and Gatsby's neighbor.
• The novel is considered one of the greatest works of American literature and is often included in school curricula.