The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Chapter One.

In chapter one reader gets introduced to five main characters : Nick Carraway, who is the narrator, Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, who is Tom's wife, Jordan Baker and Jay Gatsby, though there's a little description of him.

Nick Carraway starts the chapter by reflecting on his past and relationship with his dad, telling that they have "always been unusually communicative in a reserved way". Nick also tells that in college he was "unjustly accused of being a politician" which leads the reader to think that he is well educated, quite modest and good at talking with people and telling them what they want to hear, as politicians do. In 1922 Nick rented a house "in one of the strangest communities in North America" - on Long Island Sound. He lived at West Egg, which he describes as "the less fashionable one". There's also a description of Gatsby's mansion(which is next to Nick's house) given and it builds up a question why did Gatsby choose the West Egg?

There's a massive description of Tom Buchanan in the first chapter. Describing Tom, Nick has used words such as "enormously wealthy", "straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes" and "enormous leverage - a cruel body", he seems not to like Tom. Reader also gets to know Tom's view on life, his ideology. "It's up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things" shows that he is a racist. 

Two other characters appear - Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. Daisy is Nick's second cousin and the wife of Tom Buchanan. She is described to have a "low, thrilling voice" and "sad and lovely" face with "bright things in it, bright eyes, bright passionate mouth". Daisy and her husband Tom is living on East Egg of Long Island. Jordan Baker, a friend of Daisy and a professional golfer, is described as a "slender, small breasted girl" with "grey sun-strained eyes" and "charming, discontented face". Nick says that he enjoyed looking at Jordan, but isn't describing her in adoring way. "Sitting down at the table as if she were getting into bed" shows that she is careless, rather bored and so rich that she hasn't got any focus on things.

Gatsby only appears once, but then suddenly vanishes. Tom is saying that "A figure had emerged from the shadow of my neighbour's mansion and was standing with his hands in his pockets regarding the silver peppers of the stars", "He gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone - he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way".

Part of the chapter is set at Tom and Daisy's house which is "a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay. The lawn started at the beach and toward the front door for a quarter of a mile jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens", "the front was broken by a line of french windows" which all suggest that they were living a rich lifestyle. Nick describes Gatsby's mansion as "a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, an more than fifty acres of lawn and garden". Both of these were a great contrast to Nick's bungalow which he rented for 80 dollars a month.

It seems like first part of the chapter is written in present, but the rest of it in past, because of the "Gatsby turned out all right at the end". There's a very strong characterization, the reader also gets to know the relationship between the characters and there's some interesting use of language. Nick is talking directly to the reader, like in the sentence "Well, the less fashionable of the two". "The history of the summer really begins" seems almost like the rest of the summer was just not important, but something unforgettable is about to happen when the history has begun.