The Great Gatsby Commentary: Chapter 1

The opening excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby begins the novel with a clear sense of purpose. His strength of writing, both in terms of style and depth of meaning, persuasively establishes the characters of the narrator and novel's protagonist, Gatsby. The passage can be divided into two sections, the first being a set up for the second, which works very effectively. There are two parts to the first section, one being the …

…a good impression of himself and of another who has a great impression on him, Gatsby. In conclusion, this passage is quite effective as the opening of a novel as it makes me want to read on. It provides details of what are, presumably, the main characters (himself and Gatsby), and it would be interesting to where the narrator wants to go on next. His sophisticated style gives way to deeper meanings and insightful words.