[The Great Gatsby] Chapter one summary

In chapter one of the Great Gatsby, we are introduced to the narrator, Nick Carryway. He not only narrates the story but cast himself as the book's author. Through his narration, the other major characters of Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan and the great Jay Gatsby himself. 

• The chapter starts off with Nick Carryway describing and reflecting back on himself based on his father's advice to 'reserve all [his] judgement' on other because they may be misunderstood if he holds them up to his moral standards - 'Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope'.
• We are introduce to the main character of the novel, Jay Gatsby within Nick's narration, where he says Gatsby is exempted from those morally corrupted people of the East. Although he describe Gatsby as representing everything that Nick himself scorns, he says  there was 'something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life'.
• Then Nick speaks about his family background and history. He says that he participated in World War I and after the war he felt that 'instead of being the warm centre of the world, the Middle West now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe' - his major reason for his decision to move to the East and start a 'bond business'.
• He moved arrived in NY, in the summer of 1922. He rented a house on a part of Long Island called West Egg. Unlike the conservative, aristocratic East Egg, West Egg is home to the “new rich,” those who, having made their fortunes recently. West Egg is characterized by lavish displays of wealth which can be seen by Nick's neighbour, Gatsby's mansion. 
• Then we are introduced to the new setting of aristocratic East Egg, where he writes for the first time of Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan and Daisy's friend, Jordan Baker. Tom's first impression gives a sense of strong personality, whereas the women are portrayed like an angelic figures.
• Tom tries to interest the others in a book called The Rise of the Colored Empires by a man named Goddard. The book espouses racist, white-supremacist attitudes that Tom seems to find convincing. Daisy teases Tom about the book but is interrupted when Tom leaves the room to take a phone call. Daisy follows him hurriedly, and Jordan tells Nick that the call is from Tom’s lover in New York.
• After an awkward dinner, the party breaks up. Jordan wants to go to bed because she has a golf tournament the next day. As Nick leaves, Tom and Daisy hint that they would like for him to take a romantic interest in Jordan.
• When Nick arrives home, he sees Gatsby for the first time, a handsome young man standing on the lawn with his arms reaching out toward the dark water. Nick looks out at the water, but all he can see is a distant green light that might mark the end of a dock.