In the summer of 1934, Gershwin and Heyward stayed on an island near Charleston, South Carolina, where the opera was set, to immerse themselves in the African American setting that had inspired Heyward to create the novel. The ambiance was just right for Gershwin to finish the composition in just 11 months. His older brother, lyricist Ira Gershwin, and DuBose Heyward collaborated on the opera's libretto.

The opera tells the story of Porgy, a disabled beggar, and his attempt to save Bess from her possessive and violent lover, Crown, who abandons Bess after killing a man in a street fight. Love blossoms between Porgy and Bess, and when Porgy kills Crown and gets arrested, Bess resigns to accept a proposal from a drug dealer to go to New York. However, Porgy is acquitted. The opera closes with him leaving for the Big City, determined to find his Bess.