Notes on The Great Gatsby Characters

Jay Gatsby

• Embodiment of the American Dream.
• Self-made man; originally James Gatz.
• Mysterious and elusive; keeps origins a secret.
• Focus on wealth, power, and prestige to win Daisy Buchanan.
• Dreams are hollow; leads to downfall.
• Represents both the promise and flaws of the American Dream.

Nick Carraway

• Narrator of the novel.
• Bright, insightful, and fair.
• Moves from the Midwest to New York.
• Observes the dichotomy between rich and poor.
• Struggles with superficiality of wealth.

Daisy Buchanan

• Jay Gatsby's love interest; superficial and self-absorbed.
• Married to Tom Buchanan.
• Affair with Gatsby; represents the flapper era.
• Avoids responsibility (e.g., car accident).
• Risk-taker, but only when her privileges are secure.

Tom Buchanan

• Boisterous, arrogant, and self-centered.
• Lacks respect for women; manipulative.
• Symbolizes the elitist disdain for lower classes and new money.

George Wilson

• Owner of Wilson's Garage in the Valley of Ashes.
• Represents the lower social class.
• Stricken by heartbreak over Myrtle's death; commits murder.

Myrtle Wilson

• George Wilson's wife; affair with Tom Buchanan.
• Desires escape from lower social status.
• Dislikes her husband for being poor.

Jordan Baker

• Daisy Buchanan's childhood friend.
• Wealthy professional golfer; modern woman.
• Ignores social conventions; willing to cheat.
• Romantic involvement with Nick Carraway deteriorates due to her dishonesty.