The Great Gatsby: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Great Gatsby: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the intricate relationships and personalities within F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic novel, set during the Jazz Age in America. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, a young man from the Midwest who moves to New York to pursue a career in finance. He serves as a lens through which readers view the lives of the affluent, yet morally ambiguous characters around him. Central to the narrative is Jay Gatsby, a wealthy yet enigmatic figure whose obsession with wealth and status masks a deep love for Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin. Daisy is portrayed as a conflicted character, caught between her discontent with her unfaithful husband, Tom Buchanan, and her affection for Gatsby, ultimately leading to tragic consequences.
Tom Buchanan represents the oppressive force of old money, characterized by arrogance and entitlement, while his mistress, Myrtle Wilson, epitomizes the desperation and degradation of those striving for a taste of that wealth. The story also includes characters like Jordan Baker, who embodies the moral ambiguity of the era, and George Wilson, whose tragic fate underscores the destructive impact of the rich on the lives of the less fortunate. This analysis highlights the complexities of love, betrayal, and the pursuit of the American Dream, inviting readers to reflect on the societal themes present in the novel.
The Great Gatsby: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
First published: 1925; critical edition, 1991
Genre: Novel
Locale: New York City and Long Island
Plot: Social realism
Time: The 1920's
Nick Carraway, the narrator. A young Midwesterner who was dissatisfied with his life at home, he was attracted to New York and now sells bonds there. He is the most honest character of the novel and because of this trait fails to become deeply fascinated by his rich friends on Long Island. He helps Daisy and Jay Gatsby to renew a love they had known before Daisy's marriage, and he is probably the only person in the novel to have any genuine affection for Gatsby.
Jay Gatsby, a fabulously rich racketeer whose connections outside of the law are only guessed at. He is the son of poor parents from the Middle West. He has changed his name from James Gatz and becomes obsessed with a need for making more and more money. Much of his time is spent in trying to impress, and become accepted by, other rich people. He gives lavish parties for people he knows nothing about and most of whom he never meets. He is genuinely in love with Daisy Buchanan and becomes a sympathetic character when he assumes the blame for her hit-and-run accident. At his death, he has been deserted by everyone except his father and Nick.
Daisy Buchanan, Nick's second cousin. Unhappy in her marriage because of Tom Buchanan's deliberate unfaithfulness, she has the character of a “poor little rich girl.” She renews an old love for Jay Gatsby and considers leaving her husband, but she is finally reconciled to him. She kills Tom's mistress in a hit-and-run accident after a quarrel in which she defends both men as Tom accuses Gatsby of trying to steal her from him; but she allows Gatsby to take the blame for the accident and suffers no remorse when he is murdered by the woman's husband.
Tom Buchanan, Daisy's husband. The son of rich Midwestern parents, he reached the heights of his career as a college football player. Completely without taste, culture, or sensitivity, he carries on a rather sordid affair with Myrtle Wilson. He pretends to help George Wilson, her husband, but allows him to think that Gatsby was not only her murderer but also her lover.
Myrtle Wilson, Tom Buchanan's mistress. She is a fat, unpleasant woman who is so highly appreciative of the fact that her lover is a rich man that she will suffer almost any degradation for him. While she is with Tom, her pretense that she is rich and highly sophisticated becomes ludicrous.
George Wilson, Myrtle's husband, a rather pathetic figure. He runs an auto repair shop and believes Tom Buchanan is really interested in helping him. Aware that his wife has a lover, he never suspects who he really is. His faith in Tom makes him believe what Buchanan says, which, in turn, causes him to murder Gatsby and then commit suicide.
Jordan Baker, a friend of the Buchanans, a golfer. Daisy introduces Jordan to Nick and tries to throw them together, but when Nick realizes that she is a cheat who refuses to assume the elementary responsibility of the individual, he loses all interest in her.
Meyer Wolfshiem, a gambler and underworld associate of Gatsby.
Catherine, Myrtle Wilson's sister, who is obviously proud of Myrtle's rich connection and unconcerned with the immorality involved.
Mr. and Mrs. McKee, a photographer and his wife who try to use Nick and Tom to get a start among the rich people of Long Island.
Mr. Gatz, Jay Gatsby's father who, being unaware of the facts of Jay's life, thought his son had been a great man.