People and Places
This billboard symbolizes both God looking down and judging, as well as the rich looking down at the poor.
What are the Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg?
This object and the color of it are symbolic of Gatsby’s desire for both Daisy and for high society.
What is the green light at the end of the Buchanan’s dock?
Tom’s mistress, she is given a $10 dog and a hundred-dollar dog collar, said she was crazy for marrying her husband.
Who is Myrtle Wilson?
Gatsby’s neighbor, Daisy’s cousin, our narrator, and a symbol of naiveté and innocence of the Midwest; feels he’s one of the few honest people that he knows; looks at Gatsby as a friend and is upset by the lack of people who attended the funeral.
Who is Nick Carraway?
This location symbolizes poverty and misery of the lower classes.
What is The Valley of Ashes?
This character is “stuck up,” cold, emotionless, and manipulative; she believes it takes two to make an accident, so it’s the other person’s job to be careful.
Who is Jordan Baker
Nick discovers the only character from Gatsby’s party to attend his funeral (Owl Eyes) looking at these symbols. These are included to lead the reader to believe that Gatsby is “genuine,” but also raise questions.
What are the “real” books?
Drove the “Deathmobile,” claimed she loved Gatsby once, probably married her husband because she was enchanted by his money.
Who is Daisy?
Seemingly lost in desire to reclaim college glory; broke his mistress’s nose; arrogant, violent, and prone to aggression; told George who owned the car that killed his wife.
Who is Tom Buchanan?
These locations both symbolize wealth, one the “new money” of the middle class, the other, the “old money” of the upper class.
What are West Egg and East Egg?
This character, who fixed the 1919 World Series, wore cufflinks that contribute to the mystery of Gatsby’s money and the people with whom he associates.
Who is Meyer Wolfsheim
Daisy over-reacts to these items of Gatsby’s, making her cry, and strengthening our impression of her as shallow and materialistic (as well as why Mr. Arnett’s strong dislikes the character.)
What are Gatsby’s shirts?
Introduced as “balancing something on her chin” when Nick meets her at Tom and Daisy’s, claims it takes two careless people to make an accident.
Who is Jordan Baker?
This character brings a copy of a Hopalong Cassidy book to Gatsby’s funeral with the young man’s agenda for self-improvement written in the back.
Who is Henry Gatz, Gatsby’s father?
Nick calls Tom and Daisy this at the end of the novel, commenting on how they use others.
What are careless people?
This character is astounded that Gatsby’s books are real, and is the only other person to attend Gatsby’s funeral.
Who is “Owl Eyes”
This color symbolizes poverty and depression; the Valley of Ashes.
What is the color gray?
The mistress’s sister, believes Tom’s lie that his wife is Catholic and, can’t divorce.
Who is Catherine?
Enchanted by wealth and power; created a life for himself in order to attract Daisy’s attention; secretly a bootlegger and liquor smuggler; firmly convinced that you can recreate the past, and the real name of Jay Gatsby.
Who is James Gatz?
The contrast of Nick and Gatsby’s father with Meyer Wolfsheim and Tom shows this idea about the difference between the Midwest and the East.
What is the Midwest has its simple virtue (good); the East is corrupt and evil?
This character does not appear in the novel directly, only in flashback, but he symbolizes the lifestyle that Gatsby wants, with money, power, and fame.
Who is Dan Cody?
These two weather patterns symbolize specific moods and tones that Fitzgerald expresses in the novel. (In Chapter 4 and Chapter 7)
What are rain and heat?
Daisy wished that this character would grow up to be a “beautiful fool.”
Who is Tom and Daisy’s daughter, Pammy?
Lived at Gatsby’s house for a time, played the piano, and called to get his tennis shoes back, but could not attend the funeral.
Who is Klipspringer?
This is the motif behind the quote, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
What is nostalgia?