Who's Who?
This character is the narrator of The Great Gatsby and moves to West Egg to learn the bond business.
Nick Carraway
Nick is invited to the Buchanans' house for dinner because...
he is Daisy's cousin
Daisy is his cousin
This represents Gatsby’s longing for something distant that he desperately wants to reach.
green light
“I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
Daisy
Nick claims to be honest, but his opinions and personal relationships sometimes influence the way he describes people and events. This makes him this type of narrator.
Unreliable narrator
This character is a professional golfer who is socially confident, somewhat detached, and becomes Nick’s romantic interest.
Jordan Baker
At the apartment party in Chapter 2, Tom does this to Myrtle after she repeatedly says Daisy’s name.
breaks her nose
This bleak industrial area between Long Island and New York City represents the hidden costs of wealth and success.
Valley of the Ashes
“I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.”
Nick
Gatsby’s carefully constructed stories about his past help develop this theme.
Appearance vs Reality
This character is married but desperately wants access to the wealthy lifestyle she believes she deserves.
Myrtle Wilson
At Gatsby’s party, the drunken man in the library is shocked to discover this about Gatsby’s books.
That they are real and not cardboard
These enormous eyes look down over the Valley of Ashes and can be interpreted as watching or judging the morally corrupt world below.
The eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleberg
“I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.”
Jordan
Gatsby’s huge parties are packed with people, yet he often seems isolated. This contrast suggests that popularity does not always lead to this.
genuine human connection
also accepted: happiness
This mysterious millionaire throws enormous parties even though many of his guests have never met him. His real hope is that one particular woman might someday attend.
Jay Gatsby
While driving to New York, Gatsby shows Nick these two pieces of evidence to make his incredible stories about his past seem more believable.
Photograph and the letter
This extravagant possession symbolizes Gatsby’s attempt to create an impressive identity through wealth and display.
his mansion
“I married him because I thought he was a gentleman.”
Myrtle
Gatsby becomes extremely nervous before seeing Daisy again. This reveals that his wealth and confidence cannot protect him from this.
emotional vulnerability
also accepted: being scared or nervous
This character represents inherited privilege and demonstrates how wealth and social status can create a sense of entitlement without moral responsibility.
Tom Buchanan
Gatsby has been throwing his enormous parties for this very specific reason
He hopes Daisy will show up to one
In Chapter 5, these possessions become symbols of the wealth and possibilities associated with the life Gatsby has created, causing Daisy to become emotional.
Gatsby's shirts
“This is a terrible mistake.”
Gatsby
Gatsby has spent years idealizing his past relationship with Daisy. This creates the danger that he may be chasing this instead of reality.
illusion
also accepted: the impossible