Characters
The title character and protagonist of the novel, he is a fabulously wealthy young man living in a Gothic mansion in West Egg.
Jay Gatsby
Who is Nick Carraway's neighbor?
Gatsby
How are Daisy and Nick related?
They're cousins
"A breeze blew curtains in at one end and out the other, twisting them up toward the frosted wedding cake of the ceiling"
Metaphor
"I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."
Daisy Buchanan
The novel’s narrator, he is a young man from the midwest who, after being educated at Yale and fighting in World War I, goes to New York to learn the bond business.
Nick Carraway
Why does Nick move to the New York City area?
To begin a career in the bond business.
Why doesn't Nick call out to Gatsby when he first sees him on his lawn?
Gatsby appears to be having a private moment.
"Im paralyzed with happiness."
Hyperbole
"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had."
Nick Carraway
Nick’s cousin. She is sardonic and somewhat cynical, and she behaves superficially to mask her pain at her husband’s constant infidelity.
Daisy Buchanan
Where does Nick live in the summer of 1922?
Long Island's West Egg
Compare and contrast East and West Egg
Physically, the two land formations are identical; however, East Egg houses high class socialites from "old money" while West Egg houses the nouveau riche or "new money"—lower class individuals who have recently acquired their wealth.
"...Promising to unfold the secrets that only Mias and Morgan and Mæcenus knew."
Allusion
“Well, it’s a fine book, and everybody ought to read it. The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be—will be utterly submerged. It’s all scientific stuff; it’s been proved.”
Tom Buchanan
Daisy’s immensely wealthy husband and once a member of Nick’s social club at Yale. Powerfully built and hailing from a socially solid old family, he is an arrogant, hypocritical bully. His beliefs are laced with racism and sexism.
Tom Buchanan
Who is the unwanted "5th guest" at the Buchanan's dinner party?
Tom's mistress
Why does Daisy tell Nick that “the best thing a girl can be in this world” is “a beautiful little fool?”
Answers vary.
She believes that, in a world where women are often treated superficially, ignorance and a focus on beauty can lead to a more carefree and happy life.
"And so it happened that on a warm windy evening I drove over to East Egg to see two old friends whom I scarcely knew at all."
Oxymoron
"Gatsby?" [...] "What Gatsby?"
Daisy Buchanan
Daisy’s friend. A competitive golfer, she represents one of the “new women” of the 1920s—cynical, boyish, and self-centered.
Jordan Baker
When Nick leaves the Buchanan home, he confesses he feels “confused and a little disgusted.” Why does he feel this way?
Answers vary.
He's witnessing the shallowness and moral decay of the wealthy, and the way they maintain a facade to hide their true natures.
How does Nick Carraway describe Gatsby despite scorning everything he stood for?
As a man of gorgeous personality and boundless hope.
"Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been at the end of a dock."
Symbolism
"I'll tell you a family secret," [...] "It's about the butler's nose. Do you want to hear about the butler's nose?"
Jordan Baker