Great Gatsby Study Notes
Great Gatsby Study Notes
Great Gatsby Study Notes
The Great Gatsby’s synopsis includes the main ideas of the story told by Nick Carraway.
After moving to New York, he witnesses a tragic love story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy
Buchanan. The plot spins around the wealth and complicated relationship between all the
characters.
Timeline:
At the beginning of The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 1, Nick Carraway introduces himself as the
narrator of this story. He proceeds with recalling his father’s advice: never criticize or make
quick judgments about other people:
“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 anyone,’ he told me,
‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve
had.’” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 1)
So, Nick has become tolerant and moral thanks to that. He mentions that in college, he “was
unjustly accused of being a politician because I was privy to the secret griefs of wild,
unknown men.” As an example, he introduces Gatsby, a man whose actions he despised, but
Nick never judged him. Instead, he thinks Gatsby was a victim of the “foul dust.”
Nick Carraway moves to New York in 1922 to chase a career in the bond business. He rents
a house in West Egg, a part of Long Island. Just across the bay, there is East Egg, which is
where aristocratic “old money” families live. West Egg is for families who have become rich
only recently and don’t have many social connections. They are trying to show off as much
as possible, having huge houses of poor taste. That’s why the East Egg community dislikes
them. However, Nick’s house is rather moderate compared to Gatsby’s enormous mansion.
The latter looks more like a hotel than a home for one man.
Also, Nick appears to have connections in East Egg. One night he goes there to have dinner
with Buchanans since Daisy Buchanan is Nick’s cousin. He seems to know her husband, Tom,
from the times they were at Yale.
“His family were enormously wealthy – even in college his freedom with money was a matter
for reproach… It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough
to do that.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 1)
When he arrives, Mr. Buchanan meets him wearing a riding outfit. And even though Tom is
polite, his arrogance is not left unnoticed by Nick. Daisy and her friend Jordan Baker are
relaxing on the couch inside. Jordan Baker is a young professional golfer. She looks pretty
but seems to be bored by everything happening around her.
At dinner, Daisy mentions her daughter, Pammy Buchanan, and expresses her hopes that
she will grow up to be beautiful but foolish.
“I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this
world, a beautiful little fool”. (The Great Gatsby, chapter 1)
Tom is pushing the book called ‘The Rise of the Coloured Empires’ on others. It talks about
how a minority is trying to take over a superior group of the Nordic people. However, his
speech is interrupted by a phone call, and he leaves the room. Daisy rushes to follow him,
and Jordan explains to Nick that the phone call is from Tom’s mistress in New York.
When the dinner ends, Jordan leaves to have a rest before the next day’s golf event. Nick is
also about to leave when Tom and Daisy suggest he starts a romance with Jordan.
After Nick comes home, a young man appears in the yard. Nick sees him as relaxed and
confident, so he assumes it is Mr. Gatsby. He is about to approach him, but Gatsby suddenly
stretches his arms towards the water and stares in the dark. Nick decided not to ruin this
moment of privacy. However, looking across the bay, he doesn’t see anything except for the
green light that may be marking the end of a dock.
Analysis:
Nick Carraway, as the narrator, plays an essential role in The Great Gatsby. His analysis of
the situations and annotations he makes throughout the novel are the core of the story.
Nick also can be considered as a mediator between the social classes. He should have been
behaving the same as other “new money” arrogant people as he comes from a wealthy
family and is a graduate of Yale. Instead, thanks to how his father raised him, he shows
some decency and moderation. Therefore, Nick Carraway acts as an intermediary in this
story.
As was mentioned in a short summary of The Great Gatsby’s Chapter one, Nick poses
himself as tolerant and someone who doesn’t judge others. However, his motives are
unclear. Instead of doing it out of a pure wish not to harm people’s feelings, he might be
doing it to earn their trust. The way he describes his best personal traits shows that he
thinks he’s privileged and better than others. That’s why he was called a politician in college.
In Chapter 1, Fitzgerald introduces some vocabulary such as “old/new money” and “foul
dust.” That’s the way of representing the book’s central theme: the clash between the social
classes. There is no need for the complete The Great Gatsby’s analysis to see that it is traced
throughout the whole book. It starts when Nick describes the area he moves to in New York.
East Egg and West Egg are neighbouring areas only divided by a bay. However, even the fact
that they are across each other represents their opposition.
• West Egg, represented by Gatsby, is where all the families who made their fortune
recently live. They are overdoing it with their large distasteful houses and showy
manners.
• East Egg, represented by Buchanans, is a home for aristocratic families who have
high social positions. Aristocrats show their disgust towards the style and manners of
their unworthy neighbours. The Conclusion is that they might be feeling threatened
by the new rich.
All the characters Nick meets at dinner, demonstrate the typical “old money” attitude, full
of arrogance and cynicism. This scene contains quotes that can be related to the usual East
Egg people. Tom’s personality is the opposite of Nick’s. From the very first time they met,
Nick knows that even Tom’s expensive clothes can’t hide his dishonesty, hypocrisy, and
corruption. Later on, his racist remarks and apparent affair only prove it. Daisy is trying to be
sarcastic when she leaves that comment about her daughter. Jordan Baker is the last drop in
the ocean of cynicism and emptiness of the East Egg. She looks gorgeous and seems smart,
but all her persona radiates desperate boredom.
But all of it only raises more questions about the theme of shallowness in the book. Gatsby’s
enormous mansion, the Buchanans mask show, and even Jordan’s attitude reflect on the
inner emptiness of the society in the Roaring Twenties.
At the end of the chapter, Gatsby appears as a mysterious young man, acting differently
from the rest. Nick doesn’t know anything about him yet, as Gatsby’s character brings some
freshness and intrigue.
‘Great Gatsby’ Chapter 2 Summary and Analysis
Soon Nick learns that Tom Buchanan is cheating on his wife, Daisy, with Myrtle Wilson. She
is a vulgar woman that represents a lower social class and lives in the Valley of Ashes. Tom
takes Nick on a trip to New York City. On their way there, Myrtle and Nick get acquainted.
Summary:
The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 2 starts with Nick describing an area called “Valley of Ashes.” It’s
the valley between West Egg and New York City where all the ashes from the city are
dropped. Nick describes it as abandoned land, which was once advanced, totally buried
under ashes to the point that everything seems ash grey.
“This is a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills
and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising
smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already
crumbling through the powdery air.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 2)
Two eyes, “blue and gigantic — their retinas are one yard high,” stare down on the valley
through glasses from the billboard. It is Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, eye practitioner, looking after
the people covered in ashes.
One day Tom and Nick are on a train riding to the city. Tom suddenly wants to get off in the
Valley of Ashes. He forces Nick to follow him. They walk to George Wilson’s garage, where
Tom wants to speak to George about selling his car. Wilson is a handsome man but tired of
this life and covered with ashes. His wife, Myrtle, on the other hand, makes an impression of
being lively and seductive.
“Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by
moment and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her until she seemed to be
revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 2)
When George walks out to get some chairs, Nick tells Myrtle he wants to see her. She
should come to the train station and meet them there. Mrs. Wilson leaves the house, telling
her husband she’s meeting up with her sister.
Later, Nick, Tom, and Myrtle go to the apartment in New York, which Tom keeps just for
his love affair issue. They decide to have a party, and Myrtle’s sister, Catherine, and another
couple join them. Catherine is a redhead girl who overdoes it with makeup, and the couple,
McKees, don’t make the best impression either. They all get drunk fast. Nick confesses that
it is the second time in his life he is drunk.
While the party gets louder and wilder, they start gossiping about other people. Gatsby
becomes the subject, and Catherine expresses her fears of Gatsby. She heard that he is a
member of the German emperor’s family. They all decided on the fact that Gatsby’s
money is dirty. Nick dislikes the energy of the party and wants to leave but finds himself
amused by it at the same time. Catherine tells Nick that “neither of them can stand the
person they’re married to,” talking about Tom and Myrtle.
“What I say is, why go on living with them if they can’t stand them? If I was them I’d get a
divorce and get married to each other right away.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 2)
She doesn’t understand why they can’t get divorced and marry each other. She assumes it is
because Daisy is religious and doesn’t “believe in divorce.” Nick is shocked because he
knows it is a lie.
Myrtle starts talking about her life, how she and Tom met, and then about Tom’s family. He
gives her a puppy as a gift. As it gets later in the night, Myrtle and Tom start arguing on
whether she’s allowed to mention Daisy’s name. It only makes her start shouting: “Daisy!”
over and over again. In one quick movement, Tom hits Myrtle and breaks her nose. It
brings a loud party to an end. Nick leaves with Mr. McKee, walks him home, and takes an
early morning train to Long Island.
Analysis:
The description of the Valley of Ashes at the beginning of Chapter 2 strikes with the
shocking contrast. It is a counterpart to the glamour of rich areas. This is where people with
no money, no purpose in life, and no dreams live. In the novel, the Valley of Ashes
symbolizes the rotten souls of the rich that are covered with dazzling clothes and mansions.
Just like that, people in the valley are covered with ashes. It also may be a sign of the dull
future of the Roaring Twenties.
The all-seeing eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg on the billboard carry little meaning in this chapter,
but they are given more value later in the book. In Chapter 2, the eyes might represent the
silent witness of the 1920s’ wildness.
The careful analysis of The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 2 can bring up many fascinating details,
including the reason why Tom Buchanan prefers to have an affair with someone from a
lower social class. George Wilson and his wife, Myrtle, seem to be showing completely
different characters. While George looks like a lifeless body, Myrtle appears as full of
ambition and hope to get out of that swamp they call life. She is not that delicate and
elegant girl, like Daisy. Instead, Myrtle is very simple, bulky, but sensual at the same time.
Her great desire to be one of the rich brings liveliness to her personality. Daisy, on the other
hand, has already got the wealth and lost all the interest in it. It may be one of the reasons
why Tom has Myrtle as a mistress – he’s trying to replace the emptiness in his family with
the lively energy of his lover.
In The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 2 summary, an intense discussion between Tom and Myrtle is
briefly mentioned. However, this scene opens up Tom’s character a bit more. Being in the
company of Tom makes Myrtle feel more powerful as it brings her confidence in her bright
future with a wealthy lover. She is probably trying to provoke Tom and starts shouting out
Daisy’s name. He breaks her nose. It is a reminder that she must not forget her place since
Tom is the privileged one. But most importantly, it demonstrates Tom’s violent tendencies.
Even though Nick has known that Tom is not a good guy, this incident leaves him wondering
what other awful things Mr. Buchanan is capable of.
In fact, in the previous chapter, a few quotes are mentioning Tom’s hidden demons. Daisy
was complaining that Tom bruised her by accident and called him “a brute of a man.”
However, he neither denied it nor apologized to Daisy, so the apparent conclusion emerges
– he DID mean to do it.
Moreover, defending Daisy’s name while cheating on her, Tom gives away his hypocrisy.
Out of many other themes in the novel, this one is minor but still relevant as it shows the
helplessness and despair of women of those times.
There are some questions in The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 2, which are left unsolved. For
instance, the last phrases at the end of the chapter. Nick’s mysterious description of Mr.
McKee in his bedroom implies that there might have been intercourse between two men.
It may be an addition to the topic of wildness in the 1920s.
‘Great Gatsby’ Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis
Everyone is fascinated by a certain Mr. Gatsby, a mysterious Nick’s neighbour who lives in a
luxurious mansion and regularly throws epic parties. One day, Nick receives an invitation to
one of Gatsby’s parties. The Great Gatsby’s party is the focus of this chapter.
Summary:
Jay Gatsby is known for the huge and lavish parties he throws every weekend in the
summer. People gather at his mansion to drink champagne, chat, dance, and have fun.
Gatsby offers everything they need for it. The guests are free to use his pool and boats. They
are treated with dinner and entertained by the whole orchestra. People enjoy the festivities
till the morning hours.
Finally, Nick receives an invitation. He takes a short walk to his first party, but it doesn’t
make a good first impression. Nick feels uncomfortable around all the strangers. He “was
one of the few guests who had actually been invited.” He is trying to find the party’s host,
but no one can help, and it seems like no one even knows how Gatsby looks. Nick runs into
Jordan Baker. Together they wander around the mansion, listening to the chitchats and
passing by endless servings of alcohol.
“The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun and now the orchestra is
playing yellow cocktail music and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier,
minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word.” (The Great
Gatsby, chapter 3)
The main discussion topic here is rumours about Gatsby. Nick and Jordan overhear
someone speculating that he is a German spy and even killed a man. They are trying to find
their mysterious host and end up in the library. There they meet a man who wears weird
glasses, resembling the eyes of the owl, so Nick gives him a nickname “Owl-Eyes.” The man
is quite drunk and, astonished by how real Gatsby’s book collection is, he handles Nick some
of the books to check.
Later, after a few glasses of champagne, “bigger than finger bowls,” Nick and Jordan go
outside. There, Nick starts talking to a handsome man, who he recognizes after it appears
that they met during the war. Then the man smiled with “one of those rare smiles with a
quality of eternal reassurance in it”. He introduced himself as Jay Gatsby. Nick realizes that
he doesn’t play the role of the host much. Jay stays aside, just watching over the guests.
“…my eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to
another with approving eyes… I could see nothing sinister about him. I wondered if the fact
that he was not drinking helped to set him off from his guests, for it seemed to me that he
grew more correct as the fraternal hilarity increased.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 3)
Jordan leaves to have a private talk with Gatsby, but after she only says it was “the most
amazing thing” that she heard. Gatsby has to get a phone call from someone in
Philadelphia, and Nick says goodbye to him. When he’s walking home, he notices a car
accident. It is Owl-Eyes trying to get his car out of the ditch. However, after some struggles,
he gives up and leaves his car there.
Nick finishes the chapter with a short description of his life so that people know it’s not only
partying. He’s got a job in New York City and has a casual relationship. After dating a lady
from New Jersey, he follows the advice of the Buchanans and starts seeing Jordan.
However, he has mixed feelings for her. Nick doesn’t like her dishonesty and then leaves a
remark that he’s “one of the few honest people” he knows.
Analysis:
At the beginning of The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 3 summary, the description of the
extravagant party seems like the American Dream itself coming to real life. From the
previous chapters, it should be clear that “new rich” and “old rich” are on bad terms. Here,
however, East Egg aristocrats don’t mind coming to Gatsby’s West Egg ornate mansion. It
may show that deep down, “old rich” don’t care about the bad manners of “new rich,” only
trying to keep the vital drama going. So, whenever it comes to coming to West Egg for a
party, they seem blinded by an opportunity to enjoy free food, drinks, and entertainment.
“Nouveau riche” most likely come to Gatsby’s weekend parties to make new social
connections and become a part of the upper-class East Egg community. However, it seems
like getting drunk there doesn’t help to keep their poor etiquette under control.
One of many party scenes in The Great Gatsby reveals the significance of the
colours. Gatsby’s parties stand as a counterpart to the mundane life, especially to life in
the Valley of Ashes. While the valley displays all shades of grey only, the party blooms with
all kinds of flashy gold, white, and black. The setting stays in this tone throughout the whole
novel. These are the colours of royalty, meaning that only people with money come to the
West Egg parties. However, the royal colours may be a cover-up for their shallowness – one
of the book’s main themes.
Another underlying issue is the reasons why Gatsby throws the parties. When Nick noticed
that the host is not interested in drinking and chatting with guests, he realized that he must
have other motives. Jay Gatsby is introduced as a mysterious character with a vague past
and unclear identity from the very beginning. Further on, Nick finds him different from
other rich people. Though the money corrupts Gatsby, just like everybody, his goal is pure,
but it’s hidden from the readers.
The party shown in The Great Gatsby’s Ch.3 questions the existence of Prohibition back
then. The amount of alcohol described there cannot be left unnoticed. So how come
everyone is drinking so hard while it’s punishable by law? This issue should not be
excluded from The Great Gatsby’s analysis. Multiple quotes confirm that all main characters
of the novel drink heavily. Whether it’s a drunken party at Tom’s apartment in New York or
a huge festivity at Gatsby’s property, no one cares about the Prohibition. First of all, it’s a
symbol of resistance in America as people want to have the freedom to do whatever they
want. Secondly, drinking appears in the novel as a mark of privileged people as they have
more power. It is one of the ways people break legal and moral laws in this book. The fact
that everybody is drinking so openly at Jay Gatsby’s parties might be suggesting that he’s
connected to the underworld. His character’s analysis conclusion is that he stays as
mysterious as he was in the first chapters.
‘Great Gatsby’ Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis
Gatsby is looking for friendship with Nick. He talks to Jordan, Daisy’s friend, and Nick’s
companion, alone. He tells her that he and Daisy were in love with each other some time
ago and asks Nick to help them get together again.
Summary:
Nick starts chapter 4 by listing the most distinguished guests who attend Gatsby’s parties. It
is a long list that includes names such as the Chester Beckers, Bunsen, the Christies, and the
Ismays. He includes people from both West Egg and East Egg, but all of them are exclusively
voguish. There is one man, Klipspringer, who comes to all the parties. He even received the
nickname “the boarder” because of that.
One morning Gatsby arrives at Nick’s to take him to lunch. Nick describes Gatsby’s car as of
“monstrous length” and “rich cream colour,” which is almost yellow. It’s all covered in nickel
and has a weird windshield construction.
“He was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of
movement that is so peculiarly American – that comes, I suppose, with the absence of lifting
work or rigid sitting in youth and, even more, with the formless grace of our nervous,
sporadic games.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 4)
They jump into the car and start their trip to the city. Nick recalls talking to Gatsby only a
few times and still doesn’t know anything about him. At first, he thought that Gatsby was a
somehow famous persona, but now he only sees a neighbour in him. However, this road trip
is about to change his impression once again.
Gatsby starts telling Nick his life story, but it doesn’t sound authentic. For example, he says
that he comes from a wealthy family in the Midwest. After Nick asks about the city, Gatsby
replies that it is “San Francisco.” Then Gatsby proceeds with presenting even less believable
facts, such as his graduation from Oxford, traveling across Europe, and all the medals he
received in World War I. But Nick doesn’t seem to be convinced, so Gatsby shows him a war
medal and a picture from his Oxford times and promises to tell him a “sad thing” that
happened to him at lunch.
“After that I lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe – Paris, Venice, Rome –
collecting jewels, chiefly rubies, hunting big game, painting a little, things for myself only,
and trying to forget something very sad that had happened to me long ago.” (The Great
Gatsby, chapter 4)
When they arrive, Gatsby and Nick meet Meyer Wolfsheim at lunch. Gatsby introduces him
as a man who fixed the 1919 World Series. Mr. Wolfshiem gives the impression of a shady
guy who might be connected to Gatsby’s fortune. Nick thinks they may even be involved in
underground business with Wolfshiem. Then, Tom Buchanan arrives, and Gatsby
disappears.
After lunch, Nick meets up with Jordan Baker, who finally tells that story she heard from
Gatsby the other night. She says that during the war, Daisy met a lieutenant in Louisville,
Kentucky, and fell in love with him. His name was Jay Gatsby. Daisy’s family didn’t approve
of their union, and after he had to leave for the war, Daisy chose to marry another man.
The night before the wedding day, she received a love letter from Jay and got drunk to
numb her feelings. The next day, she married Tom Buchanan, and they went on their three-
month honeymoon. When Jordan saw them after that, Daisy seemed to be so much in love
with Tom that she would go crazy if he left the room for a minute. However, Tom wasn’t so
committed and faithful because soon after that, he was caught with another girl when they
got into a car accident.
“A week after I left Santa Barbara Tom ran into a wagon on the Ventura road one night and
ripped a front wheel off his car. The girl who was with him got into the papers too because
her arm was broken – she was one of the chambermaids in the Santa Barbara Hotel.” (The
Great Gatsby, chapter 4)
Jordan says that Gatsby chose the mansion in West Egg because he wants to be close to
Daisy. It is also meant to bring her attention to him. Nick realizes that the green light Gatsby
was trying to reach with his hands the other night is a light at Daisy’s dock.
Then, Jordan asks if Nick can invite Daisy for tea so that Gatsby can come there to meet
her. Daisy shouldn’t know anything since it is meant to be a surprise. Nick is shocked by the
“modesty of the demand.” After waiting for all those years and spending so much money,
Gatsby only asks Nick if he can come over to his house and meet his beloved.
Analysis:
The Great Gatsby’s chapter 4 summary provides good evidence that Gatsby is making up all
the stories about his life. Some quotes do not align with his story. For example, he says he’s
a Middle West guy born in San Francisco and “educated in Oxford.” However, it is unlikely
that an Oxford man would make such mistakes. Therefore, Gatsby must be lying about his
past. It looks like a trick that most “new rich” people would do: they would create a new
identity to fit their new lifestyle. After coming to New York as a wealthy man, he had to
reinvent himself. However, Gatsby can also be trying to bring Daisy’s attention. Those
unbelievable achievements would interest any girl in the city.
Fitzgerald is raising some critical questions in The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 4, such as the
hidden characteristics of the main characters. In the previous chapters, Gatsby is portrayed
as a lavish party guy with shady connections. In this chapter, however, Gatsby shows the
other side of his personality. He gets so embarrassed when he is about to meet Tom
Buchanan in the restaurant that he flees without saying goodbye. It may seem like the usual
behaviour of a man who’s in love with someone’s wife. But then Jordan tells Nick about
Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom. The way Nick reacts to Jordan’s request brings some light to the
situation. Gatsby appears to be a hopeless romantic. He doesn’t want Daisy to cheat on her
husband and doesn’t even think of her as someone’s wife. Gatsby dreams about recreating
their passionate romance from the past. It may explain why he acts like a young boy crazy in
love.
One more scene showing Gatsby’s romanticism is when he was daydreaming and reaching
to the green light in Chapter 1. It represents his love for Daisy, his dream of their happy life.
However, The Great Gatsby’s analysis reveals hidden themes. The green light and green
colour symbolize the American Dream. Gatsby’s passion and hope for reaching his dream
prevent him from seeing real obstacles. It became the purpose of his life, and he’s using all
means possible to achieve it. In this way, he resembles all people chasing the American
Dream. Throughout the book, many symbols are indicating the American dream, but the
green light is the most important one.
‘Great Gatsby’ Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis
Through Jordan, Jay asks for Nick’s help. He wants him to arrange his reunion with Daisy.
Nick calls Daisy and invites her to come up without Tom. Daisy and Gatsby meet and re-
establish their connection. Meanwhile, Tom grows suspicious and starts investigating
Gatsby’s affairs.
Summary:
Nick arrives home after a date night with Jordan Baker, and he sees that all of the lights in
Gatsby’s house are lit. It surprises him since there are no other signs of the party.
Then Gatsby suddenly appears on the lawns and seems very excited. He invites Nick for a
swim in his pool and to Coney Island. Then Nick gets it: Gatsby wants him to help arrange a
meeting with Daisy. Nick says he will help, and Gatsby, being even more excited, offers him
to take part in his business. However, this offer offends Nick because it seems like Gatsby
wants to pay for his help. Nick rejects the offer but still promises to invite Daisy. He calls her
and asks her to come over without Tom. When she accepts his invitation without any
discussion, they decide on the date.
On the day before the meeting, Gatsby is nervous, on the day when he and Daisy are
supposed to meet each other, he gets anxious. He’s worried about their future with Daisy
and comes up with weird ideas on how to make Nick’s place more beautiful. It is raining, but
Gatsby sends workers to cut the grass outside Nick’s house as well as someone to bring tons
of flowers. When Daisy arrives, Gatsby suddenly disappears. Then he knocks and comes in,
soaked in the rain.
“He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it right through to the end, waited with his
teeth set, so to speak, an inconceivable pitch of intensity. Now, in the reaction, he was
running down like an overwound clock.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 5)
When Gatsby walks in, he knocks over the clock and says that it is a mistake. Nick decides to
give them half an hour alone since the meeting seems very awkward. After he returns, he
sees how happy they are together. Gatsby is glowing with happiness, and an “unexpected
joy” catches Daisy. Then Gatsby invites Nick and Daisy to his mansion to show off his
fortune. Daisy is fascinated by his wealth, but when he is throwing his expensive English
shirts everywhere, she starts crying.
“‘They’re such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. ‘It makes me
sad because I’ve never seen such—such beautiful shirts before.’” (The Great Gatsby, chapter
5)
Gatsby tells her how he looks at the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock every night and
daydreams about their happily ever after together. Now it becomes clear that Gatsby’s only
reason for buying such a luxurious house was to impress her.
Nick is wondering whether Gatsby’s dream is possible. Even though Gatsby’s feelings are
still the string, all the years in marriage might have changed Daisy. Jay might not realize
that the real Daisy is far from his dream image. While walking around the room, Nick
notices a picture of an older man in a sailing outfit. Gatsby explains that it was Dan Cody, his
best friend, who is dead now.
Gatsby’s past feelings consume him for a moment, so he calls Klipspringer and asks him to
play the piano. It seems like “the boarder” lives in Gatsby’s house. Klipspringer plays “Ain’t
We Got Fun?” while Daisy and Gatsby dance, whispering something to each other. They
seem to be so into each other that they don’t notice anything else anymore, including Nick.
He decides to give them some space and goes out in the rain.
Analysis:
In the summary of The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 5, it is shown how Nick helps to arrange a
long-awaited meeting for Gatsby and Daisy. This event becomes a turning point in the
novel. The first half of the book is dedicated to the mysterious Gatsby and his hidden desire
for a happy life, Daisy. He was doing everything he could to make it possible. Chapter 5
introduces a new plot: Gatsby reunites with Daisy, and his dream comes true. It is an
unexpected plot development since, usually, the characters reach their goals at the end of
the book. Here, in the middle of the novel, the reader realises that The Great Gatsby is not a
typical love story with a happy ending. From Chapter 5, the focus shifts to the future of
Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship.
In the previous chapter, the story Jordan tells changes what Nick thinks of Gatsby after
meeting him. Chapter 5 reveals even more of the honest side of Gatsby’s character. The
mask of the mysterious and aristocratic “Oxford man” is gone in front of pure love. Gatsby
acts like a young boy who is about to have a first date with his crush. Moreover, he’s
nervous, afraid to be rejected. However, by the end of the chapter, Gatsby’s feelings switch
to blissful happiness when his dream comes true.
The more in-depth analysis of The Great Gatsby includes studying the theme of time.
Meeting Daisy causes Gatsby to be so nervous that he gets clumsy and almost knocks over
Nick’s clock. The symbolism behind it leads to the relation of the past and future. Gatsby
seems to be losing the sense of the present moment. He wants to recreate their love from
the past so badly that he doesn’t seem to care about the natural flow of time. Hence the
clock symbolizes his attempt to manipulate time.
Daisy’s tears in Gatsby’s mansion leave some questions in Chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby. Of
course, those might be the tears of joy since she is so happy to see Gatsby thriving. At least
it seems so, according to the quotes from Chapter 5. She says that she has “never seen such
— such beautiful shirts before.” He has succeeded in making a proper impression on her. On
the other side, Daisy could be crying over her own life. She chose to marry Tom to secure a
wealthy life, but now she realizes that staying with beloved Gatsby could have brought her
even more.
After the scene with expensive English shirts in The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 5, Nick says that
the real Daisy can be less charming for Gatsby than the image of a woman he created in his
head. Not meaning to insult Daisy, Nick only shows that the reality is different. Reliving and
dreaming about love from the past might have created a very unrealistic image of Daisy. She
has changed since their short romance and may fail to fulfil Gatsby’s expectations.
Moreover, Daisy has a husband and daughter, who Gatsby excludes from his vision of their
happy life.
‘Great Gatsby’ Chapter 6 Summary and Analysis
The reader learns the true story of James Gatz who was born in a poor family and earned his
fortune on bootlegging. Tom and Daisy come to Gatsby’s party, and Daisy doesn’t seem to
enjoy it. When the party’s over, Gatsby is disappointed that Daisy didn’t have a good time.
Tom wants to find out what exactly Gatsby does.
Summary:
Following the rumours, a reporter arrives at Gatsby’s mansion. He tries to get something out
of him. At this moment, Nick decides to tell the real story of Gatsby because he doesn’t
want the readers to speculate about him.
Gatsby was born as James Gatz in North Dakota. He attempted to study at St. Olaf College
in Minnesota but quit in two weeks. It was too humiliating for him to work there as a janitor
to pay for his studies. The next year, he worked on Lake Superior as a fisherman when he
saw Dan Cody’s yacht. Dan was a multimillionaire who made his fortune on mining and
precious metals. Young Gatz rushed to warn a wealthy sailor about a coming storm. Dan
was so grateful that he took the boy as his assistant on the yacht and gave him a new name,
Jay Gatsby.
“I suppose he’d had the name ready for a long time, even then. His parents were shiftless
and unsuccessful farm people – his imagination had never really accepted them as his
parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby... sprang from his Platonic conception of
himself.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 6)
As time passed, Jay got used to all the luxury. One of his usual tasks was to look after Cody
when he was getting drunk. It was a good lesson for Gatsby because it made him choose a
sober life. After Dan Cody’s death, Gatsby was supposed to inherit 25,000 dollars, but the
late man’s lover made sure he wouldn’t get it. That’s when Gatsby decided to become rich,
whatever it takes.
After not talking to Gatsby for two weeks, Nick stops by his house. Only a few minutes later,
Tom and his friends, the Sloanes, arrive there as well. Nick describes the meeting of Tom
and Gatsby and says that the latter is shocked as he didn’t expect to see Tom there. Then
Gatsby reminds Tom that they met earlier. He gets a little bit aggressive as Tom doesn’t
seem to remember him at all. Gatsby then invites everybody to stay for dinner. However,
the Sloanes refuse. Being polite, they ask Gatsby to come to dinner. They certainly don’t
expect him to accept the invitation, but he does. Meanwhile, Tom thinks Gatsby’s lack of
manners is pathetic.
Daisy arrives at Gatsby’s party with Tom, who seems to be suspicious. Gatsby tries to
impress them by listing all the celebrities who attend his parties. Daisy and Gatsby go for a
dance together and then have some time alone outside while Nick is watching their backs.
When they come back to have dinner, Tom wishes to join another group. Daisy offers him
her pen in case he wants to take down the address. Then she sees a girl that, as Nick quotes
Daisy, “common but pretty,” and she seems to think this party awful and disengaging.
Later, Daisy gets mad with Tom when he tries to bring up the rumours about
Gatsby’s underground business. She defends Gatsby, saying that his wealth comes from a
chain of drug stores.
The Buchanans are ready to leave the party. Suddenly Tom remarks that he desires to find
out what exactly Gatsby does. He wants to prove himself right that Gatsby is a bootlegger
and “make a point of finding out.”
When the party’s over, Gatsby is disappointed that Daisy didn’t have a good time. Then
Gatsby tells Nick he wants Daisy to leave Tom so that everything can be as it was in
Louisville. Nick’s warning that the past cannot be repeated doesn’t work. Gatsby is sure that
his wealth will fix things. Now, Daisy is the centre of the universe for him.
“‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’ He looked around
him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his
hand.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 6)
Analysis:
The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 6 summary gives Gatsby’s background and raises the theme of
social class. Nick chooses this moment to tell the short story of Jay Gatz to keep introducing
the readers to the unknown side of Gatsby’s identity. It is crucial for understanding how
vulnerable Gatsby is to social status and how it becomes his inspiration. After being
humiliated by working as a janitor, He makes the wealth and luxurious lifestyle of Dan Cody
the goal of his life. Not wanting to experience the shame of being poor, Gatsby becomes
obsessed with the idea of getting rich as acquiring the status comes with it. When he gets
rich, he reinvents himself and uses it as a chance to erase the image of a low-class boy.
The topic of social inequality goes on with the attitude Tom and the Sloanes give to Gatsby.
All of them have the same insane amount of money, but aristocratic East Eggers still show
their disapproval towards West Egg Gatsby. After the discussion of their plans for dinner, it
becomes evident that Gatsby’s not familiar with the social etiquette. They despise all “new
rich,” and it’s an excellent example that even in the higher class, there is segregation. At the
same time, this scene from Chapter 6 of The Great Gatsby questions Gatsby’s success in
escaping social inequality.
Moreover, it continues when Gatsby tries to impress Tom and Daisy at the party. He
highlights all the famous guests attending the festivities, but the Buchanans seem
unimpressed. They don’t even hide the fact that they are disgusted by the “raw vigour” of
the West Egg. It reveals that even Daisy, despite her feelings for Gatsby, discriminates
against him.
Daisy and Gatsby might not be on the same page, and a review of Nick’s thoughts at the end
of the chapter can illustrate it. Gatsby’s character is at its most romantic and aspiring mode
by now. Nick tries to talk some sense into him, reminding him that the past stays in the past,
and he cannot repeat it. But Gatsby replies, “Why of course you can!” It clearly shows that
his dream corrupts his time perception. Now, those moments spent with Daisy give him
false hope that they can live happily together like in the past.
However, the analysis of The Great Gatsby can dig deeper. Nick is afraid of Gatsby’s
sentimentality since the race for Daisy’s love makes Gatsby sacrifice everything, even
himself. Daisy became an idol for him, a perfect young girl who is in love with him, just like
in Louisville. Chasing this vision, Gatsby gets lost in the past, and with it, his new identity
fades as well.
‘Great Gatsby’ Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis
Tom realises that Gatsby and Daisy are having a love affair. One hot summer evening, the
whole company gathers at the Plaza Hotel. Gatsby and Tom have a showdown over Daisy.
The latter confesses that she is not ready to leave her husband. Tom lets Daisy return to
East Egg with Gatsby. In the Valley of Ashes, Gatsby’s car hits Myrtle. Gatsby is ready to take
the blame, though Daisy was the driver.
Summary:
Gatsby entirely concentrates his attention on Daisy now, so he stops throwing parties,
which he had to get Daisy back anyways. Also, he lets go of all his servants because he is
afraid, they would start spreading the gossip about their affair. Shady men related to
Wolfsheim replaced the help.
One day, Nick takes a short train trip to East Egg to have lunch with the Buchanans at their
place. When he arrives, he finds out that Gatsby and Jordan are also there. It is scorching
this day, and it makes the gathering even more uncomfortable. While Tom is talking on the
phone to his mistress, Daisy’s daughter, Pammy, runs into the room. She got dressed and
groomed because her mother wanted to show her off “absolute little dream.” Though, it
doesn’t seem that Daisy pays much attention to her. On the other hand, Gatsby is in shock
as he never thought Daisy’s daughter was real.
The afternoon is dull and awkward, and Daisy suggests going out to New York. She does it
staring into Gatsby’s eyes, and Gatsby is doing the same. There is such an evident sparkle
between them that even Tom realizes they have an affair. He can’t believe it and gets
angrier as they can’t take their eyes off each other.
“An Oxford man!.. Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit… Oxford, New Mexico, or something
like that.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 7)
Tom takes Gatsby’s car and rides with Nick and Jordan, while Gatsby and Daisy are in Tom’s
car. On their way, Tom stops by Wilson’s garage for gas. There, it appears that Wilson found
out that Myrtle is cheating, but he doesn’t know who the lover is. That’s why Wilson plans
on moving to the West with her. Tom is outraged as his life is falling apart: he is about to
lose both his wife and mistress. Nick suddenly realizes that Wilson and Tom resemble each
other, except Tom is wealthier.
The party decides to go to the Plaza Hotel. Tom starts an argument accusing Gatsby of lying
about studying in Oxford and then asks him straightforwardly about Daisy. While Gatsby is
sure Daisy only loves him, Tom has years of history with her.
“She never loved you, do you hear? She only married you because I was poor and she was
tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one
except me!” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 7)
Daisy herself, being so in love with Gatsby earlier this day, takes Tom’s side now, admitting
that she “did love him once.” Tom, realizing that he is the winner, sends Gatsby and Daisy
back. They take Gatsby’s car. Meanwhile, Nick remembers that it is his birthday today – he
turns 30.
“Thirty – the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a
thinning brief-case of enthusiasm, thinning hair.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 7)
On their way home, Nick, Tom, and Jordan stop at Wilson’s again, but this time because
there was a car accident with a casualty. The owner of the restaurant next door, Michaelis,
is a witness. A yellow car, coming from New York, hit Myrtle and drove away. Tom knows
it was Gatsby’s car and thinks he was also a driver.
When they are back at Buchanan’s house, Nick stays outside and sees Gatsby hiding behind
the bushes. It appears Gatsby wants to make sure Daisy is alright. He tells Nick that it was
Daisy who was driving, but he will take responsibility for it. Gatsby asks Nick to check how
she is doing. Nick peaks through the window only to see Tom and Daisy eating dinner
peacefully. That’s how he knows that they have reconciled and leaves Gatsby “standing
there in the moonlight – watching over nothing.”
Analysis:
In Chapter 7, as everybody is getting ready to go out to New York City, Nick notices that
Daisy’s voice is “indiscreet,” and Gatsby adds that “her voice is full of money.” There are two
layers of meaning given to this phrase. As Nick realizes later, Daisy was raised as a “golden
girl.” She is well-educated, and everybody can hear it in her voice. Nick and Gatsby both
realize that this is the voice of power and royalty. Daisy is used to getting whatever she
wants. However, this discussion leads to a deeper level of Gatsby’s feelings towards Daisy.
Sadly enough, it all comes back to Gatsby’s crazy addiction to money. When he first met
Daisy, she was already wealthy, unlike him. He was already obsessed with status by then.
Even though it’s not apparent, money is what Gatsby fell in love with. Daisy is intelligent,
attractive, and young, but her wealth is the only thing that matters for Gatsby.
The most significant themes in the book are confrontations between “new money” and “old
money”, and between the past and future. Fitzgerald raises these questions in Chapter 7
of The Great Gatsby. He does it specifically to bring up all the downsides of their characters.
As expected, Tom represents “old money,” and Gatsby stands for “new money.” There
have already been some hits about Gatsby’s underground connections. In this chapter, Tom
reveals that he has been digging up dirt on him. Openly accusing Gatsby of being a
bootlegger, Tom means to destroy and humiliate him in front of everybody. It highlights his
hypocrisy once again. While cheating on Daisy, he shamelessly poses himself as a victim of
Gatsby and Daisy’s affair.
It is also essential to work on the time-related analysis in The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 7, as
the fight between Tom and Gatsby brings up the topic of the past. Tom and Gatsby are
trying their best to make Daisy stay with them. However, the moment when they ask about
her old feelings shows that they want to change the past. Both Gatsby and Tom wish to be
the only man she loved in the past. Daisy, on the other hand, is indecisive and stays in the
present. She doesn’t seem to be interested in the past romance with Gatsby but doesn’t
wish to deal with the family issues in the future.
At the end of the chapter, Gatsby sacrifices himself for Daisy. His virtue and selfless love for
her overweight his criminal activity. It makes the readers feel intense compassion for
Gatsby, as he loyally stays outside the house even when Daisy prefers Tom. One of the
quotes makes a perfect conclusion of the chapter. At the end of The Great Gatsby’s Chapter
7 summary, Nick leaves Gatsby under the stars, staring into nothing, just as he did
in Chapter 1.
‘Great Gatsby’ Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis
Nick sees Jay alive for the last time. Tom tells Myrtle’s husband, George, that Gatsby killed
his wife and tells him where to find Jay. George makes his way to Gatsby’s mansion, shoots
him, and then commits suicide. Nick is the one to find the bodies.
Summary:
After the nervous day, Nick can’t fall asleep. In the early morning, he goes to see Gatsby,
who stayed outside the Buchanans’ mansion until 4 am. Daisy was not hurt, but she didn’t
go out of the house either. Nick recommends Gatsby to forget about her and move out.
However, Jay can’t even think about leaving Daisy.
The emotional moment makes Gatsby reveal new details about their love story in Louisville.
He admits that it wasn’t only Daisy’s youth and beauty that attracted him. Her wealth and
status made Jay fall in love with her. She was the girl Gatsby felt so close to that he lied
about his background to keep her. The night they slept together, he felt like they were
already married. Daisy promised to wait when Gatsby had to leave for the war.
“I can’t describe to you how surprised I was to find out I loved her, old sport. I even hoped for
a while that she’d throw me over, but she didn’t, because she was in love with me too.” (The
Great Gatsby, chapter 8)
When it was over, and he was ready to go home, he could only get to Oxford. It confused
Daisy, and as time passed, her feelings began to vanish. Eventually, it led to her marrying
Tom.
Nick and Gatsby finish their breakfast, and the gardener says it is time to drain the pool.
Gatsby asks him to wait as he never used a chance to swim, and he would like to do so now.
Nick realizes he’s late for work and says goodbye to Gatsby. When he’s on his way out, he
suddenly feels the urge to turn around and say, “They’re a rotten crowd… You’re worth the
whole damn bunch put together.” Nick is glad he said it. He has disapproved of Gatsby’s
attitude from the very beginning. It was the only time he said something kind to him.
When Nick’s at work, he receives a call from Jordan, but their talk is rather short. Both Nick
and Jordan seem irritated. Nick asks her why she was so rough with him last night, and she
replies that their relationship didn’t matter in the time of crisis. After a little more of talking,
one of them hangs up, and Nick is not even sure who.
Then Nick tells the readers what happened after the accident based on Michaelis’ words.
George Wilson and Michaelis are talking about Myrtle the whole night. George says he is
sure that it was her lover in the car because she broke out of the room to run out and meet
him. Then George recalls that before the accident, he warned her that God knows about her
sins. The next morning, Wilson sees Doctor T. J. Eckleburg’s eyes as God’s and decides to
seek revenge.
“Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor
T. J. Eckleburg which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night. ‘God
sees everything,’ repeated Wilson.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 8)
He starts looking for the owner of the yellow car and goes to Tom since he was driving it
earlier that day. However, George knows that Tom didn’t kill Myrtle because he arrived later
in a different car. Eventually, he finds out that Gatsby is the owner of the yellow car and
comes to his mansion to shoot him.
When Nick returns to Gatsby’s house, he finds Gatsby shot on the mattress in the pool and
Wilson’s body lying dead in the grass nearby.
Analysis:
When it comes to Gatsby’s love for Daisy, Nick doesn’t leave any unanswered questions in
Chapter 8 of The Great Gatsby. Now that he knows the details of the story from Gatsby’s
point of view, he is sure that Daisy’s social status and wealth attracted Jay the most. By
now, it was hard to tell whether it was real love or just longing for money and power. What
Gatsby tells Nick the night of the accident almost makes him a hero who sacrifices himself in
the name of love. However, this chapter reveals that there is no difference between
yearning for Daisy and wealth.
Nick also adds a few words about the fantastic talent Gatsby has – visionary. He could have
achieved genuinely amazing things, which is the reason why he is “great.” Instead, he
chooses to chase the girl who has got nothing except for money. Therefore, Daisy ends up
being an unworthy object of dreaming, as wealth is now the focus of Gatsby’s life.
In this chapter, more details can be added to the analysis of The Great Gatsby regarding the
theme of the American Dream. It begins as a simple dream of a better quality of life.
However, it inevitably comes down to money – magical papers that bring happiness and
freedom. The same is with Gatsby. His dream development started with his desire to bring
back the love from the old days and ended with the crazy greed for wealth. Moreover, it led
him to criminal activities since they appeared to be the source of big money. Sadly, this path
also leads to Gatsby’s death, making this scene a perfect illustration of the dead American
Dream.
The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 8 summary isn’t lacking symbols that should be interpreted.
One of the most important ones is the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. Desperate from the
loss of his wife, George Wilson needs something to believe in. Enormous eyes staring from
the billboard become a divine messenger for him. One of the quotes illustrates it best:
looking out of the window, he says, “God sees everything.” At that moment, he believes that
God wants him to take revenge for Myrtle’s death. Michaelis, trying to reassure George that
it is only an advertisement, turns away from the eyes. What is it, if not a fear of God? After
Wilson killed Gatsby, he shot himself, which may point to his belief as well. He may have
seen it as a holy mission, and as it was completed, there was no point for him to stay in the
land of the living.
At the same time, Nick never gives any particular role to the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg.
He only highlights a few times that they are watching over the degradation of this empty
and ugly world, where people have no moral values and cover their sins with lies. Therefore,
the eyes could carry any meaning.
‘Great Gatsby’ Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis
It’s been two years since Gatsby’s death. Nick recalls the events connected to it. He has to
arrange Jay’s funeral. Almost no people attended. There were Nick, Owl-Eyes, and Gatsby’s
father. Daisy and Tom left Long Island together with no forwarding address. Nick decided to
return to the Midwest.
Summary:
It’s been two years after Gatsby’s death, and Nick recalls the events surrounding the
funeral. Crowds of journalists invaded the mansion after the murder. Much worse than
before, surreal stories are covering Gatsby’s relationship with the Wilsons.
Nick is the only one who is on Gatsby’s side. He feels responsible for organizing the funeral
because it appears that no one else will. Nick wants people to come to Gatsby’s funeral, but
everyone who knew him has vanished. Tom and Daisy moved out of East Egg and didn’t
leave the forwarding address. Nick tries to invite others. Meyer Wolfsheim answers that he
has some business to attend to. Klipspringer claims he is busy, but he asks to send his tennis
shoes left in Gatsby’s mansion.
The list of people attending the funeral is relatively short. There are Nick, Owl-Eyes, several
workers, and Gatsby’s father, Henry C. Gatz. The latter has travelled a long way
from Minnesota. He is wearing very cheap and old clothes, and his hands are trembling from
grief. He is shocked to see all that enormous mansion of Jay’s, but he feels incredibly proud
of his son. Mr. Gatz even tells Nick about Gatsby’s childhood. He shows a journal that little
Jay was keeping for self-motivation and improvement.
“He had a big future before him, you know. He was only a young man but he had a lot of
brain power here… If he’d of lived he’d of been a great man. A man like James J. Hill. He’d of
helped build up the country.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 9)
Nick decides to move away from the destructive immorality of the East and returns to the
Midwest. He breaks things up with Jordan Baker. At their final meeting, it appears she is
suddenly engaged to someone else. They argue, and Nick storms out, feeling angry.
Before he moves out, Nick comes across Tom, the discussion of Gatsby with whom is rather
unpleasant. Tom says that it was he who told Wilson where to look for Myrtle’s murderer.
Moreover, he is glad Gatsby is dead since he deserved it. The only thing that disappoints
him is the loss of his mistress and the New York apartment he kept for the affair. Nick
understands that the Buchanans are arrogant and carelessly rich. They believe that money
fixes everything.
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then
retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them
together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made…” (The Great Gatsby,
chapter 9)
Ears after, Nick notices how all the people from the East he encountered affected his own
identity and behaviour. He got used to the fast pace of life there. Nick recalls living in
the Midwest again as having cosy winter holidays such as Christmas. In comparison, it is
clear that the East seems ugly and distorted. However, he realizes that it is the story about
the West since all the main characters are Westerners lacking some trait, which makes them
“subtly unadaptable to Eastern life.”
The novel ends with Nick recalling his last visit to Gatsby’s mansion. He walks down to the
beach and looks over Long Island. Picturing this land as the New World, he wonders how it
was for the first explorers to see America’s “green breast.” Nick compares them to Gatsby,
who was looking at the green light of Daisy’s dock across the bay. He imagines how many
people are chasing the American Dream and overcoming obstacles, just like boats
struggling to move against water flow.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (The Great
Gatsby, chapter 9)
Analysis:
In The Great Gatsby’s Chapter 9 summary, Nick mentions how he perceives America. Even
though being one nation, people from different geographical parts are so distinct. It may
seem that the Midwest is too dull and slow compared to the shiny glitter of parties in the
East. However, Nick claims that this glamour is nothing else than the cover for the lack of
morality – a quality that is a core of the Midwesterners. The deficiency of this fundamental
feeling of rights and wrongs leads the novel’s characters to frustration and failure.
All quotes supporting Nick’s disgust for the East come down to one thing – “quality of
distortion,” with all its significance. It is the purpose of Nick’s last meeting with Jordan to
highlight the fact that he doesn’t belong there. He meets up with Jordan because he sticks
to good manners, unlike the Buchanans, who flee without saying goodbye. It comes back to
the moral principles his father taught him.
The analysis of The Great Gatsby’s characters gives a deeper understanding of the
geography-related themes. As Nick notes, all main characters – Tom, Daisy, Nick, Gatsby,
and Jordan – are Westerners. The West of America has been a promised land at all times.
However, Tom and Daisy, much like the other “old money,” have forgotten and ignored
democratic principles. They act arrogantly and don’t even consider accepting the “new rich”
into their society, counting them as lower class. Looking at American history, they perfectly
match the feudalism of the past.
Gatsby is different from the rest since he has this pure dream of a happy future of his. It
could have ended completely differently, but he made a few fatal mistakes. The most critical
one is that Gatsby, seeking wealth, connected with criminals. Moreover, money couldn’t
help him get accepted into the higher ranks of the aristocracy, which would be a
straightforward way to winning Daisy. And, finally, there was nothing real in Gatsby’s new
life in West Egg. It was just a play. His failure might point at Fitzgerald’s doubts about the
feasibility of achieving anything with the hard work only.
One of the main questions in Chapter 9 of The Great Gatsby is related to the American
Dream once again. The scene when Nick stares at the bay is connected to this topic as well.
He brings the image of the first explorers of these lands indicating the American Dream’s
relation to the past. Americans declared independence and cut off everything connecting
them with their European history. From that time, they have believed that background and
social status don’t matter on the way to achieving all dreams. Gatsby believed in it as well.
However, his social status from the past and background were standing between Daisy and
him. Even his “great” talent to dream couldn’t help him escape the past. The Great
Gatsby has essentially become Nick’s attempt to put together his perception of history and
its importance.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
JAY GATSBY
Jay Gatsby is the main character of the novel. He appears as the neighbour of the narrator
of the story. There is no detailed description of Jay Gatsby’s appearance, but he is
undoubtedly a handsome young man who is crazy rich. Gatsby’s first name is Jay; still,
everybody calls him by his surname.
Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz, or “Jimmy,” as his father calls him. His character remains
mysterious, and no one knows the truth about his secret past until the middle of the book.
James Gatz is Gatsby’s real identity that he is trying to get rid of. He eventually becomes the
reason behind his failure.
By the time Nick meets Gatsby, the latter one is in his early thirties. According to the story,
he was born in 1890, and since the main events take place in 1922, Jay Gatsby is 32 years
old. In comparison, Daisy is only 23, and the age gap may be one of the obstacles in their
relationship.
Gatsby was born and raised in North Dakota. When he tells Nick some facts about his life,
he mentions that he’s from the Middle West. However, when Nick asks about the city,
Gatsby replies, “San Francisco.” It is clear that he is trying to hide his background, but it only
makes him sound suspicious.
Gatsby’s real background is far from what he wants people to believe in. He was born in the
family of a poor farmer. At the end of the novel, his father shows Nick a notebook that
young Gatsby was keeping for self-improvement. It is a piece of significant evidence that
Gatsby has been ambitious and hard-working from his childhood.
James Gatz changed his name when he turned 17. At the time, he earned a place on the
yacht of Dan Cody, a millionaire who eventually gave James the idea to adopt a new name
and taught him the art of behaving rich. That’s when Jay Gatsby’s identity was born, and it
was the first step towards his dream.
When Dan Cody died, there was a chance for Gatsby to get his money, but it never
happened. Gatsby had to find another way to become wealthy. Eventually, he cooperates
with Meyer Wolfsheim and sells alcohol behind the counters of the drug stores. Those drug
stores which Daisy believes are the real source of Gatsby’s fortune.
Gatsby dies in his pool from the gun of George Wilson. He becomes a victim of a
misunderstanding. He is not the only one who dies in The Great Gatsby. Daisy killed Myrtle
in the car accident, and George believed that Gatsby did it. Therefore, Wilson went to shoot
him and then killed himself.
Analysis
The first impression of Gatsby makes Nick think that he’s a rich party guy and maybe a
prominent figure. However, it is only a mask, and everything appears to be more
complicated than that. Jay Gatsby’s character analysis gives the idea of how he is related to
the novel’s central theme and presents him as a protagonist.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Jay is an example of a rags-to-riches man, but what makes Gatsby great is his talent to
visualize and dream. Even though it almost makes him lose his mind, he still believes that
there is nothing impossible. His unbelievable persistence and belief in a better life could
have helped him to “build up the country,” as his father says.
Gatsby represents the American Dream as his talent led him from poor to wealthy. He only
needed a loving family to have a perfect American life. However, his example shows that
trying to get rich by wrongful means leads to failure. In a way, it’s a warning for people who
take a shortcut on their way to the American Dream.
Even though Nick doesn’t particularly like him, Jay Gatsby is the protagonist in The Great
Gatsby. Every single event in the novel, from parties to the tragic death, is one way or
another connected to Gatsby. He is a rather distinct character. All the rich prefer to be
viewers, not bothering themselves to look for the purpose of life. Unlike them, Gatsby has a
dream, which essentially becomes the sense of his life. After Gatsby met Daisy for the first
time, his every decision has been made with the only purpose – to be with her. When they
meet again, he’s so determined to get Daisy back that he doesn’t care about the
consequences of his actions.
“Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (The Great Gatsby, Chapter 6)
For instance, the impulsive expression of his feelings for Daisy in front of everybody serves
as a sign of their love, which leads to Tom getting angry and wanting revenge. All that, on
some level, also causes the car accident and ends up with Wilson killing Gatsby and himself.
The influence of Gatsby’s actions doesn’t end with these three deaths. Even after the
funeral, he continues changing the lives of people who knew him. For example, Nick and the
Buchanans decide to move out of Long Island after the events. Therefore, one of the hidden
powers of Gatsby is being able to change the reality around him. Still, he had never won his
dream girl back, while Daisy and Tom even seem to become closer.
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and
then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept
them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made…” (The Great
Gatsby, chapter 9)
“Well, there I was, way off my ambitions, getting deeper in love every minute, and all of a
sudden I didn’t care. What was the use of doing great things if I could have a better time
telling her what I was going to do?” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 8)
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
NICK CARRAWAY
Nick Carraway is the narrator of the story who comes from Minnesota to New York to get
into the bond business. He appears to be Daisy’s cousin and Gatsby’s neighbour in West
Egg, which makes him some sort of a link between the two lovers. Nick Carraway’s
description also includes his traits, which are the primary tool of his.
Even though there’s no word about Nick Carraway’s physical description, it would be fair to
say that he’s a handsome young guy, just like Gatsby is. His appearance might be kept in
secret, but in The Great Gatsby, Nick himself says that he has turned thirty on the day of
their improvised party in Tom’s apartment in New York.
Nick Carraway’s character traits appear to be a great addition to his role as a narrator. He
describes himself as non-judgemental, tolerant, and “one of the few honest people” there.
Altogether, it makes him trustworthy, and people tend to share their secrets with him.
That’s how Nick ends up in the middle of all the drama.
Analysis
It may seem that Gatsby should attract all the readers’ attention since he is the title
character of The Great Gatsby. However, the character analysis of Nick Carraway is here to
introduce the narrator as the most captivating persona in the book. Some hidden aspects of
his character will appear more evident than they seem.
Throughout the whole novel, Nick keeps saying how he despises everything Gatsby does. At
the same time, he almost adores him. Nick’s description of Gatsby reminds more of a
passage from a romantic novel than a tragedy. What if Nick is actually in love with “one of
those rare smiles” Gatsby has?
“He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare
smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you might come across four or five
times in life.” (The Great Gatsby, Chapter 3)
One of the signs that Nick Carraway prefers men is his impressions of the main female
characters. For example, Daisy is an idol of fantastic beauty for Gatsby, and she even
becomes an American Dream for him. It would be silly to suggest that he would fall in love
with someone unattractive. In contrast, the only thing Nick finds cute about her, apart from
her “sad and lovely” face, is her voice. Later on, even this trait becomes “indiscreet.” Then,
there is Jordan, who Nick is dating during the summer. The best thing he can tell about her
is that she is a “small-breasted” fit and sporty girl with a wan face. It is almost impossible to
find any other evidence confirming Nick is attracted to her. And finally, Myrtle, who is the
embodiment of sensuality for Tom Buchanan. Nick notes that she is much livelier than
others but has “no facet or gleam of beauty.” Overall, it is hard to believe that Carraway is
interested in any of the beautiful women around him.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
In Chapter 2, Nick engages in the party in Tom’s apartment in New York. Myrtle invites her
sister, Catherine, who doesn’t impress Nick enough to pay attention to her either. Then,
however, the McKees arrive. The first bell rings when the narrator describes Mr. McKee as a
“pale, feminine man,” when Mrs. McKee is “handsome and horrible.” At the end of the
party, Tom hits Myrtle, and everybody is leaving. Nick walks Mr. McKee home and finds
himself “standing beside his bed” as McKee “was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his
underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.” The next scene is Nick waiting for a train.
Isn’t there something missing? Fitzgerald left some room for imagination, though strongly
implying that there is some action happening between the two men.
Later, Nick meets Gatsby in person, and it seems like it is love from first sight. Gatsby
becomes the most special person for him as he confesses that he will probably never find
anyone quite like Gatsby again. Nick’s decision to take care of the funeral at the end of the
novel is another sign of deep feelings.
Of course, Fitzgerald doesn’t provide any straightforward evidence that Nick Carraway is
gay; however, it is not hard to tell that he seems more interested in Gatsby than in his
girlfriend.
How Gatsby calls Nick “old sport” all the time may be showing that he has some warm
feelings towards Nick too. On the other hand, Gatsby always plays the role of an aristocrat.
“Old sport” is the phrase that the English high class used referring to dear friends. Using it,
Gatsby keeps pretending that he attended Oxford.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
DAISY BUCHANAN
Daisy Buchanan’s description is rather short – she is a young and beautiful woman that
comes from a wealthy family in Louisville, Kentucky. After a brief romance with Gatsby,
she married Tom Buchanan and moved to East Egg in Long Island. Gatsby has still loved and
praised her until his death. She is also a cousin of Nick Carraway.
In The Great Gatsby, Daisy is presented as extraordinary beauty. When she was living in
Louisville, no wonder all the soldiers stationed there fancied her. Gatsby was one of them,
of course. Even though he idolizes her, there is no word about Daisy’s appearance.
Nick describes her as a “golden girl” whose face “was sad and lovely with bright things in it.”
Also, in Chapter 8, he dropped a detail about her hair colour: “he kissed her dark shining
hair.” Daisy’s voice is “indiscreet” and “full of money,” according to Nick and Gatsby.
Except for that, Nick focuses on describing her character traits.
Analysis
Daisy is a dream that Gatsby never achieves. She seems to have a shallow personality, and
her careless behaviour at the end of the book confirms it. Her actions may seem to be
contradicting, and it’s hard to read her motives. Daisy Buchanan’s character analysis
introduces her as a victim of her times.
Jay Gatsby loves Daisy with such devotion and even risks everything for her that she must
be an angel on Earth. But is she worth it? Since Gatsby confesses that he is chasing Daisy’s
wealth, it is hard to tell whether her personality alone would attract as much attention as
her physics does.
It appears that Daisy is a shallow, indecisive, and careless person. First of all, she is worried
that Tom is cheating on her. However, she never does anything about it. The reason is his
money, luxury, and power. Daisy doesn’t want to lose it all and even wants her daughter to
have the same attitude.
“I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little
fool.” (The Great Gatsby, Chapter 1)
Moreover, when her daughter Pammy appears in the scene, Daisy doesn’t pay much
attention to her and just shows her off. She is more concerned about how much money she
has than about her family. After all, status has been her choice from the very beginning
when she preferred Tom over Gatsby.
The best scene that represents the attitude of Tom and Daisy Buchanan towards the new
rich is when they are invited to one of Gatsby’s parties. Since his mansion is in West Egg,
there are mainly nouveaux riches there. Daisy does not enjoy it at all as she finds those
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
people vulgar and lacking manners. She is not an exception – she is an aristocrat who
despises the new rich.
Finally, after the accident, it is clear that Daisy is not worth even thinking about, but Gatsby
still can’t see her shallowness. She drives away from Myrtle’s dead body and then casually
has dinner with Tom the same night. From the next day, Daisy acts like she never knew
Gatsby. She moves to another city with Tom and probably has the same life as she did.
Unlike Gatsby, Daisy seems to have never had any dream in her life, yet she is the one who
ends up living carelessly.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
TOM BUCHANAN
Tom Buchanan is a wealthy husband of Daisy. He comes from an old and incredibly wealthy
family. Just like other aristocrats, he doesn’t have any American Dream or goal to achieve.
His primary interest is Myrtle Wilson, his mistress from the Valley of Ashes. The description
of Tom Buchanan’s personality clearly shows how he opposes Gatsby.
Tom Buchanan’s physical description comes down to the fact that he is a big bully. All his
appearance is screaming about his arrogance and brutality. Nick describes him as a strong
and muscular man with imposing posture, thanks to doing sports at college. His “arrogant
eyes” give him “the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward.”
Analysis
Tom’s aristocratic manners can barely hide his hypocrisy and cruelty. Probably, Daisy gives
the best description of Tom, calling him “brute of a man, a great, big, hulking physical
specimen.” All the negative traits make him so different from Gatsby that leads to the
hidden opposition between them, which is illustrated in Tom Buchanan’s character analysis.
While Gatsby is the protagonist, there is no doubt that Tom is the antagonist in The Great
Gatsby. It wasn’t uncommon for women to have little rights back then, but Tom Buchanan
treats them as they are worth nothing. Not only does he abuse his wife and mistress,
Myrtle, physically, but he doesn’t consider their feelings at all. Tom is an egocentric sexist
and racist who only looks for a profit for himself.
“Have you read ‘The Rise of the Coloured Empires’ by this man Goddard?.. 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.” (The Great Gatsby,
Chapter 1)
Just the fact of how upset he was when he lost Myrtle shows how possessive he is. Although
he is having an affair himself, he cannot allow Gatsby to take Daisy because she is his
woman. However, there is one more point of view on this issue as well. Tom feels that
Gatsby’s background can threaten his privileged aristocratic life, so he tries to get rid of him.
He would somehow accept Daisy cheating with another high-status wealthy guy, but he
wouldn’t allow her to leave for the new rich.
In The Great Gatsby, Tom has one of the most controversial personalities. While he is trying
to look educated, it is impossible to hide how narrow-minded his point of view is. In Chapter
1, Tom recommends to everyone a book he recently read. Being so shocked by the ideas it
presents; he doesn’t notice how extremely racist his speech sounds. Also, Tom doesn’t see
any problem in his relationship with Daisy. Even when everybody finds out that they are
cheating on each other, Tom believes that their love and marriage are unbreakable.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
After all, Tom is a dominant man who doesn’t want to see any changes in the life he finds
comfortable. He is impulsive and aggressive, so he uses violence to protect his beliefs. All in
all, Tom is presented as the exact opposite of Gatsby.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
JORDAN BAKER
There is no wonder about who Jordan Baker is since her character is rather
straightforward. She is a friend of Daisy and plays golf professionally. Also, Nick starts a
romantic relationship with her. However, at the end of the novel, she revealed one secret:
she is engaged to another man though Nick doesn’t believe her.
Nick presents a somewhat detailed physical description of Jordan Baker. She appears to be
a very fit girl with an athletic posture. Her body type fits her profession quite well, but, at
the same time, she remains a charming lady with “autumn-leaf yellow” hair and “grey sun-
strained eyes.” Despite the alleged sexuality of Nick, he seems to find Jordan attractive.
Analysis
Jordan makes an impression of a girl bored with absolutely everything happening around
her from the very beginning. She is not even that excited about Nick. However, later on, the
readers find out that she is much livelier when it comes to the personal dramas of others.
Jordan Baker’s character analysis reveals her real role in the book.
Since Jordan is a friend of the Buchanans, it is evident that she is from the upper class. She
has quickly become successful in golf after moving to New York from the Midwest.
However, it is not purely her talent that helps her win. It appears that she cheated during
her first big competition.
Nick finds her very dishonest and says that she tries to protect herself from the troubles of
the world this way. Whether she lied about being engaged or not, it only shows that she
doesn’t want to deal with serious relationships. Jordan in The Great Gatsby is even more
passive than Daisy.
“She was incurably dishonest. She wasn’t able to endure being at a disadvantage… It made
no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply—I was
casually sorry, and then I forgot.” (The Great Gatsby, Chapter 3)
One of Jordan’s roles is to keep the drama going in the book. In the beginning, it is she who
is spreading the word about Tom’s mistress. Later, she tells Nick the story of Gatsby and
Daisy.
In The Great Gatsby, Jordan Baker also plays the role of a modern woman of her time.
Having an egocentric and cynical personality, Jordan is one of the new women of the 1920s.
She is single with no kids, openly drinks alcohol, smokes, and pursues a career in a usually
male sport.
Women like her were breaking the social rules and standards, since typically, they would be
expected to have a husband, children, and no job. Besides, it seems like Jordan doesn’t mind
investigating her sexuality as she spends some nights in the hotels with other women.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
In The Great Gatsby, Myrtle is married to George Wilson, an owner of a garage in the Valley
of Ashes. She is eager to have a better life, to become one of the upper-class riches. In Tom,
she sees a chance to achieve her dream and, unfortunately, doesn’t realize that he uses her
for entertainment as a toy.
Myrtle dies in Chapter 7 when she runs out to meet Tom and gets hit by a car. It is Gatsby’s
car, but Myrtle thinks Tom is driving it because she saw him in it earlier that day. She
associates Tom with her future wealthy life, so he’s her saviour. But an unfortunate
misunderstanding eventually leads to Myrtle Wilson’s death.
Analysis:
In The Great Gatsby Myrtle’s character probably has the most tragic fate. She is full of hope
that becoming a mistress of fantastically rich Tom Buchanan will save her from rotting in the
Valley of Ashes. All the expensive gifts give her the illusion that their relationship will last
forever. However, everybody understands that it is doubtful that Tom will leave Daisy to
marry Myrtle. For him, she is one of his possessions. The fact that he uses physical violence
proves that he has no emotional attachment to her.
Myrtle feels imprisoned in the way of life and marriage she doesn’t want to have. Later
on, it becomes literal when George finds out about her infidelity and locks her in the room.
She may be naive, but her vitality and unbreakable hope are the traits she shares with
Gatsby. After all, they are the only two characters who dare to dream and hope, and both of
them meet such a tragic fate.
In The Great Gatsby, George Wilson is not the main character, but he plays a fatal role in
Gatsby’s destiny by the end of the book. Wilson owns a garage and a gas station on the
edge of the Valley of Ashes.
There is not much description of George’s looks or personality. Nick introduces him as a
“blonde, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome.” A single glance is enough for Nick
to understand that George is lifeless and stuck in the Valley of Ashes forever, pretty much
like the other people living there.
Analysis
From what Nick observes, it seems like George B. Wilson is a hard-working man with moral
values who wants his family to be happy. Nevertheless, he is beaten up by life and acts
submissive when Tom comes for business issues to his garage. George is also very God-
fearing, so when he finds out Myrtle is cheating, he says that “God sees everything.” He
believes that she will not be left unpunished.
However, after Myrtle’s death, George supposedly receives another divine message – to
revenge on her killer. He comes to the conclusion that it must have been her lover driving
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
the car since she ran out to meet him. Thanks to Tom, Wilson finds the owner of the yellow
car and comes straight to Gatsby’s mansion to shoot him. Essentially, it becomes George’s
primary role in the novel. After that, he commits suicide because he doesn’t have the
money to cover up what he did. In The Great Gatsby, Mr. Wilson represents the
hopelessness and despair of the lower class, who appear to be victims of life circumstances.
It is useful to compare and contrast George Wilson and Tom Buchanan to understand their
characters better. When Nick meets George, he realizes that despite their class difference,
they have much in common. Wilson is just like Tom but poor and sick. Deep inside, they are
both lifeless and stuck in a life without happiness.
In The Great Gatsby, Catherine is a sister of Myrtle Wilson. She is portrayed as a young
woman, wearing a bob hairstyle, a lot of makeup, and accessories. Catherine lives in New
York, and Nick meets her at the party in Tom’s apartment in Chapter 2. They have a little
chat, which helps Nick understand her personality better.
Analysis
Catherine is viewed as a fashionable and independent girl of the Roaring Twenties. She lives
in a hotel room, sharing it with another woman. Her bold style suggests that she is one of
the flapper girls who were change-makers at the time. Catherine’s conversation with Nick
reveals her life-views. It appears that she wants to work on a fashionable Long Island.
Moreover, she doesn’t see anything wrong with Tom and Myrtle getting divorced from their
spouses and living together if they enjoy it so much.
Catherine stays loyal to her sister throughout the novel. She covers up Tom and Myrtle’s
meetings in New York. Even after the accident, she never said a word about their affair
while testifying. However, Tom might have bribed her to save his reputation. Therefore,
in The Great Gatsby, Catherine doesn’t play any significant role. Still, she contributes to the
overall image of sinful people of the 1920s.
In The Great Gatsby, Dan Cody is pictured as an older self-made millionaire who owns a
yacht on which Gatsby spends some years as an assistant. By the time Nick meets Gatsby,
Cody is already dead. However, the older man left a significant impact on young Jay Gatsby
and contributed to his development.
Analysis
Dan Cody was around 50 years old when he met Gatsby. He took a 17-year-old as a personal
assistant on the board of his yacht. He had that luxurious life and unimaginable wealth that
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Gatsby was dreaming about. Even though Dan wasn’t a source of Gatsby’s money, he
helped to create and develop his new identity.
The first step was the adoption of the new name, which appeared to be Cody’s idea. Then,
Gatsby spent the next five years on the yacht learning all the details and tricks of the
millionaire’s life. He got used to luxury so much that he just couldn’t come back to the life of
the lower class he used to have. It pushed Gatsby to connect to the criminals since it was a
fast way from rags to riches. Therefore, the significance of the role that Dan plays in
Gatsby’s life cannot be underestimated.
“The boarder” is what they call Klipspringer in The Great Gatsby. He earned this nickname
because he attends every single Gatsby’s party, and later Nick finds out that Klipspringer
just lives in the mansion. Despite the fact that he only appears a few times in the novel, he
brings a critical symbolism considering the people surrounding Gatsby.
Analysis
Nick introduces Ewing Klipspringer as the most frequent guest in Gatsby’s mansion. In fact,
he is there not only for parties. When Daisy and Nick come over, they find there Klipspringer
wearing his pyjamas and looking quite disoriented. No wonder everybody calls him “the
boarder.” His motives become quite clear when he refuses to come to Gatsby’s funeral. He
is supposedly busy and only needs the tennis shoes back that he left in the mansion.
Klipspringer was only using Gatsby for free housing and didn’t care much about him as a
person. That is why “the boarder” in The Great Gatsby represents all the guests who
attended the parties for free food and entertainment, though they are not even invited.
Moreover, none of them knows the truth about Gatsby, and only a few met him in person.
They care about him even less on the day of his funeral.
Henry C. Gatz is a poor humble farmer and Gatsby’s birth father. He arrives all the way from
Minnesota to his son’s funeral. Except for Nick, Henry appears to be the only person who is
devastated by the tragedy. Thanks to him, Nick finds out more about Gatsby’s background.
Analysis
When Mr. Gatz arrives, it becomes clear that he is crushed by Gatsby’s death. At the same
time, the success of his son makes him feel proud. He starts wondering what other great
things he could have done. According to him, Gatsby could have been someone like James J.
Hill and “helped build up the country.” Mr. Gatz shows a self-improvement plan that Gatsby
kept in childhood. It helps to understand that his dedication and hard work were a part of
his mindset for a long time.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Moreover, Henry says that Gatsby bought a house for him in the Midwest, which proves
that Jay didn’t cut off his past completely. The arrival of Henry Gatz also brings up a moral
issue. It highlights the fact that his son sacrificed his potential friendships for the pursuit of
money. Is the wealth worth dying alone?
Meyer Wolfsheim is Gatsby’s business partner, who also appears to be his underground
connection. It was he who helped Gatsby get rich by selling illegal alcohol. Nick includes a
short physical description saying that he is “a small, flat-nosed Jew.” Wolfsheim is a famous
gambler who is rumoured to have fixed the 1919 World Series.
Analysis
Wolfsheim is the leading gangster in the book and possesses all the traits of the criminal,
which makes Nick want to avoid him. It can also be said that he represents the negative side
of Gatsby. However, aside from their underground business, there is a crucial role Meyer
Wolfsheim plays in the novel. First of all, he gives some more details about Gatsby’s past
and even ironically says that Gatsby would “never so much as look at a friend’s wife.” He
also mentions how poor Jay was when he came back from the war.
For Gatsby, Wolfsheim has not only become his business partner but his friend and, most
importantly, a mentor. Just like Dan Cody, the criminal has contributed to Gatsby’s identity,
but with one difference – Dan couldn’t give him a stable source of wealth. Despite their
connection, the Jew refuses to attend Gatsby’s funeral protecting his status.
In The Great Gatsby, Mr. McKee is a photographer, one of the guests invited to the
improvised party at Tom’s apartment in New York. Nick describes him as a “pale, feminine
man from the flat below.”
Mr. McKee comes with his wife, and both of them seem to be very gossipy. This couple is
nothing more than an addition to the long list of rotten and shallow people in the novel.
However, Mr. McKee gets involved in a scene that gets a lot of critiques. After he leaves the
party, he ends up half-naked in his bedroom with Nick, which suggests that they had sexual
intercourse.
MICHAELIS (Minor Character)
Michaelis is the Greek owner of a coffee shop next to Wilson’s garage in the Valley of Ashes.
In The Great Gatsby, Michaelis is probably the only genuinely kind person. Whether it is
because of his ethnicity or just his personality, he plays the role of a caring helper to George
Wilson after Myrtle’s death.
Michaelis’ coffee shop is near George Wilson’s garage, so the young Greek unwillingly
becomes a witness of Myrtle’s murder. Nick finds everything about the accident from him.
Moreover, Michaelis stays with George so that he doesn’t stay alone with his grief.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
They spend the whole night talking, and it proves that the Greek truly cares about Wilson’s
state, even though it is unknown whether they are friends or not. There is also a special
meaning of his name, which derives from Michael, the archangel. It makes the night scene
when George sees the eyes of God even more religious.
Owl-Eyes is a guest at the party who Nick and Jordan meet in Gatsby’s library. His real name
is unknown, but Nick pictures him as a “stout, middle-aged man, with enormous owl-eyed
spectacles,” which is where he gets this nickname. Owl-Eyes is slightly drunk and fascinated
by the “realism” of the books.
Nick finds Owl Eyes going through the books in Gatsby’s library and exclaiming. The man
thought that they would be fake, just pieces of the cupboard to create an illusion of a vast
collection. However, the pages of the books are not even cut, which means no one has ever
read them. At this moment, Owl Eyes discovers that Gatsby created this library just for the
show, much like he does with the parties and this enormous mansion.
The man in glasses also compares Gatsby to Belasco, who was a director and playwright,
which is essentially one of Gatsby’s alter ego since he is good at setting a stage for his play.
Owl Eyes is also the only party guest who has the decency to come to the funeral at the end
of the novel. Obviously, he and Nick could see and appreciate the real Gatsby.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
It may seem like this story is all about tragic love, but in The Great Gatsby, the American
dream is the central theme. Every scene and every character are connected to the idea of
the American dream’s corruption. It is not about a better life anymore but about getting
richer and richer.
The American dream was born when Europeans began to move west to America, seeking a
better life. As Nick pictures it in Chapter 9, for the first settlers, it was all about discovery.
They wanted freedom, happiness, and equality.
However, during the Jazz Age, it turned upside down. Money has become the goal instead
of an instrument. After the war, the stock market rocketed up to the point when anyone
could become wealthy. That is when the new rich of the 1920s appeared. With time, the
greed for money overrode the old dream of free and happy family life. The novel pictures
this transition perfectly. Swarms of people moving east to New York represent the American
dream’s corruption in The Great Gatsby. Nick Carraway can be counted as one of them since
he moved to New York City hoping to start a career in the bond business.
Gatsby has already reached success in terms of making money. However, his dream is
controversial. He is completely consumed by the materialistic idea of getting as rich as
possible, but love for Daisy motivates him. This uncorrupted dream is what makes Gatsby
different from other characters who are empty inside. Nevertheless, he is using faulty
means to conquer Daisy. Gatsby thinks that money is an easy and fast solution to
everything, but that is where he is wrong. Moreover, he connects with the criminals.
Initially, hard work and belief were the tools that would lead anyone to the American
dream, which is one of the main themes. Gatsby is not the only character in the novel who
tries to cheat. Myrtle seems to have fallen for the idea of a wealthy life too. She sees the
way to it through Tom Buchanan. At the end of the story, she ends up dead, as well as
Gatsby. Their failure symbolizes the danger of taking a shortcut on the way to the American
Dream.
One of the symbols representing the hopelessness of materialism is the Valley of Ashes. Just
like other characters of the novel, people who live there believe that money will make them
happy. Fitzgerald hit the nail on the head because if people try to look for the source of
abundance outside, it leads them to frustration.
“If that was true, he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for
living too long with a single dream.” -- The Great Gatsby, chapter 8
“Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you
notice what he’s got about improving his mind? He was always great for that.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 8
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
“…I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s
dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close
that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him,
somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic
rolled on under the night.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 8
Gender:
Women
Women in The Great Gatsby represent the struggle to change the usual perception of
gender roles. Each female character in the novel has a different approach to gender
inequality at that time. None of them seem to take radical measures, but their behaviour is
noticeable. Women’s rights issue is one of the major themes in The Great Gatsby.
Feminism
The gender roles in The Great Gatsby are represented just according to the way it was at the
beginning of the 20th century. Most families, except for old money, follow the unspoken
rules. Men work and build careers, while women go out and spend money. Men also show
their superiority, often getting physical with their wives.
In the novel, men are described by their social status and their place of work. However, the
role of women in The Great Gatsby comes down to being pretty and obedient wives. It is
very well shown by Daisy when she said that “the best thing a girl can be in this world” is to
be “a beautiful little fool” so that men would use her. Essentially, that is what Daisy does –
she pretends to be clueless to stay with Tom. Judging by her cynical statements, she seems
to be quite intelligent, but she needs to remain submissive to save her status. Betraying
Gatsby, she chose to marry Tom, whose stable wealth guarantees a careless life.
Unfortunately, it appeared that her husband is a misogynistic, controlling man, for whom
women are just possessions.
Moreover, he gets physical whenever he feels the urge to show his power. It happened with
both Daisy and Myrtle Wilson, his mistress. Now, Daisy is doomed to play the role of a meek
wife because it is her choice. Myrtle and Daisy are just common examples of how women
had to behave in the 1920s.
Unlike Daisy, Jordan chooses not to surrender to life circumstances and represents feminism
in The Great Gatsby. She is a new woman, a so-called flapper, which means that she is
independent and free to wear bold, colourful make-up and clothing. Jordan has a career,
her own point of view, and doesn’t seem interested in becoming a mere wife. Moreover,
she doesn’t limit her choice of partner to males. She challenges patriarchy by taking control
of her own life and not depending on men. However, according to Nick, Jordan doesn’t
possess the level of femininity other ladies in the novel have. He mentions that her body
type resembles a manly athlete, even though she is charming. All in all, Jordan Baker is a
representative of a feminist movement of the time.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
“‘All right,’ I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl
can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 1
“She was incurably dishonest… Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply—I
was casually sorry, and then I forgot.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 3
“Through this twilight universe Daisy began to move again with the season; suddenly she
was again keeping half a dozen dates a day with half a dozen men, and drowsing asleep at
dawn with the beads and chiffon of an evening dress tangled among dying orchids on the
floor beside her bed.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 8
Social Class:
Every character belongs to a specific social class in The Great Gatsby. The differences
between the classes are drastic, but they help create a precise image of the 1920s.
Fitzgerald also highlights division inside the social classes, which also appears to be a critical
theme in The Great Gatsby.
Social Inequality
There are three social classes in The Great Gatsby: old money, new money, and no money.
Although old money and nouveau riche may have the same amount of gold in their banks,
they are still distinct. Aristocratic old families from East Egg, represented by the Buchanans,
simply cannot accept people who just got rich as not only they lack manners, but they may
be a threat. Therefore, the new rich, such as Gatsby, have to stay in West Egg while
struggling to make enough connections to be accepted in the elite social class. On the other
hand, Myrtle and George Wilson belong to no money – the lowest class – just like other
people living in the Valley of Ashes.
Power and privilege are divided according to social position. It is especially noticeable by the
submissive acting of Wilson when Tom comes by his garage. Wilson knows that money
equals power, and it is the reason why Myrtle is so eager to get into the elite club.
What is more, Myrtle’s attitude toward her husband brings up a relation between status
and love. She mentions that she thought her husband was of better “breeding” when they
met, but he turned out to be poor hence unworthy. And, eventually, Gatsby fails to get
Daisy back because it is not the wealth that she is into. Daisy rejects Gatsby due to his social
background. Someone who comes from a low-income family is no match for an aristocrat
like her.
Finally, higher social classes can afford to cover up their missteps, just like it happens with
Tom and Daisy. Just like Gatsby, as a very prominent persona, escapes the penalty on the
road to New York City, Daisy quickly forgets that she killed a person and simply leaves the
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
city. It is also possible that Tom paid Myrtle’s sister to stay quiet about his affair since she
never dropped a word about it.
Racism
Not only does Tom feel privileged, but his attitude underlines the issue of racism in The
Great Gatsby and the society of the 1920s as a whole. Tom appears to be incredibly racist,
and it comes up when he comments on the book called “The Rise of the Coloured Empires.”
He is afraid that the white race “will be utterly submerged.”
“Have you read ‘The Rise of the Coloured Empires’ by this man Goddard?.. 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.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 1
“He’s an Oggsford man… He went to Oggsford College in England. You know Oggsford
College?.. It’s one of the most famous colleges in the world.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 4
“An Oxford man!.. Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit… Oxford, New Mexico, or something
like that.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 7
Wealth:
The money question also makes it to the list of the major themes in The Great Gatsby. Not
only does it include the amount but also the way people get their finances. Essentially, for
all the characters in The Great Gatsby, wealth becomes the only goal, and materialism
corrupts the American Dream.
Money
In The Great Gatsby, materialism takes over people’s minds, and they celebrate nothing else
but their ability to get more possessions. Poor characters think that the hunger inside will go
away as soon as they get wealthy. But it only takes one glimpse to understand that
excessively rich people like Tom stay hollow – money doesn’t fix it.
It all comes down to money in The Great Gatsby. The Roaring Twenties have brought the
idea that wealth is universal salvation. Tom keeps a mistress, and Gatsby is trying to get love
from Daisy, while she only wants security and status. All of them use money as an
instrument to achieve their goals. But it goes further as none of them notices the
hollowness of the material side of their lives. Gatsby’s flashy parties are one of the symbols
of wastefulness and carelessness in the novel. People are trapped in the vicious cycle of
consumerism, and they don’t see any other aim than just spending money. It underlines the
influence of money as the central theme in The Great Gatsby. Also, materialism is tightly
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
connected to the American Dream’s corruption since it is easy to quit the dream when there
is easy money on the table.
Old Money vs. New Money
For the lower class, money is the same everywhere but not for the elite. Old aristocratic
families of East Egg hate on the West Egg newcomers since they got rich just right after the
war. These two Long Island areas symbolize the clash of old money vs. new money in The
Great Gatsby.
The main reason for such a division in the upper class is that aristocrats do not welcome the
new rich. The new money vs. old money battle has been going on since the end of the war.
Then, people could build up their fortunes thanks to the thriving economy. However, the
way from rags to riches does not suggest making social connections. Hence, they have
decided to compensate for it with overly ostentatious houses and outfits. Of course, families
who have been rich for decades stick to their old traditions, so they only see vulgarity and
lack of style in the new money class. But the aristocratic grace and manners appear to be a
mask that old money people wear to hide arrogance and hypocrisy.
“His family were enormously wealthy—even in college his freedom with money was a matter
for reproach… For instance he’d brought down a string of polo ponies from Lake Forest. It
was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 1
“After that I lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe – Paris, Venice, Rome –
collecting jewels, chiefly rubies, hunting big game, painting a little, things for myself only,
and trying to forget something very sad that had happened to me long ago.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 4
“‘Her voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood before. It
was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it,
the cymbals’ song of it…. High in a white palace the king’s daughter, the golden girl…”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 7
Love:
Love & Marriage
Love is the last of the major themes in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald’s novel is far from an
idealized romance, and the awkward attempts of the main characters to have a romantic
relationship only point to the instability of love. Even though love is overdriven by wealth
in The Great Gatsby, it affects the development of the characters.
Love
The two married couples in the novel are definitely an excellent example of corrupted love
in The Great Gatsby. Both Daisy and Myrtle got married with the hope of getting a stable
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
budget. However, neither of them experience love and support, which are usually the
essentials in every healthy marriage. Myrtle’s union turned out to be a disappointment since
George Wilson lied about his status wearing a borrowed suit for their wedding. Daisy, on the
other hand, got what she wanted – social status and financial security. Still, she has to obey
Tom and suffer from his hypocrisy. It may also refer to another theme of The Great Gatsby –
wealth and money.
Nick tries to pursue a somewhat normal relationship with Jordan. Throughout the novel,
there is not much description of the time they spend together. However, according to Nick’s
feelings, it seems like he is closer to her than anybody else. In the end, Jordan and Nick have
quite an unpleasant break-up. During the Jazz Age, people were more likely to have casual
relationships for fun rather than looking into love and marriage. It seems like the “tender
curiosity” is the closest that characters can get to real love. Even Gatsby’s feelings toward
Daisy appear to be just an illusion.
Quotes about Love
“He had on a dress suit and patent leather shoes and I couldn’t keep my eyes off him but
every time he looked at me I had to pretend to be looking at the advertisement over his
head… I told him I’d have to call a policeman, but he knew I lied. I was so excited that when I
got into a taxi with him I didn’t hardly know I wasn’t getting into a subway train.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 2
“I thought I’d never seen a girl so mad about her husband. If he left the room for a minute
she’d look around uneasily and say ‘Where’s Tom gone?’ and wear the most abstracted
expression until she saw him coming in the door.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 4
“She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded. His
mouth opened a little and he looked at Gatsby and then back at Daisy as if he had just
recognized her as some one he knew a long time ago.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 7
Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship is the focus of the novel. It all started in Louisville, and they
had a beautiful love, which could have lasted forever. Even after being separated for years,
Gatsby’s love has stayed loyal to Daisy. But she got cold-hearted pretty quickly and chose
money over love.
Gatsby has gone through a very long and hard way from rags to riches and hasn’t forgotten
the purpose of this journey. When they finally reunite, it seems like their love has been
reborn. Gatsby is glowing with happiness, just like nothing happened, hardly keeping his
eyes dry. It must have been the happiest Nick saw him. Daisy, on the other hand, looks quite
confused. She might not even remember everything from their little romance in Louisville. A
world full of dreams and illusions is where Gatsby lives. For him, everything has finally come
back to how it was. A reality check probably wouldn’t hurt him. However, Daisy has a real
family to attend to. She has a hard time choosing between Tom and Gatsby. Finally, she
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
admits that she also loved Tom and betrays Gatsby once again. The latter, though, refuses
to believe that he failed and decides to wait until Daisy changes her mind. But she is quick to
erase any memory of him after the accident. Eventually, he would have realized that she
could not live up to his expectations, just as Nick has suspected.
Gatsby and Daisy used to have a perfect relationship but only for a brief moment. To build a
strong union of loving people, they would need to stop looking through rose-coloured
glasses. Both partners need to see and accept the real identity of their partner. Gatsby,
however, has had some surreal expectations towards Daisy.
To Gatsby, Daisy represents total perfection – an idol of beauty, intelligence, and grace. And
even though, in reality, she is far from this image, it is not all he sees in her. Since she was
born in a wealthy family, she portrays the “golden girl” whose appearance radiates extreme
wealth. Hence, Gatsby only sees her status in her.
“He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved
you.’ After she had obliterated three years with that sentence they could decide upon the
more practical measures to be taken.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 6
“‘Gatsby sprang to his feet, vivid with excitement. ‘She never loved you, do you hear?’ he
cried. ‘She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a
terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved any one except me!’”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 7
“I can’t describe to you how surprised I was to find out I loved her, old sport. I even hoped for
a while that she’d throw me over, but she didn’t, because she was in love with me too.”
-- The Great Gatsby, chapter 8
Another failed relationship is the union of Daisy and Tom. They have been married for
three years and got a house at East Egg. They also have a child together, a lovely little girl
named Pammy. According to Jordan, Daisy was even in love with Tom. It may have only
been the result of her excitement after the whole three months of honeymoon. However,
her feelings faded with all the burdens of family life. Besides, Tom has started cheating as
soon as they came back from the honeymoon.
It is incredible how Tom and Daisy Buchanan are the only couple that survived throughout
the novel. There are so many reasons for them to break it up, but they remain inseparable
and even seem to have gotten closer at the end. Daisy loving Gatsby, Tom cheating and
abusing her, and the murder of Myrtle were not enough for them to separate.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
It may not be obvious, but what keeps Daisy and Tom together is their mutual desire to
keep the privileges of the upper class. Initially, Tom was approved by Daisy’s family as a
suitable match. Their marriage guarantees the stability of their status. That is why Daisy
chose Tom over Gatsby once again.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Symbols in The Great Gatsby are very important, while style is what makes all the pieces
coherent. In his novel, Fitzgerald uses language and literary devices to create a unique mood
that allows the readers to dive deep into the Jazz Age setting.
COLOUR SYMBOLISM
There are a few main symbols in the novel, but the most extensive one is colour imagery
in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald masterfully manipulates different colours making the story
extra visual. Also, it gives the story an additional layer of meaning. In every chapter, they are
varied, which helps it set a specific mood fitting to the situation. At first, it is hard to notice
them because they are introduced so subtly. However, the analysis of The Great
Gatsby’s colour symbolism brings clarity and unveils the deeper meanings of situations.
Colours have special meaning to people all over the world. Some of them are universal, such
as green, which means nature, energy, and fertility. Sometimes, people also associate it
with some personal affairs, just like Gatsby does. In Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby, colour
symbolism is introduced to the readers by the green light. It can be traced throughout the
whole novel.
“…He gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone – he stretched out his arms
toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was
trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green
light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.”
(The Great Gatsby, chapter 1)
Colour symbolism may be quite controversial from time to time since everybody interprets
colours in their own way. However, in Fitzgerald’s book, they are tightly interconnected with
the main ideas. Therefore, it is hard to miss the meaning of a specific colour.
Colours:
There are many flashy colours in The Great Gatsby, such as gold and silver or pink. They fit
quite well into the luxurious setting of the novel.
Blue, white, green, and yellow are simpler and more discreet ones. Still, they play an
essential role in the understanding of the main ideas. They help create this dreamlike
setting of the story.
BLUE represents loneliness and isolation. Gatsby’s “blue lawn” reflects on how sad and
lonely he is, even in the middle of lavish parties. By the end of the novel, Nick mentions “the
blue leaves” and “the blue smoke,” which may symbolize Gatsby’s beautiful dreams and the
illusion of the American Dream.
WHITE the Daisy’s one. She dresses in white, and her house has a lot of white. It is a
symbol of her purity and innocence, as well as her angelic beauty. On the other hand, white
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
represents her hollowness since, except for the luxury of the upper class, she sees no
purpose in life.
GREEN closely related to the green light of Daisy’s dock. Therefore, it symbolizes
Gatsby’s hope and love. Just like the “fresh, green breast of the new world” was an
aspiration for the first explorers, green light gives confidence to Gatsby. Finally, the green
colour also represents the power of money that he’s got.
YELLOW represents money and desire. Gatsby decided to decorate his mansion in the
tones of yellow and buy a yellow car. However, the yellow colour is not exactly gold. This
imitation shows how Gatsby is trying to become a part of the elite club by pretending to
have good taste and manners.
“The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun and now the orchestra is
playing yellow cocktail music and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier,
minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word.”
(The Great Gatsby, chapter 3)
Green Light:
“A single green light” is located at the end of Daisy’s dock in East Egg and carries a special
meaning to Gatsby. He can barely see it from the other side of the bay but still longs for it
every night. In The Great Gatsby, the green light is a significant symbol connected to Gatsby
and Daisy.
The Significance of the Green Light
It is vital to explain the significance of the green light because it is the core of Gatsby’s
character. It represents his dreams and hopes about a happy future with Daisy. The light
leads him towards it through the darkness. However, Gatsby cannot reach it, just like he
can’t reach the green light on the other side of the bay.
“If it wasn’t for the mist we could see your home across the bay… You always have a green
light that burns all night at the end of your dock.”
(The Great Gatsby, chapter 5)
What Does the Green Light Symbolize at the End of the Novel?
At the end of the novel, the green light symbolizes a bit of a different idea. When Nick is
looking at the green light, he compares it to the image of the newly found fresh and green
land, just as how it seemed to the first settlers in America. They saw it as a land of hope and
infinite opportunities.
THE CAR AS A SYMBOL
Cars have a symbolic meaning in the novel as well. First of all, they have been seen as a
symbol of status at all times. Even today, people can be ranked by judging on the model
and year of cars they own.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Gatsby’s yellow car is a perfect vehicle for him as it plays its role – to impress people. There
is completely no other reason for him to own such a vehicle, mainly when Nick describes it
as “monstrous” and “swollen.” But it is a car of a millionaire, and it represents Gatsby’s
identity. Not only does he want to show off, but it goes back to his dream to win Daisy back,
of course. He uses the money to reach his own American Dream. What is more, Gatsby’s car
is a combination of the primary colours of the novel – “green leather” and “rich cream
colour,” which is yellow.
In Chapter 7, Gatsby objects to letting Tom drive his car. The fact highlights the importance
of the car for him. Just like for most men, for him it is more than a vehicle. Gatsby despises
Tom and thinks his suggestion is “distasteful.” This yellow car with green seats is a symbol of
Gatsby’s dream and love for Daisy. Therefore, he sees no reason whatsoever for Tom to
drive it.
Gatsby’s Car Symbolism
Therefore, Gatsby’s car symbolism can be considered a part of his identity. The car is flashy
and is intended to impress everyone around, including Daisy. This kind of attitude reflects
Gatsby’s “new money” status since they are the ones who try to be seen as elite but end up
looking tasteless and vulgar.
T. J. ECKLEBURG’S EYES
T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes stare at the Valley of Ashes from the billboard. In The Great Gatsby, the
eyes have different meanings for each character, which makes the advertisement a
representation of the meaningless world. It means that people give value to the objects,
which makes them the creators of their own reality. Everybody sees whatever they want to
see.
In The Great Gatsby, Dr. T.J. Eckleburg is the eye doctor whose clinic is advertised on the
billboard. His yellow spectacles look down on the grey people living in the ashes. However,
for some people, the eyes carry religious meaning. For example, George Wilson sees the
eyes of God in them and believes they send him divine messages.
“Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor
T. J. Eckleburg which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night. ‘God
sees everything,’ repeated Wilson.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 8)
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
A motif is an element that appears quite often in the text and carries a symbolic meaning.
The purpose of the motif is to set a theme that is usually closely tied to the main idea of the
work. Motifs in The Great Gatsby may seem hard to find, but they play an essential role in
the overall impression.
Alcohol, parties, and weather are the three central motifs in The Great Gatsby.
ALCHOHOL
In the 1920s, people in America were partying like never before, and, of course, there was
alcohol. Even though selling it was illegal, drinking was a part of everyday life. At least for
those who could afford it.
In The Great Gatsby, alcohol is considered to be for the privileged only. The amount of
alcohol is limited, and it is hard to get. Still, for someone who has the money, it is not a
problem. However, it seems like no one at Gatsby’s parties is concerned about where all the
unlimited drinks come from.
Prohibition
Prohibition in The Great Gatsby is a big issue since the story’s setting is in the 1920s when
producing and selling alcohol was banned in America. However, almost every character in
the novel drinks. Prohibition doesn’t seem to have any severe effects on people’s lifestyles.
Liquor stores may have lost their profits, but others, like Gatsby, use this chance.
Tom is eager to know if Gatsby is a bootlegger as the source of his fortune raises suspicions
quite regularly. Even if there is no evidence, Gatsby’s underground connection with Meyer
Wolfsheim leads to the conclusion that he is a criminal. Thanks to Tom’s investigation, it
appears that Gatsby sells alcohol over the counters of the drug shops he owns.
PARTIES
Gatsby’s parties are the motif that underlines the unnecessary festivity of the Roaring
Twenties, which is usually overdone. His extraordinary, lavish, and surreal parties are held
for wealthy people who don’t see any other purpose in life rather than drink and dance. The
importance of this motif is that it shows the dark side of the Jazz Age.
Party scenes in The Great Gatsby only bring satisfaction to the readers. However, the
symbolism that they carry is far less colourful. Hundreds of people gather in Gatsby’s
mansion just to use his hospitality and get drunk. Through these extravagant celebrations,
Fitzgerald highlights the significance of the moral theme in the 1920s.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
All the guests are nothing more than pleasure-seekers who care little about their host.
Almost none of them have met Gatsby in person. It is much more entertaining for them to
create absurd rumours about his background. Their carelessness comes up when Gatsby
dies since only one single party guest attends his funeral. And, of course, nobody has a clue
about the underlying meaning of all the lavish parties in the West Egg.
“The bar is in full swing and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside until
the air is alive with chatter and laughter and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on
the spot and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other’s names.”
(The Great Gatsby, chapter 3)
Gatsby throws parties with the only purpose of attracting Daisy’s attention. However, the
first Gatsby’s party she attends doesn’t leave her impressed. She is disgusted by the
inappropriate behaviour of the new rich, even though she is as hollow inside as they are.
Old money hates new money because they lack manners, but the truth is that neither of
them has moral values. The lack of morality is also showing off through the influential
guests. They use the parties to do their shady business there as even criminals attend the
festivities. Also, it is a great place to find an affair, just like Tom is trying to do when he and
Daisy come by. All in all, Gatsby’s parties are a great example of the ugly reality of the
1920s.
WEATHER
Weather in The Great Gatsby serves as an emotional booster and has nothing to do with
geography. On the day that Daisy and Gatsby reunite, it rains, emphasizing the sadness and
longing for the past. While the central fight between Tom and Gatsby occurs on the hottest
day, spurring their anger on.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
The Great Gatsby is a novel since it is a long piece of writing talking about human emotional
experiences. It is also done with a fair bit of realism. Moreover, The Great Gatsby genre is
identified as a tragedy because Gatsby possesses a desire for Daisy’s wealth, which
eventually leads him to a tragic ending.
Point of View:
In The Great Gatsby, the point of view is limited to Nick’s perception. The story is told in
the first person, which makes it very unreliable. Even though Nick’s imagery helps
understand the situations in the book quite well, it may be corrupted by his emotions. He
claims he never judges people, but it is not entirely true.
Style:
There is no need to do a realism vs. modernism comparison in the novel because it has
them both. The Great Gatsby is built around complex characters and the profoundly
psychological descriptions of their behaviour, which is typical for realism. At the same time,
Fitzgerald implements literary elements of modernism. This blend is what makes this book
truly “great.”
Modernism
In The Great Gatsby, modernism is not the dominant genre. However, it is a critical element
of the overall structure of the novel. Fitzgerald uses many symbols and poetic descriptions,
such as “shining dust,” and plays with colours. He also pictures cars as something
dangerous. Altogether it makes the story modernist.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing style is unique. He describes everything from the setting and
appearances to the characters’ feelings. The literary devices he uses,
like metaphors and symbols, create a romantic mood in the novel. The most descriptive
adjectives he comes up with cannot be more perfectly fitted for the situations.
Since Nick is the narrator, the tone of The Great Gatsby depends on his personal
impressions and feelings. Therefore, it differs from chapter to chapter. For example, in the
first part of the story, the tone is very sceptical and sometimes disrespectful as Nick judges
everyone. In the end, it becomes melancholic and compassionate towards Gatsby.
The Great Gatsby’s opening line not only gives an insight into Nick’s background but also
sets how the story is told. The first line of The Great Gatsby is his father’s advice, which Nick
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
can hardly follow. Moreover, the words about “the advantages” he has had may have made
him arrogant to some extension.
“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.’” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 1)
The last paragraph of The Great Gatsby is a conclusion to the whole novel as it goes back to
the theme of the past once again. It represents Gatsby’s desire to recreate the past even
though it seems like his dream is all about the bright future. This last sentence repeats the
moral of the story.
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It
eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms
farther… And one fine morning – So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back
ceaselessly into the past.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 9)
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Allusions are references to the external books or historical events that the author makes in
his writing. In The Great Gatsby, allusions are not rare. The most famous must be the one in
Chapter 1. During the lunch, Tom makes a reference to a book called The Rise of the
Coloured Empires, which was written by Lothrop Goddard in 1920. It is important because it
allows seeing Tom’s hidden characteristics, such as racism and arrogance. There are even
some biblical allusions, including the moment when Nick calls Gatsby “a son of God.”
Apart from allusions, one of the most rhetorical devices in The Great Gatsby is imagery.
Fitzgerald does a fantastic job describing every little detail of the story, which allows the
readers to imagine it with all five senses. For example, describing the moments before the
dawn, he writes: “ghostly birds began to sing among the blue leaves.”
Moreover, there are a lot of literary devices in The Great Gatsby that Fitzgerald uses
frequently. Those include metaphors, hyperbole, symbolism, and simile. The ridiculous and
exaggerated rumours are a great example of hyperbole in the novel. Oxymoron should also
be included as Wolfsheim appears to eat “with ferocious delicacy.”
Irony:
Fitzgerald offers plenty of irony in The Great Gatsby, but only a few examples need to be
reviewed carefully. In the very first chapter, Nick’s description of himself as a non-
judgmental person is ironic since he judges other men in the same paragraph. Daisy killing
Myrtle, without knowing she is her husband’s lover, also represents irony.
Foreshadowing:
Foreshadowing in The Great Gatsby is one special technique. In the beginning, Nick says that
“Gatsby turned out all right at the end,” even though death is really considered a happy
ending. After all, these words imply that Nick’s impression of Gatsby changed for the better,
and the reader knows that Gatsby is the protagonist of the story.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Gonnegtion In The Great Gatsby, the meaning of some words is not entirely clear. One of
these words is “gonnegtion,” which is used by Mr. Wolfshiem. He assumes that Nick is a
criminal and offers him his help with connections. So, there is no need to look up the
definition of “gonnegtion” as it is Wolfshiem’s mistake.
Oggsford is another creation of Meyer Wolfsheim. It appears when he tries to tell Nick that
Gatsby is an Oxford graduate. Due to his specific pronunciation, which may be connected to
his Jew roots, the word “Oxford” comes out as “Oggsford.” Moreover, it may also be a sign
of his poor education.
Orgastic future One of the last paragraphs in the novel includes the words “orgastic
future,” which Gatsby believed in. The definition of “orgastic” can hardly be found in the
dictionary. However, it has similarities with the word “orgasmic,” which may emphasize
Gatsby’s American Dream. He believed that the future of ecstatic happiness was waiting on
him.
Paternal contempt Describing Tom, Nick says that he has “a touch of paternal contempt”
in his voice. It may derive from the word “paternalistic.” Such a description suggests that
Tom is the full opposite of submissive. His arrogance is only a shade of his dictatorship. Later
in the novel, he indeed shows himself as the only legitimate authority.
Platonic conception of himself Nick says that Gatsby “sprang from his Platonic
conception of himself,” which points out Gatsby’s new identity. It goes back to Plato’s idea
of perfection: everything has its perfect form. Therefore, the meaning behind Nick’s phrase
is that Gatsby shaped his identity according to his own standards of an ideal man.
Spectroscopic gayety The phrase appears when Nick describes the relationship between
East Egg and West Egg. In The Great Gatsby, the meaning of these words refers to one of
the main themes – aristocrats’ hate of the new rich. Therefore, “spectroscopic gayety” can
be defined as the lavish and vulgar parties in West Egg organized by Gatsby.
Unaffected Scorn In The Great Gatsby, the meaning of the words “unaffected scorn”
might be unclear. The phrase appears when Nick talks about his feelings towards Gatsby. It
means that he describes everything that Jay does. Later, however, he changes his mind, and
Gatsby ends up being the only person Nick genuinely respects.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
One of the most critical questions in The Great Gatsby’s analysis is, “How does Fitzgerald
use setting?” The thing is that every location that appears in the novel represents some
symbols. They are not just used to create contrast.
It seems like the location of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is important because it highlights
the indulgence of the luxury that occurred in the Roaring Twenties. It is related to both
West and East Egg.
West Egg and East Egg in The Great Gatsby appear as twin brothers that look similar but
have such a drastic difference in the characters. The only thing is sure. This area is not a
place for poor people. The richest of the richest build their massive mansions there.
“They are not perfect ovals – like the egg in the Columbus story they are both crushed flat at
the contact end – but their physical resemblance must be a source of perpetual confusion to
the gulls that fly overhead. To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their
dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 1)
East Egg
Even though the names are made, East Egg and West Egg exist in real life. Fitzgerald lived
on Long Island with his wife. The multiple peninsulas and villages of that place served as an
inspiration for the book.
Long Island’s East Egg is a home for so-called “old money.” Like any place where people with
big money would live, this area is exceptionally luxurious and almost exclusive. It is where
Tom and Daisy Buchanan live.
East Egg, in New York, is located outside the big city and faces the neighbouring area, West
Egg. This place is also famous for the rich people residing here. However, they are not just
any rich people. They come from the old aristocratic families that have been having their
fortunes for quite a long time.
This side of the bay is also a favourite place for famous and VIP people. However, it seems
like Nick Carraway is an exception. Despite his background, he prefers to settle down in
West Egg.
Indeed, the taste of aristocrats is widely known. Therefore, their homes look not only
expensive but also elegant. Nick says how “the white palaces of fashionable East Egg
glittered along the water…”
The East Egg residents also try never to miss a chance to mock their neighbours from West
Egg. Sometimes they comment on their behaviour, but they drop some comments on the
housing as well:
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
“…East Egg condescending to West Egg, and carefully on guard against its spectroscopic
gayety.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 3)
Tom Buchanan’s house is truly a palace. It means that their family knows how to waste
their fortune with luxury. Gardens, French windows, and gold are some of the features that
Nick notices when he comes to visit them.
The interior is made in pink, red, and white colours. Altogether, it adds some elegance and
charm to the place. Everything indicates a good taste of the owners. The first impression of
Daisy creates almost the same feelings as the mansion.
However, Nick points out that the curtains thrown around by the wind create some feeling
of tension at Buchanan’s nest.
West Egg
The Great Gatsby’s West Egg is also based on a real-life place. The Eggs are not only
separated by the bay but also by the Valley of Ashes. So, everyone going from the
peninsulas to New York City has to pass through it.
Following the theme of money, it also appears to be a base for the richest people to settle
down. However, there is one important detail. All the rich living in New York’s West Egg are
so-called “new money.” They are not coming from aristocratic families. Instead, new money
earned their fortunes during the last years of the 1920s.
West Egg inhabitants can’t live across the bay, in East Egg, because they don’t have enough
connection yet. It even seems like they are the outcasts. The high society of aristocratic
families can’t allow new money to live next door.
It is quite clear from the impression of the Buchanans during the visit to Gatsby’s house.
They are not happy to be there. They even look like the only fact of them being in such a
place lowers their value as VIP.
It is where Gatsby’s and Nick’s houses are located. Nick appears to be an exception from the
rule. He comes from a wealthy old family and could easily afford to move to East Egg.
However, as it can be judged from his character’s analysis, he has some values and a specific
perspective.
Despite the differences between the inhabitants of the two Eggs, they share one interesting
feature. Unlike the external characteristics, this difference concerns values and sense of life.
Both locations reek of desperation and emptiness.
Despite having everything they wish all those rich people can’t seem to find the point of
their lives. It is described in detail in the analysis of the chapters. There are quite a few
scenes that show it.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
Gatsby’s Mansion
Unlike the Buchanans, Gatsby does live in West Egg. He moved there as soon as he earned
enough money to get a huge mansion. Gatsby is an example of new money. His enormous
fortune didn’t appear from the air. It all comes from illegal alcohol production and
distribution. That is why Tom fairly accuses him of being a bootlegger.
Gatsby’s mansion is posh and lavish. However, according to Nick, it is rather tasteless. Just
like any other representative of the new money class, Gatsby wants to show off. The real
reason behind it is the desire to attract Daisy’s attention.
Nick says that Gatsby’s house looks like a vulgar copy of a hotel in Paris. It is exactly the
reason why people from East Egger think West Eggers are not sophisticated enough. It also
points out that the owner himself is a tasteless parody. Gatsby tries to be someone else
while chasing his dream.
Nick Carraway’s House
Nick lives in West Egg. He moved there when he decided to try a new career in New York.
However, the dramatic life there becomes overwhelming for Carraway, and he moves back
home the same year.
Nick Carraway’s house seems almost tiny in comparison to the neighbours’ gigantic
mansions. Nevertheless, we already know that he is not poor. It appears to be just his
personal choice.
He talks about his home as being “squeezed between two huge places.” It is a metaphor for
his emotional state. He is pushed to become a mediator for all the relationship drama
between Buchanans and Gatsby.
The Valley of Ashes
The Valley of Ashes is a place caught between the Eggs and New York City, where the
Wilsons live. It got this name because all the industries there produce so much ash that it
covers everything. Even the people living there look grey.
Symbolism:
All the phrases Nick uses to describe this place come down to one picture: lifeless people
who live a life full of all shades of grey. Unwillingly, you might start thinking about death,
and you would be right.
“This is a valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills
and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising
smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already
crumbling through the powdery air.” (The Great Gatsby, chapter 2)
Those who live in the valley are destined to be born, work, and die there. Even the most
energetic and hopeful characters, like Myrtle, are doomed to fail. It seems like even the
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
eyes from the billboard, as one of the novel’s main symbols, are not there to help. They are
there to watch people slowly die.
The Valley of Ashes symbolises the despair of people living in poverty. Low-income families
like the Wilsons are constantly being mocked and humiliated by the rich. They are hopeless,
and it seems like nothing can be done to improve their position. The ashes always stay in
the valley, no matter how well people clean it.
As an example, the Wilson family appears to be the key part of the chain of events. George
Wilson is the owner of a garage in the valley. His whole body and attitude show that he has
lost hope, though he is still trying to change.
Another essential role of this setting is that it emphasizes the gap between the classes. The
scene when Tom Buchanan comes to Wilson is one of the best examples. The way how Tom
treats Wilson represents the displease he feels towards the poor.
Moreover, Nick says that the valley looks “vaguely disquieting.” It implies the lack of moral
values during that period.
The Valley of Ashes might represent a sort of warning for the rich. Their careless festivities
must come to an end one day. It is a symbol of the unpreventable collapse of the Roaring
Twenties kingdom.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare
smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you might come across four or five
times in life.” (The Great Gatsby, Chapter 3)
This scene tells us about Nick’s first impression of Gatsby. As it often is, the most
important The Great Gatsby quotes are related to Gatsby himself, one way or another. This
one is not an exception.
First of all, Nick’s words represent the very core feature of Gatsby, his acting talent. Mr.
Gatsby is exceptionally charismatic and always tries to act like he is the most sophisticated
and high-class aristocrat in the world. But we know it’s not true.
Therefore, this quote kind of sums up the image he wants everybody to see. The image is
being slowly destroyed piece by piece as the story unfolds. Essentially, it is the role that he
created with the help of Dan Cody.
The reason why Gatsby’s smile seems to be so appealing is that he puts his best features in
it. Hope and his vast imaginations are the main ingredients. They help him to stay
enthusiastic about this whole Daisy situation.
So, it is about love. Gatsby hopes for the best and pictures their happy future together. And
it creates this rare smile of his. It is almost like he passes on a piece of his inspiration to the
person he smiles at.
Quote 2:
“I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little
fool.” (The Great Gatsby, Chapter 1)
It is one of the important quotations from The Great Gatsby, mainly because it highlights
the status of women in the 1920s. Here, Daisy talks about her little daughter. Throughout
the book, she doesn’t say too many sophisticated things, but this phrase has a deep
meaning.
Daisy’s words are related to one of the novel’s themes: women’s role in society. Back then,
being a smart woman meant that she could disobey men. And there were a few men who
would like to have a wife like that.
So, Daisy wants her daughter to be a quiet and pretty foolish girl so that she would be
financially secure and protected by her future husband. However, there is another
perspective on this quote.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
It seems like it is not entirely about money. Daisy is forced to hide her intelligence under the
pressure of social rules. Some scenes show off her witty comments. Nevertheless, she is
miserable.
Daisy is bored with her life. So maybe by wishing her daughter to become a beautiful fool,
she wants her to be happy. Sometimes, Daisy Buchanan pretends to be silly herself.
This explanation might seem harsh and unfair, but it used to be reasonable in the past.
Women were supposed to stay away from complicated stuff, including both side romances
and intellectual fields.
Quote 3:
“And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties, there isn’t any privacy.” (The
Great Gatsby, Chapter 3)
Even though it probably can’t make it to the topmost important quotations from The Great
Gatsby, it deserves to be discussed. This brilliant but somewhat weird comment about
parties comes from Jordan Baker.
She says it during one of the massive parties that Gatsby throws at his mansion every week.
This quote highlights her personality. Being a flapper girl, Jordan shows that she is free to
choose her environment, especially her company.
Despite looking contradicting, her words make sense. Small parties with only a few people
may be quite demanding. It is no place for loneliness. Everyone is required to be involved in
the discussions. Otherwise, it would be rude.
Moreover, there is no way to talk to someone privately. There is always a chance that
someone overhears you. Everybody knows what is happening.
Big parties are different. The guests can pick the group they find exciting and participate in
any discussion they want. Also, there is no obligation to talk to everyone invited!
Therefore, you are more likely to have a private chat at a big party. No need to mention, it is
not impossible to find a cosy place there. There is so much happening at the same time that
no one pays any attention to the conversations of others.
Quote 4:
“Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (The Great Gatsby, Chapter 6)
Here Gatsby and Nick are actually talking about Daisy. It can become one of the best The
Great Gatsby quotes. The phrase might sound confusing when taken out of context,
though.
Character Profiles ‘Great Gatsby’
In this scene, Nick is trying to talk some sense into his friend. Gatsby can never achieve his
American Dream. He desires to be with Daisy, just like it was in the past.
Moreover, it appears that he wants Daisy to forget about the past few years, including her
marriage. Gatsby expects her to erase the memories of the past feelings towards Tom and
their shared experience.
But we all know that it is not possible. Things change, and people change as well. Nothing
can ever become the same as it used to. Daisy used to love Gatsby, but it is all gone.
Gatsby seems to refuse to believe it. His words may sound motivational, but the only thing
they make Nick feel is sadness. Gatsby is only yet to realize that his dream is impossible to
achieve.
Only later his illusion cracks, and it becomes one of the most prominent moments in the
novel. The main idea of the story is that the American Dream is unrealistic and unattainable.
Quote 5:
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.”
(The Great Gatsby, Chapter 9)
Some of The Great Gatsby’s quotes are extremely philosophical, just like this one. This
phrase concludes the novel. Nick goes back to where it all started from the green light.
The way Gatsby was trying to reach the light on the other side of the bay is related to the
past and our dreams. The words Nick uses can be understood as a metaphor.
People always try to recreate the past, thinking it would make them happier. But the longer
they try to catch it, the further it gets. Time only goes in one direction – in the future.
The same with Gatsby. The green light represents his dream. He desires to recreate his past
relationship with Daisy. But the laws of time are forced to remind him that it doesn’t work
this way.
With each year Daisy spent with Tom, Gatsby’s precious dream would move farther from
him. And the speed is growing exponentially. Even with all the enthusiasm he puts into this
task, he can never reach the past.
Therefore, this quote becomes another connection to the unattainable American Dream.
However, it is fair to note that Nick is not trying to seem cynical here. He respectfully sums
up the life of Gatsby this way with a hint of melancholy.