| Define this character: Beautiful, enchanting, unworthy object of dream, illusion of love with voice like money | Daisy Fay Buchanan |
| Define this character: hulk of a man, bigot, hypocrite, uses people, treats people like possessions, example of upper class values | Tom Buchanan |
| Define this character: First person narrator, observes at first, finally judges, develops full moral responsibility at age 30 (turning point, loss of youth), represents the Midwest | Nick Carraway |
| Define this character: Draws Nick into story, friend of Daisy’s, shows change in women during 1920’s | Jordan Baker |
| Define this character: gambler, part of organized crime, involved with Gatsby | Meyer Wolfsheim |
| Define this character: Trapped in hopeless situation, common man in material wasteland | George Wilson |
| Define this character: Mistress of Tom’s trying to rise above station in life | Myrtle Wilson |
| Define this character: Static character devoted to dream, symbol of American Experience | Jay Gatsby |
| Define this character: American archetype (original, model), romantic figure with money | Dan Cody |
| What does Green Light symbolize? | in the beginning of the book: desire, dream hope |
| What does car symbolize? | riches, nice, show it off, status- symbol of the American dream |
| What does Valley of Ashes symbolize? | represents corruption, moral wasteland, alley of sin-> people committing adultery, leaving a valley of ashes -> pile destruction1. Modern world waste from industry 2. Materialism ruins wealth people and others3. Moral Values- sins such as adultery, breaking the law, lying and murder, wasted marriages, and lives |
| What does Seasons symbolize? | phases or changes on one’s lifeSpring- Fresh start west to east- NickSummer- good times, parties, love, affairs, searching for dreamsFall- end of youth, dream gone, things fall apart, die or Jordan says that life starts over |
| What does Gatsby’s Schedule symbolize? | hard work and study leads to American Dream of adventure and money, Irony is that he completely deviates from this intent by illegally obtaining his money |
| What does Settings (move from west to east) symbolize? | all move west to east in hope of finding a better life, glamour, riches or escape (Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Nick, Jordan). None succeed because all develop false values to adapt to lifestyle. Only Nick save himself by returning to mid- West |
| What does West and East Eggs symbolize? | West= New money, fast money, rages to riches immigrant stock, showy and vulgar, wannabes (Gatsby and Nick)East= old money, inherited wealth of established families, snooty, upper crust, white palaces (Tom and Daisy) |
| What does Gatsby’s Shirts symbolize? | enchanted objects |
| What does Parties symbolize? | carelessness, low morals, vulgar behavior, drunkenness, waste, trash, chaos, accidents |
| What are the 4 themes in this book? | 1. American idealism has been corrupted by adopting materialism as it means2. moral irresponsibility creates moral wasteland (Valley of Ashes) 3. the corruption of the American Dream by selfish materialism (can no long measure up to explorers’ dreams)4. illusion versus reality (Gatsby’s creation of his own history) |
| “Of course she might have loved him just for a minute… In any case… it was just personal.” | Gatsby |
| “I am one of the few honest people I have ever known.” | Nick |
| “Her voice is full of money.” | Gatsby |
| “I didn’t want you to think I was just some nobody. You see, I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad thing that happened to me.” | Gatsby |
| “By God, I may be old-fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me.” | Tom |
| “You always look so cool.” | Daisy |
| “Oh, you want too much!… I love you now—isn’t that enough?” | Daisy |
| “He was crazy enough to kill me if I hadn’t told him who owned that car.” | Tom |
| “Can’t repeat the past?… Why of course you can!” | Gatsby |
| “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman.” | Myrtle |
| “I’ve been here too long. I want to get away. My wife and I want to go west.” | Wilson |
| “I just remembered that today’s my birthday.” | Nick |
| “I decided to go east and learn the bond business.” | Nick |
| “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.” | Wolfsheim |
| “He was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and supercilious manner.” (spoken about) | Tom |
| “She’s a Catholic, and they don’t believe in divorce.” (spoken about) | Daisy |
| “When we were at a house-party together up in Warwich, she left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down, and then lied about it.” (spoken about) | Jordan |
| “He was his wife’s man and not his own.” (spoken about) | Wilson |
The Great Gatsby Characters/Quotes
April 11, 2020