The Great Gatsby - student notes

1. Fitzgerald’s
The Great Gatsby
Student-collated ideas and
themes

2. Gatsby and Cars
 Tom has a blue coupe – Cold and depressive
 Tom is empty and very much similar to many people in his society – a coupe
is a popular car which many people have.
 ‘Blue’ is an informal term to describe – to spend money in a reckless or
wasteful way.
 Tom is very much aware of his wealth and therefore doesn’t have much
care or consideration with it.
 ‘It was a yellow car,’ he said ‘A big yellow car. New’
 ‘Yellow’ could be used to describe new life and living (the colour you see as
spring arrives). Also important that yellow shows a egg yolk representing
new life. Gatsby is part of this new American dream that is being born again
to work towards to his own wealth. The word ‘new’ is especially important as
it indicates that Gatsby isn’t established in his wealth but very much part of a
new life.
 ‘Yellow’ is also an informal term to describe someone who is a coward.
Gatsby never sticks up for himself – almost being ashamed of his life
particularly after Myrtles death.

3.  ‘The circus wagon’ A circus is a group of trained animals or performers – the people
who drive the cars are just trained animals or performers just living their lives in a car
free manner.
 ‘Fenders like wings’ – A fender is a guard on the wheel well. A car illustrates that the
owners are living fantastical life – their cars are an illustration of their own wealth and
dreams. A fender on a boat protects from any impact. The cars are part of peoples
lives just like their money and wealth – that is what is protecting them from any
impacts.
 Wings on a car remind me of ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ - That story is based on a
fantasy and naivety.
 Gatsby's other car represents his selfishness. The car is a representation of himself.
"It was rich cream colour, bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous
length with triumphant hatboxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes, and terraced with
a labyrinth of windshields that mirrored a dozen suns"
 The cream colour symbolizes great wealth; together with the bright nickel, the car
could illustrate purity and richness. The "swollen boxes" which are displayed
represent his extreme pride, like the saying "a swollen head" or someone who has an
inflated sense of importance. The labyrinth of windshields reflects Gatsby's dream,
metaphorically displayed as the sun, with the light that Gatsby has committed himself
to follow.

4.  Gatsby holds parties which illustrates his wealth. The first conflict comes about after
his first party; when Owl Eyes is a passenger in a car that crashes. This shows a
wreck and a conflict being destroyed when a bystander replies, "But the wheel's are
off." The crash shows the American Dream and wealth being destroyed.
 "She left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down, and then lied about it.” This
suggests that Jordan had obviously ruined the car out of stupidity and carelessness.
Money doesn’t have any ends for this group of people.
 The Valley of Ashes represents what has happened to the American Dream in a void
society. It is a land of ashen heap and deals with industrial production. From the two
wealth lands surrounding it a wasteland has been created. The world
has turned towards an industrial society producing material possessions. It's about
what can be created to achieve the American Dream. It is interesting that the garage
has been put here. Everyone has to pass through this area to get to where they need
to.
 Gatsby's car is the one that runs over Myrtle Wilson. But Daisy is the one driving it.
Gatsby takes the blame--and George's "punishment" of revenge. The Buchanans
make a mistake and leave others to clean it up whilst continuing with their own lives.

5. Cars and money
 The cars represent the modernizing world, alongside other items such as the
telephone.
 Gatsby’s car shows how materialistic he is and his new found affluence.
 The fact that Tom has a common coupe car shows his conformity to society; Gatsby
has a Rolls Royce and shows his isolation.
 The coupe could also being symbolizing Tom’s emptiness and the ‘blue paint job’
could suggest that he wants to be a little different, superior perhaps such as Gatsby.
 The colour yellow is associated with money throughout the novel; Gatsby’s car was a
‘rich cream color.’
 Myrtle is forced to use the train by Tom and could perhaps be suggesting that he
wants her to remain beneath him.
 In New York Myrtle ‘lets four taxicabs drive by before selecting a new one’ shows her
materialistic values-she can be like this in New York it is almost a melting point in
which morals disperse.
 The irony that Wilson owns a garage but can never quite reach the modern future by
having his own car creates a clear contrast between him and Tom and Gatsby.
 Wilson needs the car to sell from Tom so he can get away-it is the only way he can
escape, and yet it will imprison him even more (the car killing Myrtle.) In reality the
only way he can escape is to commit suicide.

6. Cars and corruption/death
 The yellow colour of Gatsby’s car can be compared to rotting fruit
and symbolise the decay of corruption within Gatsby.
 The use of the car as the ‘killing tool’ could be suggesting that
Fitzgerald felt nothing good would come from the materializing
future.
 Tom and Gatsby use their cars to insult each other: Tom describes
Gatsby’s car as ‘this circus wagon” showing his bitter, jealousy? For
Gatsby to use Tom’s coupe “ the suggesting was distasteful to him”
again showing his dislike for Tom.
 The location of the garage in the valley of death where all the cars
have to pass through could be an exaggerated hint of the
relationship between death and cars.

7. Nick’s opinion on cars…
 Oxymoron-“Gatsby’s gorgeous car lurched onto my drive.” Even
though Nick seems to admire the car he still subtly includes a sense
of mysterious danger about it.
 “Swollen here and there in its monstrous length”- is he saying the
car is diseased? Personifying the car? Subtly hinting the fact that it
will kill someone? Is it also showing the exaggerated view on
wealth?
 Most tragic events and turning points involve cars-are these material
narrators?
 “Green leather conservatory” was Nick referring to the fact that
Gatsby is isolated? He can look out into the world but is stuck
behind the glass? He can throw big parties and buy elaborate items
but he will never have Daisy even if she stands close to the glass of
the conservatory? (He nearly had her!) The colour green is linked to
the flashing green light at the beginning-jealousy? Envy?

8. Characters are ‘Irresponsible dreamers’
Tom:
 Comes across as a more responsible character, his life situation however is very
much ‘irresponsible’
 His affairs and life style, moving about ‘unrestfully’
 This is unlike Nick’s sense of responsibility: “Doesn’t her husband object?”
“Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York…”
 They are being unfaithful and ignoring their responsibilities in their marriages.
 Fitzgerald writes the book from a male perspective, which may explain why Tom
comes across as being able to control his life and control his affairs, though the
reality is very different.
Myrtle:
 Has the dream of a rich New York life but irresponsibly uses the affair she is
having to ignore her husband and abuse his trust.
 Her dream gives her the confidence to ask more of her husband and she
becomes an even worse wife to George.
 The irresponsibility that comes with wanting her rich dream so much causes her
death.

9. Characters are ‘Irresponsible dreamers’
Jordan:
 Jordan’s irresponsibility is different to the other characters as she is a bit of an
outcast.
 She is irresponsible with her career, she cheats at golf
 Goes to Gatsby’s parties, doesn’t settle down at any point, living with Daisy and Tom
she has free reign of her social life
 Has no responsibilities in the first place.
 “She’s a nice girl, they oughtn’t let her run around the country this way”
Gatsby:
 He moves to West Egg to find the American dream, he wants the rich life
 He does achieve this but is considered to have new money and lacks respect from
those in East Egg as he didn’t inherit it or grow up with it.
 He also dreams to be with Daisy again, this is his irresponsible dream as he will be
breaking up her and Tom’s marriage.
 His dream however along with other events causes the death and for it all to go
wrong as he pushes it to far rather that settling like Tom and Myrtle.
Daisy:
 Daisy opposite to Tom is written as being completely oblivious to everything, though
the reality is that she knows more than she lets on
 She is responsible with her daughter and with how she responds to Tom’s affairs.

10. Dreams and Reality
 Dreams and Reality
 The tension between reality and dreams are central to the novel
 Both Tom with Myrtle and Gatsby with Daisy try and live a romantic dream
yet it fails in the end.
 “Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and creatures back into their
money…”
 They try out their dreams and if they go wrong they just go back to reality
 Settings represent ideas of reality
 New York is the centre to those pursuing wealth
 Daisy suggests to go there with Gatsby
 Tom “has a woman in New York”.
 West Egg represents the people who are dreaming to become like East Egg
people
 This affects the East Egg women who come to Gatsby’s parties; the two
indignant wives of “deplorably sober men” who finally have to be carried
“kicking into the night”.
 “clock took this moment to tilt dangerously” which reminds Gatsby at that time
that any relationship with Daisy is just in his mind – time is twisted and distorted
in his mind – life must be linear.

11. Dreams and reality
 Gatsby dreams the most out of all the characters
 His way of life is a creation he has made to impress Daisy – but comes
across more like a show
 Someone’s reality includes their history and capacity for imagination
 Women dream of freedom but in reality stopped by men
 An example of this is with Tom and Daisy
 Fitzgerald uses imagery to work smoothly between dreams and reality
 The words associated with death are used metaphorically throughout
 This leads up to Myrtle’s and Gatsby’s death
 Many of the characters dream of social status and material wealth
 Myrtle especially does this, and her name suggests it
 During the novel, Nick gives his own ‘reality’ a moral dimension
 “not just trust that obliging and indifferent seas to sweep my refuse away”
 Jordan’s arms are described as “golden” early on and as “brown” later
 This could represent Nick’s initial dream turning into reality.
 Nick’s judgement of others and narration show other people’s
struggle to deceive people about who they are.

12. The American Dream
Gatsby’s American Dream – dreams of wealth,
love, popularity - has wealth
Needs Daisy
can’t fit into society
Gatsby has money but no-one to share it with →
His affair with Daisy doesn’t mean much to her
→ Gatsby appears popular because of his
parties but he has trouble fitting into society →
Left with nothing but wealth ← Gatsby made his
wealth from nothing ← American Dream

13. The American Dream
Gatsby cannot achieve his dream ← Metaphor? ←
Fitzgerald could be using Gatsby’s failure to obtain the
American Dream as a metaphor for the real American
Dream and how it is unobtainable
Society doesn’t think that Gatsby deserves wealth
because it is new wealth
Fitzgerald → “Is the American Dream definable?”
Working for the American Dream → Fitzgerald saying
that it isn’t the dream itself but actually working for it →
metaphor → Story all about Gatsby working for
American Dream, when he appears to have achieved it
he is killed and plays no further part in the story

14. Moral and Social Disorder
At the beginning of Chapter 3, the preparations for
Gatsby’s party are described in the present tense, giving
it a sense of reckless urgency and of not knowing what
the future holds.
In fact the future and the idea of thinking ahead about
the repercussions of your actions are shown as
unimportant. Daisy’s daughter, the future generation, is
largely ignored throughout the book.
The past is equally ignored. Nick is the only character
who can claim a moral high ground because he still
retains a link to the morals and ideals of the past, as
shown by his quoting his father at the beginning.

15. Moral and Social Disorder
 Conversations at Gatsby’s party often focus around rumours
and gossiping – there is little certainty about who or what is
real and dependable. Similarly, Tom is always talking about
how he has ‘read about’ racial superiority or intermarriage, but
can never recall the names of the books properly.
 ‘While church bells rang in the villages… the world and his
mistress returned to Gatsby’s house.’
 Possessions and status have become more important than
people; when Myrtle dies, Tom expresses his grief through
saying that Gatsby ‘didn’t even stop his car’, and that he can’t
be from Oxford because he ‘wears a pink suit’. When Gatsby
dies, his father is preoccupied with the size of his house, and
Wolfshiem eulogises him by mentioning how many dollars
worth of food Gatsby ate when they first met.

16. Moral and Social Disorder
West Egg is a world ‘complete within itself’, and
therefore has developed its own set of faux-
morals. Gatsby is described as having taken
Daisy ‘under false pretenses’ for not telling her
that he had no money; money is so important
that not having it is tantamount to crime.
Throughout the book there are many car
crashes. Though cars are meant to represent
power, efficiency and modernity, people are not
capable of properly handling this new-found
freedom and it often ends in disaster.

17. Moral and Social Disorder
Women in particular are no longer seen to be upholding
the standards set by society in the 1910’s.
Women are said to be ‘running around’ if they have no
husband or family to keep them grounded.
The women in this book, Daisy in particular are
portrayed by Nick and Fitzgerald, as ridiculous and
stupid.
There in no sanctity of marriage shown throughout the
book, people married for money not love, therefore are
having affairs with other people, and no one feels this is
wrong.

18. Moral and Social Disorder
Jordan represents a modern woman, playing sports, and
making no indication that she has a family, something
that wasn’t widely accepted in the 1920’s.
Tom speaking of Jordan – “She's a nice girl … They
oughtn’t to let her run around the county this way.”
Nick invites Daisy to tea with Gatsby – “Don’t bring Tom”
I warned her. “Who is Tom?” she asked innocently.
There is a social divide between the rich and those trying
to achieve the ‘American Dream’ “West Egg, the less
fashionable of the two.”
People came to Gatsby’s parties to forget themselves
and behave in a way they didn’t normally. “On Sunday
morning when Church bells rang … the world and his
mistress returned to Gatsby’s house.”

19. Nick’s role as anNick’s role as an
observer/judgeobserver/judge
•Although he is a main
•character, he does
•not have much influence
•on the plot, and is
•simply telling the
•story.
He tells the reader
what he thinks of
everything that is going
on. •He passes judgement on
•certain things each
•character does.
As the narrator, he is the
reader’s ‘eyes and ears’,
and, without any real
influence on the plot, he
just serves the purpose of
being an observer.
•Constant reflection on
•American society at the
•time, and presentation
•of Nick’s view on said
•society, shows how he is
•judging the country and its
•values.
•The fact that American
•society has great
•influence on the life of
•the characters shows
•that, in Nick judging this
•society, he is again
•judging them.
He is treated as the
author, and the
author is always the
observer.
Jordan’s detachment
from the main plot
suggests that
Nick’s relationship
with her shows he
has a life outside
of everything that is
going on.

20. Gatsby’s solitude in death
 Never really socially accepted.
 Daisy has left Gatsby for Tom, he is rejected.
 She never really loved him, didn’t even send a card after he died.
 He no longer has a thing to live for, possible his death is justified.
 Also no one comes to his funeral. He has no true friends.
 Nick has also left him. His friends leave while Gatsby is sad about Daisy.
 Possibly they were two isolated men, both living alone with only acquaintances.
This could be their only common ground.
 Though he didn’t exactly die alone.
 Wilson killed himself after killing Gatsby.
 Possibly it was the only thing Gatsby or Wilson had in common with another
person.
 Death after the rejection of the lover/wife. They were both alone.
 Lilo – he’s just drifting, symbolic of nobody wanting or caring about him.
 Society doesn’t accept Gatsby because of how he makes his money. He dies
alone as he spent his life on his dreams.
 He is alone in death as he was in life.
 Maybe it was right he was alone in death; there was never any true life in the
multitude of people at his parties.
 He had a load of parties where many people came. Doubtful he knew any of
them or that any really cares anything but a good time.

21. Gatsby’s solitude in death
Only three people, including Nick went to Gatsby’s
funeral – Nick, Gatsby’s father and a man Nick didn’t
know. This shows how many people really cared about
him and not just about his parties.
“the man with owl-eyes glasses whom I had found
marveling over Gatsby’s books in the library one night
three months before.”
Not even Daisy, the woman who is supposed to love
him, didn’t turn up, or even send flowers or a note.
Nick says just after the funeral that Gatsby is already ‘too
far away’ to think about, even though it’s so soon after
his death.

22. Gatsby’s solitude in death
Daisy didn’t phone Nick after Gatsby’s death
and didn’t mention Gatsby or his death once
when Nick saw her and Tom.
Gatsby just turned into gossip for a short time
after his death for the partygoers who used to
gossip at his parties.
“One gentleman to whom I telephoned implied
that he got what he deserved” – maybe he
wasn’t as well liked as he appeared to be.
“no one else was interested.”

23. Key Words-Tom Buchanan
 “sturdy straw-aired man of thirty”
 Masculine
 Athlete
 Nick’s description of Tom is quite positive and in depth. For
example: “Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance
over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning
aggressively forward. Not even the effeminate swank of his riding
clothes could hide the enormous power of that body-he seemed to
fill those glistening boots until he strained the top lacing, and you
could see a great pack of muscle shifting when his shoulder moved
under his thin coat. It was a body capable of enormous leverage-a
cruel body. His speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor, added to the
impression of fractiousness he conveyed. There was a touch of
paternal contempt in it, even towards people he liked.”

24. Key words – Tom Buchanan (2)
 Arrogant and aggressive body language.
 Father and husband
 Very wealthy-lived in East Egg
 “old money”
 A dishonest and unfaithful man considering the fact that he is having
an affair with George B. Wilson’s wife.
 No morals
 Negative response to his wife’s (Daisy) and Gatsby’s love affair-
jealousy and a disliking towards Gatsby. Tom is perhaps
hypocritical.
 Despite the fact that Nick portrays a negative image of Tom, he is in
fact successful in the end as he has still got Daisy and as a result of
Daisy’s deception he regains power over her.
 Typical Alpha male

25. Tom Buchanan:
White supremist
 Profound
Hulking
“ a brute of a man”
Short fuse
arrogant
aggressive
 old money
“a cruel body”
Power
Demanding

26. Boisterous
Husky voice
Suspicious
Mistress
Forceful
Restless
Violent
Full of contempt
Massive Ego
Two faced
Rude – “Mr nobody from nowhere” – said when he is
confronting Gatsby and Daisy and their affair

27. Tom Buchanan
Traditionalist views
Double standards – he is allowed to have an
affair but when Daisy does the same he doesn’t
like it
Insistent / persistent
Uses others for self-gain
“making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan
broke her nose with his open hand”
Bully
Member of a “distinguished secret society”
Racist

28. Nick – Keywords
Nick lives by the philosophy ‘“Whenever you feel like
criticizing anybody… just remember that all the people in
this world haven’t had the advantages you have”’ given
to him by his father – this second sentence reveals that
he is loyal, that he cares very much for his father and
also that he reserves his judgment of characters ‘I am
inclined to reserve judgment’.
This conflicts with his descriptions of the other
characters within the novel. He seems very quick to
judge Tom as having ‘Arrogant eyes’ and having ‘a cruel
body’.
He then describes Daisy as having an ‘absurd laugh’. He
also says ‘in a convinced way’ as if he doubts what she
is saying – he seems to patronize her.

29. Nick
As we know that Nick is writing this book from the
perspective of knowing the conclusion already it makes
us wonder what these people have done which has
deserved such a judgment.
This unshared knowledge adds suspense to the book
but also leads us to mistrust the information given to us
by Nick – our narrator.
It is also clear that his opinions are biased by the way he
first describes Gatsby ‘something in his leisurely
movements and the secure position of his feet upon the
lawn suggested that it was Mr. Gatsby himself, come out
to determine what share was his of our local heavens.’

30. Nick
 He later describes Gatsby as having ‘literally glowed’- this is
a strong description which seems to suggest a strong
friendship between the two. Given the outcome of the
character it is difficult to trust the account given by Nick
Carraway though, particularly given the betrayal that led to his
death.
 He uses the words ‘vacuous’ and ‘graceless’ to describe the
society which shows that though he doesn’t want to be part of
it which conflicts with his embarrassment when he find he
doesn’t fit in at Gatsby’s party.
 He seems quite self aware, however, when he described
himself as ‘snobbishly’ repeating that ‘a sense of fundamental
decencies is parceled out unequally at birth – this suggests a
conflict within the character and instantly makes the character
seem more biased, but somehow more human and real in his
accounts.

31. Key Words for Nick
Impartial- Nick could be described as impartial
throughout the novel. He is able to have a view
of both lifestyles: The “traditional” one then that
Tom Buchanan leads in East Egg, and the life of
prosperity and new wealth of Gatsby in West
Egg.
Bias- You could say that Nick is biased towards
the lifestyle Gatsby, in the more positive sense.
This is because he’s seen and witnessed the
decadent and superficial lifestyles that the
Buchanans and families of inherited wealth from
East Egg.

32. Key Words for Nick
Emotionless- Throughout the novel we never
see Nick Comment on his relationship with
Jordan. We know that he formed a small
relationship with her, but we never hear what he
really thinks about her. Maybe it’s because she’s
dishonest and follows the same kind of life as
Daisy and Tom.
Admiration- Nick holds a lot of admiration for
Gatsby, with the idea of new wealth and the fact
he worked for his money not gained through
inherited wealth, and the fact that he is the
definition of the American Dream.

33. Nick’s attitude towards Gatsby - 1
“Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an
unaffected scorn.” Nick ridicules Gatsby’s lavish, vulgar
parties and the way he has achieved his ‘new money’.
“…an extraordinary gift for hope”. Nick admires Gatsby’s
motivation, sense of desire and purpose. Unlike those
around him, Gatsby’s life has a final aim, a quest, which
is to pursue Daisy.
His intention is to recapture their romance from the past,
in the future. Nick describes him as “an over-wound
clock”. Like Gatsby is trying to turn back the years.

34. Nick’s attitude towards Gatsby - 2
“I disapproved of him from beginning to end”
Nick frowns on Gatsby’s shady underworld
connections and the way Gatsby has re-invented
himself as a result of achieving his fortune. In
Nick’s opinion, the materialistic, selfish side of
the American Dream.
“There was something gorgeous about him” Nick
is drawn to the character of Gatsby. This
suggests a possibility that Nick is homosexual.
Nick’s attraction to Gatsby could be the reason
he has been comprelled to write a book about
him.

35. Nick’s attitude towards Gatsby - 3
“The Great Gatsby” It’s through Nick’s
narration Gatsby is portrayed as ‘great’
and it is only through Nick that we know
Gatsby. Therefore we as the reader gain a
biased view of all the characters within the
novel as they are perceived through the
eyes of Nick. From Nick’s views we not
only learn about the nature of the
characters but also the persona of Nick
himself.

36. Why Tell the Story? Why did Fitzgerald choose Nick to tell the
story as a writer?
Nick tells the story after the events have occurred. He
describes the characters in an honest way; however I
think he is judgmental towards Daisy because of his
admiration for Nick.
I think his admiration for Nick is not in a sexual way but a
way of aspiring to be like him. Gatsby’s wealth is new
money and Nick is more traditional in his values and
morals. At the end of the novel Nick almost takes the
place of Gatsby.
‘It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation
was wealthy enough to do that’ Nick almost has envy
over Tom by the way he has a ridiculous amount of
money.

37. Why Tell the Story? Why did Fitzgerald choose Nick to tell the
story as a writer?
‘Just remember that all the people in this World haven’t
had the advantages that you’ve had.’
‘I’m inclined to reserve all judgments’ At the beginning of
the novel Nick explains how his father passed down the
words and not necessarily the wealth like Tom’s parents.
However, to Nick, these words are far more important
than the wealth. Although he insists he will reserve all
judgments, this does not happen. He is very judgmental,
especially to woman like Jordan and Daisy.
‘I was rather literary in college’ Again a trust in Nick from
the beginning about his knowledge and education.

38. Key Words - Gatsby
•‘If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was
something gorgeous about him’ (Nick)
•‘They’re a rotten crowd,’ ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together’
(Nick)
•‘He would never so much as look at a friend’s wife’ (Mr Wolfshiem)
•‘Represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn’ (Nick)
•‘You must know Gatsby’ (Nick) ‘What Gatsby?’ (Daisy)
•‘There is the kind of man you’d like to take home and introduce to your Mother
and Sister’ (Mr Wolfshiem)
•‘Don’t you call me “old sport”!’ (Tom)
•‘He told me once he was an Oxford man’……’However I don’t believe it’
(Jordan)
•‘I think he killed a man’ (Jordan)
•‘He smiled like a weather man’ (Nick)
•‘I wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him, after all’ (Nick)

39. Key Words – Gatsby
•‘Old sport’
•‘I’m afraid I’m not a very good host’
•‘Your wife doesn’t love you, she loves me’
•‘I keep it always full of interesting people’
•‘Materialistic’
•‘Mysterious’
•‘His face broke into that radiant understanding smile’ (Nick)
•‘He's a bootlegger’ (Girls)
•‘I knew I had discovered a man of fine breeding’ (Mr
Wolfshiem)
•‘My eyes picked him out obscurely’ (Nick)
‘His face broke into that radiant and understanding smile’
(Nick)

40. ‘2 Gatsbys’ Comparison Jay Gatsby James Gatz
Beach Activities “Jay Gatsby who borrowed a
row-boat, pulled out to
Tuolome.”
“James Gatz who had been
loafing along the beach”
Name “Jay” or “Gatsby” “Jimmy”or”James”
Wealth “two huge places rented for
twelve or fifteen thousand a
season.” Rich
“penniless young man”
Handwriting “majestic hand” “printed”
Direction Lost – fragility of the American
Dream.
Striving for the American Dream
and Daisy’s love.
Past Pastless, subject of gossip,
private.
Has a past, is a real person.
War “German spy” A war hero in the American
Army
Clothes “a pink suit” “a torn jersey and a pair of
canvas pants.”
Opinion “fine appearing gentlemanly
young man”
“Mr. Nobody from Nowhere’
Realism An enigma, not real, a creation. Real, you can relate to him
positive.
Death Both linked in death referred to
as both “Gatsby” and “Jimmy”
Both linked in death referred to
as both “Gatsby” and “Jimmy”