The Great Gatsby: Characters (OCR A Level English Literature)

The Great Gatsby: Characters

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald features a range of characters whose lives are entwined in the wealthy, glamorous and superficial world of 1920s America. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, who becomes the neighbour and confidant of the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby. Each character contributes to the novel’s exploration of themes such as the American Dream. Characters can also be symbolic, representing certain ideas or ideals, so it is essential that you consider:

• how characters are established

• how characters are presented via:

  • actions and motives

  • what they say and think

  • how they interact with others

  • what others say and think about them

  • their physical appearance or description

• how far the characters conform to or subvert stereotypes

• the relationships between characters

• what they might represent

Below you will find detailed character profiles for the major characters in The Great Gatsby, along with a summary of the other significant characters.

Main characters

• Nick Carraway

• Jay Gatsby

• Daisy Buchanan

• Tom Buchanan

Other characters

• Jordan Baker

• Myrtle Wilson

• George Wilson

• Meyer Wolfsheim

Nick Carraway

• Carraway is the narrator of the novel and provides readers with insight into the lives of the other characters:

  • He is an observant character who often watches key moments unfold

• He moves from the Midwest to New York after graduating from Yale University:

  • He wishes to pursue a career in finance

• His involvement with Gatsby begins when he is invited to Gatsby’s party:

  • We soon realise that Gatsby has befriended him to get to his cousin, Daisy, whom Gatsby is in love with

• Though not nearly as wealthy as the other characters, Carraway becomes Gatsby’s neighbour as he rents a cottage next to his mansion:

  • He represents the middle classes and serves as a lens through which readers can examine the excesses of the upper class

• Carraway forms a unique bond with Gatsby:

  • While he is critical of Gatsby’s lifestyle and sceptical about the sources of his wealth, he also admires Gatsby’s idealism

  • Carraway becomes a sympathetic friend to Gatsby, as he begins to understand Gatsby’s longing for the past

• While Carraway is the narrator, it is essential to recognise that he is not entirely objective:

  • His perceptions are influenced by his own biases and experiences, which means that he may not always present events accurately

  • His perspective gives us an insight into the average American grappling with the complexities of the upper classes in the 1920s

• Carraway can be seen as a moral and ethical character in an environment where moral values are eroding:

  • He is critical of the excesses and moral decay of the wealthy, especially in East and West Egg

• Despite his exposure to the extravagant lifestyle to which his acquaintances are accustomed, Carraway maintains a sense of moral integrity:

  • He becomes disillusioned with the people around him and recognises the emptiness and lack of morality beneath the facade of wealth and status

Jay Gatsby

• Gatsby’s character is central to the novel:

  • His past is shrouded in mystery for most of the novel

• He is exceptionally wealthy and hosts extravagant parties at his mansion:

  • He throws these parties to catch the attention of his love, Daisy Buchanan

• Gatsby is deeply in love with Daisy and his entire life revolves around his pursuit of the American Dream and the idealistic rekindling of his past romance with Daisy:

  • His idealism is evident in his belief that his wealth and success will win back Daisy and help him recreate and rewrite his past with her

• Gatsby develops a close friendship with Nick Carraway, confiding in him and trusting him with his secrets:

  • Carraway becomes both a friend and a confidant, providing a lens through which readers gain insight into Gatsby’s character

• Gatsby’s true identity is revealed later in the novel:

  • We are told that his name was James Gatz and he was born to poor farmers

• Gatsby’s wealth is acquired through mysterious and possibly illegal means, with rumours linking him to organised crime:

  • His friendship with Meyer Wolfsheim is an example of how he may be linked to criminal activity

• Despite his wealth and social standing, Gatsby is ultimately a lonely and isolated figure

  • It appears that his only true goal is to attract Daisy’s attention and win her back

  • This leaves him detached from everyone else and it is evident that he has no deep connection with anyone

• Gatsby exudes confidence and charm:

  • He can appear composed and self-assured, particularly during his parties

  • However, his confidence masks his internal insecurities and vulnerabilities 

• Gatsby’s character follows the classic archetype of the tragic hero, with his fatal flaw being his unrelenting pursuit of an unattainable dream:

  • His tragic end results from a combination of his own illusions, such as his dream of being with Daisy, and the societal values of an era that is driven by money and extravagance

• Gatsby embodies the pursuit of the American Dream, representing the belief that anyone can achieve success and happiness through hard work and determination:

  • However, through his character, Fitzgerald also critiques the materialism and superficiality associated with that time period

• Gatsby is shot by George Wilson, who believes Gatsby was driving the car that killed his wife Myrtle

• His death marks the tragic culmination of his unrequited love and failed pursuit of the American Dream

Daisy Buchanan

• Daisy Buchanan is the narrator’s cousin and is married to Tom Buchanan, an extremely wealthy man of high social standing

• She is described as exceptionally beautiful and charming, embodying the ideal of feminine allure during the Jazz Age:

  • Her attractiveness captivates both Gatsby and Tom Buchanan

• Daisy and Gatsby had a romantic relationship before she married Tom:

  • Gatsby enlisted as a soldier and it was during this time that she agreed to marry Tom

• Despite her clear love for Gatsby, Daisy is unable to break away from the security and social status that she has with Tom

• She engages in an affair with Gatsby, but chooses to stay with Tom when confronted:

  • This emphasises her love for the wealth and security she has with Tom

• Daisy is portrayed as shallow and superficial, prioritising wealth and social status over deeper values:

  • It is evident that her marriage to Tom is largely based on his wealth rather than her love for him

• She could be seen as an unattainable character and she becomes a symbol of the unattainable American Dream for Gatsby

• Daisy is a mother to a daughter named Pammy, but her role as a mother is portrayed as neglectful and indifferent:

  • She is more focused on her own desires and social status than on maternal responsibilities 

• Daisy is emotionally unstable as she is torn between her feelings for Gatsby and her commitment to Tom

• Her indecisiveness contributes to the tragic events in the novel, as she cannot choose between Gatsby and Tom 

• Daisy’s actions, particularly her involvement in the hit-and-run accident that leads to Myrtle Wilson’s death, contribute to the tragic outcome of the novel:

  • Her lack of accountability and willingness to let Gatsby take the blame underscore her moral ambiguity 

Tom Buchanan

• Tom Buchanan is born into a wealthy, aristocratic family and it is clear that his wealth and social status shape his worldview and sense of entitlement:

  • He believes in his inherent superiority due to his wealth and social standing

  • He looks down on those he considers socially inferior, including Gatsby and the residents of the Valley of Ashes

• Tom is physically imposing and athletic, reflecting the idealised masculinity of the time:

  • His physical strength is used to exert control over others, particularly in confrontations 

• His aggressive and violent tendencies are evident in his confrontations with characters such as Gatsby and his mistreatment of Myrtle Wilson:

  • His physical aggression could highlight the toxic masculinity prevalent in the novel

• Tom is involved in extramarital affairs, including his relationship with Myrtle Wilson:

  • His affairs reveal his disregard for traditional moral values and his sense of entitlement to pursue pleasure without consequences 

• He exerts his control over Daisy, treating her as a possession rather than an equal partner:

  • His dominance in the marriage reflects the power dynamics prevalent in the upper class during the 1920s

• Tom becomes the primary antagonist to Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy:

  • He is aware of Gatsby’s love for his wife and actively tries to end the relationship

  • The conflict between Tom and Gatsby is symbolic of the clash between old money, such as Tom’s, and new money, such as Gatsby’s, in American society

• He exhibits a lack of empathy and concern for the well-being of others, particularly those outside his social class:

  • He is openly racist and expresses prejudiced views, highlighting the racial and social tensions of that time

  • He also represents the attitudes that were prevalent within his social class during the 1920s

• Tom’s flaws are his arrogance and sense of entitlement, which contribute to the tragic events of the novel:

  • He is the one who tells Wilson that the car that killed his wife was owned by Gatsby

  • His inability to see beyond his own desires and prejudices leads to Gatsby’s demise and Wilson’s tragic ending

Other characters

Jordan Baker

• Jordan is friends with Daisy, and it is through this connection that she becomes acquainted with Nick Carraway and Gatsby

• Her friendship with Daisy places her in the social circles of the wealthy in East Egg

• Jordan is a professional golfer, known for her skills on the golf course:

  • Her athletic abilities and success in a conventionally male-dominated sport make her a unique character in the novel

• Jordan embodies the “New Woman” of the 1920s, as she is independent, has a career and rejects traditional gender roles

• She is presented as a cynical and detached character, often observing events and people with a critical eye

• She becomes romantically involved with the narrator, Nick Carraway:

  • However, their relationship is devoid of any deep emotional connection

  • This could reflect the superficial nature of the time period and is similar to many of the other relationships in the novel

Myrtle Wilson

• Myrtle is Tom Buchanan’s mistress and the affair is a significant subplot in the novel

• Her husband, George Wilson, is unaware of the affair until later and does not know who she is having the affair with:

  • At the end of the novel, he senses her betrayal, which contributes to the tragic end of the novel

• Tom uses Myrtle for his own pleasure and to escape the constraints of his marriage:

  • It is evident that Tom does not have any serious love for her and he views her as a means of fulfilling his desires

  • The power dynamic in their relationship underscores the inequality and exploitation that is evident in the novel

• Her life takes a tragic turn when she is hit and killed by Gatsby’s car, driven by Daisy:

  • Her death becomes a turning point in the novel, as it leads to a series of tragic events

• Myrtle becomes a tragic victim as her desire for a better life leads to her sudden death:

  • It can be seen as a commentary on the destructive nature of social aspirations

• She aspires to climb the social ladder and escape her modest life by associating with the wealthy upper class:

  • Her affair with Tom is a means of achieving that

  • It can be inferred that Myrtle is attracted to the materialistic and luxurious world represented by Tom and his wealth 

  • Both Tom and Myrtle are using each other to escape their day-to-day lives

George Wilson

• George Wilson is a working-class man who owns a garage in the area, known as the Valley of Ashes

• George is married to Myrtle, who is having an affair with Tom Buchanan, and aspires to move up the social ladder:

  • As a result, their marriage is strained

• George is portrayed as a simple and naive character, as he is unaware of the details of his wife’s affair

• Goerge becomes a tragic victim of the events in the novel, particularly the affair between Tom and his wife

• After the death of his wife Myrtle, George becomes consumed by grief and desperation:

  • He is determined to find the person responsible for the hit and run, which leads him to Gatsby

  • In his grief and rage, he fatally shoots Gatsby before taking his own life

• George and Gatsby are similar characters as they are both striving for a better life and are victims of social inequalities of the time:

  • Their parallels highlight the struggles faced by individuals in the novel

• His character represents the marginalised and downtrodden in society who are in pursuit of the American Dream

Meyer Wolsheim

• Wolfsheim is a business associate and mentor to Gatsby:

  • He has had significant influence on Gatsby’s life and can be credited for helping to shape Gatsby’s financial success

• He is linked to Gatsby’s past and his presence in the novel hints at the illegal and questionable ways through which Gatsby acquired his fortune

• It is implied that he is involved in organised crime and illegal activities:

  • Gatsby hints that he may have fixed the 1919 World Series

• Wolfsheim is introduced to the narrator, Nick Carraway, during a lunch with Gatsby

• The extent of his influence on Gatsby’s life is not explicitly stated, though it can be inferred that it is significant 

• Wolfsheim serves as a symbol of the corruption and moral decay associated with wealth in the 1920s:

  • His character highlights the darker side of the American Dream and the lengths people will go to in order to achieve it