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Sean Walters

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The Great Gatsby - Character Analysis

Nick Carraway

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Age ● Nick Carraway is 29 years of age (later 30 years of age) ● Nick Carraway was born in 1892 in Minnesota, the “Middle-West” of the United States, as the son of a well situated and prominent family.

Education and/or Military Service ● Nick Carraway attended Yale/New Haven. ● Nick then graduated from New Haven in 1915. ● Nick is described as an educated man who wants more out of his life than the Midwest can give him. ● Nick moved to the west, in New York City, to learn more about the bond business. ● Nick Carraway fought in World War I—the Great War. ● More specifically, Nick was sent to France when the United States had entered the Great War in 1917 so that, this way, Nick could fulfill his military service. ● Then in 1922, Nick Carraway moved to New York City to learn the bond business and because the war had changed his perspective of the world.

Occupation ● After Nick was educated at Yale and fought in World War I, he moved to New York City to learn the bond business in 1922 because the Great War that he was involved in had changed his perspective that he had perceived of the world. ● Nick Carraway’s occupation is stated on Wikipedia as: “People in finance”. ● It is also stated that Nick Carraway is simply a “Bondsman”. ● Nick is also apparently an unofficial writer.

Residency or Residencies (could include former ones) ● Nick’s residence in the book during the current timeline is in West Egg, Long Island, New York, United States. ● More specifically, Nick Carraway lived in a house at the very top of West Egg, “only fifty yards from the Sound”, and was squeezed in between two much bigger homes. His house is described as being an eyesore, but only a small eyesore that had been overlooked—and it only cost him eighty dollars a month. ● Beforehand though, Nick was born in Minnesota. ● Also, Nick had lived in Chicago as well.

Relationships – i.e. – who are they connected with and in what way ● Daisy Buchanan is the second cousin of Nick Carraway, who was once removed. ● Nick and Tom Buchanan both attended Yale and knew each other there. ● Nick is supposedly engaged to a women named Jordan in Chicago. ● Nick speaks of his father near the very beginning of the book, but this is really all we have to go off of. ● Nick Carraway’s second cousin, twice removed, is revealed to be Pammy Buchanan, the daughter of Daisy and Tom Buchanan—she plays a pretty small and insignificant role in the novel. ● Nick Carraway’s friends are obviously Daisy and Gatsby, while his enemy is supposedly Tom Buchanan. ● After World War I, Nick Carraway said that he had spent two days with Daisy and Tom Buchanan in Chicago. ● In a way, Nick Carraway is connected to everybody in the novel (especially the main characters in The Great Gatsby), because he is the narrator and he even expresses his opinions, concerns, and thoughts on all of them.

Behavior analysis – combined with what you learned above, describe the character's' behavior – provide insight about what motivates him/her, reasons for their actions, and how they view the world. Use the keywords in bold such as exaggeration, sarcasm, or moralizing in the analysis. Think of this as the "Identity Critical Response" you completed a couple weeks ago, only you are describing a character's' identity and what factors shaped their identity. ● Nick, at the beginning, states that he is inclined to reserve all judgements, which has become a habit that has opened up many curious natures to him and has also made him the “victim of not a few veteran bores.” ● It is very, very interesting to me how Nick Carraway was born into an already wealthy family, but he decided to move to West Egg, where the inhabitant with “new money” lived. ● Nick Carraway shows himself as observant, honest, somewhat judgemental, and self-decrepitating. ● At the end of the first chapter, Nick obviously wants to leave behind existing rumors about him behind himself and move on—this is one of the reason why he even moved East in the first place. ● Nick Carraway’s behavior consists of being extremely observant, quite judgemental actually, but keeping things that he think on the inside most of the time (at least near the beginning of the book), and Nick is very social—he talks with others and learns a lot about them through this way of socializing, which is great for him since he is our, the reader’s, eyes and our narrator.

● I believe that Nick is motivated by both himself, but also even Gatsby because he obviously greatly idolizes Gatsby as a mysterious neighbor at first and a great friend later on. It is all really, really interesting with how it is organized. ● Nick is going to be more motivated to do things that are going to affect people like Daisy and Gatsby (and even Jordan because he likes and has a “crush” on her) in a much more positive way compared to someone like Tom Buchanan. ● Nick Carraway is motivated to help Daisy and Gatsby in getting together since they are his friends and Tom Buchanan is against them both, so, in my opinion, Nick will be motivated to act against Tom Buchanan once he learns all of this.

Description Physically ● Now, we never really get a physical description of Nick Carraway, and with him being the narrator, but not the main character exactly makes this all very hard. ● Nick is perceived as being a young man, most likely a very average looking man—average height, average weight, and average size. He is most likely not “hulking” and big in size like Tom Buchanan. ● Apparently, Nick Carraway is a brunette, has sparkling blue eyes, is tan, has a clean shave, and has delicate features.

Description Mentally ● Nick, in my opinion, likes to observe everything in detail, which makes him a great narrator for us, I would say, and he also likes to keep these observations mostly in his head when they are about someone or something that is related to someone—sure, he is judgemental, but he can keep those judgemental things in his mind instead of outputting these negative things to others or that exact person in question. ● It is certainly trick this one is, because Nick can be deemed as non-judgement on the outside, but on the inside he is quite judgemental of others, I think. ● Nick Carraway is reserved at times, is not judgemental sometimes, he prefers to observe people, he is a little bit of a hypocrite, and he is humble about his privileges (like when he chose to go to West Egg instead of East Egg because he wanted to get to know people that lived in West Egg who were more of the “new money”.

Speech and Sayings

● Nick Carraway’s speech is not anything really special—it is much like others most likely because it is not highlighted by himself in anyway.

● “I am still a little afraid of missing something if I forget that, as my father snobbishly suggested, and I snobbishly repeat, a sense of the fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth.” (1.3)

● “We shook hands and I started away. Just before I reached the hedge I remembered something and turned around. ‘They're a rotten crowd,’ I shouted across the lawn. ‘You're worth the whole damn bunch put together.’” (8.44-45)

● “I decided to call to him. Miss Baker had mentioned him at dinner, and that would do for an introduction. But I didn't call to him, for 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. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness.” (1.152)

● “Most of the big shore places were closed now and there were hardly any lights except the shadowy, moving glow of a ferryboat across the Sound. And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes – a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.” (9.182)

● “And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, 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. 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 – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...and one fine morning–” (9.149)

● “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.’” (1.1-3)

Their Purpose In My Opinion ● Nick Carraway was obviously the narrator in the novel. ● I also believe that Nick’s purpose was to be the eyes of the reader to see into each situation that occurs throughout the book. ● Lastly, I believe that Nick’s purpose for himself was to move East and learn the bond business, but once he meets up with Daisy and Tom Buchanan and learns of their problems and more about Gatsby, he facilitates the rekindling of the romance between Daisy and Gatsby. ● Nick was there to give us, the reader, insight into this story (the observations between Daisy and Gatsby) and to help Daisy and Gatsby get together, while also getting with Jordan because Nick likes Jordan.

Identify As Individuals In My Actual Life? ● Nick Carraway here reminds me of me because I am on the side sometimes just observing the situation (an introvert at times), but also socializing with others and learning more about them—making new friends and observing everything pretty much overall.

Education and/or Military Service ● Jay Gatsby was said to have served in the military, but he did not have any education, connections, or even money, interestingly enough. ● Jay Gatsby enlisted into the military during World War I. ● Gatsby reached the rank of “Major” while he was in the military during the Great War—World War I. ● There were rumors at Gatsby’s first party, that Nick Carraway had attended, saying that Gatsby was the Kaiser's assassin and that he was a German spy who killed for fun during the Great War. ● Apparently Gatsby had attended St. Olaf College for two weeks and Oxford for a few months (I believe this was five months of Oxford).

Occupation ● Jay Gatsby is pretty much a bootlegger and he gets covered by a drug store owner—he does illegal activities throughout his daily life, which seems very, very interesting to me. ● Gatsby was also a yachtsman, a soldier in World War I (at the rank of Major), and an entrepreneur. ● There are many rumors of this man called Gatsby—some say that he was a German spy in the war and others said that he was the Kaiser's assassin (this was all said at the first party of Gatsby’s that Nick Carraway had joined.

Residency or Residencies (could include former ones) ● Jay Gatsby resides in a huge, beautiful mansion, filled with expensive statues, luscious pools, and immense pieces of art, all located in West Egg right next to Nick Carraway and right across the bay from Tom Buchanan and Daisy’s mansion. ● Gatsby had also lived in North Dakota where he was born and lived with his family. ● When Jay Gatsby was just a little boy and he found out that he was born into a poor family in North Dakota, he hated it and wanted to believe that he was the son of God. And so he left them and chased after his dream of becoming a rich man—the son of God.

Parent's backgrounds – i.e. occupation, wealth, etc. ● Generally, he was born into a poor working class family in North Dakota, and this is one of the main reasons why he lives in West Egg—because he is new money. ● Jay Gatsby’s father was Henry C. Gatz, who stated that he was extremely proud of his son's achievement as a self-made millionaire—I mean of course he would! ● Once again, when Jay Gatsby was only a little boy and he found out that he was born into a poor family in North Dakota, he hated it and wanted to believe that he was the son of God. And so he left them and chased after his dream of becoming a rich man—the son of God. He came across a very rich man, a billionaire, named Dan Cody who seemed to be in trouble in his yacht, was drunk, and was about to slam his vessel into the side of a cliff. And so, seeing this opportunity, Jay Gatsby chased after this man to save his life and hopefully, after spending time with Dan Cody, receiving the billionaire’s inheritance. But he sadly did not receive anything really—the family of Dan Cody had received it all and Jay Gatsby had to move on. Then suddenly he became extremely rich and everyone wondered where all of the money was coming from. ● Overall, Jay Gatsby’s parents and/or family was poor and they were only farmers—they were unsuccessful farmers. And Jay Gatsby did not want this to be his life at all—an impoverished, shiftless, and unsuccessful farmer.

Hobbies or Activities ● Jay Gatsby certainly enjoys throwing these huge, glamorous parties at his beautiful mansion and also socializing somewhat with others, but he is really only focused on getting with Daisy.

Relationships – i.e. – who are they connected with and in what way ● I believe that Jay Gatsby’s friends consist of Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker, and Meyer Wolfsheim. ● I also believe that the enemy of Jay Gatsby is Tom Buchanan because he is in love with Daisy, who is married to Tom. ● Also, Jay Gatsby is in love with Daisy. ● Rumors state that Jay Gatsby is the nephew of Kaiser Wilhelm.

Description Physically ● Jay Gatsby looks to be someone who comes off immediately as “special” and “alluring”. ● Gatsby’s smile is described as being “rare” and “full of eternal reassurances”. ● We do not get much information on Gatsby’s appearance, but we are informed that he was tan skin and short hair. Most of Jay Gatsby’s characterization comes through from his actions and dialogue, such as his speech patterns or his elocution. ● Gatsby is "an elegant young rough-neck, a year or two over thirty." ● There is not much else given to us on this man’s physical appearance—Fitzgerald must have wanted these things to be up to the reader’s imagination. ● Jay Gatsby is most likely a very handsome man with beautiful features.

Description Mentally ● Again, Jay Gatsby seemed to be a very calm, good, and genuine person in his younger years (and even still to the current points in the story’s timeline), but somewhere along the line, Gatsby had lost his sense of morality. ● He began to reveal his true self later on in the story and his dark side—he lost his cool at points and shattered his temper, revealing only intense anger inside of him. ● When meeting with Daisy for the first time after five years, Jay Gatsby was extremely nervous, but afterwards he was much more calm and cool with Daisy around him. ● I believe, and would say, that Gatsby was a hopeless romantic, but he was not really mentally unstable.

Role In Novel ● Jay Gatsby is the character in the novel around whom all the action revolves and so, because of this, he is the main protagonist. ● I believe that Jay Gatsby’s role in the novel was to give Nick, our narrator some objectives/goals to do in order for him to achieve his own objective/goal of getting with Daisy. Gatsby’s role is to get with Daisy and to also give Nick purpose throughout the story of course. ● Gatsby was to play the role of the main character that no one knew about in the beginning, but later revealed himself to be so many different things and with a goal of his to get with Daisy and repeat the past!

Big Things They Did and Impacted ● First off, Jay Gatsby invites Nick Carraway to one of his parties to help tell him that he needs a favor to be done for him. ● Gatsby also speaks to Jordan Baker in private and reveals his past history with Daisy to her. ● A little later on, Jay Gatsby tells Jordan Baker to tell Nick Carraway about Daisy and Gatsby’s past, how they had loved each other, and how they were separated for five years. ● In Chapter 5, Jay Gatsby begins to have an affair with Daisy, which will impact Tom Buchanan in a very negative way. ● Jay Gatsby does more shady and suspicious business with Meyer Wolfshiem throughout the story with the strange phone calls and their small meeting they had in the secret bar. ● Gatsby stops throwing his lavish parties, fires his current staff, and hires Meyer Wolfshiem’s people in order to be more discreet and make the affair with Daisy easier, but this also all hints at Gatsby’s illegal work and “criminal doings”. ● Later on, Jay Gatsby tries to get Daisy to tell Tom Buchanan that she never loved him and only loved Gatsby all this time, but she cannot because it is not true and is too much—which angers Jay Gatsby because he does not want to hear that she was in love with Tom Buchanan as well as himself. ● Gatsby takes the blame of hitting Myrtle Wilson in his distinctive yellow car, instead of putting the blame on Daisy, who really hit Myrtle Wilson. ● And because of this (what previously was stated) happening, Tom Buchanan gets George Wilson to think that Gatsby was the one sleeping with his wife, Myrtle, and gets him to get “revenge” on Gatsby, by shooting and killing him, along with shooting himself. ● At Gatsby’s funeral, his father makes a final appearance, sharing some details about Gatsby’s young, early ambition and focus.

Speech and Sayings

● Jay Gatsby seems to speak in a way that makes things seem that they are not very true and this was most likely the reason why others would not believe him (and maybe make up other rumors about him instead?).

● Also, Gatsby likes to call people, especially Nick Carraway, “old sport”.

● “‘If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay,’ said Gatsby. ‘You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.’ Daisy put her arm through his abruptly, but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.” (5.121-122)

● “‘I thought you inherited your money.’

‘I did, old sport,’ he said automatically, ‘but I lost most of it in the big panic – the panic of the war.’

I think he hardly knew what he was saying, for when I asked him what business he was in he answered, ‘That's my affair,’ before he realized that it wasn't the appropriate reply.

‘Oh, I've been in several things,’ he corrected himself. ‘I was in the drug business and then I was in the oil business. But I'm not in either one now.’” (5.97-103)

● “‘I don't think she ever loved him.’ Gatsby turned around from a window and looked at me challengingly. ‘You must remember, old sport, she was very excited this afternoon. He told her those things in a way that frightened her – that made it look as if I was some kind of cheap sharper. And the result was she hardly knew what she was saying.’” (8.22)

● “‘Yes,’ he said after a moment, ‘but of course I'll say I was. You see, when we left New York she was very nervous and she thought it would steady her to drive – and this woman rushed out at us just as we were passing a car coming the other way. It all happened in a minute, but it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to

us, thought we were somebody she knew. Well, first Daisy turned away from the woman toward the other car, and then she lost her nerve and turned back. The second my hand reached the wheel I felt the shock – it must have killed her instantly.’” (7.396-398)

Their Purpose In My Opinion ● In my own opinion, Jay Gatsby was the character in the novel around whom all the action revolves and so, because of this, he was the main protagonist. ● Again, I believe that Jay Gatsby’s purpose in the novel was to give Nick, our narrator some objectives/goals to do in order for him to achieve his own objective/goal of getting with Daisy. Gatsby’s purpose was to get with Daisy and to also give Nick purpose throughout the story of course. ● Once again, Gatsby was to play the role of the main character that no one knew about in the beginning, but later revealed himself to be so many different things and with a goal of his to get with Daisy and repeat the past!

Identify As Individuals In My Actual Life? ● I would say that Jay Gatsby reminds me of the people in my life who are very interest upon first learning about their existence because I want to learn more about them afterwards, like with new friends that I meet everyday who are in the shadows at first, but come out from there because they want to socialize at least a little bit. ● Gatsby is kind of like my friend Garrett Chisholm because he is a very interesting person and I wanted to learn more about him by spending time with him and he can over exaggerate sometimes like Gatsby does at times with his insane life stories and crazy tales.

Education and/or Military Service ● It is not really specified whether she went to college (but I guess since she met with Gatsby and talked with him at school she must have had some kind of education, but it is not a specific one that is told to us, the reader). ● It is also not told to us, the reader, if she was at all involved in the war or any other military service, so she most likely was not involved at all. ● Overall, it is not really known for her education and no military service is the most likely answer.

Occupation ● Daisy Buchanan is wealthy and therefore does not need any kind of job at all, so she does not have any type of occupation because she is extremely wealthy alongside Tom Buchanan. ● Wealthy. ● No job necessary. ● But she can be characterized as being a “trophy wife” for Tom Buchanan.

Residency or Residencies (could include former ones) ● East Egg, Long Island, United States in her and Tom Buchanan’s enormous and beautiful mansion. ● Daisy was born as “Daisy Fay” in 1899 into a wealthy family in Louisville, Kentucky. ● So, based on the previous point, Daisy must have formally resided in Louisville, Kentucky. ● Lastly, since Nick Carraway had said that he had spent two days with Daisy and Tom in Chicago, they must have lived there in Chicago for some time.

Parent's backgrounds – i.e. occupation, wealth, etc. ● The only solid evidence we have on Daisy’s parents, is that they are (or were) rich and that is why she is also very wealthy and was able to marry Tom Buchanan. ● Daisy’s parents must have had a very good job or they did not need a job at all because they were already born into a rich and wealthy family. ● Overall, Daisy’s parent’s backgrounds is that they are (or were) rich and they must have had a good job or they did not need one at all.

Hobbies or Activities ● Daisy enjoys socializing—friends. ● Daisy also enjoys attending parties. ● We are not told of many of Daisy’s hobbies—this kind of stuff is left to speculation in the reader.

Relationships – i.e. – who are they connected with and in what way ● Daisy is the wife of Tom Buchanan, but she is also in love with Jay Gatsby as well as Tom Buchanan—something that took Gatsby by surprise because he thought that she only loved him and not Tom Buchanan at all ever. ● Daisy is also the mother of Pammy Buchanan, her and Tom’s daughter. ● Nick Carraway is the second cousin, once removed, of Daisy and he is her friend as well as being her cousin. ● Daisy is also friends with Jordan Baker. ● Lastly, Daisy must dislike and be enemies with Myrtle Wilson, the woman, or “mistress”, that Tom Buchanan is cheating on Daisy with and having an affair with.

Behavior analysis – combined with what you learned above, describe the character's' behavior – provide insight about what motivates him/her, reasons for their actions, and how they view the world. Use the keywords in bold such as exaggeration, sarcasm, or moralizing in the analysis. Think of this as the "Identity Critical Response" you completed a couple weeks ago, only you are describing a character's' identity and what factors shaped their identity. ● Daisy’s behavior is a strange one. She can be happy at times—such as when she was finally talking with Gatsby and having a good time and when she came over to visit Gatsby at his enormous mansion and she saw how grand and amazing everything was for her—, but then at other times she will be dissatisfied and sad—such as when she went to her first party at Gatsby’s and was not enjoying herself for whatever reason (probably/most likely because she was feeling nervous with having both Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby near each other. ● Daisy can act very, very nervous—completely edgy—, such as when she was trying to say that she never loved Tom and only loved Gatsby, like Gatsby had told her, but she lost her cool and freaked out—kind of like on the morning of her wedding, she freaked—, then she needed fresh air, to breathe, and she just could not say it. ● Overall, Daisy’s behaviors and emotions change drastically all of the time, from being very happy, to freaking out and losing self control. Daisy can go from being