1. The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

2. Themes found in the novel:
Materialism
Appearance vs. Reality/Artificial Society
The death of the American Dream
Moral Bankruptcy
Gender Issues
Social Class Stereotypes
Fitzgerald Mini Bio

3. Who’s Who in The Great Gatsby: Character Notes Part 1
Nick Carraway Nick is the hardest character to understand in the book because he is the narrator and will therefore only give us an impression of himself that he would like to give. He tells the reader “I am one of the few honest people I have ever known,” but we see him lie on several occasions. So it is all but impossible to get an accurate picture of Nick.

4. Daisy Buchannan:
Daisy is trapped woman. She’s trapped in a marriage that she is unhappy in and trapped in a world where she has no chance to be free or independent. She is at the mercy of her husband, a man who takes her for granted. Daisy is also terribly clever, however, delivering some of the funnier lines of the book. When a reader looks at the foolishness and shallowness of Daisy they must realize that Daisy may be doing it out of necessity. As she said when she delivered her daughter, “that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Daisy is smart enough to understand the limits imposed on her and has become jaded and indulgent because of them.

5. Tom Buchannan: the “polo player”
Being born into a family that is wealthy has made Tom a spoiled man. He hasn’t really worked a day in his life and instead spends his days in indulgence and ease. This is what motivates Tom’s gratification. He has a shameless affair because it satisfies his needs. He flaunts her and their relationship in public because he does not concern himself with the consequences of his actions; he’s never had to.

6. Jordan Baker:
Jordan faces the same problems that Tom and Daisy do. She has been born with money and has lived in a culture full of money and has been spoiled by it. She is surrounded by people like the Buchannans who perpetuate her indulgent behavior.

7. Symbols:
East Egg and West Egg: One of the most important themes in the novel is class and social standing. It is a barrier for almost every character. East and West Egg act as symbols of this in their physical makeup. Tom and Daisy live on the East, which is far more refined and well bred. Nick and Gatsby live on the West, which is for people who don’t have any real standing even if they do have money.

9. Valley of Ashes:
First introduced in Chapter 2, the Valley of Ashes between West Egg and New York City consists of a long stretch of desolate land created by the dumping of industrial ashes and waste. It represents the moral social decay that results from the shameless pursuit of wealth, as the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure. The valley of ashes also symbolizes the plight of the poor, like George and Myrtle Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their vitality as a result.

10. Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg:
Fitzgerald uses the word “careless” a lot in describing most of the people and events in this book. There seems to be no fear of consequence, of judgement. So who is doing the judging? That is, in part, what the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are there for. These eyes are from a billboard that looks over Wilson’s garage. They are always mentioned whenever Nick is there and look over the characters and their actions, objectively, but offer a kind of judgment.

11. The Green Light:
The green light is a multi-faceted piece of symbolism in the book. It’s most obvious interpretation is that the light is symbolic of Gatsby’s longing for Daisy, but that is too simplistic. Daisy is part of it, but the green light means much more. Gatsby spent his whole life longing for something better: money, success, acceptance, and Daisy. And no matter how much he has he never feels complete. Even when he has his large house full of interesting people and all of their attention, he still longs for Daisy. He created in his dreams for the future a place for her and he will not be content unless he has her. So the green light stands for all of Gatsby’s longings and wants. And when Nick talks about the green light at the end of the book he says “It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…” he connects the green light to all people. Everyone has something that they long for and search for that is just off in the distance. That is the green light.

12. Weather:
Weather in The Great Gatsby unfailingly matches the emotional and narrative tone of the story:  (Ch. 5) Gatsby and Daisy's reunion begins amid a pouring rain, proving awkward and melancholy; their love reawakens just as the sun begins to come out

13. Weather:
 Ch. 8 Wilson kills Gatsby on the first day of autumn, as Gatsby floats in his pool despite a palpable chill in the air—a symbolic attempt to stop time and restore his relationship with Daisy to the way it was five years before, in  Ch.9. Gatsby’s funeral in the rain

14. Color: Color is used to portray things like wealth, materialism, class or even themes, like hope (the green light).
 The color white is used to show classiness—like the description of Tom and Daisy’s house, or Daisy and Jordan’s dresses (Ch. 1).
 The color gray—showing the lower class describing the Valley of Ashes and the people who live there (George and Myrtle Wilson, Ch. 2).
 The color green is used to show money—like the green leather interior upholstery of Gatsby’s car (Ch. 4).
 The colors gold and silver are used to show flashy materialism—like the silver shirt and gold tie Gatsby wears when he is reunited with Daisy (Ch. 5).
 The multi-colored shirts in Ch. 5 showing Gatsby’s wealth and ability to own so many fine imported shirts.

15. Who’s Who in The Great Gatsby: Character Notes Part 2:
Nick: By the end of the book he is jaded, though. When he and Jordan break up he says, “I am thirty. I’m five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor.” So the experience with Gatsby and the others takes its toll on him and he decides to go back home to the Mid-west. But in the end, the reader cannot be certain of who Nick is.

16. Tom:
He and Daisy escape at the end of the novel. There was a situation they would have to face and they didn’t want to. So they ran into their money, fled the situation, and left it to be dealt with by others. Tom will spend his whole life doing things like that because that is who he is: a careless man who won’t/can’t be bothered by the suffering he causes.

17. Daisy:
The word “careless” also describes Daisy as well. Many of the things she does, the accident with Myrtle in particular, show a woman who is just careless. She has become very much wrapped up in herself. Part of this is due to the fact that she has been spoiled all her life. She was born into money and has had an endless assortment of men who would continue to spoil her. So she has learned to think only of herself without regard for the people that it may hurt.

18. Jordan:
In the scene where she and Nick are driving in the city he calls her a careless driver. She says she doesn’t worry because other people on the road aren’t as careless as she is and makes sure she surrounds herself with people who won’t “crash” into her. It can be seen that Jordan has no concept of accountability and that has been furthered by the people who allow her to go unaccountable.

19. Gatsby:
To understand Gatsby one has to look at not only his true life, but the life that he tried to create for himself. The truth is that he came from poor beginnings and created a fantasy world where he was rich and powerful. Even in his youth Gatsby was not content with what he had. He wanted money so he managed to get it. He wanted Daisy, and she slipped through his fingers.

20. So even when his wealth and stature are at their greatest, he will not be content. He must have Daisy. Yes, there is love. But more than that there is a drive to possess her because that is what he has wanted all these years. She was part of his image for the future and he had to have her. And although Gatsby seems very kind, he is not afraid to be unscrupulous to get what he wants. When he wanted money he was more than willing to become a bootlegger. His drive is what makes him who he is: good and bad. And it is this drive that ends up ruining his life.

21. East Egg and West Egg:
The green light shines from East Egg enticing Gatsby towards what he has always wanted. And Daisy, the woman Gatsby has always wanted, but never gets, live on East Egg. The barrier that the water creates between these worlds is symbolic of the barrier that keeps these people apart from one another and from much of what they want.

22. Valley of Ashes:
The Valley of Ashes resembles something dark and lifeless. Also, the fact that the Wilson live here shows that they are not of such high social standards as the other characters in the novel, who have to lower themselves to this status just to travel through it to get to NY. As a result of fire, ashes stand for destruction and death. At the end of the novel the death of Myrtle in the Valley stands for the pain associated with this area.

23. The Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg:
Forget the Jazz Age
The Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg:
They are placed near Wilson’s because this is where some of the most selfish acts take place: Myrtle’s death, Tom’s affair. All these crimes go unpunished so the eyes look on and remind the characters of the guilt they forget to have for what they have done.