The Great Gatsby Character Analysis

621 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Narratology in the Great Gatsby

“How helpless we are, like netted birds, when we are caught in desire” by Belva Plain. If there is something that someone cares more about getting rather than how they do it, wouldn’t that start issues? Perhaps the means of getting it involves the person making a fool of their self, or perhaps starting fights. This is Gatsby in the Great Gatsby, for Gatsby pays more attention to getting Daisy, his desire, rather than to his common sense. Because Gatsby missed Daisy so much, his love developed absurdly over the 5 years he hasn’t seen her. While Gatsby was showing his house to Daisy, he surprised her by saying, “Here’s a lot of clippings - about you” (Fitzgerald 93). Gatsby, completely oblivious to how strange this is, kept pictures of Daisy for 5 years so he could remind himself of her. Gatsby didn’t even see anything weird in keeping the photos. Following this, when Jordan and Nick are talking after they left Gatsby’s party, Jordan tells nick, “Gatsby bought the house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (Fitzgerald 85). What this means is that Gatsby, after 5 years, found Daisy and moved near her, only because he missed her. Even though Gatsby moving near her is considered strange, his …show more content…

After Gatsby met Tom he claimed, “I know your wife” (Fitzgerald 102). Before Gatsby went to the war, he was short-time lovers with Daisy, After the war though, he met Daisy’s husband, Tom. This started problems with Gatsby because he wanted what Tom had, but he couldn’t have it. This would eventually lead to disputes between the two, all over Daisy. After Gatsby’s party, Gatsby tells Nick “I’m going to call up Daisy tomorrow… to invite her over here for tea” (Fitzgerald 82). Gatsby doesn’t have intentions to be friends with Nick, but rather to use him to get to his love. This shows that Gatsby isn’t quite gentleman he claims to be. These quotes show that Gatsby would choose to be selfish rather than to be a good

Show More
Related

  • The Emotional, Mental, and Physical Journey in The Great Gatsby

    529 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nick Carraway stayed out of the way when he sensed that there was going be drama coming. This kept him from losing his sanity and allowed him to witness the others as they went insane. Gatsby was one of the many that Nick had witnessed go through a mental phase. It all started when Gatsby met Daisy. That is where everything went wrong for Gatsby, is when he joined the wrong group of people. Everything could have been better if Gatsby would have just stayed away from Daisy. Daisy already had a husband, Tom Buchanan. Gatsby should have stayed away from a married woman and Daisy should have stayed away from having an affair with Gatsby. Mentally, this made Tom feel insecure and jealous but he knew that he could not do anything about it because he is doing the same thing. That would make Tom a hypocrite. G...

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Book And Movie Analysis

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fitzgerald played with the reader's mind wanting us to believe that maybe Nick should have been with Mrs Baker as he says “Her gray,sun strained eyes stared straight ahead,but she had deliberately shifted our relations. And for a moment I thought I loved her” (Fitzgerald 58).Even after the death of Mr jay gatsby the author still puts in our head that maybe they still can have a relationship “Usually her voice came over the wire as something fresh and cool, as if a divot from a green golf-links had come sailing in at the office window, but this morning it seemed harsh and dry. “I’ve left Daisy’s house,” she said. “I’m at Hempstead, and I’m going down to Southampton this afternoon.” Probably it had been tactful to leave Daisy’s house, but the act annoyed me, and her next remark made me rigid. “You weren’t so nice to me last night.” “How could it have mattered then?” Silence for a moment. Then: However— I want to see you.” “I want to see you, too.” “Suppose I don’t go to Southampton, and come into town this afternoon?” “No— I don’t think this afternoon”(Fitzgerald 155).Sadly the movie fails to show this romantic relationship these two characters had.In the movie version thier relationship appears to be based on friendship,rather than

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    “You can’t repeat the past?... Why of course you can.” (110 This enduring quote from the famous novel The Great Gatsby by none other than F. Scott Fitzgerald stirs the mind and imagination in wonder of the very character who had uttered these words. Infamous Gatsby is the mysterious man behind the lavish and enthralling parties; a man who made his money and his image in that of a king. But, who is this mysterious man? How did he receive the great fortune of developing all of which he had possessed? He had it all, but we are on the outside looking in; did this man with everything really have nothing at all? If Jay Gatsby is the real person we see him to be, then James Gatz is nonexistent. The day that the world had gained Gatsby, it had also lost James Gatz. There is a mysterious motive behind every move Jay Gatsby makes; these meticulously planned out moves will ultimately lead to an unfortunate and untimely demise.

    Read More

  • Who Is Fitzgerald Present Nick's Judgment In The Great Gatsby

    606 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nick’s father said “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had.” This verbal guidance passed on to Nick by his father is put into play every time Nick meets someone. Nick never judged anyone even after having secrets being revealed to him. One of these secrets would be when Tom introduces Nick to his mistress, Myrtle. Tom trusts Nick with this information because of Gatsby’s reserved judgments. On the other side, Nick initiates controversial contact between Tom’s wife, Daisy, and Gatsby. Both Daisy and Gatsby trust Nick to keep this relationship secret because Gatsby will not judge. The ability to reserve judgment, that was passed on to Nick from his father, keeps Nick at a neutral stand point between Tom and Daisy’s relationship; he never judges their doings as being immoral or more unjust than the others. Without the advice previously given to Nick by his father, Gatsby and Daisy do not trust Tom and therefor nothing ever happens between the two. Gatsby’s reserved judgments creates the foundation for the main story

    Read More

  • Nick's Evolving Perceptions of Gatsby in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

    649 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the beginning of the book Nick sees Gatsby as a mysterious shady man. In the beginning of the chapter Nick somewhat resents Gatsby. In Nick’s opinion Gatsby was the representation of “…everything for which I have unaffected scorn.” (Fitzgerald 2). Nick sees Gatsby as what he hates the most in life, rich folk. Since the start of the novel it was obvious that had “Disapproved of him from beginning to end.” (Fitzgerald 154). As time passes, Nick realizes his neighbor has quite a mysterious past. Some think he’s a bootlegger, and a different person wa...

    Read More

  • Examples Of The Green Light In The Great Gatsby

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    While they are hanging out, Gatsby introduces himself to Nick, so they talk for a little while. Gatsby then requests to speak to Jordan alone, and Nick is somewhat jealous. After their meeting, Jordan informs Nick about Gatsby’s past and how he knew Daisy. Gatsby told Jordan that he and Daisy met in Louisville, Kentucky in 1917, and he has loved her ever since. The reason that he stares at the green light across the bay is because it is a green light from Daisy’s dock. The only reason Gatsby throws such extravagant parties is because he wants Daisy to notice them and to pull her in. Unfortunately, she has not come to one party of his. Gatsby shares this information with Jordan and asks her to ask Nick if it would be okay to make a rendezvous at Nick’s house for Gatsby and Daisy. Nick is fine with the idea, so he invites Daisy over for tea without telling her that Gatsby would be there. The reunion was awkward at first, but they restore their love connection and begin an affair.

    Read More

  • ENG ISU

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    The two main characters presented in the novel are Gatsby and Nick. Gatsby is shown as a very mysterious individual, many people do not know whom Gatsby is. However he is a well-known individual who has many rumors going around about him and his background such as “Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once” (Fitzgerald, 45). There are not many physical description of Gatsby but Nick described him as “He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself” (Fitzgerald, 49) from what Nick said it shows that Gatsby has a trustworthy appearance. We learn that Gatsby’s parents were farmers who were very poor but Gatsby was still very ambitious and he wanted to live “THE AMERICAN DREAM”. Gatsby whole purpose in life after loosing Daisy due to going to the war was to get Daisy back and live a perfect life with her. Nick is the narrator of the novel who reflects on his experience with Gatsby. Nick often views himself as a “Well rounded man” (Fitzgerald, 10) because he thinks he is open minded, tolerant, and a good listener because of this Gatsby reveals his true identity and tells Nick about his past and personal affairs. Nicks main purpose in the book was too guide Gatsby in getting Daisy and being by his side. As a friend Nick tries to tell Gatsby that his idea of getting Daisy back is foolish this also shows that Nick was a true friend by looking out for his friend. In comparing the novel to th...

    Read More

  • Personalities In The Great Gatsby

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gatsby’s life story is continuously questioned by Nick because of slight tendencies that Gatsby shows. Despite his wealth, Gatsby acts differently than his wealthy counterparts. During the first party that Nick attends, the other attendees start out acting very civil, but they slowly become partiers later in the text. They drink heavily and all the wives begin to fight with their husbands. While they interact very socially with each other, not everyone is quite sure who Gatsby is. For part of the night, Gatsby is described as watching all the events. Nick states, “I could see nothing sinister about him. I wonder if the fact that he was not drinking helped to set him off from his guests, for it seemed to me that he grew more correct as the fraternal hilarity increased” (Fitzgerald 50). From this quote, the fact that Gatsby acting different is assigned to the fact that he has not been drinking, but even earlier during the party when Nick meets Gatsby, he describes him as “an elaborate elegant young roughneck, a year or two over thirty, whose elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd. Some time before he introduced himself I’d got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care” (Fitzgerald 48). Nick later admits that “I would have accepted without question the information that Gatsby sprang from the swamps of Louisiana or from the lower East Side of New

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Great Gatsby

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922. The story primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his quixotic passion for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. Considered to be Fitzgerald's magnum opus, The Great Gatsby explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream.

    Read More

  • Lack Of Personal Interests In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nick believes that the close proximity of Gatsby’s house to Daisy’s house is a coincidence until Jordan says, “It wasn’t a coincidence at all… Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay… [Gatsby] wants to know, if you’ll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come over” (78). Nick realizes that Gatsby has planned every move of his goal out strategically. Gatsby has spent tremendous time and effort making the “perfect” reunion with Daisy by throwing lavish parties and creating superficial friendships with Daisy’s relatives. Therefore, Gatsby views Nick as another pawn in his master plan and not as a true friend. All of his friendships are stepping stones for him rather than meaningful relationships. Gatsby offers to compensate Nick for his help, a sign that their friendship is based more on rewards than on mutual support. Nick realizes that Gatsby does not know how to truly show compassion. Gatsby has never had a real friendship; he believes that a bond is made of materialistic characteristics. Likewise, Nick wants to know why Gatsby fired all of his long-time servants and Gatsby says, “I wanted somebody who wouldn’t gossip. Daisy comes over quite often - in the afternoon” (114). Gatsby’s servants are long-time acquaintances and he has a bond with them, but he destroys it in order to please Daisy. Gatsby inherently chooses a girl that

    Read More

  • Who Is The Great Gatsby Not So Happily Ever After

    315 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Daisy and Gatsby start to fall in love. Gatsby bought the house across the bay so Daisy would be close. When Daisy, Nick, and Gatsby have lunch at Nick’s, but before the lunch Gatsby send someone over to Nick's to mow the grass and put fresh flowers up to impress Daisy. When Daisy finally arrives at Nick’s, Gatsby starts to get really nervous. They start to talk and Daisy brings up that they have not seen each other in about 5 years. They decided to go to Gatsby’s house, he gives Daisy and nick a tour of his house, Gatsby brings up that they could see her house if the weather was better. Nick is always in awkward positions. Nick says, “They had forgotten me,

    Read More

  • Great Gatsby Quotes

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Apparently being wealthy is not all Gatsby wants, but also wants love from Daisy. He loves her so much he wants her to break Tom’s heart and come with him. This man is clever and cold hearted like Lord Voldemort and Sauron. Jordan glanced at Nick and told him in a calm tone, “Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay” (Fitzgerald 78). Gatsby’s way of being in love with Daisy is to be a creepy stalker, never giving her space and always spying on her.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of 'The Great Gatsby'

    897 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jay Gatsby’s funeral is a small service, not because that 's what was intended, but because no one bothered to show up. Nick wanted to give Gatsby the popularity he desired, even in death, but only three people were present in the end. Gatsby’s father, Henry C. Gatz, shows up unexpectedly from Minnesota because he heard about the news in the papers. He believes that the man who shot his son must 've been mad, that no one in their right mind could commit such a horrible act. Daisy and Wolfsheim, the people closest to Gatsby in the book, do not attend. This exemplifies that it was always about wealth and social status for them, including Tom, and they never genuinely cared for Gatsby. Nick held up hope,

    Read More

  • Daisy's Love In The Great Gatsby

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    Daisy’s original impression of Gatsby is evident in her early letters to him, “...he had deliberately given Daisy a sense of security; he let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herself- that he was fully able to take care of her” (149). Daisy loved Gatsby under the false hope that they belonged to the same social class. She grew up surrounded by riches, never working a day in her life, and she could not comprehend the struggles of a man who must work for the food he eats each day. Daisy knew that she must marry when she is beautiful, for being a beautiful rich girl of good social standing was her highest commodity and most valuable chip in marrying well. In order to live a secure life, she had to find someone the had the means to provide for her extravagant lifestyle, and the deep care for her that would allow Daisy to do as she pleased. The only definition of love Daisy knew was one of disillusioned power and commitments under false pretenses in order to keep the wealthy continually rich. Daisy acknowledges the false pretenses of marriage for the wealthy in how she describes her daughter’s future. She tells Nick, “‘And I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Essay On The Great Gatsby

    624 Words  | 2 Pages

    When it came time where he published The Great Gatsby and got his wife, Zelda,

    Read More

More about The Great Gatsby Character Analysis

Open Document