gatsby 1-3 notes

Nick Carraway

The narrator of the story, originally from Minnesota, morally privileged, and nonjudgmental, who moves to New York in 1922.

West Egg

A setting representing 'new money' where Nick and Gatsby live, characterized by flaunting wealth but lacking aristocratic sophistication.

East Egg

A location symbolizing 'old money' and social elitism, home to the Buchanans.

Tom Buchanan

Wealthy, arrogant character who has an affair and represents the moral decay of East Egg.

Daisy Buchanan

Tom's wife, cynical and dissatisfied, who hopes her daughter will be a 'beautiful little fool'.

Gatsby's Green Light

A symbol of Gatsby's unattainable desires and his yearning for an idealized past.

The Valley of Ashes

A desolate area representing moral decay beneath the wealth of the Eggs, marked by Dr. T.J. Eckleburg's eyes.

Moral Decay

A theme exemplified by the Valley of Ashes, highlighting the hidden poverty and decay within capitalist success.

Gatsby's Party

Extravagant events that symbolize excess and revelry, where Gatsby remains an enigmatic figure watching from afar.

Illusion of Wealth

A theme contrasting inherited wealth of East Egg with the flashy new money of West Egg, represented by Gatsby's lifestyle.

Social Class and Identity

A theme that explores Nick's discomfort with the dishonest East Coast society and his Midwestern values.

Tom’s Affair with Myrtle

Tom's relationship with Myrtle Wilson that reveals moral decay and ends in violent outburst when her name is mentioned.