The Great Gatsby Study Set: Pages 1–39

Nick Carraway

Narrator; fought in WWI; went to Yale; from Minnesota; "honest" and tolerant; lives in a small house in West Egg next to Gatsby's mansion.

Tom Buchanan

Very wealthy; played football at Yale; has a "cruel body" and "arrogant eyes"; racist and sexist; owns a string of polo ponies.

Daisy Buchanan

Nick's second cousin; speaks softly to draw people in; says she's "sophisticated" and "cynical"; claims "the best thing a girl can be is a beautiful little fool."

Jordan Baker

Professional golfer; slender and "bored"; dishonest (Nick suspects she cheated in a golf tournament); aloof and elegant.

Jay Gatsby

Only seen from a distance in Ch. 1; out on his lawn, reaching for the green light at the end of Daisy's dock; associated with mystery and hope.

Myrtle Wilson

Tom's mistress; described as having a "thickish figure"; lives in the valley of ashes; changes personality when in NYC.

George Wilson

Myrtle's husband; pale and spiritless; owns a garage and gas station; unaware of the affair.

West Egg

"New money"; flashy, less refined; Gatsby and Nick live here.

East Egg

"Old money"; traditional, snobby; Tom and Daisy live here.

Nick's House

Described as "an eyesore"; a small weather-beaten shack between mansions.

Gatsby's Mansion

Huge imitation of a French Hôtel de Ville; has a tower and marble pool.

Valley of Ashes

A stretch of desolate land between West Egg and NYC; covered in ash and soot.

T.J. Eckleburg's Eyes

Faded billboard with giant blue eyes and yellow glasses; looming and godlike.

Green light

Gatsby's unreachable dream (Daisy); hope; future.

Ashes

Moral and social decay from pursuit of wealth.

Eyes of T.J. Eckleburg

Loss of spiritual values; God watching over a corrupt world.

White dresses (Daisy & Jordan)

Superficial purity and wealth.

"They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money..."

Nick's judgment of Tom and Daisy (later line, but foreshadowed).

"I hope she'll be a fool — that's the best thing a girl can be in this world."

Daisy, referring to her daughter.

"You make me feel uncivilized, Daisy."

Nick, reacting to the Buchanan's extravagance.

"This Mr. Gatsby you spoke of is my neighbor—"

Nick hints that Gatsby is a big mystery.

Tom reads "The Rise of the Colored Empires"

A racist, pseudo-scientific book.

Daisy's voice

Described as "thrilling" and "full of money."

Gatsby's hand trembles

When he reaches toward the green light.

Myrtle changes clothes multiple times in NYC

To appear upper-class.

Tom physically hits Myrtle

At the NYC apartment when she keeps saying "Daisy."