The Great Gatsby: Character Analysis and Themes

Vocabulary flashcards covering character comparisons, structural choices, and major themes in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.

Daisy Buchanan's Objectification

The way Daisy is treated not as a human, but as a prize by Gatsby and as a trophy by Tom, both seeking social status.

Daisy's Societal Conditioning

The explanation for Daisy's careless and fatal actions, rooted in doing what she was taught by her society and era: to follow clean money and mirror her husband's life.

Purpose of the Novel's Slow Start

Fitzgerald's structural choice to introduce Gatsby as a normal and distant figure, establishing him as a legend so his downfall has greater impact while making Tom and Daisy seem more powerful.

Abandonment of Important People (Gatsby and Myrtle)

A shared similarity where Gatsby leaves his parents behind and Myrtle attempts to leave George because he is poor, both trying to enter the Old Money world.

Material Status Symbols (Gatsby and Myrtle)

The physical items used by Gatsby and Myrtle to artificially boost their social standing, specifically Gatsby's mansion and Myrtle's dress.

Vehicles to East Egg

The individuals targeted by Gatsby and Myrtle to gain access to elite society: Gatsby attempts to use Daisy, while Myrtle attempts to use Tom.

The Rigged American Dream

The theme implied by Gatsby and Myrtle's failure to ever truly belong to 'old money' society, showing that the idea that anyone can succeed through hard work is rigged against those who lacked success from the beginning.

The Owl-Spectacled Man

A minor character who discovers Gatsby's library books are real but unread, serving as the figure who sees through the facade and embodies the extreme lengths people go to project a higher social status.

Careless People Quote

The passage describing Tom and Daisy smashing up 'things and creatures' and retreating into their money, which highlights how the system is rigged and reveals their dehumanizing view of people outside of old money.