The Great Gatsby characters

How does Jay Gatsby speak?

• Tone: Polite, formal, romantic, a little rehearsed.

• Vocabulary: Idealistic, poetic, embellished.

• Speech habits: Repeats “old sport,” speaks as if performing.

• Themes: The past, love (Daisy), dreams, wealth.

• Example: "Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!"

How does Nick Carraway speak?

• Tone: Reflective, cynical, observant.

• Vocabulary: Educated, descriptive, philosophical.

• Speech habits: Long sentences, lots of imagery and analysis.

• Themes: Honesty, judgement, the American Dream.

• Example: "I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled."

How does Daisy Buchanan speak?

• Tone: Airy, flirtatious, dreamy, sometimes insincere.

• Vocabulary: Romantic, poetic, emotionally suggestive.

• Speech habits: Trails off, uses charm to distract.

• Themes: Beauty, sadness, passivity, wealth.

• Example: "Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it?"

How does Tom Buchanan speak?

• Tone: Aggressive, domineering, arrogant.

• Vocabulary: Blunt, controlling, pseudo-intellectual.

• Speech habits: Interrupts, shouts, asserts authority.

• Themes: Power, racism, classism, insecurity.

• Example: "The idea is if we don’t look out the white race will be—will be utterly submerged."

How does Jordan Baker speak?

• Tone: Cool, dry, ironic, emotionally detached.

• Vocabulary: Modern, clipped, clever.

• Speech habits: Short, sarcastic comments, minimal emotion.

• Themes: Independence, modernity, superficiality.

• Example: "It takes two to make an accident."

How does Myrtle Wilson speak?

• Tone: Loud, emotional, desperate.

• Vocabulary: Tries to sound upper-class, exaggerates.

• Speech habits: Puts on airs, dramatic shifts when angry or excited.

• Themes: Desire, social climbing, illusion, abuse.

• Example: "I married him because I thought he was a gentleman... I thought he knew something about breeding."

How does George Wilson speak?

• Tone: Meek, tired, religious, broken.

• Vocabulary: Plain, simple, rural.

• Speech habits: Quiet until emotional, becomes obsessive.

• Themes: Faith, despair, betrayal.

• Example: "God sees everything."

How does Meyer Wolfsheim speak?

• Tone: Shifty, sly, business-like.

• Vocabulary: Uses heavy accent, coded speech, criminal undertones.

• Speech habits: Talks in vague phrases, drops hints but avoids detail.

• Themes: Corruption, loyalty, power behind the scenes.

• Example: "Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead."

How does Henry Gatz speak?

• Tone: Proud, nostalgic, humble.

• Vocabulary: Rural, sentimental, plain.

• Speech habits: Straightforward, emotional, praising Gatsby’s ambition.

• Themes: Family, pride, dreams, rural vs. urban.

• Example: "He had a big future before him... if he'd of lived, he'd of been a great man."

How does Michaelis speak?

• Tone: Concerned, confused, ordinary.

• Vocabulary: Casual, conversational, unrefined.

• Speech habits: Talks plainly, questions a lot during tension.

• Themes: Innocence, witness, confusion over moral decay.

• Example: "You ought to have a church, George, for times like this."

How does Owl Eyes speak?

• Tone: Curious, surprised, philosophical when drunk.

• Vocabulary: Educated-sounding but slurred or rambling at times.

• Speech habits: Exclaims things suddenly; reflects with unexpected insight.

• Themes: Truth vs illusion, authenticity, perception.

• Example: "This fella’s a regular Belasco. What realism!"
  (About Gatsby’s books — he’s amazed they’re real, not just for show.)