The Gatsby Tragedy

1. The Gatsby Tragedy Character Profiling Anthony Martin

2. Name: Nick Carraway Age: 30 Education: Yale Alumni; served in Army Occupation: Bond Salesman Current Residency: Beaten down house in the West Egg Hobbies: Reading, Jordan Baker Relations: Cousins with Daisy Buchanan. Neighbors with Jay Gatsby. Dated Jordan Baker. Analysis: Nick Carraway is the main character in this book, but throughout the book tends to plays the secondary role in most instances. Nick provides inside on how the other characters act and think. Nick comes from a family back west, and is a very unusual character, but at the same time a pretty common person. Nick is not an alcoholic, and very rarely drinks. Nick is a very good at keeping his temper, and not letting his emotions cripple him, and also Nick is a very good listener, which is why most people tend to choose Nick to vent to and tell secrets. Nick tends to want the quieter life, which is why at the end of the book after Gatsby’s death he moves back to Minnesota.

3. Name: Jay Gats A.K.A Jay Gatsby Age: Early 30’s Education: Attended Oxford; Army Captain Occupation: Bootlegger in the past; Unknown current day Current Residency: Gatsby Mansion adjacent to Nick Carraway Hobbies: Throwing parties, rich man hobbies, stalking Daisy Relations: In love with Daisy. Friends and Neighbors with Nick Carraway. Business partner Meyer Wolfsheim. Analysis: Is living the American dream, and is a simple man that is willing to do anything to get the love of Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby comes from a non-wealthy farming family, and Gatsby has despised the fact of not being wealthy. Therefore, Gatsby did anything he could to become wealthy that way there was a chance Daisy could be with him. Gatsby’s whole life revolves around getting Daisy’s love it is his motivation to everything in the world. Gatsby wants nothing more than the green light across the harbor for it is the light on the Daisy’s house and represents her love. Gatsby gets shot by Mr. Wilson when Gatsby didn’t do anything. No one besides a handful people showed up to his funeral. Gatsby had everything and nothing at all.

4. Name: Daisy Buchanan Age: Mid 20’s Education: Unknown Occupation: Stay at home Mom Current Residency: East Egg with Tom Buchanan Hobbies: Shopping and going into town Relations: Kid. Cousins with Nick Carraway, and married to Tom Buchanan. In love with Jay Gatsby. Analysis: Daisy is the trophy wife. She is perfect, and the woman that everyman dreams of having as their wife. She is unhappy in her marriage for there is one thing that Daisy wants more than anything in this world, and that is to be loved back. She wants love, and the feeling of being loved back. Tom does not give her that feeling, which is why she is so madly in love with Gatsby because he gives her that feeling. She may not seem like strong women, but she is for she is able to stand up to Tom about how she loves Gatsby. Daisy hits Mrs. Wilson, which ironically leads to the death of Gatsby the person she loved. Daisy and Tom stay together, and do not attend the funeral of Gatsby.

5. Name: Tom Buchanan Age: Early 30’s Education: Yale Alumni with Nick Occupation: Stockbroker, Inheritor of a large sum of money Current Residency: East Egg with Daisy Buchanan Hobbies: Polo and Horse trading Relations: Kid and married to Daisy Buchanan. Analysis: Tom comes from a great family of wealth from which he inherited. The only way he was able to wed Daisy was because of his background and wealth (Unlike Gatsby who came from a poor background). He is a man of a hulking stature, and wants to feel in power, which his drive and want to everything. It is the reason why he committed adultery with the far less attractive Mrs. Wilson. He is a man that is always looking for a way to control the situation, and does not fear striking a woman if they step out of line. He cannot control his temper, and his lust for power and reliving his glory days from the past are what drives him.

6. Name: Jordan Baker Age: 23 Education: Unknown Occupation: Professional Golfer Current Residency: New York City Hobbies: Playing Golf, shopping and partying Relations: Friends with the Buchanan’s, Gatsby, and dated Nick Carraway. Analysis: She is the little part of Nick’s love life that we get to see. Jordan likes to be catered to and to have a good time. She shows signs of dishonesty and trust by cheating in her golf tournaments. She is also quick to move on if one thing bad happens quickly. Her character doesn’t play a big role in the book, and most of it is just when Nick and she are together.

7. Name: Myrtle Wilson Age: Mid 30’s Education: Unknown Occupation: Unknown, most likely stay at home wife Current Residency: Valley of Ashes Hobbies: Adultery, seeing Tom Relations: Married to George Wilson, and mistress of Tom Buchanan Analysis: Myrtle represents the image of the common woman. She is not the trophy wife like Daisy; Myrtle is curvier and far less attractive. She is the mistress of Tom, and not the sharpest tool in the box. She speaks out against Tom, and Tom backhands her. She is the perfect example of Tom always wanting to be in control. Myrtle is the cause of Gatsby’s death; it starts with her running out into the street. She wants a better, flashier life than the life she has now.

8. Name: George Wilson Age: Mid 30’s Education: Unknown Occupation: Owns a garage, mechanic Current Residency: Valley of Ashes Hobbies: Unknown Relations: Friends with Tom. Married to Myrtle Wilson Analysis: George is man that is just trying to get by, and his love for his wife is what drives him. He wants to give her a better life than what she has. His love is so great for her that he will do anything, which he proves by shooting Gatsby and then killing himself. He thought that Gatsby was the one who ran over and killed his wife in reality it was Daisy who did it. The only crime besides murdering Gatsby that George committed was loving his wife too much.

9. Name: Meyer Wolfsheim Age: 60’s Education: Unknown Occupation: Gambler Current Residency: Unknown Hobbies: Fixing the 1919 World Series and Gambling Relations: Gatsby Analysis: Little is actually known about Meyer Wolfsheim besides that he fixed the 1919 World Series, and helped Gatsby on Gatsby’s road to obtaining his wealth. Meyer Wolfsheim plays a very little part in this book, and Nick gets to meet him a couple times. Meyer Wolfsheim does not attend the funeral of Jay Gatsby.

10. Connecting the Dots N.C J.B M.W M.W • J.G T.B D.B G.W Romantic Involvement Friends Family