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Characterization on The Great Gatsby

Outline

1. Introduction

2. Reasonable characters
a) Jay Gatsby

b) Nick Carraway

3. determined characters
                  a) Myrtle Wilson
b) Jay Gatsby

4. Sloppy characters
a) Daisy Buchanan

b) Tom Buchanan

c) Jordan Baker

5. Stranded characters
a) George Wilson

6. Conclusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Characterization on The Great Gatsby

Introduction
In The Great Gatsby, the characters are bound by a relationship that is brought about by social status and a search for livelihood. In this paper, the characters have been categorized according to the traits they posses in the entire play. In addition, the characters are grouped in relation to the themes they enhance which help in exploiting their supposed characters. In light of this, there is an inspection of the way the characters are associated with money and wealth. This is because the issue of money is the key element that engages the recreation of significant task in their world. Moreover, “the concept brought by the impact of money is also the root of their failure” (Maurer and Kate 46).

Reasonable characters

a)      Jay Gatsby

Jay Gatsby is said to be the main character in the novel. This is because he is featured in the most areas of the play thus enhancing plot development. He is presumed to be a mystifying and enormously rich man who is privileged through acquiring wealth in his young age. This wealth is shown in that he has developed a habit of preparing parties during weekends in his mansion. As the story progresses, it is revealed that he was born in a poor family. His prosperity comes through hard work as he was serving in the army. He later works in the house of a rich man who opens up the opportunity of becoming rich to Jay. This makes Jay to be highly respected in the society. He later engages in a relationship with Daisy who also encourages him to acquire more wealth.

b)     Nick Carraway

The fundamental obsession about Carraway is that he has an outstanding identity. In this case, he is said to perform the function of a narrator. Nick Carraway is believed to have been born in a well-off family that lived in Minnesota. He learns business in New York and through his period of study, he comes to know the Buchanans and Gatsby. Their contact provides the reader with a clear picture about him that shows him as a dependable and sincere young man. This is proven through his encounter with Gatsby where he is asserted to have a unique compassion. However, his narration creates suspense and a question to the audience about his truthfulness. This question is solved whereby he quotes that he respects justice. His integrity and concern has been also proved by Jordan who says he likes him because he is not careless. This separates Nick from other characters that are termed as careless in the novel thus asserting him as rightfully hones.

Determined characters
            a) Myrtle Wilson

As a poor and imperative woman in the society, Myrtle is anxious to change on her life through upgrading her wealth status. This is because she is sensitive about her neighbors who are rich and thus she strives to earn social recognition in the society. She is married to George Wilson who operates a worn out garage in the region. However, She is engages in a relationship with Tom Buchanan which is said to have lasted for a long time. Later, her husband comes to know about this relationship and this revelation angers him a lot hence making him jealous. This eruption brings the theme of domestic violence that leads to the death of Myrtle. She is hit by a car that belongs to Gatsby as she runs for safety in the street in fear of her angered husband.
 b) Jay Gatsby

Jay is a determined character who his ambitious plans are seen through his encounter with Daisy. He spends a lot of money to please Daisy in order to win her into his life. In his actions of pleasing and wooing her, he ends up acquiring a lot of wealth, which makes him more popular in the society. “His passion for Daisy would make him do anything for her in order to prove her great desire and devotion in her life” (Gidmark and Sherry 34).

Sloppy characters
  a) Daisy Buchanan

Daisy is a cousin to Nick who is married to Tom. She is however involved in a relationship with Gatsby. Her extramarital relationship with Gatsby proves her unfaithfulness hence making her to be categorized as a sloppy character. In addition, she is careless because she dishonors her promise to Gatsby. This is because she ends up marrying Tom after she had compared him and Gatsby and realized that Gatsby was poor. “Daisy manipulates her vulnerability as a justification for her tremendous irresponsibility” (Fitzgerald 6).

  b) Tom Buchanan 

Tom is an evil man who had once been a football team member. He is believed to come from a wealthy background. His rich status gives him the privilege of winning Daisy as her lover. He is presumed to behave in a bad way due to his social status in the society for which he had never struggled to achieve. He also mistreats his wife and the house-help hence revealing the theme of domestic violence in the novel.
  c) Jordan Baker

Jordan Baker is Daisy’s friend, who is also a qualified golfer who acquired honor in his golf playing through corruption. Jordan is enormously contemptuous, with a manly conduct that was found by Nick to be persuasive. This behavior made him to relate to Nick who later rejects him on the basis that he is unscrupulous corrupt individual.

5. Stranded characters
    a) George Wilson

George is an enervated poor man who has great love for his wife. Myrtle, his wife, seems to be the only treasure in his life. This is because “he becomes horrible when he realizes the unfaithfulness of her wife” (Gidmark 45). This issue occupies most of his life with anger and his life after he realized that he had killed Gatsby.

6. Conclusion

Many of the characters in the novel have facilitated the theme of love and money. The core factor for the development of any relationship in the novel has also been based on the financial status of the parties involved. However, the love for money has resulted to corruption, which has brought tremendous failure in the end.

 

Works Cited

Scott, Fitzgerald F. The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Scribner, 2004. Print

Gidmark, Jill B. Cyclopedia Of World Authors, Fourth Revised Edition. Pasadena: Salem Press, Jan.2003. Literary Reference Center. Web. Wed. 29, June 2011.

Maurer, Kate. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. New York, NY: Wiley Publishing, 2000. Print

Morton-Mollo, Sherry. Cyclopedia Of Literary Places. Pasadena : Salem Press, Feb. 2003. Literary Reference Center. Web. Wed. 29, June 2011.