F. Scott Fitzgerald

Setting: Summer of 1922 on Long Island and in New York City

Point of view: First and Third person

Narrator: Nick Carraway Protagonists: Nick Carraway and

Jay Gatsby Major conflict: Gatsby attempts to

regain the love of Daisy by dazzling her with his great wealth that was amassed illegally

Rising action: Series of events that lead up to Gatsby reuniting with Daisy

Falling action: ??? To be filled in later….I don’t want to spoil the ending.

Climax: To be filled in later….I don’t want to spoil the ending.

Themes: ◦ 1. The Decline of the American Dream◦ 2. The Spirit of the 1920s◦ 3. The difference between the social

classes◦ 4. The role of symbols in the human

conception of meaning◦ The role of the past in dreams of the

future (provided by Spark Notes)

Symbols: Colors, East/West Egg, The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, The valley of ashes

Motifs: (To be covered as novel is read. Please leave space open in your notes.)

Narrator: Nick Carraway (Cousin of Daisy Buchanan) ◦ Home is Minnesota, studied at Yale, fought in

WWI◦ Goes to New York to learn the bond business◦ Non-judgmental, extremely honest, sincere◦ A good listener◦ Next door neighbor and friend to Jay Gatsby

at West Egg

Protagonist: Jay Gatsby (in love with Daisy Buchanan) ◦ Mysterious, absurdly wealthy young man◦ Neighbor of Nick Carraway◦ Famous for extravagant parties◦ Guests are the wealthy: old rich (East Egg)

and new rich (West Egg), famous celebrities and their managers, great athletes, and those who want to be seen

◦ Wealth achieved through “ill-gotten” gain◦ Extreme optimist◦ Developed/lived a five year plan to get Daisy◦ Believes her to be more worthy, wonderful

than she really is

Daisy Buchanan (Cousin of Nick): Married to Tom Buchanan◦ Promised to wait for James Gatz (AKA Jay

Gatsby) before he was shipped to Europe in WWI.

◦ Emotionally could not keep her promise as she felt a need to be loved and courted

◦ Married Tom Buchanan, a wealthy, egotistical , self-absorbed man of questionable morals.

◦ Lives across the water from Jay and from Nick in the more fashionable district of East Egg on Long Island

Tom Buchanan : Married to Daisy Buchanan◦ Wealthy, egotistical Yale man (like Nick)◦ Arrogant, hypocritical, violent, adulterer◦ Racist, sexist, believer in the superiority of

the white race

Jordan Baker: friend of Daisy Buchanan◦ Wealthy, competitive golfer. ◦ Lives with her great-aunt◦ Liar/cheat to get ahead in golf or to cover up

mistakes◦ Love interest of Nick Carraway

Myrtle Wilson (Tom’s lover)◦ Married to George Wilson (garage/gas

station owner)◦ Big, sensuous woman who openly flaunts

her affair in New York (George does not know) where she and Tom have a “love nest”

◦ Tom gives her everything she wants as long as he is physically satisfied

◦ Causes Daisy grief by phoning for Tom at home during the dinner hour

George Wilson: faithful, non-motivated husband of Myrtle◦ Minor character that plays an important

role◦ garage/gas station owner across from the

industrial ash dump◦ Idolizes Myrtle◦ Has no vision about his future◦ Lived above the garage for eleven years

Owl Eyes: very minor character◦ Great reader who is a guest at one of

Gatsby’s luxurious parties◦ Enamored by Gatsby’s library

Klipspringer: very minor character◦ A free loader who frequently spends the

night at Gatsby’s mansion.◦ No honorable characteristics◦ Very shallow character of no redeeming

value