The Great Gatsby - Characters and Roles
Summer Work - English
Nick Carroway
Nick Carroway is The Great Gatsby’s inquisitive yet sarcastic narrator, from whom we
get a sense of complacency within his work selling bonds, contrasting with the
perseverance he demonstrates whilst trying to unravel Gatsby’s secretive past life. His
character acts as a reliable confidante to those who are actively involved with gossip
and town-talk, those such as Gatsby. This exhibits not only a materialistic side to Nick, a
typical wealthy elite, indulging in the latest gossip, but perhaps an alternative type of
wealthy elite: one who is not automatically judgemental of others or their
actions.Throughout the novel, this is partly what entices us, as the reader, to take an
interest in Gatsby’s mysterious past - the assurance that Nick and Gatsby’s relationship
will evolve as a consequence of Nick discovering it - the dissimilar exterior, but
unbelievably similar interior, including class, social status, upbringing and education.
Nick is from Minnesota, educated at Yale and moved to West Egg - the wealthy side of
Long Island. As a typical ‘old money’ character, Nick is arguably the cement of the novel,
personifying a young man operating under the expectations of success and decay of the
modern machine age. Acting as an advisor for many, he facilitates the relationship
between Daisy and Jay, even though he knew it was morally wrong and would cause
considerable damage to Tom. Increasingly appropriating himself with the likes of his
cousin Daisy, her arrogant husband Tom, his lover Jordan and the extravagant Gatsby,
he becomes, by the end, unwillingly submerged in the materialistic facade that the 20s
brought. Overall, Nick gives us a rounded narrative style (although somewhat sporadic),
with a half-enlightened quality.
Jay Gatsby
Jay Gatsby is the young, wealthy protagonist who litters the novel with his lavish
parties, attended by those who perceive him as invincible. Born James Gatz from a farm
in North Dakota, we know little about his background and, as the reader, like Carroway,
we get enticed into the technicalities of his mysterious, unquestioned upbringing. He
has seemed to have formed wealth out of nowhere - both his education and job are
shrouded in criminality. However, we do know that he trained to be an officer in the
army in Louisville, which is where he met Daisy. He made her promise to wait for him,
but she met Tom, and soon forgot about Gatsby. Later, he met millionaire Dan Cody and
soon started working for him. This was the volta in Gatsby’s life where he remade
himself into Jay Gatsby, from the old James Gatz. This transformation represents the
new wave of people in New York after WW1 coming to seek their fortune in new money.
Through materialistic gossip at one of Gatsby’s parties, we learn that he is rumoured to
have killed someone, perhaps during the time when he served in the war. In one sense,
