1.1 Exam- Character
Question 7
- Describe at least one key character in the written text. Explain how this character helped you to understand an important idea.
| Character | Idea | Evidence |
| Nick Carraway | Nick is portrayed as being non-judgemental and being the most favourable narrator, however this illusion soon begins to crack and Fitzgerald uses narrative point-of-view Nick is revealed to eventually lash out at characters, specifically Tom and Daisy and being very biased towards Gatsby. | “ In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone… just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” |
| Jay Gatsby | Gatsby is portrayed as being a legendary figure, envied by all for his wealth, charisma and popularity. Nick looks up to him and his obsession with uncovering the mystery of Gatsby is clearly shown throughout the novel. Though initially Gatsby is portrayed as being a flawless being, this illusion begins to crack and we see this through symbolism of the green light. | “It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life.”
“If it wasn’t for the mist we could see your home across the bay’, said Gatsby. ‘You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.’ |
| Daisy Buchanan | Daisy is described as being an angel dressed in pure and innocent white, popular among men and being the centre of Gatsby’s obsession of continuing is illusion. However despite her involvement in Gatsby’s illusion she is one herself. Being associated with white, she is symbolised as being bland, empty and materialistic. |
“The only completely stationary object in the room was an enormous couch on which two young women were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon. They were both in white,”
“It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such – such beautiful shirts before” |
“Pleasure may come from illusion but happiness can only come from reality”. In the famous literature novel, ‘The Great Gatsby; written by Scott Fitzgerald, there are three important characters I will discuss, the narrator, Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan, the relationship of which the book bases upon. Throughout one summer in 1920’s New York this upper class trio will conflict among other characters through infidelity and lies. These three characters initially are thought to be something which we soon learn they are not, an illusion. Throughout the novel, their illusion unravels and reveals the truth behind their illusions, that they aren’t who they say they are.
Throughout the novel, Nick represents the key idea of illusion by believing he is something he isn’t. Nick Carraway, a businessman, and the narrator of the story, shows his perspective on others from a first person point of view. Nick lives in West Egg, the less fashionable of the two eggs, and is neighbour to Gatsby, a hero like figure he loyally admires throughout the novel. Because he lives in West Egg, East Egg life becomes too much for him, realising this at an early point in the novel, Nick realises he cannot handle the conflicts and his true hatred building inside. At the beginning of the novel, Nick tries to establish that he is a non-judgemental and tolerant person but does draw his lines mentioning that “reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope… only Gatsby… was exempt from my reactions.” Nick is implying that it takes much dedication and hope to always be a kind hearted person to have the ability to reserve judgements. With this in mind he fails to this commitment in holding his morals, to not criticize those who haven’t had his advantages in life. As mentioned , Nick comments on all but Gatsby, who is more favoured to Nick, therefore making Nick very biased as a narrator. Nick obsesses over Gatsby, looking up to him as a powerful figure and his false popularity and backstory that enchants Nick, drawing him in. Nick doesn’t seem to have many friends because none are mentioned to visit or communicate with him throughout this summer and having Gatsby makes him feel like he can establish a long lasting friendship as neighbours. Towards the closing of the novel, Nick proves just how critical he really despite believing he holds such high morals when he judges Tom and Daisy, implying that “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” Nick dislikes Tom, Daisy and eventually Jordan at the end of the novel because of their vast carelessness only think of others as creatures and things and after smashing up the lives of others, letting others clean the mess and retreated into their wealth using money or their fractured relationship as a large net to catch them after the problems they’ve created and so they can feel better about themselves. Now that Gatsby is dead and he is no longer friendly with Tom, Daisy and Jordan, he is left feeling very alone and angry at the carelessness of these rich, arrogant East Egg people. Still feeling attached to Gatsby even after his death, Nick decides to write “the great Gatsby” the title alone favouring him over all and paints the East Egg characters with grotesque persona and bleak lives.
sidenote “Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book” which book is he referring to if he did not write the book itself.
Throughout the novel, Gatsby’s represents the key idea of illusion by his reality being revealed from beneath his illusion. Jay Gatsby lives in West Egg, the less fashionable of the two eggs and is a neighbour to Nick, the narrator of the novel. Gatsby is at first portrayed as “the great Gatsby” popular among everyone, hosting rambunctious parties and having a rumoured past of being a war veteran, german spy and killing a man. Jay Gatsby is an obsessive man who created his own illusion in order to be with his love interest, which is broken when his real name is revealed to be James Gatz, coming from a poor background end up obtaining his wealth through illegal means.
Throughout the novel, Daisy represents the key idea of illusion by being revealed as the opposite of how she initially seems. Daisy Buchanan lives in East Egg, among white palaces along with Jordan, husband Tom and daughter Pammy
