MAJOR CHARACTERS

DAISY BUCHANAN

History:
     Daisy Fay Buchanan, a woman in her early twenties, comes from a fairly wealthy family in Louisville. Because of her attractive appearance and charming nature, she is the most popular girl in Louisville. Daisy has a certain brightness that permeates through her face. Her voice contains excitement, and it fluctuates often. Apparently, Daisy turns the heads of many men, especially those of the officers from Camp Taylor who are desperate for a date with her. She, however, falls in love with a lieutenant who leaves for New York. Realizing that she will probably never see Jay Gatsby, the lieutenant, she allows Tom Buchanan to walk into her life. Although she feels reluctant to marry Tom and throws a tantrum immediately before the marriage, she remains loyal to him by keeping her promise. The newlyweds are happy in Chicago for a short time and have a daughter, Pammy. Tom, however, has a mistress named Myrtle, and Daisy begins to remember Gatsby, her true love. He is also drawn to her and moves close by to be near her. They reunite, but he is killed when he tries to shield Daisy because of a car accident.


Significance:
     In the novel, Daisy Buchanan represents purity. Fitzgerald dresses her in white to demonstrate this quality. Although she seems sacred, Daisy is a very selfish person. She falls in love with Jay Gatsby, but he has no money to offer her. After he leaves for New York, Tom Buchanan offers her his love and money. Because Tom is wealthy, one can argue that Daisy marries him for his money. She chooses wealth over love, which makes her a materialistic person. When Tom loses interest in her and spends more time with Myrtle, she realizes her mistake. Although she is married, she does not care about her husband and takes Jay's hand for a second time; this is another selfish move. After Gatsby dies because he protects her from a lawsuit, Daisy does not even bother to call his house or attend his funeral. It seems that Gatsby hands everything to Daisy and she gladly takes it.



TOM BUCHANAN

History:
     Tom Buchanan, a descendant of extremely wealthy ancestry, is a young husband and father of about thirty years. Because he has a tall, muscular body structure, Tom acquired fame playing football at New Haven while completing his education. Tom is a lavish spender and thinks he has the authority to dominate everyone. He has contempt in his eyes and exhibits extreme arrogance. Having a husky voice seems to emphasize Tom's controlling nature. After marrying Daisy, they travel to France for a year, and then they move east to New York. When he comes to Lake Forest from Chicago, he brings polo ponies with him. There, he spends time with his mistress, and meets Gatsby, Daisy's lover.


Significance:
     Tom Buchanan demonstrates the qualities of an old-fashioned man who thinks that men dominate the world. Apparently, Tom fails to give his wife proper attention and he even abuses his mistress. In his opinion, women must fawn at men and never oppose them. Tom is a hypocrite because he has a mistress, but he feels it is wrong for his wife to have a lover. To make himself look better, Tom decides to stick to old values and treat women as toys. When Myrtle dies, he does grieve for her, but he leaves the area with his wife as soon as possible. Tom definitely needs to learn more about modern views of women.

NICK CARRAWAY

History:
     Nick Carraway is a young man who has descended from an upper middle class family. His ancestors fought in the Civil War, and then they started a wholesale hardware business. After graduating from Yale in 1915, he participates in the Great War. Upon returning, he decides to go East to learn the bond business in 1922. Nick then moves to New York to acquire knowledge and learn the profession. He meets another student and rents a house. Soon, however, he moves to West Egg, a community east of New York, and next door to Jay Gatsby. Here, his life intertwines with Gatsby, Jordan Baker, and the Buchanans. Nick visits his cousin, Daisy, often and helps Gatsby and Daisy meet from time to time.

Significance:
     Nick Carraway plays a major part in the novel. Primarily, he serves as the narrator of the story and tells the story from his point of view. He shares his own experiences with the reader. When Gatsby tells Nick that Daisy is his love, he helps them meet; therefore, he serves as a link between them. Nick, however, is torn between two sides because he is also a friend with Tom. Nick acts the role of a person who is a friend of everyone, but never asks for favors.

CATHERINE

     Myrtle Wilson's younger sister, Catherine, is a slender bob of thirty. Her red hair, milky white complexion, and bracelets add to her gaudy sense of fashion. She is first mentioned when Myrtle and Tom invite her to a small party at Tom's apartment in New York. Nick Carraway is new in town, and Myrtle wants him to meet and associate with her single sister. As Nick speaks to her, he notices that she makes herself at home in a new environment. Catherine comes from a wealthy family and gossiping is her prime hobby; she also travels often. Later in the novel, Fitzgerald depicts her as a loving sister. She does not divulge the story of Myrtle and Tom's affair upon Myrtle's death. Catherine even laments for her sister. Although she is superficial to many, Catherine cares for her sister.

HENRY GATZ

     Henry Gatz, Jay Gatsby's father, lives in Minnesota. He arrives in West Egg upon hearing about his son's death in the newspaper. Henry, whose attire consists of old and cheap clothing, is not a descendant of a wealthy family. Because he is weak and now quite elderly, he loves to talk about Jay. Henry explains Jay's childhood to Nick. He praises his son's accomplishments because Jay bought his father a house when he acquires money. Henry describes his son as a different child because Jay was very organized; he even carried a book titled "Hopalong Cassidy" that contained his schedule. Apparently, Henry Gatz is very proud of his son.

MEYER WOLFSHIEM

     In the novel, Meyer Wolfshiem is one of Jay Gatsby's close friends. The reader views him as a minor character, but we later find that he has as major hand in Gatsby's fortune. Upon meeting him for lunch on Forty-Second Street of New York, Nick notices that this fifty-year-old Jew has a flat nose and small eyes. Although Nick is present, Meyer speaks to Gatsby incessantly about business Fitzgerald portrays him as a corpulent man; he eats everything on the table and seems content with his life. Meyer can strike a conversation with anyone, and Nick is no exception. When Gatsby steps away for a moment, he engages him in conversation about his ivory cuff buttons and Gatsby's life. After he leaves, Gatsby tells Nick that Meyer is a gambler by profession and even had a part in the World Series scandal in 1919. Upon Gatsby's death, Nick arrives at The Swastika Land Holding Company to invite Meyer to the funeral. At that time, Meyer tells Nick how Gatsby acquired money through bootlegging. Meyer had met him after he returned from the army and gave him a job in the American Legion. Meyer had helped him in time of need, but he could not afford to come to attend the funeral because of business. He is sentimental man but does not wish to show this quality to the public.

MICHAELIS

     In the novel, a young Greek by the name of Michaelis runs the coffee shop near George Wilson's Garage. When he sees George in his office one evening, he notices that George seems tired; therefore, he tells him to rest. At this time, George discloses the events of that evening to his friend. He tells Michaelis that Myrtle had been screaming and yelling because he had locked her in the room. George had planned to run away with his wife. After listening to George, Michaelis leaves him in the garage and returns to his restaurant. He comes back only when he hears Myrtle cry and from his restaurant door watches her run out into the street. Michaelis races to Myrtle after the accident occurs and tries to save her. Because he is the main witness at the accident scene, he gives the police information about Myrtle. He even consoles George when he grieves for his wife. Fitzgerald depicts Michaelis as a caring individual. By helping those around him, Michaelis proves that there still kind people in this world.

Sources:
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Collier, 1991.

Links to Sites:
Catalog of the 1920s
The 1920s

Page created on April 28, 1999.
Curator: Monica Dilawari