The narrator of the novel, a Yale graduate from the Midwest who moves to West Egg to work as a bond salesman. He serves as the primary observer and storyteller throughout the novel.
2
West Egg
The location where Nick rents a house and where Gatsby lives. It represents new money and is less fashionable than East Egg.
3
East Egg
The exclusive neighborhood across the bay where Tom and Daisy Buchanan live. It represents old money and established wealth.
4
Daisy Buchanan
Nick's cousin and the wife of Tom Buchanan. She is described as beautiful but careless, representing the glamorous but morally empty upper class.
5
Tom Buchanan
Daisy's husband, a wealthy man from an old money family. He is athletic, arrogant, and displays racist views throughout the novel.
6
Jordan Baker
A professional golfer and friend of Daisy's. She is cynical, dishonest, and becomes romantically involved with Nick.
7
Jay Gatsby
A mysterious millionaire who lives in a mansion in West Egg. He is mentioned in Chapter 1 but does not appear until later chapters.
8
Gatsby's yellow car
A symbol of Gatsby's wealth and status. The car is described as a yellow Rolls-Royce and represents his extravagant lifestyle.
9
The green light
A light at the end of Daisy's dock across the bay that becomes symbolic of Gatsby's dreams and aspirations throughout the novel.
10
Midwest values
Nick's background from a modest Midwestern family, which contrasts with the moral emptiness and excess of the wealthy East Coast characters.
11
Valley of Ashes
A desolate industrial wasteland between West Egg and New York City that represents the dark underside of American wealth and excess.
12
Dr. T.J. Eckleburg
An optometrist whose large billboard eyes overlook the Valley of Ashes, symbolizing God's omniscient observation of human morality.
13
Daisy's voice
Nick describes Daisy's voice as full of money, suggesting her character embodies wealth and the seductive allure of material abundance.
14
Carelessness theme
Nick observes that Tom and Daisy are careless people who destroy things and retreat into money. This foreshadows their moral failures throughout the novel.
15
Restlessness and dissatisfaction
Despite their wealth and comfort, the characters display a sense of purposeless restlessness and existential emptiness that defines the Jazz Age.
16
Nick's admission
Nick reveals he dislikes dishonesty but often finds himself dishonest, establishing his unreliability as a narrator from the beginning.
17
The American Dream
The novel explores how the American Dream of wealth and success has become corrupted and morally bankrupt in 1920s society.
18
1920s setting (Jazz Age)
Chapter 1 establishes the post-World War I era of prosperity, excess, moral decline, and cultural upheaval in America.
19
Mysterious wealth
Nick and other characters are intrigued by Gatsby's mysterious origins and unclear source of immense wealth.
20
Social class divisions
Chapter 1 introduces the stark separation between old money (East Egg) and new money (West Egg), highlighting class tensions in society.