Great Men of Great Gatsby

Jay Gatsby: The main character and the reason behind the title of the book. He is a youngman,around thirty years old, who rose from an impoverished childhood in North Dakota to become wealthy. However, he achieved wealth by participating in organized crime, by becoming a bootlegger. Though Gatsby has always wanted to be rich, his main motivation in acquiring his fortune was his love for Daisy Buchanan, who he met as a young military officer in Louisville before leaving to fight in World War I in 1917. Gatsby immediately fell in love with Daisy’s aura of luxury, grace, and charm, and lied to her about his own background in order to convince her that he was good enough for her. Daisy promised to wait for him when he left for the war, but married Tom Buchanan in 1919, while Gatsby was studying at Oxford after the war in an attempt to gain an education. From that moment on, Gatsby dedicated himself to winning Daisy back, and his acquisition of millions of dollars, his purchase of a gaudy mansion on West Egg, and his lavish weekly parties are all merely means to that end.

Nick Carraway: If Gatsby represents one part of Fitzgerald’s personality, the flashy celebritywho pursued and glorified wealth in order to impress the woman he loved, then Nick represents another part: the quiet, reflective Midwesterner adrift in the lurid East. A young man (he turns thirty during the course of the novel) from Minnesota, Nick travels to New York in 1922 to learn the bond business. He lives in the

West Egg district of Long Island, next door to Gatsby. Nick is also Daisy’s cousin, which enables him to observe and assist the complicated love affair between Daisy and Gatsby. As a result of his relationship to these two characters, Nick is the perfect choice to narrate the novel, which functions as a personal memoir of his experiences with Gatsby in the summer of 1922. (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/canalysis.html)

Tom Buchanan: Tom Buchanan is Daisy’s husband, an extremely wealthy man, a brute, and an athlete. He’s selfish and does what he needs to get what he wants. Most of all, he seeks control of his life and control of others. When Tom figures out that Daisy loves Gatsby, he forces a confrontation. He is then able to use Daisy’s momentary hesitation to regain control of his wife. Master of the situation once more, Tom dismisses Gatsby – and his wife – giving him permission to drive his wife home. "He won’t annoy you," he tells her. "I think he realizes that his presumptuous little flirtation is over." With that note of condescension, it is clear to all that Tom has the upper hand. Although Gatsby maintains hope beyond this scene, we all know it’s over.
(http://www.shmoop.com/great-gatsby/tom-buchanan.html)

-It's Gatsby Baby

Great Women of Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby wouldn't have ever come to be had it not been for one woman. That woman was Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda. People have said that Daisy is supposed to represent Zelda and Fitzgerald is Jay Gatsby. Lets take a look at the women who made this story a romance and a tragedy:

First is Daisy Buchanan who is Nick Carraway's cousin and the woman Gatsby is in love with. As a young woman in Louisville before the war, Daisy was tempted by a number of officers, including Gatsby. She fell in love with Gatsby and promised to wait for him. However, Daisy feels the need to be loved physically, and when a very wealthy man named Tom Buchanan asked her to marry him, Daisy decided not to wait for Gatsby after all. Now that she has become a socialite due to Tom's money, Daisy lives with Tom across from Gatsby on the more fashionable island, East Egg district of Long Island. She is sarcastic and very materialistic, and behaves superficially to hide the pain that she has because she knows that Tom is being unfaithful. Daisy also plays a huge role, not only in the life of Gatsby, but in the death of him as well. Due to the accident where Myrtle was hit by a car, Gatsby, to her benefit, suffered the consequences and was shot to death. (Sorry for the spoiler)

Next is Jordan Baker she is the friend of Daisy’s that was with her when Nick first visited the Buchanan's mansion. Nick starts to become romantically involved with her. A competitive golfer, Jordan represents one of the “new women” of the 1920s—pessimistic, boyish, and self-centered. Jordan is beautiful, but also dishonest (She cheated in order to win her first golf tournament and continually bends the truth.) Towards the end of the story Nick is so overwhelmed by everything going on that he can't seem to deal with Jordan and in one scene he hangs up on her. A little further into the book, when Jordan and Nick see each other she confesses to him that she is engaged to someone else and that he is the 'careless driver'. She is referring to the time when they were both driving in town and Nick had called her a careless driver because she was all over the road. Jordan replied with saying that they should stay out of her way because she is dangerous. Although Jordan is one the minor characters she does contribute a lot to the behavior of Nick and how she differs from Daisy.

And lastly there is Myrtle Wilson who is Tom’s other lover, whose husband runs a car garage in The Valley of Ashes. Myrtle herself possesses a great life that is contagious and desperately looks for a way to improve her situation; i.e. financially. Unfortunately for her, she chooses Tom, who treats her as a mere object of his desire and doesn't see her as anything more than something on the side. This may explain why he slapped her in the face after bringing up Daisy. Myrtle is a desperate woman who will do what she has to, to get where she believes she needs to be. This is where she went wrong. Upon seeing Gatsby's car, she runs from the car garage and it hit (Thanks to Daisy NOT Gatsby). This is the death of Myrtle, which leads to two more deaths.
(http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/characters.html & ME)

Without the help, drama, and love that these women contributed, there wouldn't be a 'Great Gatsby'. This three women set the tone and mood to a lot of the scenes, and by paying attention to the comparisons and differences we can get the true meaning and moral of the story.

-It's Gatsby Baby

Great Gatsby Film Versions

There are three different filmed versions of the novel. They are all made by Paramount. These were made in 1926, 1949, and 1974, and then in 2000. The rights to the novel were purchased in 1971 by Robert Evans so that his wife would be able to play to role as Daisy.

After being released, the film received average to slightly negative reviews. The film was praised for its interpretation and staying true to the novel, but was criticized for lacking any true emotion or feelings towards the Jazz Age. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby_%281974_film%29)

In 1926, The Great Gatsby was a silent film adaptation of the novel. Many people used this film as an example of a 'lost film'. The film had a running time of 80 minutes, or 7,296 feet, and was designed as lightweight, popular entertainment, playing up the party scenes at Gatsby's mansion and emphasizing their scandalous elements. No copies of the film are known to survive. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby_%281926_film%29)


The film that was made in 2000, was just a film adaption of the novel. It was the fourth time that The Great Gatsby was made into a movie or a program. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby_%282000_film%29)

-It's Gatsby Baby

Old $$ vs. New $$

The old rich were conservative people who were used to the wealth and success. Most of them stayed in the west, as not to run into the "new rich" in the east. The bigger cities were in the east, so this is why they were labeled such.

After World War I, women became liberated because of their role in the work force when the men left for war. Once the men came back, women were definitely more outspoken and styles began to change (skirts got shorter)--flapper style, as did their hairstyles. Long gone were the long locks of feminine hairstyles. Many women went with a shorter look.

So all of these changes were going on in the big cities. Those who stayed in the west stayed conservative, while the Roaring 20s continued on recklessly in the east (big cities). The new rich became so materialistic with their new found wealth that they spent without thinking and cared for themselves only. They were not afraid to do something at the expense of another person. This is what separated the old money from the new money. The new money became embarrassing to the old money, which is why they tended to stay where they were and not move to the larger cities. (http://www.enotes.com/great-gatsby/q-and-a/look-for-general-information-new-rich-old-rich-65327)

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F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his novel The Great Gatsby as a way to compare old and new money and to illustrate the lack of morals in those with old money. The main character, Jay Gatsby, representing Fitzgerald's personification of new money, makes his living selling alcohol illegally. He earns his money quickly and is now showing it off with fabulous parties in his oversized mansion in West Egg. Another character, Tom Buchanan, representsold money being the "scion of those ruthless generations who raised up the great American fortunes." (http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2004/5/15/141559/670)

The symbolism of old vs new money represents how we live today. There are some people who are fortunate enough to be born into money and never have to work for it. Money is no use to them once they have all they can possibly want. The new money is to the people who have worked for their wealth and struggled and have earned their coming into fortune. These people may have been less "stuck up" because of their common appreciation of their experience of past difficult times. This shows to not take things for granted.

In general, it seems as though people who came from new money are just simply new to having such a large amount of money. Old money, is for people who have been raised in money.

-It's Gatsby Baby.

The Roaring 20's

The 1920s was a decade of exciting social changes and profound cultural conflicts. For many Americans, the growth of cities, the rise of a consumer culture, and the so-called "revolution in morals and manners" represented a liberation from the restrictions of the country's Victorian past. But for others, the United States seemed to be changing in undesirable ways. The result was a thinly veiled "cultural civil war," in which a pluralistic society classed bitterly over such issues as foreign immigration, evolution, the Ku Klux Klan, and race. (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/1920s/index.cfm)

People danced until they dropped, and one fell to the floor, dead! Of course, it wasn't Dance Planet. The radio became popular, and people tuned in everyday. The T.V. was not invented yet, so the radio was the next best thing. When they listened, people liked to listen to jazz, especially the king of jazz, Louis Armstrong. But never fear, people weren't couch potatoes, sitting next to the radio. Movies were also a big hit. This decade marked the start of the sound movies. So much happened in the 1920's, this is only a fraction of it all. Since the 1920s was a time of celebration, there were many fads. People loved to dance, especially the Charleston, Fox-trot, and the shimmy. Dance marathons were something everyone went to every weekend. The longest dance record ever recorded was a record of 3 weeks of dancing. Another fad of the 1920's was the radio. People "tuned" in every day to listen to music, as jazz, sports and live events. A favorite for listening to jazz was "the king of jazz", Louie Armstrong. The latest fashion fad was the flapper, a fad for women. The movie was also the latest thing. The start of 3-D movies was in the 1920's. The average American had a lot to look forward to, in the 1920's, that’s for sure!

The 1920's was, for 8 years and 3/4 of 1929, a very happy decade. The last 1/4 was the Stock Market Crash that could have started the Great Depression that lasted straight through the 1930' s, not ending until mid-1940. A war started before 1920, and a war broke out in 1929. Although it was called the Great Depression, people killed others, killed themselves, became homeless, and became penniless. Actually, the eight years of happiness might have felt like a small vacation to a person who lived during the time. (http://www.kidsnewsroom.org/elmer/infoCentral/frameset/decade/1920.htm)

The Great Gatsby takes place during the 20's. This is shown by bootleggers, extravagant parties, flappers, and all the glamor that people had from their wealth.


-It's Gatsby Baby.

Dan Cody

Gatsby was born James Gatz, little did he know that 'Jay Gatz' would soon enter a world of wealth and wonder. He attended college at St. Olaf’s in Minnesota, he dropped out after two weeks, humiliated at the janitorial work he did to pay his tuition. He worked on Lake Superior the next summer fishing for salmon and digging for clams. One day, he saw a yacht owned by Dan Cody. Dan Cody was an enormously wealthy old man, a millionaire many times over, who had earned his fortune mining silver. Gatsby rowed out to warn him about an impending storm. The grateful Cody took young Gatz, who gave his name as Jay Gatsby, on board his yacht as his personal assistant. Traveling with Cody to the Barbary Coast and the West Indies, Gatsby fell in love with wealth and luxury. Cody was a heavy drinker, and one of Gatsby’s jobs was to look after him during his drunken nights. This gave Gatsby a healthy respect for the dangers of alcohol and convinced him not to become a drinker himself. When Cody died, he left Gatsby $25,000, but Cody’s mistress prevented him from claiming his inheritance. Gatsby then dedicated himself to becoming a wealthy and successful man. (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/section6.rhtml & Me)

'It was James Gatz who had been loafing along the beach that afternoon in a torn green jersey and a pair of canvas pants, but it was already Jay Gatsby who borrowed a row-boat, pulled out to the Tuolomee and informed Cody that a wind might catch him and break him up in half an hour.'

Cody found Gatsby to be smart and ambitious and hired him. Cody fitted him out with a nautical wardrobe, and the Tuolomee set sail for the West Indies and the Barbary Coast with Gatsby aboard. For five years, Gatsby worked as Cody's personal assistant, of sorts, as a "steward, mate, skipper, secretary and even jailer. (Gatsby "jailed" Cody when he was drunk and needed to be restrained.) Together they sailed around the continent three times.

During the time he traveled with Cody, Gatsby experienced a glamorous life far removed from his North Dakota upbringing. He attended parties with the wealthy where women were known to "rub champagne into his hair." He acquired a certain amount of polish and sophistication. (http://www.enotes.com/great-gatsby/q-and-a/chapter-6-great-gatsby-87159)

-It's Gatsby Baby

Mafia/Gangsters

Gangsters are the modern-day urban Robin Hoods, the poor street urchin done good. The American dream of big dreams, individuality, and hard work can make something out of anyone. For many the fascination with gangsters really took off with the passage of prohibition and the increasing media's attention on those men who decided it was more profitable to buck the system and get rich through their own means, than live by silly socially imposed rules. In the public eye, the gangster represents urban life: the streetwise, self-made man. In the 20's, New York and Chicago were the major capitalist urban hubs of American society and organized crime. Both were cities of stark contrasts between extreme wealth and abject poverty. For many in the early 1920's business was booming, and Al Capone and other famous gangsters and bootleggers ran their respective cities like puppet masters.(http://www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/famous-gangsters.html)

As street gangs, influenced by mobsters such as Capone, flourished during the 1920's and 30's gangs became a symbol of lower income neighborhoods and ethnic ghettos. America's new immigrant communities and ghetto neighborhoods saw their youth forming gangs. African Americans, Asians and Hispanics made up the majority of street gangs that sociologists would research but the majority of all communities were experiencing street gangs in some degree. During the early 1940's, Mexican gangs formed along the west coast of the United States. Mobsters earned their money by providing illegal goods and services. They were most famous for bootlegging, but also managed gambling, prostitution, and abortion. While outlaws operated independently of mobsters, they did rely on organized gangs for the tools of the trade -- firearms, bulletproof vests, and armored cars. They could use the organized rings to pay for hide-outs and police protection. They could also arrange for legal assistance or medical care. Whether outlaws were wounded in a gunfight or simply became ill, they risked capture by going to an ordinary doctor. For an exorbitant fee, an underworld doctor would treat them and not notify the authorities. The outlaws sometimes took on special jobs for the criminal rings, like murdering an enemy, that a particular organization wanted done but didn't want to take the blame for. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dillinger/peopleevents/p_gangsters.html)

Meyer Wolfsheim works with Gatsby in the business of bootlegging. Jay Gatsby spent a number of years trying to establish himself so that Daisy would approve of him. Little did he know that no matter how much money he made, she would never love him. He wasn't rich. Gatsby became a part of one of the largest money making endeavors of the 1920s. He became a bootlegger. The 18th Amendment was passed in the summer of 1919. As a result, sale and distribution of alcohol became illegal. The social climate of the era did not respond to this regulation. Many people became involved in an underground movement to sell and distribute alcoholic beverages. Through these illegal operations, Jay Gatsby was able to obtain enough money to purchase a home just across the bay from Daisy. His mysterious connections with Meyer Wolfshiem leave the reader with questions of the extent of Gatsby's involvement with the attempts to smuggle and consume alcohol in the 1920s.

-It's Gatsby Baby