Character analysis using PEE The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Transcription

1 Using your knowledge of the hotel scene in Chapter 7, complete the table below focusing on the character of Tom Buchanan. Tom does not shy away from conflict and is quite confrontational. What kind of a row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow? Here Tom shows that he is not a subtle character. He lacks social sophistication despite his social class and is quite willing to have a public row with Gatsby. Tom does not see Gatsby as an equal. I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Tom is determined to get his own way at any cost. Tom is happy to use his own wife as a means to prove once and for all that he has power over Gatsby and does not see him a threat. He seems to spare little regard for his wife s feelings as he sends them home in the car together. Tom thinks his money and social status bring him power. I ll be damned if I see how you got within a mile of her unless you brought the groceries to the back door. This line is an instruction to Daisy and an exclamatory sentence to Gatsby. The imperative verb form (she s not) indicates that this is an instruction to both Daisy and Gatsby. The exclamation mark adds emphasis to the last word which changes the meaning slightly. The emphasis switches from Tom keeping Daisy, to the suggestion that Gatsby is losing Daisy Page 1 of 10

2 Tom sees Daisy as a possession and not a person. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him. This is just one reference Tom makes to Gatsby s lower class past and present dubious business ventures. Tom sees these things as evidence that he is much better than Gatsby. Although Gatsby has money, Tom will never recognise him as equal because of his lower class background. Tom thinks he has more morals than Gatsby. I was tempted to laugh every time he opened his mouth Page 2 of 10

3 Using your knowledge of the hotel scene in Chapter 7, complete the table below focusing on the character of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby doesn t like to give out information about his past. By the way, Mr Gatsby, I understand you re an Oxford man. This dialogue continues with Gatsby offering pieces of information, one at a time. He seems reluctant to discuss his past. This could be because he doesn t want Daisy to remember his penniless roots? Gatsby refuses to believe that Daisy ever loved anyone but him. Just tell him the truth that you never loved him. Gatsby has an unending capacity for hope. This is the line before the conflict really begins and illustrates how nervous Gatsby is. He waits for it to start but does not start it himself demonstrating his dislike of conflict and confrontational situations. He looked as if he d killed a man. For a moment the set of his face could be described in just that fantastic way Page 3 of 10

4 Gatsby behaves in a way he perceives to be appropriate to the upper class person he feels he has become. You loved me too? This is Gatsby s response when Tom says he will investigate Gatsby s business. Although he does not usually speak freely about his business, Gatsby goes on to discuss it in the group, possibly doing this to try to legitimatise it to Daisy. Gatsby is a mysterious character that people are intrigued by. I wanted to slap him on the back. I had one of those renewals of complete faith in him that I d experienced before Page 4 of 10

5 Suggested answers Tom Buchanan Tom does not shy away from conflict and is quite confrontational. What kind of a row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow? Here Tom shows that he is not a subtle character. He lacks social sophistication despite his social class and is quite willing to have a public row with Gatsby. Tom does not see Gatsby as an equal. I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Here Tom illustrates that, even though Gatsby has money just like him, Tom does not accept that they have the same class status. He refers to Gatsby as Nobody identifying that Tom feels Gatsby is so inconsequential he doesn t even require a name. Tom is determined to get his own way at any cost. You two start home, Daisy in Mr Gatsby s car go on he won t annoy you. I think he realises his presumptuous little flirtation is over. Tom is happy to use his own wife as a means to prove once and for all that he has power over Gatsby and does not see him as a threat. He seems to spare little regard for his wife s feelings as he sends them home in the car together. Tom thinks his money and social status bring him power. I ll be damned if I see how you got within a mile of her unless you brought the groceries to the back door. Here Tom asserts that he has a right to Daisy because his family come from a higher social class. He viciously makes a reference to Gatsby s past as he is from a low social status. Tom is well aware that this comment will hit Gatsby where it hurts and is quite ruthless Page 5 of 10

6 Tom is used to giving orders and not used to being challenged. She s not leaving me! This line is an instruction to Daisy and an exclamatory sentence to Gatsby. The imperative verb form (she s not) indicates that this is an instruction to both Daisy and Gatsby. The exclamation mark adds emphasis to the last word which changes the meaning slightly. The emphasis switches from Tom keeping Daisy, to the suggestion that Gatsby is losing Daisy. Tom sees Daisy as a possession and not a person. She gets foolish ideas in her head and doesn t know what she s doing. Tom talks of Daisy almost as if she is an animal here: something to be owned. He indicates that she needs him to look after her like a dog or a child. With this statement he takes away her ability to be an independent person. Tom handles conflict using methods of attack both verbal and physical. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him. Tom is quite happy to use personal insults. He opens up the conflict and leads it all the way through. In one line, Tom s voice is described as, insulting. At one point he does stop attacking Gatsby directly and uses emotional blackmail on Daisy so she speaks against Gatsby. This then still becomes an indirect attack on Gatsby through Tom s own wife. Tom thinks he is better than Gatsby. A common swindler who d have to steal the ring he put on her finger. This is just one reference Tom makes to Gatsby s lower class past and present dubious business ventures. Tom sees these things as evidence that he is much better than Gatsby. Although Gatsby has money, Tom will never recognise him as equal because of his lower class background Page 6 of 10

7 Tom thinks he has more morals than Gatsby. Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions. Tom sees his marriage to Daisy as giving him the moral high ground over Gatsby as he is actually her husband. However, Tom seems oblivious to the fact that has had many spree[s] as he calls them. He seems to feel he is exempt from the rules he is applying to Daisy and Gatsby by having numerous affairs himself. The other characters see Tom as stupid and ignorant. I was tempted to laugh every time he opened his mouth. The narrator Nick Carraway says this about Tom. He also remarks that Tom was speaking, impassioned gibberish,and Daisy refers to her own husband as, stupid. The other characters opinions of Tom are evident above. However we should note that Nick is our narrator and so may colour our perception of Tom throughout the whole book Page 7 of 10

8 Suggested answers Jay Gatsby Gatsby doesn t like to give out information about his past. By the way, Mr Gatsby, I understand you re an Oxford man. This dialogue continues with Gatsby offering pieces of information at a time. He seems reluctant to discuss his past. This could be because he doesn t want Daisy to remember his penniless roots. Gatsby refuses to believe that Daisy ever loved anyone but him. Just tell him the truth that you never loved him. Gatsby cannot accept that Daisy was ever in love with Tom. He says this to her and she repeats it back to him almost word for word, like he is brainwashing her. He has done everything in his life for her and his ideal Daisy feels the same. Gatsby is on love with an ideal of Daisy he has created, not the real Daisy. Gatsby has an unending capacity for hope. I want to wait here till Daisy goes to bed. Good night, old sport. Even after Daisy has gone home with Tom, Gatsby keeps an all-night vigil at her window in case she needs him. This shows Gatsby s unending capacity for hope. Even after he has lost Daisy he still hopes she might come to him. This could also be an inability to accept that the thing he has worked his whole life for (a life with Daisy) is not going to happen. Gatsby is quite a shy character who struggles with conflict. Gatsby s foot beat a short restless tattoo and Tom eyed him suddenly. This is the line before the conflict really begins and illustrates how nervous Gatsby is. He waits for it to start but does not start it himself demonstrating his dislike of conflict and confrontational situations. Fitzgerald uses the rhythm of the sentence to build tension here with the clipped syllables of the words Page 8 of 10

9 short rest-less ta-ttoo. This sentence structure also mimics the action of Gatsby s foot adding to the tension with ambient action. Gatsby may have a temper but he keeps it well hidden. He looked as if he d killed a man. For a moment the set of his face could be described in just that fantastic way. This illustrates that Gatsby does have a more sinister side, although mostly he is mild-mannered and polite. It indicates that his mysterious secrets may not always be ones you would want to hear and again infers a shady past. Gatsby behaves in a way he perceives to be appropriate to the upper class person he feels he has become. Old sport. Gatsby uses this phrase as he feels it is an appropriate upper class way to address others. He acts the part deliberately adapting certain phrases that he feels would suit the character he has created for himself. Gatsby s world is shattered when Daisy refuses to say she didn t love Tom. You loved me too? This version of too is often used to add emphasis; however, the italic print highlights its significance further. When Gatsby realises that Daisy will not say she didn t love Tom his ideal of her is shattered. Nick says the words, bite physically, into Gatsby. At this point he seems to lose his will to fight for her. Tom, however, is the opposite. He keeps fighting to the end. Winning is more important to Tom, it seems, than Daisy herself. Gatsby does not seem to see his criminal activities as inappropriate. You can suit yourself about that, old sport. This is Gatsby s response when Tom says he will investigate Gatsby s business. Although he does not usually speak freely about his business, Gatsby goes on to discuss it in the group, possibly doing this to try and legitimatise it to Daisy Page 9 of 10

10 Gatsby is a mysterious character that people are intrigued by. This tremendous detail was to be cleared up at last. This is said by the narrator Nick Carraway as we finally discover whether Gatsby went to Oxford University or not. This is just one of many rumours circulating about Gatsby. The use of the adjective tremendous illustrates how interested people are in Gatsby s past and also how significant it is to finally find out the truth about Gatsby s past among the rumours. Gatsby is quite well liked by the other characters. I wanted to slap him on the back. I had one of those renewals of complete faith in him that I d experience before. The gesture Nick describes here is one of friendship and camaraderie. It illustrated that the other characters like Gatsby. It also illustrates how desperate Nick is to believe that Gatsby has not lied to him and enables Nick to feel like he knows the real Gatsby and not just the rumours Page 10 of 10