character descriptions

• Jordan - presentation of character:

  Jordan's non-traditional gender presentation contrasts greatly with Myrtle who conforms to ideas of femininity and female sexuality to climb the social ladder
• Myrtle - character presentation:

  Myrtle uses her sexuality to seductively catch Tom's attention and thus utilises her femininity to her advantage. Myrtle proves her sexuality is connected to the stubborn desire to change a woman's social class, however this is violently extinguished in her death.
• Gatsby narrative voice:

  aphorisms - conveys phrases as facts, when a simple sentence

  idiolects - repeated phrases

  active voice + imperatives
• Gatsby - character presentation:

  Brings the convo back to himself. Assertive at times while being polite to uphold his image of a refined and sophisticated man (tunnel vision of love/romance) while having constant underlying insecurity
• Daisy narrative voice:

  epizeuxis - rhetorical device that appears to involve the reader's emotion

  sartorial imagery - the use of clothing or dress-related elements to convey meaning, symbolism, or characterization within a literary work.

  superficial statements

  colour images

  exclamations

  stuttering
• Daisy - character presentation:

  Old money - her voice sounds like money, somewhat an antifeminist with a facade of purity, further emphasising her superficiality in her statements. She also creates a fantasy image of herself through her white dresses, conveying ideas of purity, femininity and love, ironically.
• Tom narrative voice:

  direct and assertive speech

  priority of self as the subject of dialouge

  comparitives - to show superiority

  discourse markers - to demand attention

  vague, abstract language and phrases
• Tom - character presentation:

  Extreme arrogance, stemming from coming from Old money. First introduction contains negatively connotated words, to introduce the reader to the kind of life they lead, unreflective, superficial and racist. His body language also, subconsciously, asserts dominance, alluding to this superficial superiority he feels 'is in his bones'.
• Jordan narrative voice:

  oxymoronic phrases

  cynical tone

  declarative

  entices people to believe her lies by insisting her opinions, allowing for them to get caught in the gossip
• George narrative voice:

  repetition

  metaphors

  false starts + hedging - intimidation from Tom's dominance

  working-class idiolect
• George - character presentation:

  He is referred to as grey and tired, somewhat ghostly, alluding to his submissiveness when it comes to Tom, leading up to him finding out about the affair where he never knows that it was Tom. He is therefore much weaker, personality-wise, compared to both Tom and Myrtle. To also has no respect for George, almost flaunting his affair in front of him.
• Wolshiem narrative voice:

  starts in the middle of sentences + trails off

  anecdotes

  deviant use of grammar

  makes up words or spellings
• Wolshiem - character presentation:

  He appears to be secretive, suspicious, and untrustworthy, likely due to his criminal job. The deviated use of grammar and the absence of complete sentences could suggest a lack of formal education. The peculiar and unsettling comment about his tiepins implies an intent to instil fear, possibly not through physical means but through subtlety, such as with his chosen accessories.
• Henry Gatz narrative voice:

  Ellison

  Slang

  Deviant use of modal verbs and grammar
• Henry Gatz - character presentation:

  Working class, in complete awe of Gatsby's new life, and proud of his life, with a complete lack of knowledge of his criminal background, he is proud of his son. He is also reminiscent as he speaks in the past tense. His character also gives insight into Gatsby's life before
• Michaelis narrative voice:

  contractions - lower class

  casual language

  informal + colloquial language
• Michaelis - character presentation:

  He is seen as a very trustworthy character, as he told the policemen the truth about Myrtle's death. He also justifies Wilson's grief and is presented as someone who cares for those around him, being of the working class having connections and knowing many people helps business.
• Catherine narrative voice:

  colloquial tone - presentation of modern women

  slang
• Catherine - character presentation:

  She does interact with Tom and Myrtle's affair as she wants to move up into the upper class, without the distraction of the affair, affecting her image of being a modern woman.
• Owl eyes narrative voice:

  rhetorical questions - excited tone

  slang

  drunken repetition and demands
• Owl eyes - character presentation:

  He was Gatsby's only friend (besides Nick) who attended his funeral, demonstrating his integrity towards any relationships. His drunken condition reinforces his role as an observer, rather than a character with a significant impact on the narrative. This passive role highlights his character's function in moving the story forward without altering or influencing it, proving the superficiality of other key characters who did not attend Gatsby's funeral.
• T.J Eckleburg narrative voice:

  symbolic of the artificial nature of what the soietyb had become
• T.J Eckleburg - character presentation:

  In a godless society where capitalism and materialism are worshipped, this presentation of a god-like figure literally looking over the whole city exudes the craving for morality and religion to return to a normal-toned place. The emptiness of a consumer society where power and control are capitalised on reflects back on the decade prior to the Great Depression.
• Klipspringer narrative voice:

  constant priority of self as the subjective pronoun

  self-repair, constant reiterations of the same thing

  declarative + contractions

  epistemic modality - likelihood or certainty of things
• klipspringer - character presentation:

  He is seen as very unreliable and selfish, he also constantly uses humour which is rarely formed from his own opinion. His character is rather insignificant as he is constantly cut off vocally by Gatsby or Nick. Even though Gatsby allowed him to live in his home, he never came to his funeral, highlighting his lack of compassion and the superficial society is conveyed here.
• Dan cody narrative voice:

  somewhat unreliable - Gatsby's rendition of him

  repeated phrases

  Gatsby's mentor
• Dan cody - character presentation:

  Cody was a heavy drinker and it was Gatsby's job to look after him when he did. This could have given Gatsby his first insight into what prolonged drinking addictions can do to a man, perhaps to keep his dignity intact Gatsby doesn't drink. He lived on a yacht, which has the attraction of physical mobility and represents for Gatsby all the glamour he believes he can have.
• Mr and Mrs Mckee narrative voices:

  respectful tones

  non-descriptive language

  pragmatics + interruptions

  declaritives

  asyndetic lists + the use of elipsis
• Mckees - character perspective:

  They are presented as a very superficial couple, presented to be obnoxious but it is only mirroring the 1920 society in terms of the facade and favouring wealth
• Movie star narrative voice:

  no words spoken - her untouchability as a movie star

  highly renowned

  upper class

  probable snob in her spoken language
• movie star - character perspective:

  First mentioned in an intimate scene, the vocabulary used illustrates Gatsby's ongoing attempt to impress Daisy and draw her in to meet all his famous and upper-class acquaintances.
• Gatsby's butler narrative voice:

  polite and formal tone of voice when addressing those of higher class

  more casual and colloquial when talking to other house staff
• Butler - character perspective:

  He has to deal with the selfish, wealthy upper-class communities constantly without being able to properly interact with them. The ability to hire those amount of house staff shows the immense wealth of the time, as well as, the lack of morality as none of the guests addresses the butler properly.
• Waiter at 42 Street Cellar narrative voice:

  simple vocab + colloquial tone - lower class status

  encourages people to drink - to get more money, again highlighting the power wealth and money has in this society
• Waiter at 42 Street Cellar - character perspective:

  The speed and business of the restaurant heighten the efficient nature of his interaction and the somewhat impolite nature of him. Observing the underhanded business going on, and the dealings between the gangsters may be alluded to if he were to have a conversation with another worker at the cellar.