character essay

• The Great Gatsby


  A novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The novel


  • Set in 1920s, Jazz Age New York
  • Tells the story of Jay Gatsby who is desperate to win back the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan
• Jay Gatsby


  • A character with many flaws - he is a liar, a bootlegger and associated with gangsters
  • However, the narrator Nick Carraway's admiration for Gatsby grows
• Gatsby remains an admirable figure because of his devotion to his dream of breaking social barriers and winning Daisy back
• Fitzgerald uses techniques such as characterisation, language and symbolism to make the reader admire Gatsby in spite of his flaws