Group Character Activity: GATSBY

1. Group Character Activity: GATSBY Sylvia Jung Boram Lee Kevin Lee

2. Brief Information • Jay Gatsby is the protagonist. • Gatsby is a mysterious, fantastically wealthy young man. • He lives in West Egg and serves parties. • He was born in North Dakota as a son of poor farmer. • Associated with underground work. • Loves Daisy Buchanan. • This inspired Gatsby to devote his life to the acquisition of wealth.

3. Physical Description • No specific description is depicted because he is a mysterious and secluded character. • Nick Caraway describes him as neat, firm-looking man. • Seems about 30-32 old years. • “I was looking at an elegant young roughneck, a year or two over thirty…” (48). • “He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it…” (48).

4. Personality • Faithful: • “’You’d better come home and get some sleep.’ He shook his head. ‘I want to wait here till Daisy goes to bed. Good night, old sport’” (145). • Inactive, not socialize: He appears not to drink or dance at parties. • Dishonest: He lies about his past • Mercenary: When Nick decides to invite Daisy for Gatsby, he replies with money. • “It wouldn’t take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money. It happens to be rather confidential sort of thing” (83). • Live in the past: • ‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’ He looked around him wildly, as if the past were lurking here in the shadow of his house, just out of reach of his hand. ‘I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before…’ He talked a lot about the past” (110). • Uneasy: • “This was continually breaking through his punctilious manner in the shape of restlessness.  He was never quite still; there was always a tapping foot somewhere oar the impatient opening and closing of a hand”(64). • Careful: • “He’s afraidm he’s waited so long. He thought you might be offended” (78).

5. Evidence of Change • Gatsby’s love for Daisy stays same

6. But, He sought for change!

7. James Gatz to Jay Gatsby

8. Changes: • His social status greatly change • From farm boy to rich man • He changes his name: • “James Gatz – that was really, or at least legally, his name. He had changed it at the age of seventeen and at the specific moment that witnessed the beginning of his career – when he saw Dan Cody’s yacht drop anchor over the most insidious flat on lake Superior” (98).

9. Social Standing • Gatsby was born from a relatively poor family. • “His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people” (98). • “He stayed there two weeks, dismayed at its ferocious indifference to the drums of his destiny, to destiny itself, and despising the janitor’s work with which he was to pay his way through” (99). • However, Gatsby's social status rises tremendously. • He became rich enough to be able to throw out parties every night to attract Daisy. • Yet, he shows ill manner and does not know how to socialize among people. • And he is associated with illegal work: “He’s a bootlegger” (61).

10. Purpose in the Novel • To show the effects and powers of money • Social class division • Moral Corruption of Society • Gatsby becomes a victim. • The American Dream • He reaches his goal.

13. “Good Guy” • Nick Carraway said to Gatsby: • “’They’re a rotten crowd,’ I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together’” (154). • Gatsby is a man of mystery, and he had all these false rumors and information. But his love for Daisy is romantic and passionate even though he seems idealistic. • He has warm smile unlike Tom • “He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it…” (48). • Nick slowly realizes that Gatsbydoesn’t care any of the other things. Instead, Gatsby is motivated by emotions – love. • “‘Was Daisy driving?’ ‘Yes,’ he said after a moment, ‘but of course I’ll say I was’”(143). • Gatsby reveals himself to be an innocent, hopeful young man but impossible to achieve his dream – dream of Daisy.

14. Bibliography • Image: http://www.boosttwitterfollowers.com/images/money_tree.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2Wzgw4hUx68/StUwejbs06I/AAAAAAAAADs/uDLFc5BwvjE/s320/gatsby_cover.jpg http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007/5/24/design-can-change.jpg