The Great Gatsby: Character Study Activity
Character
Nick Carraway
Jay Gatsby
Daisy Buchanan
Tom Buchanan
Myrtle Wilson
Relevance of
Name
Physical Description
Colour Imagery
Character
Nick Carraway
Jay Gatsby
Daisy Buchanan
Tom Buchanan
Myrtle Wilson
Beliefs
Personality Traits
Virtues/ Vices
Motivations
Character Study Instructions

F. Scott Fitzgerald effectively incorporates both direct and indirect characterization into his novel, to develop rich and
round characters. To thoroughly examine and understand the significance of the major characters, complete the
analysis charts provided on the following pages. Be sure to include specific quotations and page numbers to support
your ideas. Finally, once you have completed your analysis charts, please respond to the questions listed below in
full sentences on a separate piece of paper.
1. How might Nick’s narration color the way readers view the other characters? Is he a reliable narrator?
2. Identify important situations in which minor characters elicit reactions from Nick. What do these characters teach Nick
about himself?
3. Which character(s) serves as the antagonist to Nick? Gatsby? How do encounters with the antagonist change Nick or
Gatsby?
4. Identify any major changes, realizations, or new opinions/beliefs that occur for the main characters in the first 7
chapters.
5. As a character, does Daisy’s life illustrate the free spirit of the Roaring Twenties? Why or why not?
6. How does the way Fitzgerald describes the Long Island landscape parallel the internal struggles of the main
characters?
7. What effect does colour imagery have on characterization and providing a deeper understanding of a character?
Select one character and explain the connotations created through the use of colour imagery.