Daisy’s friend, a woman with whom Nick becomes romantically involved during the course of the novel. A competitive golfer. She is cynical, boyish, and self-centered.
The novel’s narrator. A young man from Minnesota who later goes to New York City to learn the bond business. Honest, tolerant, and inclined to reserve judgment.
The shallow freeloader who seems almost to live at Gatsby’s mansion, taking advantage of his host’s money. As soon as Gatsby dies, he disappears—he does not attend the funeral, but he does call Nick about a pair of tennis shoes that he left at Gatsby’s mansion.
The eccentric drunk whom Nick meets at the first party he attends at Gatsby’s mansion. Nick finds him looking through Gatsby’s library, astonished that the books are real.
Gatsby’s friend. A prominent figure in organized crime. He helped Gatsby to make his fortune.
Tom’s lover who lives in the valley of ashes. She possesses a fiercevitality and desperately looks for a way to improve her situation.
Myrtle’s husband, the lifeless, exhausted owner of a run-down auto shop at the edge of the valley of ashes. He loves and idealizes Myrtle, and he is devastated by her affair with Tom.
Daisy’s wealthy husband. A famous man. Powerfully built and hailing from a socially solid old family. He is an arrogant, hypocritical bully.
The protagonist of the novel. A wealthy young man living in a Gothic mansion in West Egg. He is famous for the lavish parties. He is obsessive with money.
Nick’s cousin, and the woman Gatsby loves. A young woman in Louisville. she was courted by a number of officers, including Gatsby. She fell in love with Gatsby and promised to wait for him.
