Who’s who in The Great Gatsby, the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, with a guide to every character in our retelling for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.
The Great Gatsby is set on Long Island in the summer of 1922, and the story is easiest to follow once you know where everyone lives. West Egg is where Nick Carraway rents a small cottage beside Jay Gatsby’s huge mansion, where glittering parties go on all summer. Across the bay is East Egg, home of Daisy and Tom Buchanan and their friend Jordan Baker. Between the Eggs and New York City lies the Valley of Ashes, a gray, dusty place where George and Myrtle Wilson live above a small garage.
For parents and teachers, the cast is a good way into the book’s big ideas: hope, money, loyalty and honesty. Nick is the narrator, and he is a fair friend to nearly everyone. Gatsby is the hopeful dreamer, Daisy and Tom are the wealthy couple at the center of his dream, and the Wilsons show what life looks like without that wealth. The original novel for adults has some sad events near its end, so our retelling keeps the cast and the heart of the story and softens what is hard.
Our thoughtful narrator
Nick Carraway tells this story. He is a thoughtful young man from the Midwest who rents a tiny cottage by the water for one summer, right next door to a huge mansion. Nick tries hard to listen fairly to everyone, and he becomes a true friend to his mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, even helping him meet Daisy again.
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The grand host and hopeful dreamer
Jay Gatsby is Nick’s rich and mysterious neighbor, who throws huge parties with music and glowing lanterns every summer weekend. Underneath all the sparkle, he is polite, gentle and full of hope. Gatsby grew up as a farm boy, worked hard to make himself into a fine gentleman, and never stopped dreaming of Daisy, the girl he loved before he went away to war.
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Nick’s sweet cousin
Daisy Buchanan is Nick’s cousin, a charming lady with a musical laugh who lives across the bay in a grand brick house. Years ago she loved a young soldier named Jay Gatsby, but after he went away to war, she married Tom. When Gatsby comes back into her life, Daisy feels pulled between her old dream and the family she has now.
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Daisy’s proud husband
Tom Buchanan is Daisy’s husband, a former college football star who is very tall, very strong and very rich. He is used to getting his own way, and he loves to brag about his fast ponies and his money. Tom keeps secrets of his own, yet he grows suspicious and angry when he sees that Daisy cares about Gatsby.
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Tournament golf champion
Jordan Baker is Daisy’s friend and a famous golf champion who sits up as straight as a flagpole. She is calm, cool and curious, and she always seems to know everyone’s business. Jordan keeps Nick company at Gatsby’s parties, and over a cup of tea she tells him the secret story of Gatsby and Daisy.
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The lively neighbor
Myrtle Wilson lives above her husband George’s dusty garage in the gray Valley of Ashes. She is bursting with energy, wears a bright red dress and dreams of a fancy life in the big city. Myrtle is Tom Buchanan’s secret friend, and she loves leaving the garage behind for exciting afternoons, even when those afternoons end in loud arguments.
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The quiet mechanic
George Wilson owns a small repair garage in the dusty Valley of Ashes, where he wipes grease from his tools and fixes cars all day. He is a tired, hardworking man who loves his wife Myrtle and hopes to earn a little more money. George is polite and quiet, but life is hard for him, and he often feels confused and worried.
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Gatsby’s loving father
Mr. Gatz is Jay Gatsby’s elderly father, a humble country gentleman from Minnesota who wears a worn gray overcoat. Near the end of the story, he travels a long way by train to honor his son, whom he still calls Jimmy. Mr. Gatz gazes around the grand mansion in awe, and his eyes fill with proud tears for the boy he raised.
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