Mr. Gatz is Jay Gatsby’s father. He comes East for the funeral after Gatsby dies.

What is Gatsby’s real name?

Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz. His father still calls him Jimmy.

Why is Gatsby’s funeral so empty?

Hardly any of the people who came to Gatsby’s parties come to his funeral. Nick, Mr. Gatz and a small group of others are there.

From The Great Gatsby

Mr. Gatz

Gatsby’s loving father

Gatsby’s gentle, proud father, who lives far away in the Midwest.

Who is Mr. Gatz?

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.

Mr. Gatz is a character in The Great Gatsby, the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Mr. Gatz like?

Humble
Proud
Tender

Mr. Gatz’s story

Mr. Gatz is Gatsby’s father, a gray, plain, elderly man from the Midwest. He appears only at the end of the novel. For years Gatsby had told everyone that his family was wealthy and died long ago, and in fact his father was a poor farmer who had lived far away.

Nick sends word of Gatsby’s death, and Mr. Gatz soon arrives by train, still wearing a long, cheap overcoat. He is overwhelmed by the size of the house and speaks proudly about his son’s early life and character. He proudly shows Nick a photograph of the house and a copy of a book in which a young Jimmy wrote his daily goals.

Mr. Gatz says that Jimmy always liked it better in the East and that he would have been a great man. His quiet pride shows that Gatsby was loved. At the funeral only a handful of people come, though Nick has sent word to many, and Mr. Gatz stays by his son to the end.

“Jimmy always liked it better down East. He rose up to his position in the East.”

Mr. Gatz, speaking to Nick about his son. From the original 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

A moment to remember

Mr. Gatz pulls out an old children’s book where young Jimmy once penciled a daily plan of exercise, study and good deeds to practice.

Jay Gatsby: son
Nick Carraway: the friend who welcomes him
Daisy Buchanan: the woman his son loved

Talk about it

Young Gatsby wrote a list of good habits to work on every day. What would you put on your own list?

Questions about Mr. Gatz

Who is Mr. Gatz?: Mr. Gatz is Jay Gatsby’s father. He comes East for the funeral after Gatsby dies.
What is Gatsby’s real name?: Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz. His father still calls him Jimmy.
Why is Gatsby’s funeral so empty?: Hardly any of the people who came to Gatsby’s parties come to his funeral. Nick, Mr. Gatz and a small group of others are there.