The Great Gatsby ~Names~

The Great Gatsby ~Names~

1. Daisy Buchanan

   • 'Daisy', pretty plant, pure and white. Perhaps reflects Daisy's appearence and the performance she puts on. 'They were both in white' However a daisy is infact a weed which could represent a hidden depth to her which the reader finds out in chapter one- 'absolute smirk on her lovely face'
   • A daisy also grows in abundance, you rarely find one without an other. Perhaps this could represent the lives of the rich, and how personalities are all performed that they are similar, just like a gathering of daisies, none stands out.
   • Daisies are also hardy and dependable, with a lasting bloom even in draught. Perhaps this is what catches peoples attention about her, how alive she is.

2. Tom Buchanan

   • The name 'Tom' is one that is very common, which perhaps reflects his original lower class background, which he tries so hard to keep at bay; whether it be his expensive clothes, or what he chooses to read. 'Straw-haired man' perhaps links to his less wealthy days, where he may have farmed or been in agriculture. This could highlight the sense of performance to be of higher class, that Tom chooses to put on.
   • The name 'Tom' could also suggest a shallowness and a lack of depth of personality

3. Nick Calloway

   • Nick Carraway is a neutral name, one that could show wealth or could be the name of a mere worker which could show his unbiased nature.
   • It can be tied to Nicholas II of Russia, who watched his entire empire crumble around him due to corruption.

4. Jordan Baker

   • 'Jordan' is a unisex name, therefore can be given to a boy or girl. Perhaps this is reflected in her appearance. 'slender, small-breasted girl'. This masculinty and the fact it is new to Nick is perhaps what interests him so much in her. 'I enjoyed looking at her'
   • Name matches occupation, golf was more of a masculine sport.

5. Myrtle Wilson

   • The name 'Myrtle' perhaps reflects how ordinary she actually is and the world she lives in, not her aspirational self she dreams of in East Egg.
   • The plant Myrtle is an evergreen shrub. The fact that the plant is evergreen perhaps reflects the hardy element in Myrtles nature, and how she has almost fought to rise out of the 'valley of ashes'
     • Tough and scrappy shrub

6. George Wilson

   • Simple name for a simple man- a name for the working class. Compared to the pretentious name of Buchanan, Wilson is for a man who has had to work for his American dream.

7. James Gatsby