The Great Gatsby: Blog 5
F. Scott Fitzgerald

     As I continue reading The Great Gatsby, I have begun to learn more and more about the title character, Jay Gatsby. I have come to the conclusion that he is the protagonist in the story, because many conversations and events are centered around him. There is a great deal of characterization by Carraway about Gatsby, which helps the reader dive into his true personality. Caraway seems to use quite a bit of indirect characterization, because of the way he talks about his house, parties, and lifestyle. Carraway says, "On week-ends, his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight" (Fitzgerald, 39). From this sentence, it is understood that Gatsby is a rich, popular man in town. Even though Carraway does not use these words, we can tell this is true because of the type of car he drives and the extravagance of his parties. Gatsby seems to be a round character in the story. Not everyone who attends his parties really knows him, which is made apparent by Carraway and Miss Baker's conversation on the topic of whether or not Gatsby killed a man. Carraway slowly gets to know Gatsby, realizing their is much more to his personality than a wealthy man living in Long Island. He learns Gatsby also fought in the army, and he attended Oxford University. Carraway says, "I had expected that Mr. Gatsby would be a florid and corpulent person in his middle years" (Fitzgerald, 48). Gatsby's personality seems to surprise everyone and be much deeper than most expect.