• Characterization is the way or ways in which a writer reveals information
about his or her characters. In direct characterization, the writer makes direct statements about a character’s personality. In indirect characterization,
the writer suggests characteristics by describing what the character says and
does or how other characters respond to him or her. Notice how Fitzgerald uses
both these techniques to create a vivid impression of the mysterious Jay Gatsby.

• Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. In first-person
point of view, the narrator is one of the characters in the story. Notice how the
reader’s view of the story is shaped by its narrator, Nick Carraway.

• Narrative structure refers to how a work of fiction is organized. Notice how
Fitzgerald uses flashbacks to fill in the reader’s knowledge of Jay Gatsby’s past.

• A symbol is a person, place, or thing that stands for something other than
itself. Notice references to “the green light” and “the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg.”
Look for their symbolic meanings.

• A novel’s plot centers on external conflicts, in which characters confront
other people or outside forces, and internal conflicts, which occur within
the characters’ minds. As you read, ask yourself what each character wants
most—and who or what is stopping that character from achieving those goals.

• A theme is an insight about life conveyed in a work of literature. Ask yourself
what ideas The Great Gatsby conveys about the American Dream, the importance
of money, and the difference between reality and illusion.