Minor Characters
English Lit: AQA A Level The Great Gatsby - Specification A, topic 4.5.1
Jordan Baker
Jordan Baker is somewhat of a celebrity due to her accomplishments as a professional golfer, although there are rumours of her cheating in a major tournament.
Relationships
- Jordan is Daisy’s closest friend and confidant.
- Jordan also forms a close relationship with Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story.
- Jordan spends much of the novel being Nick’s girlfriend but she is evasive about certain aspects of her life.
Damaged reputation
- Jordan has been accused at cheating at golf and this harms her reputation.
- The impact of this is felt greatly by her and may account for her elusive behaviour.
George and Myrtle Wilson
George Wilson is a struggling mechanic who runs a garage in the ‘Valley of Ashes’, which is halfway between New York City and West Egg. Myrtle is his wife.
George Wilson
- We know something about him from the environment he lives in: ‘wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner’ (Chapter Two).
- George is married to Myrtle, and for most of the story, he is unaware of the affair between his wife and Tom Buchanan.
- George kills Gatsby and then shoots himself after his wife is knocked down and killed by a car. But what he does not realise is that the car was actually being driven by Daisy Buchanan.
Myrtle
- Myrtle is full of life and sexuality - ‘she carried her flesh sensuously as some women can’ (Chapter Two).
- She is unhappy in the world in which she finds herself. This explains her association with Tom.
- She is frustrated because her marriage has been disappointing (a mirror image of the marriage between Tom and Daisy).
Meyer Wolfsheim
Meyer Wolfsheim is a suspicious character with associations with the criminal underworld.
Reputation and presentation
- Meyer Wolfsheim is infamous for fixing the 1919 World Series baseball tournament.
- Wolfsheim is presented as a Jewish gambler.
Relationship with Gatsby
- He is a close associate of Gatsby, and seems to be fond of him, but is also ruthless in cutting ties with Gatsby upon hearing of his death.
Test yourself on Minor Characters
What do we know about Jordan Baker?
What accusation harms Jordan's reputation?
Who does Jordan spend most of the novel in a relationship with?
What is Jordan's connection to Daisy?
Where is the ‘Valley of Ashes’?