Jordan Baker embodies the "flapper girl" of the roaring twenties - confident, careless, and completely unapologetic about it. She's a professional golfer who represents the new breed of emancipated women who flouted traditional expectations of respectability and marriage.

Nick finds himself both "enchanted and repelled" by Jordan's dishonesty and privileged attitude. Her famous line about being a careful driver because she hates "careless people" reveals the irony of her character - she's actually quite reckless herself.

Jordan's golden skin and attractive appearance make her socially powerful, but critics suggest deeper meanings. Some argue she represents sexual ambivalence, whilst others see her as potentially mixed-race, trying to "pass" as white for social mobility.

Key insight: Jordan's dishonesty isn't just personal - it reflects the moral corruption of the wealthy elite in 1920s America.

Myrtle Wilson desperately wants to escape her working-class life, and she thought marrying George Wilson would be her ticket up. When that failed spectacularly, she turned to Tom Buchanan as her route to upward social mobility.

Her affair with Tom isn't about love - it's about class aspiration. Myrtle tries to reinvent herself through expensive clothes and materialistic consumption, but she can't naturally embody the upperclass habitus she desperately wants.

The tragedy of Myrtle's story shows how difficult it was for women to change their social position independently. She's literally and figuratively trapped - by her marriage, her class, and ultimately by the car that kills her.

Remember this: Myrtle's death symbolises the fate of those who try to reshape their lives in a rigid class system.

Nick claims to be "one of the few honest people" he's ever known, but his narration is anything but reliable. He's simultaneously inside and outside the action - "enchanted and repelled" by the wealthy world he observes.

As our retrospective narrator, Nick tells the story from memory years later, which means his account is filtered through time, emotion, and personal bias. He switches between first and third person, showing his contradictory nature as both participant and observer.

Nick's moral standards become increasingly clouded throughout the novel. Despite criticising others for their behaviour, he mingles with people he finds unpleasant and makes his own questionable choices, particularly regarding his relationship with Jordan.

Critical point: Nick's unreliability as a narrator means we must question everything he tells us about the other characters.

Tom represents everything wrong with inherited wealth and privilege. He's physically imposing, emotionally brutal, and completely protected from consequences by his financial and social status.

His relationship with Daisy is built on shared history and social position rather than genuine connection. Meanwhile, his affair with Myrtle satisfies his need for sexual dominance and gives him someone he can control completely.

Tom feels genuinely threatened by the American Dream ideology and the changing social order. His racist views and fear of losing his privileged position make him desperate to maintain the status quo, no matter who gets hurt.

Essential understanding: Tom's "carelessness" isn't accidental - it's the deliberate cruelty of someone who's never faced real consequences.