The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Daisy and Tom Buchanan's young daughter, Pammy plays a very minor role in the novel as a possession meant to be displayed. She is always dressed like her mother and represents the shallowness of her parents. Daisy herself hopes that Pammy will grow up to be a "beautiful fool."

Dan Cody is Jay Gatsby's best friend and the man responsible for who Gatsby eventually becomes. Cody employs Gatsby for five years, and Nick's observations indicate that Cody drank too much and likely participated in criminal activities. Given their history and that the twenty-five thousand dollars Cody left to Gatsby when he died were never received, it's possible Gatsby turned to crime in order to make his own fortune.

Henry Gatz is Jay Gatsby's father. Despite being poor, he is dignified and immensely proud of his son. He remains ignorant of Jay's bootlegging and underground connections, only believing his son to have been a great man.

Mr. Klipspringer lives off Jay Gatsby's wealth by boarding in his mansion and rarely contributes beyond playing the piano for Daisy and Gatsby. Nick perceives Klipspringer to be a friend of Gatsby’s, observing how Gatsby compliments Klipspringer for the music he plays. However, after Gatsby’s death Klipspringer reveals himself to be just as shallow as the rest of Gatsby’s associates, only dwelling in Gatsby's home to take advantage of his lush and extravagant lifestyle.

The minor character Owl Eyes provides a subtle commentary on the vanity of the Long Island elites and reveals aspects of Jay Gatsby’s character. He notes how remarkable it is that the books in Gatsby’s library are real. This comment not only implies the insincerity of “the secret society,” who are superficial and lack substance, but also confirms Gatsby’s character, who has a greater degree of integrity. However, the pages of the volumes have not been cut apart, revealing that while Gatsby aspires to a life of meaning and authenticity, he remains in denial, refusing to face life’s difficult truths.

George Wilson is married to Myrtle and is one of the primary victims of the Buchanan’s recklessness. George represents the common people victimized by the carelessness and cruelty of the extraordinarily wealthy. He is poor, earns just enough money to get by, and has to ask Tom Buchanan, the man having an affair with Myrtle, for a car so he can move away. After Daisy Buchanan accidently kills Myrtle in a hit and run, George descends into a destructive spiral of grief. Seeing his grief as an opportunity, Tom tells George that it was Jay Gatsby who had both seduced and killed Myrtle. This causes George to murder Gatsby.

Myrtle Wilson is Tom Buchanan’s mistress and George Wilson’s wife. Since Tom and George stand at opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, Myrtle represents the lower classes’ desire for social advancement. Her relationship with Tom is less about love and more about the appearance of wealth and desirability she earns through him. However, her fixation on status and appearances means that she is unable to fight back against Tom’s abuse. Myrtle is so obsessed with material gain that she is willing to prioritize it over her own well-being, which ultimately results in her death when she is struck and killed by a speeding car she believes belongs to Tom. In the end, her life and death exemplify the abuses suffered by the poor at the hands of the wealthy.

A selfish and insecure man, Meyer Wolfsheim is one of Jay Gatsby's associates in the criminal underworld. He is a mobster who focuses on bootlegging and racketeering. For Nick, Wolfsheim serves as a window into the clandestine part of Gatsby's life...