<p>&nbsp;</p>
<table class="s_table s_table_border">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p><img src="bigstock-portrait-of-young-female-stude-98105234_5731f47beab89.jpg" width="342" height="306" id="tme_imgModEnabled" title="" /></p>
</td>
<td>
<ul>
<li>Characters play a critical role in any story. When theme is an argument, characters become one of the tools authors use to support their argument.</li>
<li>The central character in a work of literature is called the&nbsp;<span style="color: #0000ff;"><em>protagonist</em></span>. The protagonist usually initiates the main action of the story and often overcomes a flaw, such as weakness or ignorance, to achieve a new understanding by the work&rsquo;s end. A protagonist who acts with great honor or courage may be called a hero.&nbsp;</li>
<li>An&nbsp;<em><span style="color: #0000ff;">antihero</span></em>&nbsp;is a protagonist lacking these qualities. Instead of being dignified, brave, idealistic, or purposeful, the antihero may be cowardly, self-interested, or weak.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The protagonist&rsquo;s journey is enriched by encounters with characters who hold differing beliefs. One such character type, a&nbsp;<em><span style="color: #0000ff;">foil</span></em>, has traits that contrast with the protagonist&rsquo;s and highlight important features of the main character&rsquo;s personality.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The most important foil, the&nbsp;<em><span style="color: #0000ff;">antagonist</span></em>, opposes the protagonist, barring or complicating his or her success.</li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<table class="s_table s_table_border">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Nick Carraway narrates the story, but it is Jay Gatsby who is the novel&rsquo;s protagonist. Gatsby&rsquo;s love affair with Daisy, her marriage to Tom, and Gatsby&rsquo;s quest to regain Daisy&rsquo;s affection provide the story&rsquo;s narrative arc and they also support the argument Fitzgerald is making in his book.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BlTyWlRUhbM?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></iframe></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14px;">&nbsp;</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>As you read the next chapter, pay particular attention to the characters in the chapter. How do they support the argument? What about the characters in the previous chapters?</p>