Suggestions
Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.Please wait while we process your payment
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
Please wait while we process your payment
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy.
Don’t have an account? Subscribe now
Create Your Account
Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial
Already have an account? Log in
Your Email
Choose Your Plan
Individual
Group Discount
Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!
Purchasing SparkNotes PLUS for a group?
Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more!
Price
$24.99 $18.74 /subscription + tax
Subtotal $37.48 + tax
Save 25% on 2-49 accounts
Save 30% on 50-99 accounts
Want 100 or more? Contact us for a customized plan.
Your Plan
Payment Details
Payment Summary
SparkNotes Plus
You'll be billed after your free trial ends.
7-Day Free Trial
Not Applicable
Renews December 5, 2023 November 28, 2023
Discounts (applied to next billing)
DUE NOW
US $0.00
SNPLUSROCKS20 | 20% Discount
This is not a valid promo code.
Discount Code (one code per order)
SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan - Group Discount
Qty: 00
SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.
Choose Your Plan
For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more!
You’ve successfully purchased a group discount. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. You'll also receive an email with the link.
Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership.
Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Continue to start your free trial.
Please wait while we process your payment
Your PLUS subscription has expired
Please wait while we process your payment
Please wait while we process your payment
One of the only working-class characters in The Great Gatsby, George Wilson owns an unsuccessful business in The Valley of Ashes, a poor neighborhood that lies between West Egg and Manhattan. In contrast to the physically impressive Tom, the beautiful Daisy, and the charming, colorful Gatsby, George is described as a “blond, spiritless man, anaemic and faintly handsome.” A once-promising young man, George has since been beaten into submission by poverty. His wife, Myrtle, is having an affair, which causes him great pain—although, it’s important to note that George does not know who Myrtle’s affair partner is. However, George holds onto the hope of a different future. He dreams of a new life in the American West, where he and his wife can start anew, repair their marriage, and find financial and material stability. George’s dream of escape complements Gatsby’s dream of inclusion, and by the end of the novel, both men are victims of the illusory American dream and the wealthy society that they orbit.
As the novel progresses, George is perhaps the only character who truly fears punishment for his role in contributing to a morally decrepit society. He equates the watchful eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg with God, saying “God sees everything.” But George has little power to change his circumstances in a society so burdened with extreme wealth inequality, a sad reality that is exhibited in his fateful actions at the end of the novel. In an attempt to get justice for his wife’s death, George seeks out the owner of the car that hit and killed Myrtle, and he is mistakenly led to believe that Gatsby was at fault for the death. Thus, George murders Gatsby and then turns the gun on himself, allowing the Buchanans to escape the consequences of their actions. Here, George becomes a tragic symbol of the powerlessness of the working class in America, and the Buchanans are made into an example of how the wealthy can cause destruction to their communities with no repercussions.
Please wait while we process your payment