| What was the advice given to Nick by his Father? | “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone” he told me “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” |
| What is Nick’s social class/background | He is not from the upper class. He has many tastes and advantages of the upper class, but not the money. He is not poor, though, as his father was a successful business man. |
| When Nick returns from the war, why does he decide to go east | Nick wanted to learn the bond business and the midwest seemed like the edge of the universe |
| How is West Egg different from the East Egg | East egg is old money. West egg is new money |
| Before meeting him, what does Nick tell us about Tom Buchanan | He is very rich, 30 years old, football hero at Yale. Very athletic, powerful body, arrogant, cruel |
| If you were going to pick one color to connect with Daisy Buchanan, what color would it be? | white since she is very lovely |
| What unflattering feature of Jordan Baker’s personality is revealed in this scene. | Jordan Baker gets bored easily, yawning to express her boredom. As well as being dishonest, she has a sense of inner emptiness. |
| Whats the name of the book that Tom wants to discuss at dinner | The rise of the colored empires |
| Whats is the reader left to think about Daisy’s emotional state and her relationship with Tom | she’s disturbed at Tom’s affair and the fact she was faking the cynical outburst |
| Who is Jordan Baker and what has Nick heard about her | Daisy’s friend and a professional golfer. She is a cheater |
| At the end of the chapter, Nick sees Gatsby on the lawn and is about to call and introduce himself, but he does not. What stops him. | he seems content to be alone, he is being more emotional and is not something that he really does |
| The green light that Gatsby is at will become an important symbol in the book. What symbolic associations do you connect to the color? | the future that year by year resides before us |
| The description of the “valley of ashes” opens Chapter Two. On a literal level, what is the valley of ashes? What might it represent on a symbolic level? | The valley of ashes is the railroads, houses and chimneys. On a symbolic level, it represents absolute poverty and hopelessness. |
| Do you think Tom will leave Daisy for Myrtle? | No, I do not believe Tom will leave Daisy for Myrtle. He only wants her to use. He treats her badly and even though he abuses Daisy also he does not do it in public. |
| How do we know that Myrtle Wilson is not an Intellectual? | Myrtle is convinced that she is truly loved by Tom and he would leave his wife for her. |
the great gatsby
April 12, 2020