| Chapter 1 | … |
| What are the recent events in Nick’s life, which most vividly affected his personality? | being in the east, the great war |
| How does Nick perceive himself? | a well rounded man |
| Describe the Buchanan’s house | a cheerful red and white Georgian colonial mansion, overlooking the bay with french windows |
| How does Nick know Daisy and Tom? | cousins first removed, went to college together |
| Describe Tom. What is your impression of him? | athletic, rough by hitting women, cheats on his wife, |
| What kind of person is Daisy? | unforgettable, beautiful, air-headed, gossipy |
| How does Nick feel about Daisy and Tom after his first visit with them? | disgusted, awkward, confused |
| How does Nick fit into the East Egg and West Egg societies? | he fits in because he comes from comes from money but left his hometown for a new begining |
| How does Fitzgerald introduce the theme of gesture or superficiality? | he is descriptive on homes, people, personalities, he implies that Tom and Daisy are stuck on themselves |
| How much do we know about Gatsby at the end of this chapter? | very little |
| Chapter 2 | … |
| What kind of place must one pass through on the way between East/West Egg and New York City? | industrial “valley of ashes” |
| Identify Myrtle and George Wilson. | George owns a car repair shop that Tom has him do some work for him and Myrtle is Tom’s mistress |
| How does the get-together in the New York apartment highlight the theme of the American Dream? | it is escaping the working class money to luxury and classy living for Myrtle |
| What reason does Myrtle give for marrying George Wilson? | Myrtle thought she was marrying a gentleman who had money and could give her a comfortable life instead he was a poor working class man |
| How is Myrtle contrasted with Daisy? | Myrtle is poor working class, aggressive and loudDaisy is upper class, passive, quie,t, thin and pretty |
| What does Tom do to Myrtle when she mentions Daisy’s name? Why? | Tom punches/smacks her |
| Why does Nick agree to go along with Tom to New York to meet Myrtle’s friends? | Tom’s sees how important it is to Myrtle |
| Chapter 3 | … |
| What symbolic correspondence is Fitzgerald asking us to make between the preparations for Gatsby’s party and the arrival of the guests? | despite all the detail preparations makes before the party none of the guest that attend the party care who Gatsby is |
| What kinds of people come to Gatsby’s parties? | they were rich, snobby, famous, people that most of them did not even know Gatsby |
| How does Nick meet Gatsby? | he was at the party talking to who he thought was a stranger and it ended up with Gatsby |
| Is Gatsby a “phony”? | he is not a phony he just came from humble begins but trying to make himself look wealthy |
| What mystique has developed about Gatsby? | he was a German spy and he killed someone |
| What purposes doe the two digressions (Owl-Eyes in the library and the car wreck) serve? | people who have advantage and opportunity in life being careless with what they have a general sense of take everything for granted |
| What is happening to Nick’s reaction to Jordan Baker? What is their relationship? | he enjoys her company and is attracted to her and he thinks he falling in love with her, but she is untruthful and a bad driver |
| Chapter 4 | … |
| What is the common denominator to all the stories about the people who meet at Gatsby’s parties? | people using him for his money and wealth |
| Who is Klipspringer? | “the boarder” he was named that because he was always staying at Gatsby’s house |
| What “matter” does Gatsby have Jordan Baker discuss with Nick? | Gatsby asked Jordan to ask Nick to invite Daisy over for tea so that he, Gatsby, can be reunited with her |
| Who is Wolfsheim? Where does Nick meet him? | Nick had lunch with Gatsby and Wolfshiem in the city. Wolfsheim was a business associate of Gatsby’s, who fixed the 1919 World Series |
| What does Wolfsheim tell Nick about Gatsby? | that Gatsby never would look at a friend’s wife because he is a gentleman |
| How does Nick know that Gatsby is lying when he starts his recitation of his life-story? | Gatsby said he was educated at Oxford real fast |
| What is the essence of Gatsby’s materialistic dream? | he is still in love with Daisy and wants her to complete his dream |
| What symbolic value does Daisy hold for Gatsby, and how is it the culmination of all his dreams? | Once he is with Daisy, he will have made it, It represents his complete achievement of the American Dream: the money, the material possessions, and the perfect, old-money, upper-class woman |
| Chapter 5 | … |
| Describe the meeting between Gatsby and Daisy. Why is he so nervous? | Gatsby was nervous because he had not seen Daisy in five years and he was still in love with her |
| How does the Gatsby facade start to fade when he comes over for tea? | he is clumsy, nervous, shaking, tripping over stuff and knocking things off and very uncomposed |
| How long did it take Gatsby to make the money to buy the mansion? | 3 years |
| Why does Gatsby want Daisy to see the house and his clothes? | he wants to show off proving to her that he is capable of giving her anything she wants and fulfill her needs, wants, and desire |
| What is significant about the scene with Gatsby’s shirts? | shirts are silver, gold, expensive material symbolizes Gatsby’s’ wealth and that money is no object, he has the best of everything and he can afford things |
| What had the green light on the dock meant to Gatsby? | the green light is a symbol of hope for Gatsby for him and Daisy |
| How does Daisy begin to fail Gatsby as a dream-girl? | He realizes now that he is with her again, that the reality of it is not as fantastic and perfect as he dreamed of being with her, but often our fantasies are much more perfect than the reality of a situation |
| Chapter 6 | … |
| Why does Nick tell us the story of James Gatz now instead of earlier in the book? | Nick is telling the story in the order in which the events happened and the same order in which he learned information so that we can experience the events as he did |
| What is Gatsby’s real history? Where is he from? | James Gatz is from North Dakota,of poor parents He wanted to separate himself from that and recreate himself as he wanted to be. He was digging clams and “getting by,” using women, living day to day until he met Dan Cody. |
| What did Dan Cody do for Gatsby? | he introduced Gatsby to the world of money and fine livinghe dressed him traveled with him and showed him how to conduct himself as a man of wealth and power |
| How did the materialistic vision get its start in Gatsby? | poor and working along the shore of Lake Superiorh e dreamed of a life of grandeur feeling destined for a life of greatness |
| What is Daisy’s opinion of Gatsby’s party? How does this affect him? | she does not seem to like the party it was vulgar to her she does enjoy the time she is off with Gatsby aloneGatsby is disappointed that she does not like his party so he stops having them |
| What does Gatsby mean by his fierce reaction to Nick’s statement about not repeating the past? | Gatsby truly believes that if the setting is created, the past can be recaptured by the feelings, the situation, the intensity of moments can be relivedNick tells him this isn’t true Gatsby responds strongly that “you certainly can” because his whole reason for all the money and everything he has done for the past 5 years has been riding on that idea that reliving the past is possible |
| How do we see Nick’s coming to understand the totality of Gatsby’s vision? | Nick realizes that Gatsby is a dreamerhe is a person who is chasing an ideal that has a level of perfection that does not really exist |
| What does Gatsby want from Daisy? | he wants her to leave Tom but specifically telling him she never loved himGatsby needs to believe that Daisy never wanted anyone but himself and the idea of Daisy loving another man is unbearable to Gatsby |
| Chapter 7 | … |
| Why is Gatsby so disconcerted when he sees the Buchanan child? | the child is a complication to his dream |
| How deftly does Fitzgerald handle the mechanics of getting the people to New York? | they have cars and ability |
| What does Wilson do to Myrtle? Why? | he locks her in their apartment because he has become aware that Myrtle is having an affair and he isn’t going to let her out |
| What does Gatsby think about Daisy’s relationship with Tom? | Gatsby thinks it is a sham that she married Tom because she was tired of waiting for him to return from the war |
| Why does Gatsby insist that Daisy say she never loved Tom? How does Tom react to the death of Myrtle? | Because that is a crucial piece to his vision of he and Daisy being together, that there was never an interruption in their loveTom goes to George and tells him that the car is not his and he is shocked |
| What happens on the way home from New York? | Myrtle gets run over by a Daisy driving Gatsby car |
| Why does Gatsby take the blame about the accident? | because he is in love with Gatsby and he promised Daisy he would take the blame if they were found out |
| What is ironic about Gatsby’s watching the window for a signal to make sure that Tom is not abusing Daisy? | he still is trying to protect Daisy even after she just killed someone |
| What is the true relationship between Daisy and Tom by the end of this chapter? | they have made up and their marriage is back in tact |
| Chapter 8 | … |
| What does Gatsby tell Nick about his past? Is it true? | He tells about the relationship he and Daisy had the actual time spent together and how he had to go off to war, and Daisy was supposed to wait for him to returnHe also let Daisy believe that he was from the same social class as herHe let her be deceived because he loves her |
| How satisfactory is Nick’s explanation of Gatsby’s attraction to Daisy? | very intense and specific |
| How do you explain Gatsby’s remark that Daisy’s love for Tom was insignificant because it was just “personal”? | Daisy was supposed to love someone like Tom, someone who was from her social class and met her parents’ and society’s expectations |
| What does Michaelis believe caused Myrtle to run? | she thought it was Tom driving the car because Tom was driving the car earlier |
| Why did she run? | she thought it was Tom driving the car because Tom was driving the car earlier |
| Why does Wilson believe Gatsby is a killer? | He was hunting for the owner of the big yellow car and knew Tom knew who owned the car because Tom was driving it at the beginning of that fateful day |
| What does Wilson do? | He goes to Gatsby’s house, shoots and kills him, and then shoots himself |
| Do we accept as coming from Fitzgerald himself Nick’s pronouncement that Gatsby is worth the rest of the others? | Nick has proven to be a reliable narrator for sure. Gatsby seems to have romantic and sincere intentions, however, he still did many immoral things to get money and reconnect with Daisy. |
| What is ironic about Gatsby’s demise? | Daisy is the one who actually killed Myrtle; she was the one who was driving. |
| Chapter 9 | … |
| What is saddening about Wolfsheim’s not coming to Gatsby’s funeral? | He spoke so highly of Gatsby and claimed to be one of his closest friends |
| Why does Fitzgerald introduce the character of Mr. Gatz? | It gives the reader a new perspective of Gatsby. Instead of a smooth-talking, aloof, wealthy many, we see Gatsby as someone’s son, a loved child of humble people. It takes away some of the mystique |
| What do we learn about Gatsby’s dream-future in his ledger in his copy of the Western novel? | He was DRIVEN even as a young man to improve himself |
| What does Nick say about people like Daisy and Tom? How are we to judge Nick’s reaction to Tom and Daisy? | He says they are careless people who make big messes and leave others to clean up after themNick’s reaction is based on the actions he observed throughout the summer |
| What happens between Nick and Jordan Baker? | They break up Nick is so disgusted with all their unethical, immoral behavior |
| Why does Nick return to the Midwest? | He has to get away from all the memories of the drama, the disgusting things he saw in people |
| What significance lies ins the passage about the Dutch sailors? about the boats going against the current? | Gatsby spent a lot of time trying to be someone he is not, a wealthy, upper class person. All the money, all the possessions, can’t make him fit in, like “boats going against the current.” It is futile. |
The Great Gatsby (study guide) Chapter 1-9
April 5, 2020