Gatsby Ch. 1-4: Reading Questions

Why does Daisy speak in such exaggerated phrases? Why does Nick feel she is trying to be a cynic (believes the worst about people / life)?

By overdoing her remarks, Daisy manages to minimize everything she says. By making everything sound important, Daisy reveals that nothing is important to her. Daisy not only identifies herself as part of a fashionable group, but dismisses the need to live a meaningful life, since life has no meaning anyway.

According to Jordan, what did Daisy do on her wedding day? Why?

Daisy became intoxicated and wanted to call off the wedding; she received a letter from someone and by all indications through Jordan's allusions, we assume the letter was a love letter from Gatsby that gave her pause in her plans to marry Tom

How would you describe Daisy's state of mind during dinner? What does she say and do that helps reveal her inner conflicts?

Daisy seems flighty and struggling for attention at the beginning of the dinner, however there's a painful awkwardness that sets in after the phone call when she and Tom disappear into the house. Daisy says she thinks everything is terrible and that anyone who's advanced or sophisticated agrees with her as she smirks.

Describe the setting of the valley of ashes where George and Myrtle live.

Desolate; full of ashes, strange gardens, and smoke; dim and crumbling; full of people more like ghosts than men; gray, cloudy, obscure, and bleak.

What arrives at Gatsby's house every Friday and leaves on Monday? What does this tell you about the parties Gatsby's hosts?

Five crates of lemons and oranges arrive at Gatsby's every Friday and leave as pulp on Monday morning. This tells us that many people attend Gatsby's parties and that many spend the entire weekend at his house.

With Jordan in his arms, Nick thinks of a phrase: "There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired." How do you think this phrase reflects on the events of the novel so far? Do you think that Gatsby would agree with the phrase?

Gatsby is pursuing Daisy; Myrtle is pursuing Tom; Nick and Jordan are pursuing each other. Each character is busy trying to keep up with society or the secrets they hold. Daisy is tired of her cheating husband; Myrtle is tired of being poor.

What is Gatsby doing when Nick first sees him?

Gatsby is reaching out towards something, staring at a green light across the water

Why does Gatsby reach out to the water? What indications are there that the green light has a powerful emotional significance to Gatsby?

Gatsby is so near and yet so far away from a green light. He is stretching out his arms toward an elusive goal that he cannot quite reach.

Why does Gatsby want to have tea with Daisy at Nick's house? Why doesn't Gatsby ask Nick for this favor himself?

Gatsby wants to have tea with Daisy at Nick's house because Nick's house is right beside Gatsby's house and Gatsby actually wants Daisy to see his (Gatsby's) house to see how successful he has become. Basically, Gatsby's success (materially) and Daisy are inseparable; he didn't believe he could have one without the other. Gatsby doesn't want to overstep any boundaries; he barely knows Nick. Gatsby feels because of the feelings that he believes Nick is beginning to have for Jordan that Jordan will make a good intercessory and that Nick will acquiesce to her whereas he might turn Gatsby down.

What does Tom buy for Myrtle in New York City?

He buys her a puppy

What unique quality do we learn that Nick possesses?

He is honest, which during this time period was a rarity, especially in the circles in which Nick ran

Why does Tom want Nick to get off the train with him?

He wants to introduce Nick to his mistress, so they stop at her husband's garage to meet her.

What does Gatsby tell Nick about himself? Aside from the improbability of his story, what other evidence is there that Gatsby is lying about something when he tells Nick about his background?

He's from the Midwest and comes from a wealthy family. He attended Oxford; his entire family died and he came into their riches; he joined the army when the war began and became a hero. He chokes on the word "Oxford" and claims that he is from "San Francisco;" Everything he says seems rehearsed.

Who is Jordan Baker? What does Nick find appealing about her?

Jordan is described as the "balancing girl" - the girl Nick originally thought was snobbish. She's also a professional golfer. Jordan's confidence is intriguing

Who is Meyer Wolfsheim? What seems to be his connection with Gatsby? What does this tell us about Gatsby?

Meyer Wolfsheim is most likely in some type of organized crime. He and Gatsby are some type of business associates; they met some time after the war. This tells us that Gatsby's business dealings are most likely illegal

How does Nick describe Tom Buchanan? Daisy? What kind of relationship do they have (and not that they're cousins / old college buddies!)?

Nick describes Tom as enormously wealthy, violent, forceful, aggressive, sturdy, arrogant, aggressive, and cruel. Nick describes Daisy as his cousin, a lady who is charming, inviting yet sad, who has a thrilling voice. Nick's relationship with the Buchanans is completely superficial. Nick speaks of the Buchanans as dear friends he barely knows.

After Jordan tells Nick the story of Gatsby and Daisy, Nick says that Gatsby "came alive to me, delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendor." How does this metaphor of birth help explain what Gatsby's behavior had meant to Nick up to then?

Nick finally understands Gatsby for the first time after discovering his past romance with Daisy. Now, he sees Gatsby as a real person with hopes and dreams like everybody else instead of a stuck up rich neighbor.

Why is the end of Chapter 2 so disjointed? What had Nick been doing all evening that might have caused this strange narrative?

Nick had been drinking all night. He said that he had only been drunk twice in his life and that this particular 'party' with Myrtle, Tom, and the others was the setting of his second drunken episode.

Describe one way in which Nick differs from the other guests at Gatsby's party.

Nick is actually invited to the party; everyone else just shows up.

What does Nick think of Gatsby when he first meets him?

Nick is impressed with Gatsby's smile. It seems so genuine and reassuring.

How does the tone of Nick's description of Tom reveal Nick's feelings about Tom? What is the significance of Tom's reference to the book he is reading?

Nick isn't very fond of Tom, established through the tension used in this scene. The book Tom reads reveals Tom's belief that the dominant race must stay in control.

How does Nick describe himself at the beginning of the book? Why do you think Fitzgerald chose him to be the narrator?

Nick sees himself as reserved, nonjudgmental. He is an outsider regarding the main events of the novel.

Why does Daisy describe her childhood as a "white girlhood"? Why does Daisy hope that her daughter grows up to be a beautiful little fool?

On a literal level, Daisy always dresses in white and even drives a white car. More importantly, she remembers her youth as a time of innocence. She hopes her daughter will never have to give much thought to life / love and will simply be happy.

Describe Myrtle during the party.

She displays a fake superiority which she has no right to claim. She reveals frustration over the lack of good service from the lower class which she keeps referring to as "these people" even though she's really a part of that class.

Compare the setting of the party in this chapter with the setting of the dinner party in Chapter One.

The apartment party is raucous, smoky, and loud. It's full of drunkenness to an extreme (even with Nick blacking out at the end of the chapter) and violent outbursts.

Describe the Wilson garage. What does George Wilson want from Tom?

The interior was unprosperous and bare; the only care visible was a dust-covered ford which crouched in a dim corner. He seems hopeful for something that Tom may bring (we're led to believe it has something to do with a car that Tom was going to sell him)hopes Tom will sell him a car.

What sense of life in the Jazz Age do we get from the description of this party?

The life of the Jazz Age starts out good and enjoyable, like Gatsby's party did, but ends in chaos. Like the people at this party, the people of the Jazz Age were looking for a good time in whatever way they could find it, never caring about responsibility or being proper. These people don't realize the fools they're making of themselves and how careless they're being. Fitzgerald saw that in his own life with the wild parties he attended during the Jazz Age

Describe the events and the atmosphere of this particular party.

The party is extremely luxurious; once the night approaches the wee hours, all of the men and women begin quarrelling. Owl Eyes and another drunken man get into a car wreck, driving their car into a ditch. The drunken man is too inebriated to even understand what happened with the car.

Nick thinks that, given the state of their marriage, Daisy should leave Tom, but it is clear to him that she has no intention of doing so. What indication is there that Tom and Daisy are closely linked despite their marital difficulties?

Tom and Daisy seem to be pretty set in their ways. They're both used to money and attention. Both are a part of the advanced, sophisticated, elite crowd which views the world in a scorned, cynical way.

What does Tom do when he and Daisy return from their honeymoon? Explain.

Tom was out driving one day in Ventura and had a wreck. He was not alone; the chambermaid from the hotel was in the car. This tells us that he has been unfaithful to Daisy since the beginning of their marriage.