The Great Gatsby

Describe the hit-and-run scene.

Myrtle runs out into the road, thinking Tom is driving by. Daisy swerved and hits her.

Why does Nick feel responsible for getting people to the funeral? Why do you suppose Wolfsheim reacts the way he does.

Nick feels that he was Gatsby's only true friend. Wolfsheim has an image to uphold.

Do you think Tom will leave Daisy for Myrtle? Support your answer.

No. He would not give up the image of having a pretty and classy wife, and I'm sure he still cares about her.

What's the name of the book that Tom wants to discuss at dinner? What does this book's content show us about Tom?

Rise of the Colored Empire. It shows that Tom is most likely racist.

Jordan declares to Nick that she "hates careless people." Explain the irony here.

She cheats to get what she wants. This is very careless.

Why does Daisy have a tough time saying, as Gatsby wishes, that she never loved Tom?

She did love Tom at some point, although she still loved Gatsby.

Who is Jordan Baker, and what has Nick heard about her?

She is a professional golfer, and Nick has heard a story about her but he can't remember what it is.

What is Daisy's reaction to this news?

She is shocked and most likely feels betrayed.

Why do you suppose that Jordan does not believe Gatsby when he says that he attended Oxford?

She probably had the same off feeling that Nick has about Gatsby. She simply thinks he's a liar.

What indication is there at this point that, in Myrtle's mind anyway, Tom has been more than a fling?

She refuses to move away with her husband.

Gatsby asks the groundskeeper not to drain the pool. Why? In light of what happens at the very end of this chapter, how is this exchange symbolically meaningful?

Summer is over, and Gatsby can't let go of the events that unfolded.

What does the reader learn that Tom does not know?

That Daisy was driving that car that killed Myrtle, not Gatsby.

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 does Gatsby's "trembling" suggest?

That he is longing for something out of reach, but it isn't tangible.

If you were going to pick one color to connect with Daisy Buchanan...

Baby pink. It's pretty, childlike, and lavish-feeling.

What unexpected common bond do Gatsby and Nick share?

Both were in the Third Division in France during the war.

Before meeting him, what does Nick tell us about Tom Buchanan?

They went to Yale together and Tom was a football star. He describes him as strong and successful.

What was Nick's father's advice to him?

To remember he has had advantages that others have not.

What indication is there that Tom really was fond of Myrtle.

Tom has glazed over eyes when he sees her and he tries to take care of the situation.

After crossing paths with Gatsby, Tom says," I may be old-fashioned...."

Tom is not loyal to Daisy, doing exactly what he says doesn't suit him.

Why, do you suppose, Tom decides to let Wilson finally have the car he has been promising him?

Tom might feel bad for George because he now knows that Daisy's having an affair.

How does Daisy behave the night before her wedding? Why?

Daisy receives a letter and she throws a fit and does not want to marry Tom.

What is weird about Nick's drive into New York with Gatsby? List three things that strike you as odd.

Gatsby seems to put up a front and talk about himself often. While he's defending himself, it's still odd and kind of sporadic. While he's supposedly accomplished so much, he doesn't know the public well. Although is obviously respected, as shown when he deters the police with his card.

What does Gatsby understand about Daisy's voice that Nick does not?

He says that her voice is filled with money

What steps has Gatsby taken to ensure this reunion day is perfect?

He gets Nick's lawn mowed, he arranges a plethora of flowers, and dresses very well.

Why does Tom make the point to Wilson that he just drove the coupe from New York and the yellow car is not his?

He wants Wilson to know he was not driving the yellow car since it was the one that involved in the accident.

Why does Nick go East after the war

He wants to learn the bond business and escape the Middle West

Why does Gatsby take Nick and Daisy the long way around his house to the front door instead of just cutting through the back lawn?

He wants to show off his home to Daisy.

Who is "Owl Eyes" and what surprises him about Gatsby' library? Why would this impress him?

He is a young man with large glasses who is impressed to discover that the books in Gatsby's books are real. This means Gatsby is an intellectual.

When Wilson disappears for three hours, where do you guess he might have gone?

He most likely with Tom who told him Gatsby owned the car that killed Myrtle.

As always, there is a grain of truth in what Gatsby says. In what sense is he an Oxford man?

He went there for five months.

What does young Jimmy Gatz's daily schedule say about him?

It says that he was determined to change his life for the better.

Nick says,"so he, invented...."

James Gatz expects his new life to be extravagant and perfect. His dreams kept him awake and rioted.

We find out that Tom has "some woman in New York." What unflattering feature of Jordan Baker's personality is revealed in this scene?

Jordan is a gossip and has no respect for privacy.

Why does Jordan want to leave the group from East Egg? Why does Nick?

Jordan is bored of them and Nick wants to meet Gatsby.

nick says, "i was looking at an elegant young roughneck... whose elaborate formality of speech just missed being absurd. some time before he introduced himself i'd got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care." what is fitzgerald trying to convey here about gatsby? how should we feel about gatsby here?

Looks and sounds very sophisticated. He seems rough around the edges and something is off.

The green light that Gatsby is staring at will become an important symbol in the book. What symbolic associations do you connect with the green color?

Money and jealousy.

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.

Daisy says that Tom is "revolting." To what, can you imagine, is she referring?

Tom, is revolting because he is cheating on Daisy.

Describe Nick's family.

Upper middle class from the west.

To young Gatz, what does Dan Cody's yacht represent?

Wealth, beauty, and success.

Compare and contrast George Wilson and Tom Buchanan. Then compare and contrast Myrtle Wilson and Daisy Buchanan.

George is meal and submissive while Tom is sting and bold. Myrtle is loud and flamboyant while Daisy is quiet and reserved.

How can Wilson's actions at the end of this chapter be explained?

George was under the impression that Gatsby is the one who killed Myrtle.

In the first few pages of this chapter, we learn about Gatsby's background. When did James Gatz change his name? Why did he leave college?

He changed his name when he was 17. He left college because he felt unappreciated.

Gatsby disappears when what other character unexpectedly arrives at lunch. Take a guess as to why Gatsby doesn't want to see this character.

He disappeared when Tom arrived. He may already know who Tom is and how he treats people.

What's happening between Nick and Jordan?

A slight romance is beginning.

Why was the young Gatsby drawn to Daisy?

"She was the first 'nice' girl he had ever known" He was also excited by her wealth and she had great value because many men had loved her before.

What were Nick's final significant words to Gatsby? Why is this a fitting goodbye?

"They're a written crowd, you're worth the whole damn bunch put together." Gatsby realizes Nick was the only person who genuinely cared about him.

Describe the driving arrangement that brings five characters into the city.

Daisy and Gatsby drive Gatsby's car and Tom, Jordan and Nick drive Toms car.

Shirt scene.

Daisy is most likely distraught because of all the years lost without Gatsby.

What is Daisy's opinion to Gatsby's party?

Daisy is uncomfortable and doesn't not enjoy the party.

What is the reader left to think about Daisy's emotional state and her relationship with Tom.

Daisy is very dependent on Tom. They have a poor relationship but she couldn't leave.

In what ways is Gatsby's behavior at his party quite unlike the behavior of most of his guests?

Gatsby is far more calm and reserved than his guests. Gatsby prefers to watch the festivities and stay sober.

What causes Tom to realize that his wife has been having an affair with Gatsby?

Daisy tells Gatsby that he 'always looks so cool' and they are acting very flirty.

In what context do Dr. Eckleburg's eyes appear in this chapter?

Dr. Eckleburg's eyes appear in this chapter because he is watching all of the bad events unfold.

How is West Egg different from East Egg?

East egg is old money. West egg is new money.

Why does Gatsby not get the $25,000 left to him?What did he learn?

Ella Kaye cheated him out of it. He learned to fight for what he wants.

How has Gatsby earned most of his money, and what does Tom say that startles Gatsby?

Gatsby and Wolsheim sold grain alcohol over the counter. Tom also says Gatsby has something big going on.

When Gatsby briefly meets Daisy's little girl, he is somewhat unnerved. Symbolically, what does the little girl represent?

Gatsby has been romanticizing Daisy. This romantic vision does not include a child. Having a child means Daisy is human and Gatsby prefers his illusion of Daisy rather than the woman herself. The child also reflects just how irresponsible and self-serving Daisy is. She never cares for her daughter, preferring instead to go to parties and live the life of a young socialite.

What two things does Nick see on/near the Queensboro bridge that make him think Gatsby might be telling the truth?

Gatsby shows Nick images of him during the events he tells Nick about.

What is Nick's view of repeating the past, and what is Gatsby's? Why is Gatsby's opinion unrealistic?

Gatsby thinks the past can be repeated or recreated, Nick disagrees. Gatsby's opinion in unrealistic because he can't make things happen to suit him, people and things change even if he hasn't.

While the reader can have easily predicted Daisy and Tom's reactions to his party, Gatsby cannot. Why not?

Gatsby thought they would act like his other guests.

Nick says, "Then it had not been merely the stars to which he had aspired on that June night" when Nick first spotted Gatsby reaching out across the bay. What does Nick now realize about that night and about Gatsby's real estate purchase?

Gatsby wants Daisy, but he also aspires to live a rich lifestyle. Nick realizes that Gatsby purchased his house because it's a close to the Buchanans' house.

Toward the end of the party, we have the unflattering description of husbands and wives and also the drunk who crashed his car. What is Fitzgerald's deeper message here to us?

Intoxication is dangerous.

What shocking piece of information does Nick receive in his chance meeting with Tom? What is Nick's final feeling about Tom and Daisy?

Nick learns that Tom told George it was Gatsby who hit and killed Myrtle. He thinks less of them and believes that they're just like every other person that comes from Old money.

Nick's fantastic dream involves El Greco figures. What is the dream, and what might this dream represent in regard to Nick's present feelings about the East?

The dream is about cold houses and men carrying a woman on a stretcher and they turn into the wrong house because nobody cares about her. It shows us that Nick thinks the East is very heartless.

Besides Myrtle's, what other eyes "kept their vigil" on the activities along the roadway?

The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg

In the last four paragraphs, Nick makes the symbol of the green light very concrete. What does the green light symbolize?

The green light symbolizes the future that's just out of reach, because people live in the past. The American Dream can only be achieved if you let go of the past.

Nick describes the people who attend Gatsby's parties and says "that once there, the guests conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks." Given this, what can you conclude is Nick's opinion of Gatsby's party guests?

The guest at gatsby's party act carless rambunctious like children at an amusement park.

Why, do you suppose, Fitzgerald links behavior of the characters to the hottest day of the summer.

The hot weather connects with heated, confrontations and arguments.

Keeping the last few paragraphs in mind, what does the last sentence in the story mean?

The last sentence of the story represents how people will try to move on with their lives, but become reminiscent and cannot move forward.

Who, do you suppose, sent the letter that upset Daisy? What do you think the letter said?

The letter may have been written by an ex lover. This letter could be admitting adoration to her.

Notice how often and in what context Doctor Eckleburg's eyes are mentioned. What may be the significance of these eyes?

They are mentioned several times. The eyes always seem to be observing or staring at what is going on. They "see" Nick and Tom, Wilson's repair shop, and seem to "oversee" the "valley of ashes."

As the three of them look across the bay towards Daisy's house, Nick tells us....

The saying "out of sight, out of mind" applies here. Daisy was desensitized due to the time away from Gatsby and Tom being a distraction. Since Gatsby has always longed for success and a lavish life, Daisy is just one of the things he has longed for. She's a missing piece to his puzzle. The green light is just out of reach, as is his wish of the American Dream.

The description of the "valley of ashes" opens this chapter. What is the valley of ashes. What might it represent?

The valley of ashes is the area separating New York from the eggs. It may represent the run-down middle class and their dull lives.

What's the weather like at the beginning of this chapter? Analyze this scene.

The weather is rainy at the beginning of the chapter. This shows the washing away of events.

What is the scene that Nick observes taking place between Tom and Daisy in the kitchen?

They're sitting with each other and talking. It seems like they're very close almost plotting.

What's up with the puppy? Why was this included?

This doesn't really have a huge meaning? It just shows how Tom throws around his money for Myrtle.

What does this scene suggest I'll for Gatsby?

This suggests that Daisy will not return to Gatsby.

What is the cause of the problem between Jordan and Nick.

Without drama, they have nothing in common.

Who is Meyer Wolfsheim, and what do we know about him?

Wolfsheim is an acquaintance of Gatsby's and a gambler.

Jordan recalls the time in 1917 when she saw Gatsby and Daisy together. From Jordan's description, do you think Daisy was genuinely interested in Gatsby?

Yes. She doesn't even notice Jordan until she's just five feet away.