The Great Gatsby Chapter 1-5 Questions

The description of the "valley of ashes" opens this chapter. Literally, what is the valley of ashes? What might it represent on a symbolic level?

Nasty, dumping ground. It symbolises Myrtle's and Tom's affair and how gross she is.

What is Nick's social class/background? How did the family make its money?

Nick has money, but not as rich as the Buchanan's. His family got their money from chain of hardware stores.

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

No, because Myrtle is his fun, and he does not care about her since he punches her and breaks her nose. (She said Daisy mulitple times)

Who is Owl-Eyes? What surprises him about Gatsby's library? Why would this impress him?

Owl-Eyes is a guy who has been drunk for a week, and goes to the library to sober up. The books are real. This surprises him becaue West Egg tries to spend their money on things people can see not what they can not see.

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?

People are acting crazy which makes sense why we had the Great Depression

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

She is a professional golfer and Daisy's friend. Nick remembers something bad about her, but cannot remember what it is.

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

She is careless

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

She's bored with them, and the guy she is with is coming on too strong. Nick wants to find 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?

That he is putting on a show. We should not trust him. (Be weary of him)

What's up with the puppy? Why do you suppose Fitzgerald included it as an element in this chapter?

They do not think of the consequence of their actions. This shows how they do not think of what the affair could lead to.

What unexpected common bond do Gatsby and Nick share?

They were both in similar battalions.

What was the advice given to Nick by his father? How do you suppose, this makes him a good person to tell this story?

To not judge because other people were not given the advantages he has. He is unbias, everyone tells him thier secrets, knows a lot of information, good listener, doesn't judge.

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

To show off his house.

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

Daisy receives a letter from Gatsby, and she gets drunk off her tail. Then she tries to give the three hundred and fifty dollar necklace back and attempts to throw it away.

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

He does not drink, party, and doesn't get involve in it.

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

He sent a whole lot of flowers, sends someone to mow Nick's grass (in the rain), and wears a white suit with a silver shirt, and a gold tie.

What's happening between Nick and Jordan?

He thinks she is hot, but he doesn't respect nor like her. (Summer fling)

When Nick asks Gatsby what business he is in, Gatsby responds, "That's my affair," before he realizes that this is not an appropriate reply. *Why does Gatsby give that answer, and why is it not an appropriate reply?*

He gives that answer because what he does is no good (bootlegger). It's inappropriate because it is rude

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

He realizes that Daisy lives across from Gatsby, and it was Daisy who he was reaching for.

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

Her mental state is up and down (mess, crazy, very upset)

What's the weather like at the beginning of the chapter? Symbolically analyze this element of the scene

It's pouring down rain. No matte what Gatsby cannot make it perfect.

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

Jordan Baker is noisy, gossips, and finds pleasure in her friends pain

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

Jordan thinks Gatsby is trying too hard to impress.

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

Meyer Wolfsheim is probably a gangster, has buttons/cuff licks that are made of teeth, and he fixed 1919 World Series.

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

Money, earth, and jealousy

How is West Egg different from East Egg?

West egg — New money, more showy East egg — old money, does not show off

Compare and Contrast Wilson and Tom Buchanan. Then, compare and contrast Myrtle Wilson and Daisy Buchanan.

George Wilson = very think, looks sick, does not care for himself, polite; Tom Buchanan = built, eats right, takes care of himself, jerk. Myrtle = uneducated, full body but looks good, and gross; Daisy = thin, quiet, very safisticated, and frail.

When Nick returns from the war, why does he decide to go East?

He did not know what to do with himself so why not go to Wallshreet.

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

"The Rise of the Color Empire"; This show us that Tom is a racist.

Notice how often and in what context Doctor Eckleburg's eyes are mentioned. Symbolically, what might those eyes on the. Billboard represent?

Doctor Eckleburg's eyes watch everything. This symbolizes the eyes of God.

Looking through the list of party-goers, find and paraphrase at least three pieces of evidence that the old money is in East egg and the new money in West Egg?

East Egg is old money, and their names are old, legendary, and American; West Egg is new money, and their names are ethnic names

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

Gatsby was trying real hard to impress Nick by over sharing his background, showing his picture of him at Oxford, and shares a metal.

Who, do you suppose, sent the letter that caused Daisy to become so upset? What do you think the letter may have said?

It is from Gatsby. It says that he is in love with Daisy.

Okay, let's talk about that scene with the shirts. Obviously, Daisy's not crying because of the actual shirts. Analyze the passage and *explain what, exactly, has caused Daisy to become so emotional as she wraps herself in all those shirts.*

It just shows that Daisy sees the shirts as Gatsby, and doesn't think she will ever have Gatsby.

As the three of them look across the bay toward Daisy's house, Nick tells us, "Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of the light had now vanished forever. Compared to the that great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one." First, *explain what Fitzgerald means by "the great distance" between Gatsby and Daisy.* Then, *explain the significance of the fact that the green light is now just a light on a dock and that Gatsby's "count of enchanted objects had diminished by one."*

Nick is saying Gatsby got what he wanted, but Gatsby doesn't know what to do now.

At the end of this chapter, Nick sees Gatsby on the lawn and is about to call to him and introduce himself, but he does not. What stops Nick? What does Gatsby's. "Trembling" suggest?

Nick stops because he sees Gatsby was shaking and looked upset. Gatsby wants something. (greenlight = Daisy)

Before meeting him what does Nick tells us about Tom Buchanan?

Nick tells us that he went to school with him at Yale, he was the football star, and wealthy (he took a whole string of polo horses)

How do we know that Myrtle Wilson is not an intellectual?

The way she speaks and all she raeds is gossip magzines

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?

They are drunken fools, and Nick is not impress with them.

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

When Tom arrives Gatsby disappears because he is married to the person he loves.

If you were going to pick one color to connect with Daisy Buchanan, what color would it be? Explain your reasoning.

White because she is a very innocent person.

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 because she does not notice Jordan until she is five feet in front of her.