The Great Gatsby Test
How do the differences in social class affect the author's development of the characters?
All the classes show immorality. However, the upper-class has no worries and is in power. The middle-class is represented through the McKees. They are not rich but act as if they are and they are clearly immoral as they whitnessing Myrtle, a woman from the lower-class cheat on her husband (33-42).
What are the character flaws and how might they affect his narration?
Character flaw of Nick: we don't know if we can fully trust him, he's honest to the readers but not the characters (page 162 {whole damn bunch})
How does the geography of the East and West Eggs and the Valley of Ashes contribute to the definition of social class in the novel?
East and West Egg are both representations of the upper-class (7-8). The Valley of Ashes is a representation of the lower-class (26). Those in the upper-class live lavishly in the Eggs and those in the lower-class live hard lives in the disgusting Valley of Ashes. East Egg - old money///West Egg - new money
What is Fitzgerald's purpose in detailing the character's lives and experiences?
Fitzgerald wanted the readers to have a good understanding of the characters so that the readers could feel a connection with them and make decisions as to whose side they are on or who they like most. This detailing also establishes the fact that Nick is a very observant narrator.
Do any of the characters in the novel find their American Dream?
Gatsby has the American dream, rags to riches. He rose to fame and got wealth...They all fall short in different ways. [Jordan is single at the end, Nick lost his best friend and love of the east. Tom and Daisy can be considered to have their version of the American Dream because they now have no hindrances in their marriage (Gatsby or Myrtle).]
Does the novel praise or condemn Gatsby's dream?
Gatsby's dream is condemned throughout the novel, because it depicts the downsides of attempting to relive the past because Gatsby wanted nothing more to be with Daisy even though she was married to Tom. He spent all that time thinking of her and never really focused on anything else.
How does Fitzgerald relate Gatsby's dream to the American Dream?
Gatsby's dream is to acquire enough wealth and status to be able to provide the life for Daisy that she wanted when they were younger. This is similar to the American Dream of being able to work hard and go from almost nothing to having wealth (ex: work for Dan Cody)
Why does Nick break off his relationship with Jordan?
He breaks it off because he is leaving to go back to the midwest, and as he feels Jordan is not good for him and a liar, there is no point that he stays with her. /////Nick breaks off from Jordan because Nick believes that lying to himself about being a good person is bad and Jordan lies to both herself and other people.. He says to Jordan, "I'm thirty, I'm five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor" (186). He then leaves her after admitting that he was angry, in love with her, and guilty for what he said, never speaking to her again in the novel.
What is the author's view concerning the benefits of reminiscing about the past?
He feels that you should be cautious with reminiscing the past because you can get so caught up in it and lose sight of what you have/ need (189).
To what extent is Gatsby successful in achieving his goal?
He is successful to the point of obtaining wealth and status to be able to face Daisy again, but not to the point where Daisy and him can be together again. Daisy wanted status and wealth because on page 159, "She wanted her life shaped now..".
What is the significance of the novel's title?
It can be considered ironic/sarcastic because, throughout the novel, we realize Gatsby isn't that great (ex: myrtle's death, stealing daisy from tom, etc.) Gatsby could also be considered great because he is the embodiment of the American Dream.
How successful is the marriage between Daisy and Tom Buchanan?
It can be inferred that Tom still somewhat has feelings for Daisy, especially on page 41, when Myrtle mentioned Daisy's name and Tom broke her nose. However, on page 139, Daisy states "I never loved him," but on the next page, she says, "I did love him once- but I loved you too." Tom and Daisy's marriage was successful at one point, before the events of the novel, but in the story told their marriage was not.
Why has Gatsby maintained a place in the canon of American literature?
It has maintained a place as a book to be remembered because it is so clear on the misgivings of the society in the 1920s. It also portrays a lot of the important events back then, such as World War 1, the prohibition and the 1919 World Series crisis. "'He's the man who fixed the world series in 1919...'" (78).
As narrator, how does Nick's outlook influence our perception of characters or events?
It influences our perception of how people that are not involved in any of the arguments, fights, etc between the other characters which allow us to see it as if a person is looking in on the story and not interjecting whenever. It keeps our views from being biased by the narrator.
Is Jay Gatsby truly great? How do we know?
Jay Gatsby is not truly great. While he may have achieved the American Dream and acquired wealth and status, when he died, no one went to his funeral. If Gatsby were truly great, then he would have had many people at his funeral mourning the death of such a "great" man (183).
How are marriage and love depicted in the novel?
Marriage is depicted as somewhat of a toy. There is no successful marriage present in The Great Gatsby other than the McKees, but their marriage is still not that great. Marriage is depicted as something people are stuck to but begrudgingly and no-one is happy. The story also shows the absence of love in the marriages in the novel. For example, Gatsby says multiple times that Daisy definitely does not love Tom, even though she is married to him. (pg 137)
How does Fitzgerald describe the two worlds of the Midwest and the East?
Nick feels the East is cold, he has a dream about a drunk woman who no one knew (chapter 9). Nick felt the midwest wasn't big enough to hold opportunities for greatness in the beginning (first few pages of novel). He now wants to go to the comforts of the midwest (184).
Is Nick a believable representative of his time period and/or today's time?
Nick is not a believable representative of his time period or todays time period. It was clearly acceptable to lie as seen through Jordan Baker cheating in golf, Tom cheating on Daisy with Myrtle, Daisy cheating on Tom with Gatsby, and Myrtle cheating on George with Tom (27, 63, 160). Nick is clearly a good person when all the people of his time period are not
What does Nick learn from his experiences in the East?
Nick realizes that the East feels like it's filled with cold-hearted, selfish people. On page 185, when referring to a dead woman, Nick says "no one knows the woman's name, and no one cares." The East once sounded like a dream to Nick, but he no longer felt this way in the end.
How is Nick characterized and influenced by his Midwest upbringing?
Nick says, "My family have been prominent, well-to-do people in this middle-western city for three generations" (4). This is his way of telling us he was made honest and reliable from his upbringing.
Why did Nick become involved with Jordan?
Nick was drawn to Jordan because he was intoxicated by her being a member of the upper-class. "At first I was flattered to go places with her because she was a golf champion and everyone knew her name." (pg 62).
How does Nick's experiences in the East affect his moral development?
Nick's experiences in the East improve his morals. He is disgusted by what he sees in the East and this causes him to be more critical of everything. He says, "When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted the world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever; I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart" (4).
Should this novel be renamed for today's society? Why or why not?
No, because as you read about the society in those days, there are many parallels to the society today, such as social status, and the similarities are so strong there is no need to rename the book. In chapter one, the East and West Eggs are introduced, showing the high end of the spectrum for social status. In Chapter two the valley of the ashes, the poorer area was introduced.
What are some of the differences between old money and new money in the novel?
Old money is viewed as more sophisticated and cultured (111). Old money is those who have inherited their wealth and have always been rich throughout generations. New money is those who have created their fortune themselves. New money ~ Gatsby's family grew up poor (chapter 9 his dad comes to tell how he came from nothing)
What seems to be the author's message concerning the American Dream as found in the last four paragraphs of the novel?
One should not try to recreate the past and successes in the future. People need to push on to achieve their goals, not dwell on the past (189). The American Dream was once pure and was corrupted by clinging to the past.
Is reminiscing about the past a benefit to one's physical and emotional development?
Reminiscing past experiences can help people because it allows them to see what mistakes they've made and know how to handle those problems in the future. On page 60, Nick takes a moment to reminisce his past few days which he wrote about
Has the American Dream changed since Gatsby's time? How? Why?
The American dream has become more achievable with the introduction of technology. Everyone still hopes to become successful and live lives full of wealth, but the dream has become more achievable with the internet connecting everyone across the world. The class division in America is still prominent, however.
What is the American Dream?
The American dream is making yourself out of nothing into something...Gatsby started gaining a name as he worked for Dan Cody.
Judging from their actions, how do these various characters define love?
The characters and their ideas of love are fickle and some hold onto those feelings or develop them for others despite being married. To Daisy, love is money (98, 137). To Tom, love is a power move (25, 37). To Gatsby, love is Daisy (130, 131). Love with Daisy is a dream (chapter 6, page 105, page 127) To Daisy, love is money. She married Tom for money, cried at Gatsby's shirts
How is the marriage between Myrtle and George depicted?
The marriage between Myrtle and George is depicted as sympathetic. George is a normal guy who truly loves his wife, but she is secretly having an affair with Tom. The example of dramatic irony makes the audience feel sad for George as he does not know about his wife's affair. The marriage depicts what could have happened if Gatsby and Daisy married. (pg 29-32)
What do the Midwest and the East represent for Nick and Gatsby?
The midwest represents poverty to Gatsby, but the east represents his dreams. To Nick, the East once was a place in which he wanted to live because it seemed lavish, but now Nick's views of the East became corrupt as he feels those who live there are corrupt. This is partially why he moves back to the midwest at the end of the novel.
Why do some critics view this novel as a precautionary tale?
The novel warns people to not focus on living in the past because if you do you will miss out on your future (189).
What is Gatsby trying to recapture, and how do his memories and experiences impact his goal?
Throughout the novel, Gatsby is trying recapture the love and life he once had with Daisy. Gatsby loved Daisy before leaving for the war, and after receiving a letter from her stating that she was marrying Tom, Gatsby found a goal (page 159).
Nick tells Gatsby that he is "worth the whole damn bunch put together (154)." How does our perception of Tom, Daisy, and Jordan influence our assessment of Gatsby?
We feel bad for him after we see how shallow and self-obsessed those three are. Even though Gatsby is very flawed, their actions cause the reader to feel sympathetic towards him.
How does our awareness of Gatsby's motivations and decisions affect our assessment?
We know that Gatsby does everything for Daisy, so his actions are credited towards her actions towards him and what he thinks will make her love him.
In the opening pages, Nick Carraway says he is "inclined to reserve all judgments (1)." Do you agree that he is an impartial observer?
Yes, I do agree that he is an impartial observer. He doesn't join in on arguments and just set off to the side as he had done in chapter 1 when he was at the Buchanans and stayed out of the argument between Daisy and Tom. Conversely, Nick is shown being judgmental when he says that Gatsby is "worth the whole damn bunch" (163).
