Gatsby Chapter 4
What is the significance of Nick's statements: "Anything can happen now that we've slid over this bridge" and "Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder"?
Any thing could happen in NY like role reversal, even Gatsby's crazy life story could be true without a second thought.
Jordan Baker tells Nick about Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom. Summarize the story. Also, after Jordan tells Nick the story of Daisy and Gatsby, 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.
Daisy loved Gatsby, but after he left for war she couldn't go with him. She then married Tom a year later and freaked out right before the wedding because she got a letter. Then Gatsby bought a house across from her's purposely. The metaphor tells us that Nick finally understand everything now, all the pieces fit together and he sees Gatsby for the first time as an actually person with hopes and dreams.
Why does Gatsby have so many parties? Why did he buy the house?
He hoped Daisy would just wander in one night. He bought the house to be right across the bay from her.
What does Gatsby tell Nick about himself? A side 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 tells him he comes from a prominent family in the midwest who all attended Oxford. When his entire family died he got all the money, so he traveled the world in riches and splendor, then went to war becasue of something sad and became a hero. The weird part is he says he's from Sanfranciso and it all sounds rehearsed.
Who is Meyer Wolfsheim? What seems to be his connection with Gatsby? What does this tell us about Gatsby?
He's a gambler/gangster with teeth for cufflinks who fixed the 1919 World Series. He's a business partner of Gatsby and it tells us that Gatsby's probably involved in illegal activities as well.
How does Daisy behave after Gatsby goes overseas? What does her behavior show about her feelings for Gatsby? According to Jordan, what did Daisy do on her wedding day? Why?
She stops speaking to her family and dating military men. Her behavior shows she was crazy about Gatsby, that she was completely in love with him. She apparently freaked out, got drunk, and tried to stop the wedding becasue she got a letter from Gatsby and couldn't go through with it.
What does Tom do when he and Daisy return from their honeymoon?
Tom got into a car wreck with a maid he was cheating with from the hotel. She broke her arm and it was in the newspapers.
Why does Gatsby want to have tea with Daisy at Nick's house? Why doesn't Gatsby ask Nick for this favor himself?
We wants to see Daisy but it would be awkward for her if he invited her becasue she hasn't seen him in so long and she might not come. Gatsby doesn't know Nick very well and doesn't want to offend him, so he thinks it'll be easier if Jordan asks because Nick likes her.
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 of the characters and events of the novel so far. Would Gatsby agree?
Well in the novel we've seen all of these types of people. Daisy and Myrtle are pursued, Nick and Jordan are pursuing eachother, Gatsby is pursuing Daisy, Tom is pursuing Myrtle, George Wilson is tired, and Nick's busy. Yes, I think Gatsby would agree.
