The Great Gatsby

Do you think Tom will leave Daisy for Myrtle?

No, because Tom does not really care about Myrtle.

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

Owl-Eyes is a stout, middle-aged man. He is in the library. The books are real.

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

She gets drunk and attempts to throw away an expensive pearl necklace that Tom gave her. She is having second thoughts about carrying Tom and has received a letter that has caused her to become very upset.

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

She gossips, and she is careless.

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

She is careless.

Compare and contrast George Wilson and Tom Buchanan.

Both - Myrtle Tom - rich, aggressive, muscular George - poor, passive, naïve , faintly handsome, pale

Compare and contrast Myrtle Wilson and Daisy Buchanan.

Both - Tom, likes attention Daisy - pretty, skinny, weak Myrtle - stout, ugly, full bodies, sexy, loud, assertive

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?

They are reckless because they were too drunk. It's their responsible.

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

They represent God, watching over their sinful acts.

What unexpected common bond do Gatsby and Nick share?

They were in the Third Division during the war. They met by an accident, and Gatsby recognized Nick first.

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

Tom Buchanan. Gatsby is in love with Daisy.

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

Tom had been one of the most powerful ends that even played football at New Haven. He reached such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savors of anti-climax. His family were enormously wealthy.

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

Tom spoils Daisy. They are not concern about consequences.

What is weird about Nick's drive into New York with Gatsby?

Gatsby is trying too hard to impress Nick. He says his people are from the middle-west, but then says they are from San Francisco. He is carrying the medal in his pocket.

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

He has a small, flat-nosed Jews raised his large head and regarded with two fine growths of hair, and tiny eyes. He is a gangster. He is fifty years old. He wears cufflinks made out of human molars. He fixed the World's Series back in 1919.

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?

He is reaching out for something.

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

Her manner of speech; she reads "Town Tattle";she is not a deep thinker.

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

His family have been prominent, well-to-do people in middle-western city for three generations. His father carries the wholesale hardware business on today.

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

Jordan Baker is a golfer, and she is known for a critical unpleasant story.

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

Jordan said it was too polite. She is boring. Nick wants to meet Gatsby.

How is West Egg different from East Egg?

West Egg is less fashionable and represents new money. East Egg is fashionable and represents old money.

What two things does Nick see on/near the Queensboro Bridge that make him think that Gatsby is, perhaps, telling the truth?

a dead man and hearse A limousine driven by white chauffeur, in which sat three modish black people, two bucks, and a girl.

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

Gatsby. He was probably declaring his love for her in the letter.

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

He did not acted like an educated person.

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

He did not drink.

What is 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 Coloured Empires" Tom is racist

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

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." It shows Nick not to judge people.

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

Daisy is upset about Tim's affair, and she is happy toward others. Their relationship does not seem very desirable.

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 - Blackbuck flip their noses They have legendary American family names West Egg - They are mostly film. They are immigrants.

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 reach the higher social class that Daisy represents. Nick realizes that Gatsby purchased that particular house because it's adjacent to the Buchanans' house.

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?

Gatsby was just a roughneck. He looked like a man who can trust when Nick saw him first.

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?

It is an empty land, and it is located a halfway between West Egg and New York.

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

The middle-west now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe. He decided to go east and learn the bond business.

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

The symbol of the green light is a hope.

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 acting like a fool and unappropriated because they are drunk.

What's happening between Nick and Jordan?

They are attracted to each other.

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

White, because she wears white dress, and the text mentioned a white girl hood.

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. Daisy and Gatsby were very into each other back in the day.