Great Gatsby 1-9 Questions

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

Nick is getting tired of her because she's just like Daisy and Tom and after last night with all the commotion he's sick of all of them.

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

Nicks father said if he ever felt like criticizing anyone to remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages he had. This makes him a good person to tell the story because he is a level headed thinker.

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

No, because Daisy is a trophy wife and Myrtle is just someone to have an affair with.

What is Fitzgerald showing us by all the drunk people and a crashed car at the end of the party?

People don't act smart when they are drunk.

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

People try so hard to move on towards the future but it's like they just keep falling back into the past and wanting to relive it. People aren't moving forwards and keep returning to the dreams of their past.

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

Red, Daisy seems to be obsessed with greed. She gets whatever she wants and will always have it no matter what.

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

She acts and talks like someone of the working class.

What is daisy's opinion of gatsby's parties?

She doesn't like it, it offends her in the way that it's West Egg new money where everybody is tacky, wild, and drunk. She's elite and the party doesn't live up to her classy standards of East Egg.

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?

She genuinely liked Gatsby, but married Tom because she felt lonely.

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

She gets drunk and tries to throw away an expensive pearl necklace that Tom got her.

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 is Careless about how others feel.

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

She is a professional golf player and is known for moving the ball.

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

She is careless.

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

She refused to move away with Wilson like she had said she wanted earlier. She wants to stay near Tom.

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

T.J. Eckleberg

What is the name of the book that Tom wants to discuss at dinner? What does the books content show us about Tom?

The Rise of the Colored Empires, basically shows signs that Tom is a racist. This book describes racist ideas and Tom agrees with those ideas.

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

Because her and Tom had good memories, she did love him once, but she loved Gatsby too.

What unexpected common bond does Gatsby and Nick share?

They fought in the war together.

Why does this scene suggest ill for Gatsby?

Tom and Daisy are getting along. Tom won Daisy over.

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

Tom feels bad for Wilson, he's figured out Myrtle's been cheating on him with someone. He looks really sick.

Compare and contrast George Wilson and Tom Buchanan. Than, compare and contrast Myrtle Wilson and Daisy Buchanan.

Tom is rich and built. George is poor and dirty. Daisy thin and frail. Myrtle is full bodied and attractive.

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

Tom knows Gatsby is working on something bigger and more illegal.

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, regarding the pool, symbolically meaningful?

He realizes that the entire summer season has passed and he hasn't once taken a swim in his own pool. He decides today is the day to take a swim while he waits for Daisy's call. Summer is officially over, but Gatsby just can't let go. He wants to live in the past, not accepting the change of time, change of seasons. He's lost Daisy, but he's still delusionally waiting to hear from her.

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

He disappears when Tom arrives because he is in love with Daisy.

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

He emphasizes certain things and tries very hard to impress people. He actually caries proof of accomplishments with him.

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?

He thinks they are not classy and doesn't like being surrounded by drunk people.

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

He got a lawn mowing service, flowers, and checked the weather.

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

He is a Jew, his cuff buttons were made of human teeth. He is a gambler and fixed the World Series.

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

He is a drunk man that sits in Gatsby's library. The books are real and he thought everything was fake and just for show.

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

He knows Wilson saw Tom, Nick, and Jordan driving the yellow car earlier and he didn't want him to think he hit Myrtle.

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

He mistakenly believes that Gatsby is the one who killed his wife, so he hunts him down and shoots him. Wilson, unable to face the horror of what he's done, then turns the gun on himself.

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

He probably met with Tom who told him Gatsby owned the car that killed Myrtle and that he had the affair with her.

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

He wants to show off his massive estate to Daisy.

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

He was upset, he repeated "The F******* coward! He didn't even stop his car!"

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

He went to Oxford for five months. It was an opportunity given to soldiers.

Is Nick surprised that Daisy has not sent a message or flowers? Are you?

He's not really surprised. At this point I think Nick expected it because that's just who Daisy is. That's how all of them are. They only care about themselves and disappear the minute it gets hard.

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

He's saying he loves her and that he's cheating on her.

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

Her emotions are mixed up.

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

Her voice sounds like it's full of money. She has no worry, she gets what she wants.

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

It says Jimmy was working to be better, it says self improvement was very important to him. He was serious about it, he had goals.

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

It shows that Tom doesn't think, he just acts.

Why is it so important to Gatsby that Daisy say she never loved Tom?

It shows that her love is pure and only for Gatsby. He's created a fantasy, "She's been in love with him for five years and so was he."

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

It's sweltering hot, everything is about to explode. It's the climax of the book.

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

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

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

Tom witnesses a moment between Daisy and Gatsby. "You always look so cool." and "She told him that she loved him and Tom saw."

What is Daisy's reaction to this news?

Tom won Daisy over after she found this out. She's scared because Gatsby's money could be taken away, along with him going to jail. After finding out she wants to go home.

How is West Egg different from East Egg?

West egg represents new money. East egg represents old money and higher class.

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

George points them out to Myrtle right before she dies. They appear as the eyes of God.

Why do you suppose Jordan didn't believe that Gatsby attended Oxford College?

He always speeds through talking about that part.

Throughout the story, Nick has criticized the West. At this point, what is it about the middle-west that he appreciates?

He appreciates the stability.

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 can tell that Gatsby is in need of something.

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

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 that light had now vanished forever. Compared to 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."

-Daisy and Gatsby have grown and changed into different people.-Daisy is now married and unavailable to him anymore-Gatsby's fantasy is now proven to be unrealistic.

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

Daisy and Gatsby take Tom's car. Jordan, Tom, and Nick take Gatsby's car.

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.

Daisy became overwhelmed after she realized how much Gatsby has done to be with her.

What does the reader learn that Tom does not know?

Daisy was driving

Describe the hit and run scene.

Daisy was driving Gatsby's car. She was driving recklessly and was shaking. Myrtle saw the yellow car and that Tom was driving it earlier, and thought it was Tom driving then. She escaped from Wilson and went to flag down the yellow car, Daisy swerved in and out, eventually hitting Myrtle. She was killed instantly.

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 Eggers are snobby and snooty and West Eggers are higher class.

Why does gatsby not get the 25,000 left to him in cody's will? what lesson did young gatsby learn from this incident?

Ella Kaye blocked it legally and she inherited everything. he was left with all the lessons of being and acting rich, although he wasn't

While the reader can easily predict daisy and tom's reaction to his party, gatsby cannot. Why not?

Gatsby is new money--tacky, flashy, and showing it off. He wasn't born into privilege so he thinks like West Eggers. While Tom and Daisy are classy old money people with standards and sophistication. They're snobby and the party is below them but Gatsby doesn't understand because he isn't sophisticated like East Eggers.

In what ways does Gatsby act different at his parties than the guests?

Gatsby does not drink.

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 not it an appropriate reply?

Gatsby gives the answer because he is probably doing something illegal. This is inappropriate because he just asked Nick to join him in business and that reply makes him look suspicious.

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 is always trying to impress people and is not as much as people make him out to be.

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

Gatsby sent the letter declaring his love for Daisy.

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 tells Nick about his past, but his past seems very improbable.1. Gatsby overshares his background2. He emphasizes the fact that he went to Oxford 3. He said he was from the Midwest 4. Gatsby is carrying around a metal from the war

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 was reaching out towards Daisy and longing for her. He bought the mansion on the water because Daisy is close to him this way.

Nick says, "so he invented just the sort of jay gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end." for james gatz, what does he expect the future jay gatsby's life will be like? specifically, at night, what sets james' heart "in a constant, turbulent" riot?

Imagining the success he will have in the future, money, appraisal, etc. he created himself from his own ambition

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

It is a dark grey industrial area separating West Egg and East Egg.

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

It is storming and this represents the anxious feelings that Gatsby is feeling and the trouble to come from the reunion.

To young Gatz, what does dan cody's yacht represent?

It represents the future he thought he was meant to have. all the beauty and glamor in the world.

What is nick's view of repeating the past, and what is gatsby's opinion? why is gatsby's opinion unrealistic?

Nick know that you can't and shouldn't repeat the past, but Gatsby thinks he can just erase the last five years and start over again.His opinion is unrealistic because it's been five years and both of them have changed. Daisy has a daughter--you can't hit the undo button.

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

Nick said, "They're a rotten crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together." It's true. The irony, of course, is that Gatsby wanted so desperately to be a part of this elite group that is actually filled with selfish, lousy people.

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

Nick says that Tom had material accomplishments. He had been one of the most powerful ends that played football. His family was insanely wealthy,He left Chicago to move and bought polo ponies. He had changed to a sturdy-straw man, talked in a gruff husky tenor tone.

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

Nick was Gatsby's friend--like his only friend. Nobody else cared about him but Nick.Wolfsheim acts the way he does because he's a business man and can't risk a bad outcome on his business if he went to the funeral. I'm sure he cared, but he's firstly a man of enterprise, not friendship.

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

Nick was very restless as he described it after the war and he said that the Midwest felt like the end of the universe. And he went East to be in the bond business.

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

Nick's background/social class is very wealthy. His great uncle started a wholesale hardware business after the Civil War.

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

The color green is 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 4 men carrying a drunk woman on a stretcher and they turn into the wrong house because nobody knows who she is and nobody cares about her.It shows us that Nick thinks the East is very cold, uncaring, and heartless.

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 orgastic future that's so close and the same time so far away, because people work toward it but it eludes them becasue they get stuck in the past.

After crossing paths with gatsby, tom says "i may be old-fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me." what's interesting and hypocritical about this line?

The most ridiculous of all women, myrtle wilson, is his personal mistress. it's interesting how tom judges women when they are not sleeping with him and with someone else.

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

The reality that Daisy and Tom are together and that they cannot repeat the past. The little girl could also represent Daisy and Tom's reunion.

Whats happening between Jordan and Nick?

They are attracted to each other.

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

They are careless people who smash up things and creatures and then retreat back into their money or their vast carelessness and let others clean up they mess they made.He can't forgive them or hate them becasue that's the way they are and they won't ever change.

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

They are like god watching over everyone and their sins.

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

They're eating together and conspiring together.

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

When he sees dan cody's yacht. he leaves because he doesn't feel it was his destiny, would not get him where he wanted to be.