The Great Gatsby Chapter 1 Questions

1. How does Nick describe himself at the beginning of the book? Why do you think
Fitzgerald chose him to be the narrator?
a. Nick sees himself as reserved, nonjudgmental (which makes him slightly
hopeful), but he can only be tolerant of others for so long.
b. To use Nick as the narrator places psychic distance to the story. Nick is part
of the action, yet he is not one of the principals. He shares some of the
emotions and is in a position to interpret those of the others. However, the
happenings are not centered on him.
2. How does Nick describe Tom Buchanan? Daisy? What kind of relationship do they
have (and not that theyre cousins / old college buddies!)?
a. Nick describes Tom as enormously wealthy, violent, forceful, aggressive,
sturdy, supercilious, arrogant, aggressive, and cruel. He is always living in
search of that great feeling he once had in his youth as the big man on
campus, the star athlete.
b. Nick describes Daisy as his cousin, a lady who is charming, inviting yet sad,
lovely with bright features (eyes, lips), and who has a thrilling voice / murmur
that draws people in / captivates them.
c. Nicks relationship with the Buchanans is completely superficial. Nick speaks
of the Buchanans as dear friends he barely knows.
3. Who is Jordan Baker? What does Nick find appealing about her?
a. Jordan is described as the balancing girl the girl Nick originally thought
was snobbish but later came to like for her confident air. Jordan grew up in
Louisville with Daisy. Shes also a professional golfer, and Nicks heard her
name mentioned somewhere, although he cant exactly recall where it was /
what it was about.
b. Jordans self-assurance is intriguing shes so confident and full of herself
that she almost comes off as self-sufficient.
4. What is Gatsby doing when Nick first sees him?
a. Gatsbys reaching out towards something, staring at a green light across the
water which Nick says could come from a light at the end of a dock. He
seems to be doing this secretly, making Nick not want to disturb him.
5. How does the tone of Nicks description of Tom reveal Nicks feelings about Tom?
What is the significance of Toms reference to the book he is reading?
a. Nick isnt very fond of Tom. He sees him as dangerous, violent, threatening,
and pompous in a way. He even mentions a nervous feeling of wanting to call
the cops when he feels the tension between Tom and Daisy rising and how
the best bet for Daisy would be to leave Tom immediately, which even at this
point he knows she wont do.
b. The content of the book Toms reading implies a certain lack of intellect on
Toms part. It reveals Toms belief that the dominant race must stay in

control, that lesser races must be beaten off, which of course reflects Toms
own need to be in control and dominant of his surroundings and those
around him.
6. How would you describe Daisys state of mind during dinner? What does she say
and do that helps reveal her inner conflicts?
a. Daisy seems flighty and struggling for attention at the beginning of the
dinner, however theres a painful awkwardness that sets in after the
phone call when she and Tom disappear into the house.
A few examples: She stares out the window with sadness over missing
the longest day of the year every year; she points out her bruised and
swollen finger which she says Tom injured; she throws her napkin on
the table and chases after Tom when he goes to answer the phone; she
sounds tense and forced when she returns from the discussion with
Tom; she stares Tom down and shakes her head to keep him from
answering the phone the second time; after dinner she rubs her face
and stares longingly and thoughtfully out into the sunset. When she
speaks afterward she does so suddenly and discusses how cynical she
is and how shes in a bad situation. She tells the story of her giving
birth alone, without Tom being there, and her crying over it being a girl.
b. Finally, Daisy says she thinks everything is terrible and that anyone whos
advanced or sophisticated agrees with her as she smirks.
7. Why does Daisy describe her childhood as a white girlhood? Why does Daisy
hope that her daughter grows up to be a beautiful little fool?
a. On a literal level, Daisy always dresses in white and even drives a white
car. More importantly, she remembers her youth as a time of innocence
and charming simplicity in contrast to the tawdry existence she has in the
present.
b. To Daisy, superficial appearance is all that matters so beauty is a
necessity. Intelligence, however, might be a hazard, for Daisy lives in a
world that does not hold up under inspection and if she really thought
about her life, she might find it unbearable. She hopes her daughter will
never have to give much thought to life / love and will simply be happy.
8. Nick thinks that, given the state of their marriage, Daisy should leave Tom, but it is
clear to him that she has no intention of doing so. What indication is there that
Tom and Daisy are closely linked despite their marital difficulties?
a. Tom and Daisy seem to be pretty set in their ways. Theyre both used to
money and attention. Both are a part of the advanced, sophisticated, elite
crowd which views the world in a scorned, cynical way.
9. Why does Daisy speak in such exaggerated phrases? Why does Nick feel she is
trying to be a cynic (believes the worst about people / life)?

a. By overdoing her remarks, Daisy manages to minimize everything she says.

If she describes something as utterly wonderful instead of merely nice, she
makes it seem quite ordinary. This may be considered a form of unconscious
hyperbole by making everything sound important, Daisy reveals that
nothing is important to her.
b. This is a current upper-class pose and by adopting it, Daisy not only identifies
herself as part of a fashionable group, but disposes of the need to live a
meaningful life, since life has no meaning anyway.
10.Why does Gatsby reach out to the water? What indications are there that the
green light has a powerful emotional significance to Gatsby?
a. Gatsby is so near and yet so far away from a green light. He is stretching out
his arms toward an elusive goal that he cannot quite reach.
b. Gatsby reaches out to it as if he desires to touch the light. Also, hes
described as almost trembling, like hes shaking with emotions.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 2 Questions
1. Describe the setting of the valley of ashes where George and Myrtle live. What
aspects of the setting imply that it is intended to have a symbolic meaning as well
as a literal one?
a. Setting description:
i. Desolate; full of ashes, strange gardens, and smoke; dim and
crumbling; full of people more like ghosts than men; gray, cloudy,
obscure, and bleak.
ii. It feels like a hopeless land of chaos and despair where the people
arent real. All of the visual connections seem blurred out so you cant
really tell whats real and whats fake.
iii. Theres also a large billboard left over from an optometrists business
(Dr. T.J. Eckleburg) which is fading and displays a large pair of blue
eyes behind yellow spectacles which stare out over the land of waste.
b. Symbolic:
i. Fitzgerald takes a lot of time to describe this setting in a detailed and
poetic way. He focuses on the specifics of this area which is just a
setting but must play a larger role in the story than just that if hes
devoting this much time to its detailed description.
1. Hint: in the future, when you see an author doing this (especially
at the beginning of a chapter or new scene) its often because
that setting means more symbolically to the story than the other
settings.
2. How does Nick meet Toms mistress?
a. Tom takes Nick into the city and on the way there stops off at her house/her
husbands garage to meet her. They then go into the city and have a party at
the apartment Tom rents for Myrtle and their indiscretions.
3. How does Myrtle react to Toms arrival?

a. Myrtle seems exuberant and vivacious. She walks sensually down the stairs;
shes full of life and very sexual and she makes passionate eye contact with
Tom. She was clearly awaiting his arrival.
4. Describe George Wilson. How does he react to Toms arrival?
a. George has blond hair and light blue eyes; he is spiritless, anemic (lacking
power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness; listless; weak), and only faintly
handsome.
b. George seems beaten down by life and afraid to speak up. Hes very
unconvincing when he says he cant complain about how hes been; he
cowers under Toms opposition to him over the car and he does exactly as
Myrtle demands of him without questioning her. He clearly doesnt seem like
a man in control of his life.
c. He seems hopeful for something that Tom may bring (were led to believe it
has something to do with a car that Tom was going to sell him).
d. However, I would posit that George is the only one who is originally satisfied
with his life; he has achieved his American Dream in that he has his own
business and hes married to a woman he loves. He may not be the
wealthiest, but that doesnt seem to truly bother him or hed be doing more
about it, right?
5. Why did Tom and Myrtle want Nick to go with them to the apartment?
a. Because Tom and Myrtle wanted it to seem as if what they were doing was
natural. Tom also wanted Nick to respect him for his manliness and to test
Nicks loyalty to him versus Nicks loyalty to Daisy. Myrtle wanted to please
Tom and that meant making his friend, Nick, feel welcome; she also wanted
more people to see her as Toms woman which helped improve her status,
or at least it did so in her eyes.
6. How does Myrtle behave as the party progresses?
a. Myrtle is no longer as full of life (vitality) as she was when he first met her.
Now shes displaying a hauteur which is growing more and more over the
night, displaying a fake superiority which she has no right to claim. By the
end of the party she feels powerful, entitled, and equal to Tom and Daisy and
the rest of the upper class.
b. Myrtle starts trying to make comments to show shes part of that elite upper
class of sophisticated cynics that Daisy was telling Nick about before. She
cocks her eyebrow with disdain at compliments over her dress (most likely
new) which she calls old and reveals frustration over the lack of good service
from the lower class which she keeps referring to as these people even
though shes really a part of that class.
7. How does Fitzgerald describe Myrtle Wilson? Does her physical appearance reflect
her character in any way?
a. Myrtle is described as a thick, stout, sensuous woman in her mid thirties;
shes no real beauty but she has a smoldering vitality.

b. Myrtle is vulgar and physically connected perfect for a low class mistress.
The passion and liveliness of her body over any other characteristics shows
shes controlled by her bodily impulses.
i. Myrtle is very different from Daisy and Jordan, the upper class ladies of
the novel. Theyre reserved and have a veil of innocence; shes forward
and drips with sexuality. This delineates for the reader the difference
between the women of the two social classes of the novel.
8. Compare the setting of the party in this chapter with the setting of the dinner party
in Chapter One.
a. The apartment party is raucous, smoky, and loud. Its full of drunkenness to
an extreme (even with Nick blacking out at the end of the chapter) and
violent outbursts. From Nicks description of the guests and the night you can
see that he feels this is morally beneath him.
b. The earlier dinner party was quiet, reserved, and all tension amongst the
characters was under the surface. While Nick was at this party he
commented to Daisy about feeling inferior to her and her party because of its
class.
9. Why does Tom attack Myrtle at the end of the party? How does this exemplify
Fitzgeralds description of Tom in Chapter One?
a. She says Daisys name.
b. To assert his power and contempt over Myrtle; he does it simply because he
can.
c. It shows him as a violent man (which Nicks tone described).
10.
Why is the end of Chapter 2 so disjointed? What had Nick been doing all
evening that might have caused this strange narrative?
a. Nick had been drinking all night. He said that he had only been drunk twice
in his life and that this particular party with Myrtle, Tom, and the others was
the setting of his second drunken episode. At the end of the chapter, he is
basically going through a drunken reverie so everything he is thinking, or
dreaming, is illogical and meant to be so. How many people truly make
sense when they are heavily under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
The Great Gatsby Chapter 3 Questions
1.

What arrives at Gatsbys house every Friday and leaves on Monday? What does
this tell you about the parties Gatsbys hosts?
a. Five crates of lemons and oranges arrive at Gatsbys every Friday and leave
as pulp on Monday morning. This tells us that many people attend Gatsbys
parties and that many spend the entire weekend at his house.

2.

Describe the events and the atmosphere of this particular party.

a. There is extreme decadence and luxury: there are huge bands, lots of food
(two dinners), flowing cocktails, etc.

b. Everyone is dancing and enjoying themselves. As the night goes on, women
become flirtier and begin playing with the men more and enjoying
themselves.
c. Theres a lot of gossip at the tables concerning Gatsby.
d. A drunken lady who is a famous singer begins singing and makes herself sad.
As shes singing and crying, she has no self-concern and ignores the fact that
her makeup is pouring down her face in black rivers, making her appear
foolish. She then sits down in a chair and falls asleepor passes out.
e. Once the night approaches the wee hours, all of the men and women begin
quarrelling and the husbands have to drag their wives out of the party over
their shoulders like barbarians.
f. Owl Eyes and another drunken man get into a car wreck, driving their car
into a ditch. The drunken man is too inebriated to even understand what
happened with the car.
3.

Describe two ways in which Nick differs from the other guests at Gatsbys party.
a. Nick is actually invited to the party; everyone else just shows up.
b. Nick is dressed more casually in white flannels and everyone else is in
elegant suits and gowns.
c. The other guests are all dancing and carrying on however they want. Nick
just sits back and observes them, occasionally conversing with Jordan or
other guests.

4.

What does Nick think of Gatsby when he first meets him?

a. Nick is impressed with Gatsbys smile. It seems so genuine and reassuring.
b. Nick thinks Gatsbys formality of speech and actions are almost to a level of
absurdity.
c. Nick has the strong impression that Gatsby is picking his words with care,
like hes being super careful not to say the wrong thing.
d. Nick is surprised that Gatsby wasnt as decadent and self-indulgent as he
imagined a man that rich with that many parties would be.

5.

Describe the ambiguity (vagueness/contradictions) in Gatsbys character that

strikes Nick.
a. No one seems to know anything about Gatsby:
i. There are rumors that hes a bootlegger, a German spy, and that he
killed a man, but no one really knows.
ii. Even people who have attended several parties dont know what he
looks like and have never met him
b. Gatsby appears to be a young roughneck and has fought in the war;
however, he puts on this air of absurd formality.
c. Gatsby throws lavish parties of a decadent lifestyle; however, he doesnt
touch a drop of alcohol during the party and doesnt really even take part in
it. Everyone else is having a good time, which he encourages them to do, but
hes being aloof in the shadows and taking secret business phone calls and
meeting with people (Jordan) secretly rather than mingling with his guests.

6.

What discovery does the owl-eyed man make in Gatsbys library? What
symbolic meaning could this reference have about society in the 1920s?
a. The owl-eyed man discovers that the books have not been cut. The books
are there to show us, hopefully to make us believe, that Gatsby is well-read,
educated, and wealthy.
b. They are symbolic of Gatsbys pretentiousness and of societys superficiality.

7.

How does Nick characterize the guests at Gatsbys party? What do his
characterizations tell us about how Nick feels about most of these people?
What sense of life in the Jazz Age do we get from the description of this party?
a. The guests all very careless and do whatever they want to feel good, not
caring what they do as one girl puts it.
b. Theyre also ridiculous looking at times in their drunken revelry (the crying
singer and the drunk driver).
c. Nick clearly feels morally superior to these people in a way.
d. The life of the Jazz Age starts out good and enjoyable, like Gatsbys party did,
but ends in chaos. Like the people at this party, the people of the Jazz Age
were looking for a good time in whatever way they could find it, never caring
about responsibility or being proper. These people dont realize the fools
theyre making of themselves and how careless theyre being. Fitzgerald saw
that in his own life with the wild parties he attended during the Jazz Age.

8.

On what does the owl-eyed man blame the accident after Gatsbys party? What
is ironic about this claim?
a. The owl-eyed man blamed the accident on the mechanics of the car. This is
ironic because he has been drunk for days and evidently the driver is quite
inebriated as well, yet they blame the car instead of themselves for the
accident.

9.

How does Nick describe Jordan at the end of Chapter 3? What do we learn
about her that would support this statement?
a. Nick describes Jordan as incurably dishonest. Supposedly, she moved her
ball during one of her golf games.

10.

Why does Jordan say, I hate careless people. Thats why I like you?
a. Jordan sees that Nick is different than most people. She also knows that she
is somewhat careless and with the saying opposites attract, shes looking for
someone to balance her out and thinks she may have found that in Nick.

11.

Based on the two incidents involving automobiles in this chapter, what role do
automobiles seem to play in the novel so far?
a. The drunken man who runs off the road
b. Jordan almost hitting a man with her car

c. Automobiles clearly display the carelessness of the age and of the people
who have enough money to buy these nice cars. They dont seem to care
who they hurt or what happens. Theyre also very DANGEROUS in the hands
of these careless people for other people out there.
12.

What unique quality do we learn that Nick possesses?

a. He is honest, which during this time period was a rarity, especially in the
circles in which Nick ran. (One could argue that its a rarity today as well but
. )
The Great Gatsby Chapter 4 Questions

1. What does Gatsby tell Nick about himself? Aside from the improbability of his story,
what other evidence is there that Gatsby is lying about something when he tells
Nick about his background?
a. Gatsby tells Nick:
i. Hes from the Midwest and comes from a wealthy family. He attended
Oxford because it was a family tradition EVERYONE in his family
attended Oxford.
ii. His entire family died and he came into their riches. He took his riches
and toured Europe with trunks of rubies and other jewels, living the
party life of a young rajah and going on great adventures like big game
safari hunts.
iii. He became very sorrowful over something sad that happened to him
long ago and joined the army when the war began. He even tried to
die but instead became a hero. They promoted him to major and he
received decorations from every Allied government EVEN LITTLE
MONTENEGRO!!!
b. Evidence of lying:
i. The way he says Oxford: Nick says he chokes on it and says it as
quickly as possible, looking at him sideways afterwards.
ii. He says hes from the Middlewest but when pressured by Nick says
specifically San Francisco.
iii. Everything he says seems so threadbare like hes said these stories
so many times and rehearsed them that theyre wearing thin.
2. What is the significance of Nicks statements: Anything can happen now that
weve slid over this bridge? and Even Gatsby could happen, without any
particular wonder.
a. Prior to this phrase, Nick saw a limousine pass him with a white chauffeur
and black passengers. The white person here is the servant and the black
people have the same haughty air of superiority that he recognizes in the
social elite of the time. This is still a significant surprise at this time in history
due to the racial tensions and restrictions. Really, only New York had this kind
of thing happening the rest of the country is VERY behind this city during
the twenties.

i. The twenties was the time of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural

explosion of African American writing, music, and art. African
Americans flocked to New York to take part in this new freedom.
b. Prior to this scene Nick completely disbelieves Gatsbys ridiculous story
about riches, living like a rajah, and the war; however, in the kind of city
where he can see a white person acting as the chauffeur for rich black
people, Nick realizes that ANYTHING can happen New York must be a place
for incredible stories and reinvention. Maybe this mysterious man Gatsby
COULD really exist here..
i. NOTE: This is the second view of New York in the novel. Its very much
in conjunction with the idea of this city being the place to realize your
great American Dream, for Gatsby and Myrtle!
3. Who is Meyer Wolfsheim? What seems to be his connection with Gatsby? What
does this tell us about Gatsby?
a. Meyer Wolfsheim is most likely in some type of organized crime; we reach
this conclusion because of the story of Rosy Rosenthals hit and Gatsbys
claim that Wolfsheim fixed the 19 World Series. He and Gatsby are some
type of business associates; they met some time after the war. This tells us
that Gatsbys business dealings are most likely not legal.
4. Jordan Baker tells Nick about Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom. Summarize the story. Also,
after Jordan tells Nick the story of Gatsby and Daisy, 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 Gatsbys behavior had meant to Nick
up to then?
a. This is basic summarization you know this one!
b. Nick finally understands Gatsby for the first time. Prior to this, Nick had been
confounded by Gatsbys actions; now he understands why Gatsby has been
staring across the bay at the green light and why Gatsby gives a party every
weekend for people he doesnt know. Prior to this, Gatsby has been sort of
aloof and unapproachable to Nick; now he sees him as a real person with
hopes and dreams like everybody else instead of a stuck up rich neighbor.
5. 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?
a. Daisy begins dating non-military men, men who have been turned down by
the armed services for whatever reason. Then, she suddenly gets engaged
the next February, but by the next June shes not only engaged to someone
else, shes married to someone else Tom. This erratic behavior indicates
that she really is in love with Gatsby and in order to try to get over him, she
gets married because she thinks thats what shes supposed to do and
should do to squash her feelings for Gatsby.
b. Daisy became intoxicated; she received a letter from someone and by all
indications through Jordans allusions, we assume the letter was a love letter
from Gatsby that gave her pause in her plans to marry Tom.

6. Why do you think Gatsby has so many parties? Why did he buy the house?
a. Gatsby bought the house across from Daisy in hopes that they would run into
each other and Daisy would realize that she was still as much in love with
Gatsby as he was with her. He had the parties in hopes that Daisy may
wander through his door one weekend and they would have that magical
reunion that he has worked toward and dreamed about for so long.
7. Why does Gatsby want to have tea with Daisy at Nicks house? Why doesnt
Gatsby ask Nick for this favor himself?
a. Gatsby wants to have tea with Daisy at Nicks house because Nicks house is
right beside Gatsbys house and Gatsby actually wants Daisy to see his
(Gatsbys) house to see how successful he has become. Basically, Gatsbys
success (materially) and Daisy are inseparable; he didnt believe he could
have one without the other.
b. Gatsby doesnt want to overstep any boundaries; he barely knows Nick.
Gatsby feels because of the feelings that he believes Nick is beginning to
have for Jordan that Jordan will make a good intercessory and that Nick will
acquiesce to her whereas he might turn Gatsby down.
8. What does Tom do when he and Daisy return from their honeymoon? Explain.
a. Tom was out driving one day in Ventura and had a wreck. He was not alone;
the chambermaid from the hotel was in the car.
b. This tells us that he has been unfaithful to Daisy since pretty much the
beginning of their marriage.
9. 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 on the
events of the novel so far? Do you think that Gatsby would agree with the phrase?
a. Pursued / Pursuing:
i. Gatsby is pursuing Daisy; Myrtle is pursuing Tom; Nick and Jordan are
pursuing each other.
b. Busy:
i. Gatsby is busy, trying to keep up with society the way he feels Daisy is
accustomed to. Nick is busy trying to learn a new business and escape
his past (home, war, ex-girlfriend). Tom is busy being anything but a
good husband / father.
c. Tired:
i. Daisy is tired of her cheating husband; Myrtle is tired of being poor.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 5 Questions

1. What does Gatsby offer Nick in return for Nicks cooperation in inviting Daisy to his
house? What is Nicks response?
a. Gatsby offers to help Nick earn money by coming into business with him.

b. Nick realizes this is an offer of obligation, plus hes already hesitant Gatsbys
business if it involves someone as shady as Wolfsheim, so he turns him
down.
i. Plus, dont forget that Nick is our slightly more moral character in this
novel. He has values and ethics and would wish to make it on his own
as opposed to doing something underhanded to get ahead in life.
2. What is the meeting between Gatsby and Daisy like initially?
a. The initial meeting between Gatsby and Daisy is incredibly awkward. Daisy
appears shocked to see Gatsby, and Gatsby doesnt know how to act around
her. His hands are shoved in his pockets, he nervously knocks Nicks clock off
the wall, and he speaks rigidly.
b. Gatsbys eyes are described as distraught and he moves tensely and with a
conscientious manner about him. Daisy is described as frightened. Even Nick
is so uncomfortable at this time that he says he starts blushing from
embarrassment for them.
c. Gatsby almost tries to run away, telling Nick that the meeting was a terrible
mistake and loses his manners while hes talking with Nick. The only
comfort he takes is when Nick tells him Daisy is embarrassed too and that
Gatsbys being rude to her by leaving her alone.
3. How are Daisy and Gatsby different when Nick returns to the house after half an
hour? How do these attitudes correlate with the weather?
a. Different:
i. All embarrassment is gone. Daisy is so happy, yet has apparently been
crying as her face is smeared with tears. Gatsby was so absolutely
happy that Nick describes him as glowing and displaying a feeling of
new well-being which filled the room.
ii. Theyre both giddy and exude joy.
b. Weather:
i. 1st: the rainy day reflects the stormy emotions Gatsby is feeling as he
fears what Daisys reaction to him will be.
ii. 2nd: after theyve had their private chat, the rain clears away and the
sun breaks out in the west surrounded by puffy pink and gold clouds.
This represents the stormy emotions leaving him as the two characters
have started to come back to one another. Theres now happiness and
rejuvenation as the rain dies back a bit and the sun literally and
figuratively shines on their situation.
4. What is ironic about the cottage owners refusal to put thatched roofs on their
homes? Remember, the book says Americans, while occasionally willing to be
serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry.
a. A brewer had offered the cottage owners money to put the thatched roofs on
their homes; he wanted to be able to look out at his feudal estate with
pride, knowing that he owned a little piece of each. But, the people refused
because although they may be beholden to some for what they have, they
are not owned, they are not peasants in service to a feudal lord. The
people control their destinies and they want it to remain that way. That is

the American dream that people can transform themselves into who they
want to be. After all, look at what Gatsby has been able to accomplish in less
than five years!
5. What does Gatsby reply when Nick asks him how he makes his money? Why does
Nick find that significant?
a. First, Gatsby becomes defensive and only replies Thats my affair. Then,
realizing that this doesnt jive with the cautious, carefully planned
background story hes already told Nick plus it would look too suspicious if
he left it as his affair he tells Nick hes been in the drug business and oil
business.
i. Remember: he had to answer this question because he already
SLIPPED UP by thinking out loud about how it took him 3 years to make
the money to buy this house.
b. Gatsby told Nick he was exceptionally wealthy and had gotten the money
from his parents and family when they (all) died. Supposedly hed even lived
in Europe extravagantly. Nick realizes this is a slip up in his background story
and notices the shady way he tries to cover it up.
i. NOTE: this doesnt help Gatsby too much. Remember that he wants to
be good enough for Daisy, an East Egger. East Eggers were all rich
from birth with old money family names. Gatsby loses his money from
birth status a bit when he reveals this to Nick.
6. What is Gatsbys dialogue like in this chapter? What does it tell us about Gatsby?
a. Early on Gatsbys dialogue is very tense and abrupt. Later on, after his
private chat with Daisy, his dialogue becomes scatter-brained. He leaves his
sentences unfinished and speaks without thinking about what hes saying
so NOT Gatsby, the man Nick says plans every word carefully before saying
it.
b. Hes very wrapped up in Daisy and cant focus around her. Hes starting to
slip into carelessness over her because of his desire and attention.
7. Why do you think Daisy sobs when Gatsby shows her his shirts?
a. She loved Gatsby and yet still married Tom for his money and support (well
the protection and support that a man would give a woman, not emotional
support). Here Gatsby is in front of her and as wealthy as Tom. Had she ONLY
WAITED she could have had the money, support, status, AND a happy
marriage with an adoring husband. Her crying could be self-pity in a way,
anger at herself and jealous of what she could have had, namely this life with
Gatsby.
b. OR: Shes so happy that Gatsby, the man she originally wanted and loved,
has money and power. The only thing really keeping her in her marriage is
the money Tom has and the social status. Maybe with Gatsby being as rich as
she sees he is, she can leave Tom and marry Gatsby and everything will be
ok. Therefore, she may be crying for happiness out of her potential to escape
her marriage.
8. What are Gatsbys feelings by the end of the chapter?

a. Gatsbys completely baffled by Daisy and this experience. Now that hes
gotten his dream, what does he do? Hed been dreaming of her for so long
and now he has her. This moment rings almost similar to the anticlimax that
Nick mentioned about Toms life. He describes that Gatsby must have even
that early realized that he couldnt be completely happy. How could Daisy
every live up to the dream of her he had anticipated and built up? She cant.
i. He had passed visibly through two states and was entering upon a
third. After his embarrassment and his unreasoning joy he was
consumed with wonder at her presence. He had been full of the idea so
long, dreamed it right through to the end, waited with his teeth set, so
to speak, at an inconceivable pitch of intensity. Now, in the reaction, he
was running down like an overwound clock.
ii. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that
light had now vanished forever. Compared to the 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.
iii. As I went over to say good-by I saw that the expression of
bewilderment had come back into Gatsbys face, as thought a faint
doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness.
Almost five years! There must have been moments even that
afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams not through her
own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone
beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a
creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every
bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can
challenge what a man will store u pin his ghostly heart.
9. In this chapter, Gatsbys dream seems to be fulfilled. What indications are there,
though, that reality cannot satisfy his dream?
a. Nick discusses how the only thing Gatsby couldnt possibly have overimagined, and consequently built up for a fall, is Daisys voice. Everything
else could never possibly be as good as his dream of her.
b. By the end of the chapter, Gatsby seems somewhat puzzled and dazed. Hes
been working towards the dream of Daisy for so long that he doesnt know
how to act or what to think now that shes really there with him. At this
point, it may be hard for Daisy to live up to all of Gatsbys expectations
because hes pined for her so long, reached towards that elusive green light
for so long, that now that shes there, she probably falls short of his
expectations through no fault of her own but through the colossal vitality of
his illusion.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 6 Questions
1. Whats Gatsbys REAL story behind his past?

a. He was a poor young man from North Dakota. He met a rich sailor and
adventurer named Dan Cody who helped out on his yacht; he began calling
himself Jay Gatsby, a name hed created in his mind to help him make his big
escape from the doldrums of his life. He was doing manual labor up until he
became Codys help. Cody was a partier whose weaknesses were women
and booze possibly part of the reason Gatsby declines alcohol. Cody was
very wealthy and tried to leave his money to Gatsby, but a woman (Ella
Kaye, also the woman who may be responsible for Codys death), somehow
took all of the money and left Gatsby with nothing of his miraculous
inheritance.

2. When and why does James Gatz change his name?

c. He changes his name when he meets Dan Cody, the millionaire, and begins
his association with Cody. He is not happy with his lot in life or with the way
that his parents have lived and feels that this is his chance to change things
and to become the person he wants to be.
3. How is the comparison of Gatsby with Christ (he was a son of Godand he must
be about his Fathers business) ironic? If the comparison with Christ were to
continue throughout the book, what would happen to Gatsby?
a. Gatsby is so far the complete opposite of what Christ was. Gatsby talks of
vast, vulgar, and superficial beauty, of material possessions, and of wealth /
status. Christ represented purity and innocence and was unconcerned with
earthly possessions / money.
b. If the comparison were to continue, then we would have to assume that
Gatsby, like Christ, will be betrayed and killed.
4. Tom, Mr. Sloane, and a young lady visit Gatsby and the lady invites Gatsby to come
to dinner with them. What does Gatsbys response tell us about his social
sensitivity? What does Toms response tell us about his? What connection, if any,
do you think this scene might have with Gatsbys love of Daisy?
a. Gatsby is not very socially adept. He thinks the invitation is sincere because
he expects everyone to be sportsmanlike in their actions. He doesnt realize
that the woman may not actually mean what she is saying. Tom, on the
other hand, automatically feels superior to Gatsby and cant believe that
Gatsby would honestly believe that someone from Toms social group would
actually want Gatsby to attend one of her parties. Gatsby is similarly blind
when it comes to Daisy; he thinks that she will simply remember their love
and want to be together, no matter what has transpired in their lives during
their five year separation.
5. What is Daisys real reaction to Gatsbys party?
a. Daisy thought the party was beneath her; she was offended by the ordinary
people who were there, people who were below her socially. It makes her
reevaluate Gatsby and who he is or has become.

6. What does Gatsby tell Nick he wants Daisy to do?

a. To tell Tom that she never loved him. Gatsby wants Daisy to erase the past 5
years of separation between them. Hes obsessed with the past.
7. What is Gatsbys view of the past? When Nick says that Gatsby wanted to recover
something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy, what
do you think he means?
a. That he can repeat it.
b. Gatsby liked who he was with Daisy earlier in his life when they were
together. He needs at this point in his life to recover that earlier time of
happiness, drive, and simplicity, especially since his life has been so chaotic
ever since he lost her. He believes that getting Daisy, the goal he set out to
attain so many years ago, would put his life back on track and make him
complete.
8. At the end of the chapter, Nick describes Gatsby kissing Daisy in Louisville five
years before. What is Gatsby giving up when he kisses her? Why?
a. Up to this point, Gatsby has been his own man, the man that he created that
first day he stepped on Dan Codys yacht. Now, with this kiss, he becomes
attached to someone else and he knows that by kissing her, things will never
be the same for him.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 7 Questions
1. Why does Gatsby stop giving parties? Why did Gatsby fire all of his servants? Who
replaced them? What was unique about these replacements?
a. Stopped giving parties:
i. Gatsby stopped giving parties because Daisy disapproved of them.
b. Fired all of his servants:
i. Daisy was visiting Gatsby in the afternoons and Gatsby was afraid that
his house servants would gossip about it in town and he wanted to
protect Daisys reputation. Of course, he was right they would have
gossiped; Nick found out from his Finn who found out during one of her
excursions to town.
c. Replaced servants with:
i. Gatsby replaced his servants with some brothers and sisters of Meyer
Wolfshiems; whether they were actually related to Wolfshiem or not
we dont know but they were most likely not servants.
d. Unique about replacements:
i. The new wait staff probably performed illegal duties for Gatsby instead
of household duties.
2. What does Gatsby see at Daisys house that disturbs him? Why does this bother
him so much?

a. Gatsby sees Daisys daughter, Pammy, at Daisys.

b. Pammy complicates things. She acts as an eternal connection between Tom
and Daisy. It wont be as easy to just erase the past 5 years with a child in
the picture.
c. Gatsby will find it harder for him conscientiously to take Daisy from her
family.
3. What does Daisy do while Tom is in the other room? What does she tell Jordan to
do? Why does Jordan call Daisy a low, vulgar girl?
a. Daisy kisses Gatsby and tells him that she loves him. When Jordan calls her
on it, Daisy tells Jordan to kiss Nick. Jordan calls Daisy a low, vulgar girl
because ladies do not show affection in that way while in the presence of
others. Affection is private and should be shown / kept that way.
4. When does Tom first realize that Daisy loves Gatsby?
a. When theyre standing in the hot room and Daisy tells Gatsby he always
looks so cool.
b. This phrase is said with such intense passion in her voice and look that Tom
is all of a sudden aware that something has been going on.
5. Describe whats going on with George Wilson. What does he want to do? Why does
he suddenly need money from / made off of Tom?
a. George says hes been wised up to some things recently, that hes feeling
sick, and that he and Myrtle are heading out West.
b. George has become aware that Myrtle is cheating on him and this kills him.
Hes lost it all now and is desperate to escape New York with his wife and his
life in tact even if it means losing his soul and dream.
6. Why is Myrtle Wilson upset when she sees Tom and Jordan?
a. Myrtle is jealous. She assumes that Jordan is Toms wife and it appears from
the room above that hes ignoring her, not even trying to see her, but
instead enjoying a New York outing with his wife.
7. Why does Fitzgerald emphasize the heat? Of what could the weather be symbolic?
a. The heat is stifling and suffocating. It is like the tension in the midst of this
group; the tension is mounting and pretty soon, something will have to give
or something will explode. This chapter is the climax; the heat represents
the passions that are brought to this climax, passions of jealousy, of love, of
pride, and of hate.
8. What is ironic about Tom saying that he has second sight?
a. Tom doesnt have second sight; if he did, he would have known that
something was wrong in his own house long before now. He cant have
second sight because that would suggest that he look outside of himself

whenever all he really cares about is himself. The only reason he is upset is
because this upsets his ideal of social structure and the role that the people
in his life are supposed to play.
9. What is the significance of Blocks Biloxi? Why do you think Fitzgerald inserted
this little tid-bit?
a. When we look at Gatsbys party, many people went to these parties
uninvited and there was a broad range of social classes at his parties.
Looking at the Buchanans wedding, is it so different? They had a nobody
impose on their wedding day uninvited.
10.
Why is Nick so pleased with Gatsbys honesty about Oxford? Show how this
pleasure turns to disgust then back to pleasure as the chapter progresses.
a. Nick is tired of all the secrecy and lies that is going on around him and he is
refreshed to discover that Gatsby was, after all, being honest about who he
was. He now has someone with whom he can identify, someone with
integrity, and he likes the way that Gatsby gracefully cuts Tom short.
b. Then, when Gatsby is talking about the accident, he once again seems like a
brutal lower class thug to Nick because of his callous and insensitive attitude
towards Myrtles death.
c. Once he tells Nick that Daisy was driving the car, Nick once again
appreciates Gatsby because hes not callous at all; hes simply trying to
protect the woman he loves at all costs.

11.
Why does Tom refer to the liaison between Daisy and Gatsby in terms of
intermarriage?
a. Tom is very class conscience. He believes that there is no difference in
people of different classes cavorting around than there are between people
of different races. He believes that the lower classes, like the lower races,
must be kept in their places, beaten down so as to remain there, and he does
this with Gatsby and in doing so destroys Gatsbys dream.
b. Again, the double-standard applies; its okay for him to associate with
someone from a different class but its not okay for Daisy to. Chances are, it
would have been okay to him had Daisy been having an affair as long as she
was doing so with someone from their own social class.
12.
Tom says that he will be better to Daisy from now on, that he will take better
care of her. Do you think he will? Support your answer with information from the
book.
a. Shortly after he says this, Tom knows that Daisy isnt going to leave him, yet
he makes her take a humiliating ride home with Gatsby instead of letting her
ride home with him. So no, chances are he hasnt learned his lesson nor will
he change, ever.

13.

Why does Nick change his feelings toward Jordan?

a. Jordan talks like the Buchanans and she stays with them occasionally. After
the day they all had, Nick no longer likes the Buchanans nor anyone
associated with them, including Jordan. He doesnt like what they represent
or who they are.

14.
How does Gatsby characterize Daisys voice? What do you think he means
by this?
a. Its full of money. Daisys voice represents the upper class from which she
comes. She speaks with the attitude of the upper class. This is part of the
dream that holds Gatsby all of these years its not just her that hes
obsessed with, its her lifestyle. He wants to be a part of her world.

The Great Gatsby Chapter 8 Questions

1. What does Gatsby tell Nick the night of the accident? Why?
a. The truth about his pasteverything from James Gatz to his relationship with
Daisy.
2. Did Gatsby want to go to Oxford?
a. No. It was an accident that he was sent there and he tried the whole time to
make it back.
3. What would you say is the principal reason for Daisys appeal to Gatsby?
a. Gatsby does love Daisymaybe.but shes from the world he desires. She
has money, social status, and shes the kind of nice girl that would be the
perfect wife for the upper class lifestyle he has always imagined for himself.
b. The reader sees here that maybe Gatsby didnt completely love Daisy for
her; there was a bit of selfish social climbing in this particular girl.
4. How does Nick leave Gatsby?
a. Nick is reluctant to leave Gatsby. He misses trains staying with Gatsby,
almost as if he knows this will be the last time that he sees him. Although he
is tied to the Buchanans (by blood, school, background, etc.), he feels a real
connection to Gatsby and hates to leave him.
5. How does Nick compliment Gatsby and what is Gatsbys reaction? Why is it
important that Nick thank Gatsby?
a. Nick tells Gatsby that although he originally disliked him, hes learned that
Gatsbys better that the rest of them meaning Tom, Daisy, Jordan, etc.
b. Gatsby at first isnt sure how to take this compliment; then, when he realizes
what Nick is saying and what it truly means, he is extremely happy and Nick

knows it. Gatsby realizes that Nick is complimenting him by telling him that
he is true while the others around him lead false lives.
c. Many people have used Gatsby throughout the story and Nick feels that he
needs to thank Gatsby, not only for all that hes done but for who he is.
6. How does George Wilson spend the night after the accident?
a. Hes rocking back and forth, staring off, crying and shouting, Oh my God!
b. Michaelis is the only person who stays with him to keep an eye on him.
7. What evidence had Wilson found that his wife was having an affair?
a. Wilson found a new, expensive dog collar / leash.
b. Not only do they NOT own a dog, Myrtle shouldnt be able to afford that
collar / leash.
i.He was already concerned because shed come home from the city with
a black eye and a busted nose one day.
8.What do the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg symbolize to George Wilson? What is
significant about this symbol?
a. Gods eyes always watching and seeing everything.
b. It shows that Myrtles indiscretions were being watched the entire time, but
overall it represents how all of the sinful actions of the characters have been
seen and wont go unrecognized by God.
9.How do you think Wilson got Gatsbys name? Does any evidence in this chapter
point to a particular person?
a. George got the information about Gatsby from Tom.
b. Wilson told Michaelis that he had a way of finding out whom the yellow car
belonged to.
10.How does Nick characterize Gatsbys state of mind before the incident which
occurs at the end of the chapter? What is this incident that happens?
a. Gatsby seems confused and frightful. Hes looking at the world with the eyes
of a person who realizes its time to find a new dream. This makes even the
simplest parts of the world seem new and scary to him because its a world
thats unknown.
b. Wilson shows up and shoots Gatsby while Gatsbys floating in the pool, then
shoots himself.
The Great Gatsby Chapter 9 Questions
1. Why do Tom and Daisy leave? What does Tom confess to Nick when they meet
that fall? Does he regret what he has done?
a. Tom and Daisy, as usual, run away so that they wont have to accept any
responsibility in the tragedy that has unfolded. They evidently left

Chicago in much the same way, according to Daisys reference of their

hasty departure from Chicago when they were all in the hotel room at the
Plaza. They are simply careless people who dont take responsibility or
seem to care who gets hurt or what theyve done. We can see that
neither of them has changed.
b. Tom confesses that he told Wilson Gatsby owned the car and where
Wilson could find Gatsby.
c. Tom says Gatsby had it coming to him for what he did to Myrtle.
i. The reader isnt given enough information to know whether or not hes
saying this to cover for Daisy or if he really believes that Gatsby was
the driver.
ii. Either way, theres no doubt that the outcome wouldve been the same
either way: he wouldve said Gatsby did it no matter what to save
himself and Daisy.
2. What does the telephone call from Chicago tell us about Gatsbys business?
a. The business is crumbling. People are getting arrested and there are
problems.
b. This means its possible that even if he wouldve livedEVEN if he
wouldve kept Daisythat everything wouldve fallen apart anyway.
3. What does Klipspringer want from Nick? How does Nick react to this?
a. Klipspringer wants his tennis shoes.
b. Nick gets angry and hangs up on him.
i. This shows the reader that NONE of Gatsbys partygoers really cared
about him at all; they were all just using him for what they could get
out of himparties, alcohol, a place to stay, a good timeand none
would be there for him if he needed them.
4. What is the significance of Mr. Gatz arrival? What is the irony of Mr. Gatz
admiration of Gatsbys house?
a. You would think that some of Gatsbys friends would be around when
they learn that he has passed away, yet the only one to come to the
house is his father, the man that Gatsby disowned because he wasnt
good enough for Gatsby. Mr. Gatz admiration of the house shows that he
is probably not that different from Gatsby after all; he is truly impressed
with the show of wealth, just like Gatsby was.

5. Why does Mr. Gatz show Nick Gatsbys schedule from his youth? What does this
show you about the kind of person Gatsby was meant to be? What is the
pathos of Gatsbys youthful resolutions?
a. Gatsbys schedule shows that since his youth, he has been a determined
individual, determined to make something of himself and to be a good
person while he was at it.

b. He left home in search of the American Dream and while he does earn
the material success, he doesnt let him ruin him like so many others do;
he did become a better person, better than those who belong to the
upper class to which he struggled to belong.
6. What is the significance of the owl-eyed mans attendance at the funeral? With
what can we associate him?
a. The owl-eyed man guessed at the depth of the man who was Gatsby; he
respected him and in so doing, he showed up to pay those respects and to
feel compassion and pity that few others realized just how good of a man
Gatsby truly was. We can associate him with the eyes of Dr. T. J.
Eckleburg in his omniscient powers; he knew about the service although
Nick had never called him and he was able to see into Gatsbys very
soul.
7. What is the significance of Jordans comment about the bad driver? How does
Nick characterize Tom and Daisy at the end of the book? What have they
smashed throughout the book?
a. Jordan:
i. This is another reference to the careless lives that people like Jordan
and the Buchanans live. Jordan, Tom, and Daisy are used to life
watching out for them instead of the other way around; unfortunately,
Nick didnt share in that philosophy and this bothered her.
b. Tom and Daisy:
i. He says theyre careless people, like children, who smashed everyone
and everything else up and left the mess for someone else to clean up
while they escaped through their money.
8. Why does the era of Prohibition lend an added significance to the hypocrisy
emphasized in The Great Gatsby?
a. In almost every scene of the book, alcohol plays a significant role. Very
rarely is Tom mentioned that he isnt drinking. (Daisy was drunk on her
wedding day; the dinners at the Buchanans and the parties at Gatsbys all
have drinks; Tom and Myrtle get into a drunken brawl; lunch in NYC is
serviced with alcohol; Tom grabs whiskey before they go to the Plaza
Hotel; etc.) Yet, Tom has the audacity to look down at the man who is
supplying this alcohol; Gatsby, who isnt royalty like Tom, is treated as a
common criminal, although he provides a role that evidently Tom and
others like him cant do without.
9. What is a true gentleman? Who was the true gentleman Tom or Gatsby?
Explain.
a. A true gentleman is someone who is true to himself, who behaves in a
conscientious manner at all times, and who treats others with absolute
respect and dignity. Gatsby most certainly matches this definition. He
forges through life in his pursuit of true love, he doesnt rise to the bait

that Tom throws at him, and he is completely respectful of all who are
around him at any given time.
10.

What does Nick mean when he says the holocaust was complete?
a. Those who were most innocent (Gatsby and Wilson) are now dead.
b. Those who were responsible (Daisy and Tom) will never pay.

11.

What does the green light symbolize at the end of the novel?
a. The overall American dream : the hope that it can be achieved and the
desire/need to keep reaching for that great dream even when all the odds
are against you and it seems hopeless