THE GREAT GATSBY CHAPTER 1 - ANSWERS
1.
Nick Carraway √ is the narrator of the story. 1
2.
Nick’s father told him not to criticize √ people, that before he felt√ like doing so,
he should remember that not everyone has had the same opportunities √ in life. 3
3.
This is just after Nick has returned from the war √, and he wanted everyone to be good and decent√, and not live reckless lives. 2
4.
a. he is a descendent√ from Duke of Buccleuch (noble and influential family of
Scotland)
b. his grandfather’s brother settled there in 1951 √
c. his grandfather’s brother then didn’t go to war√
d. started a successful hardware store√ 4
5.
Bond business √, dealing in stocks and bonds√ , he was supported by his family √ 3
6.
A man from the office √ suggested that they rented a place in the country with open lawns √ and space, the little bungalow would only have a rent of √ $80, then the firm transferred him to Washington and Nick had to come and stay on his own √ 4
7.
‘commuting town’ to commute means to travel, so he lived in a neighbouring town and he had to travel (commute) with public or private transport to get to the office. √ 1
8.
West Egg (the side where the old traditional money and people with integrity still lived) √ 1
9.
Gatsby’s mansion:
a. huge like a hotel √
b. on the one side it had a tower √
c. walls were covered with ivy √
d. had a marble covered swimming pool √
e. lawns that covered 40 acres of the grounds √ 5
10.
East Egg (the side where most of the people have new money and they don’t really have high morals) √ 1
11.
Tom was at college √ with Nick
Tom is married √ to Daisy (Nick’s cousin) 2
12.
Tom was dressed in riding clothes √ straw-coloured hair √
30 years old – actually still young √ hard mouth √
arrogant eyes √ aggressively leaning forward √
powerful body- cruel √ glistering laced up boots √
gruffy speaking voice √ arrogant √ 10
13.
Both women are wearing white√ , lounging around on the divan√ 2
14.
Jordan Baker√ 1
15.
Forcefully closed the windows and doors, √ pushed Nick inside, √ impatiently
forcing everyone to have dinner√ 3
16.
The longest day of the year √ 1
17.
Daisy’s little finger was blue √ 1
18.
√ “He reads deep books with long words in them. √What was that word that we…”√ 3
19.
The butler used to polish silver√ for a few wealthy households, now he is allergic √
to the polish and there is something wrong with his nose. 2
20.
Daisy follows Tom into the house, they have words √
Jordan tells Nick about the affair he is having with a lady in New York. √ 2
21.
They didn’t really know each other although they were cousins, √ they spoke about
her daughter √ and that Tom was very unhappy when he found out he had a
daughter and not a son. √ 3
22.
Jordan was playing in the Westchester Golf Tournament √ 1
23.
They mentioned the rumours√ about his engagement √ 2
24.
‘libel’ – it’s a crime of publishing something damaging about someone, mostly false information
‘banns’ – public announcement e.g. in the church pamphlet announcing a wedding 2
25.
Nick parked the car, √ stood listening to the wind, √ saw a silhouette of a cat
moving √ then saw the shadow of a man “Gatsby” √ 4
Total 70
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
1. What is significant about Nick’s family background? 2
2. “I’m inclined to reserve judgement”
2.1 Why is this quote so important for our understanding of the role of Nick as narrator? 3
2.2 Quote an abstract noun to sum up Nick’s attitude towards ‘reserving judgement’. 1
3. Already in the first chapter, Nick stresses that his attitude towards Gatsby changed. In one sentence, sum up two contrasting opinions. 4
4. Quote the word which supports the idea that Nick views Gatsby ultimately as a victim. 1
5. The opening depiction of Daisy and the setting is extremely significant. How is she portrayed and what is the overriding mood? 5
6. “Tom Buchanan compelled me from the room”
6.1 Why is ‘compelled’ such an accurate word to sum up Tom’s personality? 3
6.2 Quote three other separate words that supports this description of him. 3
7. “There was something pathetic ... him any more”
In your own words explain the quote. 3
8. “We don’t know each other ... secret society to which she and Tom belonged”
8.1 What impression do we get of Daisy when she talks about her life? (clue: look at the use of pronouns) 4
8.2 Nick’s reaction to Daisy is even more noteworthy. Why is he left feeling ‘uneasy’? 3
9. In the last paragraph, Nick sees Gatsby for the first time. Discuss the symbolic importance of this opening picture of Gatsby. Include quotes to support your answer. 6
CHAPTER 1 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW
· Nick lives at West Egg, next door to Gatsby’s mansion, and the Buchanans live on the other side of Long Island Sound in the more fashionable East Egg.
· Nick comes from a well-to-do Midwestern family, and has moved to New York to make his fortune in the share business after serving in World War One.
· Nick tells us that people confide in him because he is slow to make judgements about them. This tolerance is a quality of which Nick is proud but he discovers during the course of the novel that even his tolerance has limits.
· Tom Buchanan is an enormously wealthy man. The impression Tom gives Nick is one of enormous arrogance and strength. He has a hard face dominated by arrogant eyes and a superb, powerful body.
· The image presented of Daisy and Jordan, of decorative, graceful women lying on a sofa, their white dresses fluttering, is appropriate to their indolent and wealthy lives.
· Apart from being lovely to look at, Daisy’s low husky voice and sophisticated manner promise glamour and excitement, but Nick wonders about her sincerity.
· Daisy knows about Tom’s affair because she follows Tom to the telephone when his mistress calls during dinner, and is tensely gay when they return.
· When Nick sees Gatsby on his lawn, he seems to be involved in a curious private ritual, stretching out his arms across the water – we realise later that he is reaching out for his lost love – Daisy.
· Although we learn little about Gatsby in this chapter, Nick tells us that he was different from most people because he had ‘an extraordinary gift for hope’: unlike other men he was possessed by a great and all-consuming dream.
Chapter 1 Additional Questions Memorandum
1. Nick’s background indicates that he represents solid American values and lives a moral or traditional life in a conservative fashion. (2)
2. 2.1 Nick as the narrator gives unbiased reactions. The reader’s understanding develops through Nick’s perspective of the events. He collects various responses from the flat characters which gives us a multi-layered view of the main characters. The questions is whether Nick is as neutral as he claims to be. (3)
2.2 ‘hope’ / ‘tolerance’ (1)
3. The two contrasting opinions is noted by Nick’s comment that he looked down on Gatsby’s values using the words: ‘unaffected scorn’, but somehow he admired him for he was a man with a dream. (4)
4. ‘preyed’ (1)
5. Daisy is portrayed as ‘obviously attractive’, but her voice holds the greatest allure. She is also described as ‘silly and superficial’, yet cynical when referring to her child’s birth. The white setting suggests that things should be pure, honest and have sense of innocence. Yet the mood of insincerity is noted. (5)
6. 6.1 The word ‘compelled’ is used because Tom needs to dominate everyone around him. He uses his physical strength and even racial prejudice in an attempt to be superior. He likes to display power. (3)
6.2 ‘dominance’, ‘power’, ‘imperatively’, ‘brute’, ‘hulking’ (any three) (3)
7. “There was something pathetic in his concentration, as if his complacency, more acute than of old, was not enough to him any more.”
Nick compares Tom to what he was a long time ago and suggests by using ‘complacency’ (self-satisfied and unaware of possible dangers) , that he is not particularly clever, and he is trying too hard to combat his dissatisfaction with life. (3)
8. 8.1 Daisy labels herself as pessimistic, yet makes everything light-hearted or trivial. Her absorption with herself (using ‘I’ pronoun) is clearly evident. Her child is merely a vehicle to talk about her life. (4)
8.2 Although she is fascinating to listen to Nick senses the fakeness, as if all she said was manipulative to get attention, plus showing off her self-satisfied social superiority. (3)
9. When Nick sees Gatsby for the first time we only notice that he is reaching towards the ‘green light’, we do not know that it symbolises his dream for Daisy yet. The ‘trembling’ shows his urgency or yearning. Gatsby is only portrayed as a lonely and mysterious figure. This creates an interest in the reader to find out more about Gatsby. (6)