The Great Gatsby Study Guide

The Great Gatsby Study Guide

Directions: To give you a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the novel, answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

Chapter 1

1.  From what point of view is the story being told? In what tense?

2.  Chapter 1 begins with a quote: “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all people in the world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” What does this quote mean? What conclusions/predictions can you make about the narrator from this quote?

3.  List 5-7 important details that we learn about the narrator from this chapter.

4.  How does Nick compare East and West Egg? Who is Nick’s neighbor? How does Nick describe his neighbor’s house?

5.  Describe Tom in 3-5 sentences.

6.  Describe Daisy in 3-5 sentences.

7.  About what has Tom been reading? What does this book’s philosophy indicate about Tom’s views? What does this say about American society at the time?

8.  What do we learn about Tom from the phone call? How does Daisy deal with the interruption?

9.  What does Daisy mean when she says, “And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool”?

10.  What rumor had Daisy heard about Nick?

11.  Describe Tom and Daisy’s relationship.

12.  What strange sight does Nick see at the end of Chapter 1?

13.  What are the advantages/disadvantages of having Nick narrate the story of The Great Gatsby, rather than having Gatsby tell the story himself?

Chapter 2

1.  Describe the valley of ashes. What might the ashes symbolize?

2.  Describe the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. What might they represent (or symbolize)?

3.  Describe Tom’s “girl” in 3-4 sentences.

4.  What business transaction is going on between Tom and Mr. Wilson?

5.  Compare/contrast the personalities and physical characterizes of Myrtle and Daisy. Be sure to list 3-5 similarities and/or differences.

6.  Why do you think Tom is attracted to Myrtle?

7.  What is the lie Tom told Catherine? Why do you think he lied?

8.  Describe Mr. and Mrs. Wilson’s relationship. How did Myrtle know she made a “mistake” when she married Wilson?

9.  Explain how Tom and Myrtle met.

10.  What does Tom do to Myrtle when he repeats Daisy’s name? What do you think of Tom’s reaction? Why do you think he did it? Was it appropriate? What hints from the first chapter indicated that Tom was capable of this behavior?

11.  Why is the ending of Chapter 2 so disjointed? What had Nick been doing all evening that might have caused this strange behavior?

12.  Make a comparison of the homes of Nick, Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, and George and Myrtle Wilson. How does each home reflect the personality of its owners.

Chapter 3

1.  In 3-4 sentences, describe the scene at Gatsby’s house on the weekends.

2.  What arrives at Gatsby’s house every Friday? What leaves on Monday? What does this tell you about how long Gatsby’s party last?

3.  How does Nick receive his invitation to Gatsby’s party? Why was his invitation unusual?

4.  What is Nick’s immediate impression of the party guests?

5.  What happened to the girl who tore her dress the last time she was at Gatsby’s?

6.  What rumors have been circulating about Gatsby?

7.  What illegal activity takes place at Gatsby’s party? Why is it illegal?

8.  What discovery has the Owl-Eyed man made in Gatsby’s library? What does his discovery say about this sector of American society in the 1920s?

9.  What is ironic about Jordan’s statement comparing large and small parties?

10.  On what does Owl-Eyes blame the accident after Gatsby’s party? What is ironic about his claim?

11.  What “haunting” feeling does Nick sometimes have? What does his description of his feelings and the indication that others feel this way say about American society or life in the city at the time?

12.  How does Nick feel about Jordan? What does he finally conclude about her? What does he finally conclude about himself?

13.  Explain how the description of the parties/gatherings contributes to the creation of the characters who attend them.

Chapter 4

1.  What do the girls at the party think Gatsby did to get rich?

2.  Why do you think Fitzgerald gives a long list of those guests who attended Gatsby’s parties that summer? What “subtle tribute” did these people give Gatsby?

3.  Who is the “boarder”? How did he get the name?

4.  Describe Gatsby’s car in 3-4 sentences.

5.  What new information does Gatsby give Nick about himself? List at least 5 important pieces of information.

6.  What is Nick’s reaction to Gatsby’s story? What makes Nick suspect that Gatsby is lying about his past?

7.  What two things does Gatsby always carry? What do you think of him carrying these things with him at all times? Why do you think he does this?

8.  How does Gatsby get out of a speeding ticket?

9.  Describe Mr. Wolfshiem. What kind of man is he? Why do you think he is associated with Gatsby?

10.  What did Tom give Daisy the day before their wedding? What happened that evening? Why did Daisy have a breakdown?

11.  What happened with Tom in Ventura? Who was he with? What is notable about this incident?

12.  Why, according to Jordan, is it not a coincidence that Gatsby lives where he does, at West Egg?

13.  What did Gatsby want Jordan to ask Nick? What does Gatsby want Daisy to see?

14.  Explain your interpretation of the quote, “There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.” In terms of the novel, who are the ones being pursued, the ones doing the pursuing, the ones who are busy, and the ones who are tired? Justify your choices in a few sentences.

Chapter 5

1.  Explain what Gatsby does to prepare for his meeting with Daisy. Why do you think he does all this?

2.  What happens to the clock on the mantle? What do you think this awkward moment symbolizes?

3.  How long has it been since Daisy and Gatsby have seen each other?

4.  How does Gatsby behave upon seeing Daisy again? What is your impression of his behavior? Why is this ironic, considering the title of the novel?

5.  What inconsistency does Nick catch about where Gatsby’s money came from? From where does Gatsby tell Nick he got his money?

6.  Why does Gatsby show Daisy all of his shirts? Is Daisy truly crying because she’s “never seen such beautiful shirts before”? Or is she crying about something else? What could that be? Explain her reaction.

7.  To what is the author referring in the statement, “Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of the light had now vanished forever . . . His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one”? What does the green light symbolize? Explain its significance to the novel.

8.  Who is Klipspringer and what does Gatsby have him do? Why?

9.  What could the weather in this chapter symbolize? How does the weather change? What could that change symbolize?

10.  Gatsby finally winning Daisy is as much a triumph as it is a tragedy. What, now, does he have to look forward to? Write down three quotes from chapter 5 that illustrate this statement.

Chapter 6

1.  Who is James Gatz?

2.  Why did he change his name? How old was he at the time?

3.  How was Dan Cody involved in shaping Gatsby into the man he is now?

4.  Why did Gatsby not get the money that Cody left for him?

5.  For what reason do you think Fitzgerald interrupted Gatsby’s story for the visit from the horseback riders? Why doesn’t Gatsby understand that he isn’t really welcome?

6.  Why does Tom attend Gatsby’s party? What is ironic about this?

7.  How does Tom’s presence affect the atmosphere of the party?

8.  What does Gatsby want Daisy to do? What is Nick’s response? Do you agree or disagree with this statement, “You can’t repeat the past”?

9.  How do the flashbacks to Gatsby’s young life contribute to the development of his present character?

Chapter 7

1.  Why did Gatsby fire all of his servants?

2.  What does Daisy do while Tom is on the phone in the other room? What does she tell Jordan to do? Why do you think she does this?

3.  What kind of relationship does Daisy have with her daughter? Why is Gatsby surprised by the child’s “existence”?

4.  What does Gatsby say that Daisy’s voice is “full of”? “Why”?

5.  Why does Wilson suddenly need money from Tom?

6.  How does the weather contribute to the mood of this chapter? What could the weather symbolize?

7.  What does Daisy tell Gatsby that catches him off guard? What was he expecting to hear?

8.  As they are leaving the hotel, what milestone does Nick remember that he had forgotten in all the excitement? What is the significance of this?

9.  Who does Tom believe killed Myrtle? What really happened?

10.  Who is “watching” over the incidents in the valley of ashes? Of whom is this symbolic?

11.  As Gatsby and Nick arrive at the Buchanan’s house, the scene is nearly identical to a much earlier scene in the novel. Daisy and Jordan are sitting on the couch in their white dresses and Tom is on the hall telephone taking with “his girl.” What does the repetition of this scene suggest?

Chapter 8

1.  Why does Nick suggest that Gatsby go away even though he knows that it was Daisy who killed Myrtle?

2.  Why does Gatsby refuse? What is he holding onto? What do you think of his behavior?

3.  How did Daisy and Gatsby meet? How did Gatsby deceive Daisy from the beginning?

4.  How did Daisy go on living her life while Gatsby fought in the war? What did Daisy do while Gatsby was at Oxford?

5.  Where did Gatsby go with the last of his army pay? Why?

6.  Why does Nick insist Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch put together”? What does he mean by this? Why is he still glad he said it?

7.  What does Wilson firmly believe happened to Myrtle? What clue(s) lead him to believe this?

8.  What does Wilson imagine about the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg?

9.  Define the word “holocaust.” What does Nick mean when he says, “the holocaust was complete”?

10.  What do you think is Fitzgerald’s purpose in relating the story of Gatsby’s return to Louisville while Daisy and Tom are still on their wedding trip?

Chapter 9

1.  Why is Nick in charge of arranging Gatsby’s funeral? Why is this surprising?

2.  How does Henry Gatz hear about the funeral?

3.  Why does Klipspringer call Gatsby’s house?

4.  Why does Mr. Gatz show Nick Gatsby’s schedule from his youth? What does this show you about the kind of person Gatsby was meant to be? Why do you think this was an important/unimportant part of the novel?

5.  Why do you think Fitzgerald included that the owl-eyed man came to Gatsby’s funeral? Why do you think the owl-eyed man might have come?

6.  What happens to Nick and Jordan’s relationship?

7.  What had Tom told George about the car the afternoon of the shooting? Why did Tom feel justified?

8.  Do you agree with Nick’s statement, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made . . .”? Justify your response.

9.  In his final comment, Nick says, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . And one fine morning – So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”? What does this quote mean? Why is this quote significant to the theme of the American Dream in the novel?