The Great Gatsby - Ch.1-5 Questions

Ch 1-5 Questions Ch 1: 1. How does Nick describe himself at the beginning of the book? In the beginning of the book Nick describes himself as highly moral and highly tolerant. Nick is also known to be very judgemental towards others. He learned to judge others from his father. 2. Why has Nick come to the East? Nick comes to the East because he is having dinner with his cousin Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan. 3. How does Nick describe Tom Buchanan? Nick describes Tom Buchanan as an arrogant person. Nick also doesn't understand why Tom would want to spend more money on his mistress rather than his actual wife. 4. Who is Jordan Baker? What does Nick find appealing about her? Jordan Baker is known to be a friend of Daisy. Jordan is also known to be a professional golf player. Jordan isn’t like everyone else. Nick finds her very interesting and he doesn’t know that much about her. 5. How does Daisy react to the phone calls from Tom’s woman in New York? Daisy doesn’t have any reaction to it. Daisy ignores the phone calls every time Tom gets calls from his mistress. When the phone rings you can tell that she gets very upset. 6. What is Gatsby doing when Nick first sees him? Gatsby is looking/reaching out to the ocean and trying to see the green light shining in the reflection. 7. Notice how many times Fitzgerald uses the words hope or dream. Why does he do this? Fitzgerald uses the words hope or dream because it probably had a mean focus in the book. We see some of the characters' dreams and hopes that they carry on in their life. 8. Nick starts the novel by relaying his father's advice "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." Does he reserve judgment in the novel? Nick doesn’t speak out his thoughts and judgements but just thinks about it in his mind. 9. Pay attention to time. What is the day and year during the first scene at Daisy's house? The first scene it’s June 10, 1922. 10. . Describe Nick. What facts do you know about him, and what do you infer about him? What kind of a narrator do you think he will be? I know that Nick can be very judgmental towards others. Nick also keeps his high morals and claims to be very truthful. I think Nick will be a narrator who will be very judgy. He will probably judge the characters in the story. 11. . What image does the author use to describe Jordan Baker? What does it mean? The author says that Jordan Baker is very interesting and beautiful. The author mostly means that Jordan is very interesting, he finds her very curious and to be very beautiful. 12. How does Nick react to Jordan? Nick kept looking at her. Despite her unflattering qualities he still finds himself wanting to learn more about her. 13. What does Tom's behavior reveal about his character? Tom’s behavior shows how much of a terrible man he is. We see he isn’t loving towards his wife and very abusive. Tom enjoys power and is known to be a very wealthy person. Ch. 2 1. 1. How does Nick meet Tom’s mistress? Nick was able to meet her at the train stop. 2. . How does Myrtle react to Tom’s arrival? Myrtle tries her best to pretend he isn’t there and keep walking with her husband. 3. Describe George Wilson. How does he react to Tom’s arrival? George Wilson is very glad that Tom came by. He is happy because Tom will need to pay so the car is able to be fixed. 4. How does Myrtle behave as the party progresses? Myrtle is drinking a lot, while she then later makes Tom mad by calling out His wife's name. 5. Why, according to Catherine, has Tom not left Daisy to marry Myrtle? Catherine suspects that he hasn’t left her because of religion. Daisy is Catholic so she can’t get a divorce or remarry. 6. Why did Tom break Myrtle’s nose? How is this consistent with the author’s description of him in Chapter I? Judging by his treatment of Myrtle and his wife Daisy, what seems to be Tom’s attitude toward women? Tom broke Myrtle’s nose because she said his wife’s name. He was also a little drunk, which must have also affected the outcome. When Tom gets upset he punches all the frustration he carries and takes it out on her. This goes a long the narrator’s judgment about Tom. Tom is a very aggressive person and thinks women are less than men. Tom doesn’t care about women’s feelings, he uses them and sees them as objects. 7. 7. Describe the "valley of ashes." What does it look like and what does it represent? The valley of ashes is covered in dirt and dust. It represents the poor and wealthy. It also provides an unhealthy environment. I\ 8. Describe Mr. Wilson and Myrtle. Do they seem to fit into the setting? Mr Wilson is very hardworking and is known to do any job no matter what in order to get money. He doesn't have an image that fits in with the poor. He is very focused on work and nothing else. Myrtle is a woman in her thirties, she mostly spends money and goes to a lot of parties. Mr Wilson would fit the setting however Myrtle wouldn’t. 9. What more have you learned about Nick in this chapter? Is he similar or different from the people he spends his time with? I learned that Nick is very different if he is around people. We see that Nick follows what people ask of him. Nick has a lot of different moral values. Ch 3 1. Why does Gatsby throw huge, expensive parties for people he doesn't even know? Gatsby throws huge parties for people he doesn’t know because he wants to fit in and make an image for himself with the “rich people.” 2. Describe the two ways in which Nick differs from the other guests at the party? Compared to Nick and the other quest Nick isn’t “rich or well known” like the people in Gatsby’s party. Another difference is that they are all very social and used to going to parties all the time. Going to parties a lot isn’t really Nick. Nick isn’t that social because he mostly judges them. Nick was also one of the few people who were actually personally invited by Gatsby. 3. What does the owl-eyed man find extraordinary about the books in Gatsby’s library? The owl-eyed man finds the book extraordinary because they are real books, in which they haven’t been read. 4. Why does the owl-eyed man describe Gatsby as a real Belasco? The owl-eyed man describes Gatsby as a real Belasco because Belasco is known as a famous theatrical producer. He wanted natural actors for his works. He says this to him because Gatsby’s books are so real and natural. 5. What is the significance of the owl eyed man? The significance of the owl eyed man is that he is a sign that he is all knowing. The owl eyed man is the one to actually see Gatsby as a real person. Just like how Nick sees something in him. 6. What does the reaction of the drivers of the wrecked automobile suggest about the values of Gatsby’s guests? The drivers of the wrecked automobiles say that they are like moths constantly around Gatsby’s light, which is the party that he holds. The guests in his party are also known to be fake, with no morals. 7. What does Nick learn about Jordan after he’s spent some time with her? Nick learns that Jordan is a very dishonest person. He even knows that she cheated in her first golf tournament. He knows she cheats her way in things. 8. What is the significance of Jordan’s lies? The significance of Jordan’s lies is that she wants to always be one step ahead of everyone else. Jordan likes the advantages she can get. 9. Pay attention to Nick's judgments. What do they reveal about his character that he does this (especially in relation to his opening comments)? Nick's character is very fair minded and tolerant. Nick sees himself to be non-judgmental. However he always judges people in his mind like his dad did. We can see that in a sense Nick is dishonest and he is also the most honest person. He doesn’t sugar code anything. 10. Describe Gatsby the first time Nick sees him. The first time Nick sees Gatsby, he sees that Gatsby calls everyone “old sport.” Nick also notices that Gatsby doesn’t drink or socialize with everyone at his party. He is just spread apart from everyone else. 11. What rumors have been told about Gatsby? Why does Fitzgerald reveal rumors rather than fact? Some of the rumors that had been told about Gatsby is that he served as a german spy. Another rumor was that he served in the American Army. It was also rumored that he murdered someone in the past. Fitzgerald reveal rumors rather than facts because he wants the reader to be curious about Gatsby's real past. He probably wanted to keep Gatsby past a secret. 12. What does Nick think of Gatsby after meeting him? After the meeting Nick is so fascinated and curious even more about Gatsby. 13. How is Gatsby different from his guests? Gatsby is different because he doesn’t dance, drink or have a good time at parties. Gatsby just keeps to himself and stands far away from everyone. 14. Why does Nick choose to share his thoughts and feelings with Jordan? Nick decides to share his thoughts with Jordan because he is a lonely person. He doesn’t really have that many friends and he also is attracted to Jordan. 15. Nick thinks he's one of the few honest people he knows, why? Do you think he is honest? Nick thinks that because he personally thinks that he tells the truth and says his personal opinions and judgments. I don’t think he is honest because he doesn’t say anything when Tom broke Myrtle’s nose. Ch. 4 1. What does Gatsby tell Nick about himself? Gatsby tells Nick that his parents are wealthy and deceased from the Midwest. Gatsby also said that he was educated at Oxford. Gatsby also says he has collated jewels in the capital of Europe and been awarded medals in WW1. 2. What accomplishment of Meyer Wolfshein’s does Gatsby describe to Nick? How does Nick react? Meyer Wolfshein was a gambler and he says he was responsible for the 1919 World Series. Nick has his suppison that Gatsby has ties with Wolfshein in organized crime. 3. According to Jordan, what did Daisy do on her wedding day? Why? What does this reveal about Daisy? On her wedding day Daisy was drinking a lot and cried over a letter she received from Gatsby. This reveals that Daisy still loves Gatsby but doesn’t have the guts to end the wedding. 4. Why does Gatsby want to have tea with Daisy in Nick’s house? Why doesn’t Gatsby ask Nick for this favor himself? Why did Gatsby want Daisy to see his house? Gatsby wants to see Daisy again. He asked Nick to invite her to tea because he was afraid that she would have said no if he invited her. Gatsby wants Daisy to see his house because he wanted to impress her with all the things and wealth he has. 5. What does Tom do when he and Daisy return from their honeymoon? When they return from their honeymoon, Tom cheats on her with another woman. Tom also got into a car accident. 6. What does Gatsby’s friendship with Meyer Wolfshein imply about his own background? It implies that in his past he was involved with illegal actions. 7. List all of the rumors told about Gatsby. 8. Why does Fitzgerald list all of Gatsby's party guests? He lists all of his guests because Gatsby doesn’t know most of the people at his party. They are all just a bunch of strangers. 9. Why does Gatsby tell Nick about his life? Do you believe Gatsby? Does Nick? Gatsby tells Nick because he wanted Nick to trust him. He also didn’t want Nick to hear all the wrong and negative things about him. 10. What role does Meyer Wolfsheim play in the novel? Why is there so much focus on his nose and what does this tell you about Fitzgerald's politics? Meyer Wolfsheim's role in the novel is to show Gatsby's wealth is very different from everyone else's. His nose can tell us that he is Jewish. This means that Fitzgerald is puting anti-Semitism in the book. 11. Nick says, "There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired." What does Nick mean? How does each character in the novel fit into this schema? Nick means that there are many people in the world who are willing to do things and others are not and are just too lazy to change anything. Ch 5 1. What does Gatsby offer Nick in return for Nick’s cooperation in inviting Daisy to his house? Gatsby offers to have someone cut his grass. He also said he can pay him or get him a job. 2. What is the meeting between Gatsby and Daisy like initially? The meeting between the two in the beginning was very awkward. They are both nervous. 3. How are Daisy and Gatsby different when Nick returns to the house after half an hour? When Nick returns Gatsby and Daisy are more comfortable to talk to each other. They are alo both happy to speak to one another. 4. What are Gatsby’s feelings by the end of the chapter? Gatsby is very happy, in his facial and actions you can tell he is, and he is still in love with Daisy. Gatsby continues to have hope for their future. He is so devoted to her. 5. What does Gatsby reply when Nick asks him how he makes his money? Why does Nick find that significant? Gatsby tells Nick that he works in a drug business. He says that he is able to sell a lot of illegal alcohol and a lot of different drugs. Hearing this, Nick is very surprised. 6. Why do you think Daisy sobs when Gatsby shows her his shirts? Dasy problem thinking about how things would have gone differently if she chose him instead of Tom. She realized that she should have waited for him, because he has money now so she knows for sure her parents would have let her marry him. S 7. What is the weather like in this chapter? How does it reflect the emotional climate of Gatsby and Daisy? The weather in this ch is very rainy at first. The rain can mean two things, it can mean bad. Their relationship will see many hardships and issues to face, It could also mean a fresh start, the rain washing the old so the new can grow again. Meaning starting a fresh relationship together. 8. In this chapter, Gatsby’s dream seems to be fulfilled. What indications are there that reality cannot satisfy his dream? The indication is that Gataby isn’t happy or satisfied with his dream. Gatsny pictured/ formed a daisy in his head that he was aiming for but when he saw her she wasn’t what he pictured. He devoted everything to her and made a new life just for her. Gatsby probably doesn't know what to do next after getting Dasy. 9. Why does Gatsby deliver so many goods and services to Nick's house? Gatsby wants to impress Daisy, so she can see when she comes over. 10. Describe the effect of rain on the plot. The rain foreshadows the tension between Gastby and Daisy. The could've also been a symbol of Daisy’s tears. 11. Why does Gatsby offer Nick work? How does Nick feel about this? Gatsby offers Nick work to thank him for helping him with Daisy. Nick feels offended and denies his offer. Nick mostl defiendt felt like he only gave him an offer because of thanking him for helping him and because he loves his cousin. 12. Explain the significance of the green light. The green light was a symbol of hope for Gatsby and his dream into being with Daisy. Now the light has no purpose and the light now symbolizes the destruction and brokenness in Gatsby’s dream. 13. Why does Gatsby get so many phone calls? What does this say about him Gatsby gets a lot of calls because it’s from many of the businesses he is in. The call because they need his help in a lot of things. This says that Gatsby is very devoted and focused on his work no matter where he is. .