the great gatsby

The Great Gatsby ——Worksheet

Chapter 1
1. How does Nick see himself? Nick sees himself as both highly moral and highly tolerant.

2. What does the Buchanan’s house look like? It's elaborate, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay. There is a lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens. The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing with reflected gold, and wide open to the warm windy afternoon.

3. How does Nick know Daisy and Tom? Daisy is Nick's cousin, and Tom is Daisy's husband, who is also in a social club with Nick, while they are at Yale university.

4. What is your impression of Tom? Tom is a very powerful figure in the novel, hi's arrogant and dishonest, and he dresses in riding clothes.

5. What is your impression of Daisy? Daisy's shallow, for example, she hopes her baby daughter will turn out to be a fool, because she thinks women live best as beautiful fools.

6. After his first visit, how does Nick feel about Daisy and Tom? The marriage of Tom and Daisy Buchanan seems menaced by a quiet desperation beneath its pleasant surface. Unlike Nick, Tom is arrogant and dishonest, advancing racist arguments at dinner and carrying on relatively public love affairs. Daisy, on the other hand, tries hard to be shallow, even going so far as to say she hopes her baby daughter will turn out to be a fool.

7. What have we learned about J.Gatsby? J.Gatsby is a handsome young man, he represents everything he scorns.

Chapter 2
1. What kind of place do you travel through on the way to New York City? The commuter train that runs between West Egg and New York passes through the valley, making several stops along the way.

2. Who are George and Myrtle Wilson? Myrtle Wilson is Tom’s lover, whose lifeless husband George owns a run-down garage in the valley of ashes.

3. What is strange about the parties Gatsby throws?
They have an impromptu party with Myrtle’s sister, Catherine, and a couple named McKee. Catherine tells Nick that she has heard that Jay Gatsby is the nephew or cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm, the ruler of Germany during World War I. The group proceeds to drink excessively. Nick claims that he got drunk for only the second time in his life at this party. The ostentatious behaviour and conversation of the others at the party repulse Nick, and he tries to leave. At the same time, he finds himself fascinated by the lurid spectacle of the group.

4. Why did Myrtle marry her husband?
She married him because she thought he was a gentleman. She thought he knew something about breeding but he wasn't fit to lick her shoe.

5. What does Myrtle think of her marriage?
The only crazy she was when she married him. She knew right away she made a mistake. He borrowed somebody's best suit to get married in and never even told her about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out.

6. What does Tom think of his marriage? What can't he get out of it and marry Myrtle?
Tom sternly warns her never to mention his wife. His social attitudes are laced with racism and sexism, and he never even considers trying to live up to the moral standard he demands from those around him. He has no moral qualms about his own extramarital affair with Myrtle.

7. Is Daisy really a Catholic? No. Daisy was not a Catholic and Nick was a little shocked at the elaborateness of the lie.

8. Does Tom really want to divorce her and marry Myrtle? No.

9. When Daisy’s name is mentioned, what does Tom do?
Tom sternly warns her never to mention his wife. Myrtle angrily says that she will talk about whatever she chooses and begins chanting Daisy’s name. Making a short deft movement Tom broke her nose with his open hand.

10. What does Tom go to New York to meet Myrtle’s friends?
Tom is forced to keep his affair with Myrtle relatively discreet in the valley of the ashes, in New York he can appear with her in public, even among his acquaintances, without causing a scandal.

Chapter 3
1. Describe the kinds of people who attend the parties Gatsby throws.
Guests mill around exchanging rumors about their host, no one seems to know the truth about Gatsby’s wealth or personal history. Gatsby’s party is almost unbelievably luxurious: guests marvel over his Rolls-Royce, his swimming pool, his beach, crates of fresh oranges and lemons, buffet tents in the gardens overflowing with a feast, and a live orchestra playing under the stars. Liquor flows freely, and the crowd grows rowdier and louder as more and more guests get drunk.

2. Describe the mystique that surrounds Gatsby.
Gatsby was a German spy during the war. Nick also hears that Gatsby is a graduate of Oxford and that he once killed a man in cold blood.

3. How do Gatsby and Nick meet? Nick and Jordan, curious about their host, set out to find Gatsby.

4. What does Gatsby invite Nick to do?
As the party progresses, Nick becomes increasingly fascinated with Gatsby. He notices that Gatsby does not drink and that he keeps himself separate from the party, standing alone on the marble steps, watching his guests in silence.

5. Do you think that there really are people calling from Chicago and Philadelphia, or is this a ruse of Gatsby’s to impress his guests? No. He asked Nick to his party, that means the people he inviting is someone he knew clothes to him or work within him.

6. Would you describe Gatsby as a phony? Why or why not? No. The mystery of Jay Gatsby becomes the motivating question of the book, and the unraveling of Gatsby’s character becomes one of its central mechanisms. One early clue to Gatsby’s character in this chapter is his mysterious conversation with Jordan Baker. Though Nick does not know what Gatsby says to her, the fact that Jordan now knows something “remarkable” about Gatsby means that a part of the solution to the enigma of Gatsby is now loose among Nick’s circle of acquaintances.

Chapter 4
1. What do all the people who meet at Gatsby’s parties have in common? They are all wealthy and powerful.

2. Who is Klipspringer? Klipspringer is a man known as "the boarder" , who lives at Gatsby's house.

3. When Gatsby starts telling his life story, how does Nick tell that he is lying? For example, When Nick asks which Midwestern city he is from, Gatsby replies, “San Francisco.” Gatsby then lists a long and preposterously detailed set of accomplishments: he claims to have been educated at Oxford, to have collected jewels in the capitals of Europe, to have hunted big game, and to have been awarded medals in World War I by multiple European countries, but he eventually accepts at least part of it when he sees the photograph and the medal.

4. Where does Nick meet Wolfsheim? Who is he? Nick meets Wolfshiem at lunch. He is a shady character with underground business connections. He gives Nick the impression that the source of Gatsby's wealth might be unsavoury, and that Gatsby may even have ties to the sort of organized crime with which Wolfshiem is associated.

5. What does Woldshiem say about Gatsby? Woldshiem says that he has known Gatsby for several years. He makes the pleasure of Gatsby's acquaintance just after the war. He thinks that Gatsby is a man of fine breeding, a man he would like to take home and introduce to his mother and sister.

6. What is the big secret that Jordan finally asks Nick to do on behalf of Gatsby? The big secret according to Jordan is that, Gatsby has asked her to convince Nick to arrange a reunion between Gatsby and Daisy. Because he is terrified that Daisy will refuse to see him, Gatsby wants Nick to invite Daisy to tea. Without Daisy’s knowledge, Gatsby intends to come to the tea at Nick’s house as well, surprising her and forcing her to see him.

7. Describe Gatsby’s materialistic dream. That green light becomes the symbol of Gatsby’s dream, his love for Daisy, and his attempt to make that love real.

8. What purpose does Daisy serve for Gatsby? How does she relate to his dreams? The purpose that Daisy serve for Gatsby is his love for Daisy, it is the source of his romantic hopefulness and the meaning of his yearning for the green light. In addition to representing Gatsby’s love for Daisy, the green light also represents the American dream itself.

Chapter 5
1. Why is Gatsby so nervous when he meets Daisy? Gatsby worries that even if Daisy accepts his advances, things between them will not be the same as they were in Louisville.

2. When Gatsby comes over for tea, his facade starts to slip. How does this happen? Gatsby's nervousness about the present and about how Daisy’s attitude toward him may have changed causes him to knock over Nick’s clock, symbolizing the clumsiness of his attempt to stop time and retrieve the past.

3. Gatsby wants Daisy to see the house and his clothes. Why? To show his possessions.

4. What did the green light on the dock mean to Gatsby? It means his dreaming about him and Daisy's future happiness.

5. In what way does daisy begin to fail as Gatsby’s dream girl? Gatsby seems to have idealized Daisy in his mind to the extent that the real Daisy, charming as she is, will almost certainly fail to live up to his expectations.

Chapter 6
1. Why is the story of James Gatz told now rather than at the beginning?

2. Describe the real James Gatz. The real James Gatz is a person that has the ability to transform is hopes and dream into reality and reliable partner, since he took care most of Cody’s life. Cody was a heavy drinker, and one of Gatz’s jobs is look after him during Cody’s drunken binges.

3. What does Dan Cody represent and why is he important to Gatsby’s future? Dan Cody represents the attainment of everything that Gatsby wants. He is important to Gatsby’s future because he left Gatsby 25000.

4. What does Daisy think of Gatsby’s party? How does he react? Daisy had a bad time in Gatsby’s party. Gatsby is very unhappy because Daisy had such unpleasant time.

5. Why does Gatsby react so strongly to Nick’s statement about not repeating the past?

Chapter 7
1. Why does Gatsby quit throwing parties and let all his servants go? Gatsby quit throwing parties and let all his servants go because of the conflict between Tom and Gatsby into the open.

2. Why does seeing the Buchanan child upset Gatsby? Seeing the Buchanan child upsets Gatsby, because he was shocked and couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Daisy’s child. Gatsby dreamed once that he marry Daisy and just be together, just the two of them.

3. What is Daisy’s relationship like with Tom? What does Gatsby think about it? Daisy’s relationship Tom and Daisy is like they have a complicated yet seemingly simple marriage. They are wealthy and really have everything they could possibly want. They don't really love each other. Gatsby honestly thinks that Daisy married Tom only for money.

4. Why is it important to Gatsby that Daisy say she never loved Tom? It is important to Gatsby that Daisy says she never loved Tom, because it gives Gatsby a chance to marry Daisy.

5. What relationship do Daisy and Tom really have? Tom and Daisy’s real relationship is that they have a complicated yet seemingly simple marriage. They are wealthy and really have everything they could possibly want. They don't really love each other.

6. What happens to Myrtle? During chapter 7 Daisy is driving and hits Myrtle and kills her. Daisy killing myrtle is that Daisy’s husbands’ mistresses are myrtle and she doesn’t realize that she killed her husband’s lover. Daisy doesn’t even stop when she kills Myrtle.

7. What would Gatsby want to take the blame for the accident? Gatsby wants to take the blame for the accident because Daicy is Gatsb’s only love in his life. Gatsby only cares about Daisy and he was willing to take the blame for Myrtle's death.

Chapter 8
1. Does Gatsby tell Nick the truth about his past? No. That Jordan told Nick the truth about Gatsby's past.

2. Why did Myrtle run? Myrtle ran away because George’s avenge Myrtle’s death, becomes a gross parallel to Nick’s desire to find a moral center in his life.

3. Wilson thinks Gatsby is a killer. Why? George’s assertion that the eyes represent a moral standard, the upholding of which means that he must avenge Myrtle’s death, becomes a gross parallel to Nick’s desire to find a moral center in his life. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg can mean anything a character or reader wants them to, but they look down on a world devoid of meaning, value, and beauty—a world in which dreams are exposed as illusions, and cruel, unfeeling men such as Tom receive the love of women longed for by dreamers such as Gatsby and Wilson.

4. What does Wilson do about his relief? Wilson shoots Gatsby, killing him instantly, then shoots himself.

5. What is ironic about the death of Gatsby? Although the reader is able to perceive this degradation, Gatsby is not. For him, losing Daisy is like losing his entire world. He has longed to re-create his past with her and is now forced to talk to Nick about it in a desperate attempt to keep it alive. Even after the confrontation with Tom, Gatsby is unable to accept that his dream is dead. Though Nick implicitly understands that Daisy is not going to leave Tom for Gatsby under any circumstance, Gatsby continues to insist that she will call him.

Chapter 9
1. When Wolfsheim doesn’t attend the funeral, why is this sad? Before the events of the novel take place, Wolfsheim helped Gatsby to make his fortune bootlegging illegal liquor. His continued acquaintance with Gatsby suggests that Gatsby is still involved in illegal business.

2. What do we learn about Gatsby’s dream of his future? His dream ends in failure for several reasons: his methods are criminal, he can never gain acceptance into the American aristocracy, and his new identity is largely an act. It is not at all clear what Gatsby’s failure says about the dreams and aspirations of Americans generally, but Fitzgerald’s novel certainly questions the idea of an America in which all things are possible if one simply tries hard enough.The problem of American dreams is closely related to the problem of how to deal with the past. America was founded through a dramatic declaration of independence from its own past—its European roots—and it promises its citizens the potential for unlimited advancement, regardless of where they come from or how poor their backgrounds are.

3. What comment is made about people like Daisy and Tom? All of Gatsby’s former friends and acquaintances have either disappeared—Tom and Daisy.

4. What comment does the book make about the American Dream? Gatsby is whose wealth and success so closely echo the American dream—failed to realize that the dream had already ended, that his goals had become hollow and empty.

Questions to answer after reading the whole novel.
1. From what point of view is the story told? Nick is the narrator. The author used his first point of view.

2. Who or what is the protagonist? Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan.

3. Who or what is the antagonist? Nick Garraway, George Wilson, Myrtle Wilson, and Jordon Baker.

4. Describe the author’s tone in the story. From Nick’s point of view, he feels sympathy about Gatsby.

5. What type of conflict is present in this story? Human vs. Human Human vs. Society

6. What does the author tell you about the place where the story happens? It happens in Long Island and New York City

7. Briefly describe the rising action.
Gatsby hold parties and once he meets Nick, he knows that Nick is Daisy’s cousin. Later, he tells Jordan to ask Nick to arrange a secret meeting for him and Daisy at Nick’s.

8. Briefly describe the climax.
Gatsby’s reunion with Daisy in Chapters 5–6; Daisy finally comes to Nick’s house. Daisy sees Gatsby, but they are speechless. After a while they sees to talk to each other.

9. Briefly describe the falling action or denouement. Daisy’s rejection of Gatsby, Myrtle’s death, and George Wilson murders Gatsby

10. Briefly describe any foreshadowing in the novel.
The phone calls Gatsby receives from Chicago and Philadelphia foreshadows the illegal business that is mentioned later in the novel.