The Great Gatsby Chapter 1

Who gave Nick advice? What was it?

His father: “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.”

What happened to Nicks dog?

It ran away

How is the relationship between Daisy and her 3 year old expressed

they are not close, she refers to the kid as the baby

How did Tom make his money?

Oil

What does Tom not like being called

hulking

What did this cause Nick to do?

Reserve all judgments which has made him curious

What’s the butler’s secret

he used to polish silver and therefore his nose is silver

What kind of relationship did Nick have with his father?

They were always unusually communicative in a reserved way, but Nick understood that their relationship was always important

What was Nick accused of being in college, and why?

A politician; because he was privy to the secrets (which was often unwanted) of many men which foreshadows his relationship with Gatsby.

Reserving judgments is…

a matter of infinite hope

Nick is a little afraid of forgetting that

“a sense of fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth” which means people are given advantages at birth

How does Nick describe Gatsby in the beginning?

He has an unaffected scorn for him but reveals that he is gorgeous and has a heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, he will never find another like Gatsby

What did Nick lose interest in because of Gatsby

abortive sorrows (sorrows that fail to produce results, fail to produce change) and winded elations of men (short-winded happiness, happiness of no real strength)

How does Nick describe his family?

prominent, well-to-do, lived middle-western city for 3 gen, grandfather’s brother (Nick looks like him), came in 1851 and started a wholesale hardware business that his Nick’s father carries on

When and where did Nick graduate?

1915 from Yale in New Haven

Why did Nick decide to go East?

To learn the bond business because everyone he knew was in it

Nick’s house is…

a weather beaten, cardboard, “small eyesore” bungalow, $80/month. He HAD a dog, an old Dodge, and a Finnish maid.

What is Nick asked?

“How do you get to West Egg village?” which made him realize he was no longer lonely, he was a guide and a pathfinder

What does Nick hope to gain from buying and reading financial books?

To find out secrets which only Midas, Morgan and Maecenas knew (rich/famous)

What is the “strange” community is Nick in?

The West Egg,

What house is on the right of Nick?

Gatsby’s: a tower on one side, marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden

How does Gatsby know Tom and Daisy?

Daisy is his second cousin once removed, he knew Tom in college

How is Tom described?

a great football player, he peaked at 21 so now his life is boring, very very wealthy, voice is gruff and husky, tenor, paternal contempt, a supercilious manner

How is Daisy and Tom’s house described?

elaborate, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay, lawn started at the beach

What does Tom do when he sees the women?

interrupts their fun by shutting the rear windows, the caught wind died out

What was Daisy’s reaction to seeing Nick?

she laughed an “absurd, charming little laugh” she was paralyzed with happiness

What is compelling about Daisy?

she looked at people with a look that promised that there was no one in the world she so much wanted to see

How does Daisy speak? Why?

she murmurs so that people would lean towards her, low, thrilling, a song and the notes will never be played again, exciting, compulsive, exciting things were coming

How does Daisy look?

sad and lovely face with bright things in it, bright eyes, and a bright passionate mouth

How does Jordan Baker look?

slender, grey sun-strained eyes, curious eyes, charming and discontented face, Nick saw her before

What does the quote, “Tom Buchanan compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another square” mean? (14).

it illustrates the power dynamic between Nick and Tom, Nicks thoughts

What does, “I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it” mean? (14)

she is always waiting for something which makes her miss it. Daisy said to Jordan, Nick, and Tom

What is the significance of Daisy’s bruised knuckle? (15)

symbol of her marriage, the conversation is full of tension and immaturity, not built on concrete foundations and will easily fall apart, it is an illusion, she is fragile and deserves more

What does Jordan and Daisy’s “bantering inconsequence” mean? (15)

Daisy and Jordan’s informal, humorous talk is insignificant and lacks depth

What is the significance of their “cool white dresses?” (15)

detached, unemotional demeanor, which reflects their dresses and impersonal eyes

How does Nick’s experience contrast with his current experiences?

the casual, indifferent atmosphere contrasts sharply with Nick’s experience in the west, where evenings were more formal and filled with nervous anticipation

What book was Tom reading?

The Rise of the Coloured Empires by this man Goddard

How does Tom justify his racism

the Nordics needs to control things because they have “produced all the things that make civilization”

How does Daisy respond to Tom’s racism

she expresses an unthoughtful sadness

How does Nick feel about Tom’s racism?

he was pathetic, his complacency was not enough to him anymore

What does the butler look like?

His nose is silver because he was polishing silver 24/7

What’s the significance of the phrase, “For a moment the last sunshine fell with romantic affection upon her glowing face; her voice compelled me forward breathlessly as I listened” “then the glow faded, each light deserting her with lingering regret..” (17)

last sunshine- her happiness, romantic affection- love for Gatsby, her glowing face- in love and happiness, her voice compelled- shows how compelling she is, the glow faded- her happiness leaving, lingering regret- regret for leaving Gatsby

What does Nick remind Daisy of?

a rose, he says he is not faintly like a rose

What does Jordan do when Daisy goes inside with Tom?

she leaned forward, unashamed, she reveals that Tom is having an affair with a woman in NY.

What is the significance of the Cunard or White Star Line?

a symbol of the world of wealth and grandeur that Daisy and Tom live in

What is the significance of the nightingale?

it is known for it’s beautiful songs, associated with love and romance, it will sing to its mate throughout the night, a symbol of freedom

What effect is achieved when the allusion of a nightingale and the cruise ships are combined?

an image of a lone cruise ship sailing into the starry night, it is silent except for the nightingale, a romanticized dream. this is paradoxical from when Tom left the room for his phone call and is the opposite of the nightingale’s devotion and love.

What is the overall meaning of the cruise ship and nightingale?

It shows how Daisy is a fragile woman who deludes herself with hysterical oblivion in order to keep herself comfortable

What is the symbolism of the nightingale in relation to Daisy?

it shows how she is miserable and unsatisfied with the world she lives in, and unlike the bird, she cannot just fly away towards the genuine happiness she wishes for

What does Nick do to calm Daisy down?

she was possessed by turbulent emotions, he asked her sedative questions about her daughter

Why didn’t Nick go to Daisy’s wedding?

he was not back from the war

How has Daisy been feeling lately?

cynical, she has had a very bad time, Nick thinks she had reason to be

How does Daisy describe her birth?

after she was born, Tom left and she felt abandoned—everything is terrible now

Why was Jordan Baker’s face familiar?

she plays in tournaments for golf, he had seen many rotogravure pictures of her life, he had heard a bad story about her but forgot it

What is the significance of Daisy joking about arranging a marriage?

she believes relationships can be sparked by chance encounters rather than meaningful connections, she has a casual and playful feeling towards relationships

Where is Jordan from?

Louisville, her family is one aunt about a thousand years old

What did Tom and Daisy hear about Nick?

he was engaged, this rumor was one of the reasons he moved west but their interest had touched him

What does Nick think about the affair?

it is less surprising than the fact Tom was depressed by a book, he thinks that Tom’s egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart

What was Gatsby doing when Nick got home?

hands in pockets, he wanted to be alone, staring at the stars, then he disappeared

How does the chapter end off?

Nick is alone again in the unquiet darkness