The Great Gatsby Chapter 2

Find the exact (quote) description of Myrtle when we first meet her. What is your impression of her? Why?

What is the "valley of ashes"?

About Halfway between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile. "A fantastic farm where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke, and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air." (Gatsby, 23)

Fully explain what the "eyes of T.J Eckleburg" are.

Why does George Wilson seem to fit in the Valley of Ashes?

What do Myrtle's purchases tell us about her character? Be specific.

Contrast the difference between Tom's apartment and his home in East Egg. Be specific.

Describe Catherine and the McKees, using some of Fitzgerald's words.

The first of many misconceptions about Gatsby arises in this chapter - what does Catherine tell Nick she knows about Gatsby?

Why did Myrtle marry George Wilson?

Why does Tom break Myrtle's nose? Don't just respond "because she said Daisy's name" - why does Myrtle's saying Daisy's name provoke Tom to violence?