The Great Gatsby Chapters 1-3

Who narrates The Great Gatsby?

Nick Carraway

Where does Nick move at the beginning of the novel?

West Egg, Long Island

Why does Nick move East?

To work in the bond business

What does Nick's opening discussion of judgment establish?

His role as a supposedly tolerant, observant narrator

What is significant about Nick's claim that he reserves judgment?

It raises questions about his reliability because he still judges others

Who is Daisy Buchanan?

Nick's cousin and Tom Buchanan's wife

Who is Tom Buchanan?

Daisy's wealthy, aggressive, and unfaithful husband

Who is Jordan Baker?

A professional golfer and Daisy's friend

Who is Jay Gatsby in Chapters 1-3?

Nick's mysterious, extremely wealthy neighbor

East Egg primarily represents what?

Old money, inherited wealth, and established social status

West Egg primarily represents what?

New money, recently acquired wealth, and social ambition

What does the contrast between East Egg and West Egg establish?

A class division between inherited and newly acquired wealth

How is Tom characterized in Chapter 1?

Powerful, arrogant, controlling, aggressive, and entitled

How is Daisy initially characterized?

Charming and attractive but also restless and dissatisfied

What does Daisy's comment about wanting her daughter to be a "beautiful little fool" reveal?

Her cynicism about women's roles and expectations

What does Gatsby do at the end of Chapter 1?

He reaches toward a distant green light

What does the green light represent in the opening chapters?

Gatsby's longing for an apparently distant goal

Where is the green light located?

At the end of Daisy's dock

What is the Valley of Ashes?

A bleak industrial wasteland between Long Island and New York City

What does the Valley of Ashes symbolize?

Decay and inequality beneath the era's wealth and glamour

What are the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg?

A giant pair of eyes on an old billboard

What can the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg suggest symbolically?

Observation, judgment, or moral emptiness

Who is Myrtle Wilson?

Tom Buchanan's mistress

Who is George Wilson?

Myrtle's husband and the owner of a garage

Where does George Wilson work?

A garage in the Valley of Ashes

What does Myrtle appear to desire?

Wealth, status, excitement, and escape from her life with George

How does Myrtle change at the New York apartment party?

She becomes increasingly affected, arrogant, and performative

What does Myrtle's behavior reveal about social class?

She imitates upper-class behavior in an attempt to appear socially elevated

What does Tom do to Myrtle during the apartment party?

He breaks her nose after she repeatedly mentions Daisy

What does Tom's treatment of Myrtle reveal?

His violence, entitlement, and desire for control

What do Tom's relationships with Daisy and Myrtle reveal about him?

He expects privileges and freedoms he does not extend to others

What is distinctive about Gatsby's parties?

They are enormous, extravagant, crowded, and filled with strangers

Do most of Gatsby's guests know him personally?

No; many attend without invitations and know him only through rumors

What do the rumors about Gatsby accomplish?

They increase his mystery and show how others construct his identity

What are some rumors guests spread about Gatsby?

That he killed a man or was a German spy

How does Nick first meet Gatsby?

He talks with him at the party without realizing who he is

How does Gatsby differ from many of his party guests?

He appears controlled and observant rather than drunken and chaotic

Why is Gatsby's smile important to Nick?

Nick sees it as unusually reassuring and attentive

What contradiction surrounds Gatsby's parties?

He creates extravagant social events while remaining personally isolated

What happens in Gatsby's library?

Owl Eyes is amazed that Gatsby's books are real

Why are Gatsby's real books significant?

They blur the distinction between authentic substance and carefully constructed appearance

Who is Owl Eyes?

A drunken guest fascinated by Gatsby's library

What larger theme does Owl Eyes's discovery introduce?

The tension between appearance and reality

What happens after Gatsby's party?

A drunken car accident occurs outside his mansion

What does the car accident reinforce about the party culture?

Recklessness and irresponsibility beneath the glamour

How is alcohol used in Chapters 2-3?

It contributes to excess, lowered restraint, conflict, and reckless behavior

How does Fitzgerald characterize the party guests collectively?

As excessive, careless, gossip-driven, and socially superficial

What is a major contrast between Gatsby and his guests?

Gatsby hosts the excess but often remains detached from it

What is Nick's narrative point of view?

First-person participant-observer

Why is Nick important as a narrator?

Readers experience Gatsby and the wealthy social world through Nick's perceptions

Why should readers evaluate Nick critically?

His claim of objectivity conflicts with his personal judgments and biases

How does Fitzgerald use setting rhetorically?

Contrasting settings expose differences in class, morality, and aspiration

What does East Egg vs. West Egg emphasize?

The distinction between established privilege and aspiring wealth

What does wealthy Long Island vs. the Valley of Ashes emphasize?

The contrast between luxury and social/economic decay

What major theme is introduced through Gatsby's mysterious reputation?

Identity can be constructed through image, rumor, and perception

What major theme is introduced through Gatsby reaching toward the green light?

Desire for an ideal that remains distant

What major theme emerges from Tom's behavior?

Privilege can encourage entitlement and irresponsibility

What major theme emerges from Gatsby's parties?

Glamour and wealth can conceal emptiness and isolation

How does Fitzgerald use contrast in Chapters 1-3?

He places wealth beside decay and glamour beside moral disorder

How does Fitzgerald indirectly characterize Gatsby before introducing him?

Through his mansion, rumors, parties, and other characters' reactions

Why delay Gatsby's full introduction until Chapter 3?

The delay builds mystery and makes his reputation precede the man himself

What is indirect characterization?

Revealing character through actions, speech, appearance, setting, and others' reactions

What is juxtaposition?

Placing contrasting ideas or images together to emphasize their differences

Give a major example of juxtaposition in Chapters 1-3.

The wealthy Eggs contrasted with the desolate Valley of Ashes

What is symbolism?

Using a person, object, place, or image to represent a larger idea

Give a major example of symbolism in Chapters 1-3.

The green light represents Gatsby's distant desire or aspiration

What is imagery?

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses

How does Fitzgerald's party imagery contribute to meaning?

Its abundance and movement create glamour while also suggesting excess

What is tone?

The author's or narrator's attitude toward a subject

How does Nick's tone toward Gatsby differ from his tone toward many other characters?

He shows Gatsby unusual fascination and sympathy

Why is Chapter 3 important to Gatsby's characterization?

It contrasts Gatsby's public legend with Nick's first personal encounter with him

What should an AP Lang reader ask about Fitzgerald's descriptions?

How diction, imagery, contrast, and details shape the reader's judgment

AP Lang: If Fitzgerald describes luxury beside decay, what choice is he using?

Juxtaposition

AP Lang: If an object represents an abstract idea, what device is being used?

Symbolism

AP Lang: If characterization comes from behavior rather than direct description, what is it?

Indirect characterization

AP Lang: Why are the Gatsby rumors rhetorically important?

They show how reputation and identity are created through perception

AP Lang: Why contrast Gatsby's huge parties with his isolation?

To expose the difference between public spectacle and private experience

AP Lang: Why is the Valley of Ashes important beyond plot?

It complicates the glamorous image of wealth by showing its social underside

AP Lang: What tension does Nick's narration create?

He presents himself as nonjudgmental while continually evaluating people

AP Lang: What recurring tension dominates Chapters 1-3?

Appearance versus reality

AP Lang: What should you connect the green light to?

Desire, distance, aspiration, and Gatsby

AP Lang: What should you connect the Valley of Ashes to?

Decay, inequality, and the underside of prosperity

AP Lang: What should you connect East Egg to?

Old money and inherited privilege

AP Lang: What should you connect West Egg to?

New money and social ambition

AP Lang: What should you connect the Eckleburg eyes to?

Observation, judgment, and possible moral emptiness

AP Lang: What should you connect Gatsby's parties to?

Excess, spectacle, superficiality, and isolation

AP Lang: What should you connect Tom to?

Privilege, dominance, aggression, and hypocrisy

AP Lang: What should you connect Nick to?

Observation, judgment, perspective, and narrative reliability