Great Gatsby Chapter 2

What is the railroad called and where is it located?

Valley of ashes

How is the Valley of Ashes described?

a farm where ashes grow like wheat, grotesque gardens, ashes take the form of houses and chimneys, and working men

What does the valley symbolize

a place of desolation, symbolizing moral and social decay, contrasting with the opulence of the surrounding areas. It also represents the consequences of the American Dream and the loss of hope among the working class.

What watches over the valley of ashes?

the eyes of doctor T.J. Eckleburg, his eyes are blue and gigantic. A pair of yellow spectacles pass over a nonexistent nose. The doctor worked in the borough of Queens and then “sank into eternal blindness of forgot and moved away.”

What happened over time to the billboard?

his eyes dimmed over the “solemn dumping ground.”

What do the eyes on the billboard symbolize?

They symbolize a number of things, God’s eyes watching over the immoral acts of society, moral decay and loss of values, and the emptiness of the American dream.

What is the valley of ashes bounded to on one side?

a small foul river, it has a drawbridge which lets passengers on waiting trains through, they often wait and stare at the dismal scene for as long as 30 mins.

Do many people know about the affair?

Yes, Nick says that many people who knew of Tom knew of his affair (27)

Was their affair secret?

No, they often appeared in popular restaurants together

Did Nick want to meet the mistress?

No, he was only curious, he had no desire to meet her

When the train stopped one afternoon, how did Nick get of the train with Tom

Tom jumped to his feet and took hold of Nick’s elbow, forcing him to leave the train car and he insisted, “We’re getting off! I want you to meet my girl.”

Was Tom determined to have Nick meet her?

His determination bordered on violence, yes. Tom had chosen to believe that Nick had nothing to do that Sunday afternoon

What was the only building in sight?

it was a small block of yellow brick sitting on the edge of the wasteland, it was “contiguous” to nothing

What were the three shops it contained?

an all-night restaurant, vacant, and a garage for repairs

What is the garage called?

Cars Bought and Sold, owned by George B. Wilson

How did Nick describe the interior?

unprosperous and bare (I think it describes Wilson’s life also)

What was the only car in the interior?

a dust covered wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner

How does Nick describe George Wilson?

blonde, spiritless man, anemic, and faintly handsome

How did George react to seeing Nick and Tom?

A damp gleam of hope sprang into his eyes (maybe because he could make money off Tom?)

How does Tom greet George?

he slaps him on the shoulder and calls him “Wilson, old man.”

How do Wilson and Tom know each other?

he is selling a car to Tom

How does Nick describe Myrtle?

a thickish figure, middle thirties, faintly stout, she carried her weight best she could, her face was not beautiful but she had a vitalizing effect

How did Myrtle greet Tom?

She walked through her husband as if he were a ghost and shook hands with Tom as she looked him flush in the eye, she wet her lips and spoke to her husband without turning around

What does Myrtle’s body language convey

She is looking Tom in the eyes while her husband looks at her back, conveys distance

What does Myrtle tell her husband

she tells him to get a chair so “somebody” (probably Tom) can sit down

How does Nick describe Wilson when he goes to get the chair?

he says “a white ashen dust veiled his dark suit and his pale hair as it veiled everything in the vicinity” but his wife was unaffected

What does the white ashen dust symbolize?

It symbolizes his connection to the valley of ashes, and also the corruption and decay in society

What is the importance of the grey, scrawny, Italian child setting torpedoes in a row along the railroad

the child symbolizes the poverty in the valley of ashes and the childs loss of innocence

Where does Wilson think his wife is going when she meets with Tom?

He thinks she is visiting her sister in New York

What does Tom say about Wilson?

He disrespects him by calling him dumb and that he doesn’t know he is alive.

What does Myrtle buy at a news-stand?

a copy of “Town Tattle”, a gossip magazine based off “Town Topics”, which symbolizes her desire to be apart of the upper class.

What taxi cab did Myrtle pick?

the lavender-colored with grey upholstery

Who did the man selling the dogs look like?

John D. Rockefeller

What kind of dog did Myrtle ask for?

a “police dog” or a German Shepard

What type of dog did the man offer?

An airedale, he had a thick coat and a brown wash-rag of a back

How much did the dog cost?

ten dollars

What gender is the dog?

the man says it’s a boy but Tom says it’s a girl

Nick thought a great flock of what could turn the corner and why?

white sheep, the fifth avenue was warm, soft, pastoral and it was a summer sunday

Why does Tom say Myrtle will be upset?

because Nick does not want to go up to the apartment with them

Who does Myrtle say she will call?

Her sister Catherine, she says she is called beautiful

Who else does Myrtle invite?

The McKees

How does Nick describe the apartment?

on the top floor, a small living, dining, bedroom and bathroom. the living room is crowded with tapestried furniture

What does Nick compare the apartment’s furniture to?

scences of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles

What is the only picture?

an over-enlarged photograph of a hen sitting on a blurred rock although when looked at from a distance, the hen resolved itself into a bonnet and the expression of a stout old lady beamed into the room

What is on the table?

several copies of “Town Tattle” with a copy of “Sim Called Peter” and some of the small scandal magazines of broadway

What did the “elevator boy” have?

a box full of straw and some milk, a tin of large hard dog biscuits

What did Tom bring from a locked bureau door?

a bottle of whiskey

How many times has Nick been drunk in his life?

only two times

Where did Nick go?

to the drug store on the corner to get cigarettes, everyone had disappeared

What did Nick do when he came back?

he sat down in the living room and read a chapter of “Simon Called Peter” and he thought it was either terrible or the whiskey distorted things because it didn't make sense to him

How does Nick describe Catherine?

slender, worldly, about 30, a red, solid and silky bob, a complexion powdered milky white, plucked and drawn eyebrows, had many pottery bracelets, moved hastily and possessively

How does Nick describe Mr. McKee?

he is from the flat below, he is pale, feminine, a photographer

How did Nick know Mr. McKee had just shaved?

there was a white spot of leather on his cheekbones

What had Mr. McKee made?

the “dim enlargement of Mrs. Wilson’s mother which hovered like ectoplasm on the wall”

How does Nick describe Mrs. McKee?

shrill, languid, handsome, and horrible

How many times has Mr. McKee photographed his wife since they had been married?

127 times

How did Myrtle change after some time?

she now wore a cream colored chiffon, her vitality turned into hauteur, everything became more violently affected, she expanded as the room grew smaller

What did Myrtle say after changing?

she told her sister that most people will cheat her and all men think of is money

Who had Myrtle had in the apartment last week?

a woman who came to look at her feet, she gave her a very large bill, her name is Mrs. Eberhardt

How does Myrtle respond to a compliment from Mr. McKee

he says he likes her dress and she rejects the compliment by raising her eyebrow in disdain

What happens as Mr. McKee is trying to photograph Myrtle?

Tom yawns loudly and got something for the McKees to drink, distracting them, he probably does not want her to be photographed

Why does Myrtle get upset?

Tom orders her to get some more ice and mineral water

What are the two studies Mr. McKee has called?

“Montauk Point—the Gulls” and “Montauk Point—the Sea”

What does Catherine say about Gatsby?

he is a cousin or nephew of Kaiser Wilhem’s, that's where all his money comes from

What does Catherine say about Tom and Myrtle?

neither of them can stand the person they are married to

Why does Catherine say Daisy and Tom haven't gotten a divorce?

because Daisy is Catholic, this is a lie

If Tom and Myrtle got married, where did Catherine say they would live?

they will go west for a while until it blows over

where did Catherine just get back from?

Monte Carlo

How was Catherine’s trip?

she hated Marseilles, they had over 1200 dollars when they went but spent it all on private rooms and had an awful time getting back

What does Myrtle say about her marriage?

She was crazy for marrying him

Where did Myrtle’s husband get his suit?

he borrowed it from somebody

How long have the Wilson’s been living in their garage?

11 years

Who was Myrtle’s first love?

Tom

Where did Nick want to go?

he wanted to walk eastward toward the park but each time he tried to leave, he became involved in an argument

What does Nick say about himself?

that he is a man watching people’s windows from outside, looking up and contributing to human secrecy

How did Tom and Myrtle meet?

on the train, she was going to visit her sister and he was dressed up, they ended up getting into a taxi together

What does Myrtle have to get?

a massage, a wave, a collar, an ash tray, a wreath for her mother’s grave

Tom and Myrtle fought over what?

Whether she could say his wife’s name

How did Tom react to Myrtle saying his wife’s name?

He broke her nose with his open hand