English final exam: Great Gatsby 6/13

The Great Gatsby is by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Who wrote Great Gatsby?

Nick Carraway moves to West Egg to work in the bond business

Where does Nick Carraway move and why?

Nick rents a house next to the lavish mansion of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious and wealthy man known for his extravagant parties

Who does Nick Carraway live next too?

Early on, Nick meets Daisy Buchanan (his cousin), her husband Tom, and Jordan Baker, entering a world of old money, luxury, and hidden tensions

Who does Nick Carraway meet early on?

The novel sets up the contrast between the wealthy, careless elite and Nick’s more grounded, observant viewpoint

How does the novel contrast the wealthy and Nick Carraway?

There’s mystery around Gatsby’s background and his obsession with Daisy Buchanan

What mystery is associated with Jay Gatsby?

Gatsby was born poor as James Gatz and reinvented himself to chase wealth and status

What is Jay Gatsby’s background?

Gatsby and Daisy reunite at Nick’s house

Where does Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby reunite?

Gatsby shows Daisy his mansion and riches after they reunite

What does Gatsby show Daisy in order to impress her?

The green light becomes less magical once Daisy is near —- it symbolizes his dream, not reality

What happens to the green light during the middle of the novel?

Gatsby begins to believe he can recreate the past with Daisy, saying, “Cant repeat the past? Why of course you can!

What does Jay Gatsby say about the past?

Gatsby and Daisy met five years earlier in Louisville, before Gatsby went off to WWI

How did Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan meet?

Gatsby was poor, so Daisy’s wealthy family discouraged the relationship

Why did Daisy’s family discouraged the relationship?

While Gatsby was away, Daisy married Tom Buchanan, a rich man

Who did Daisy marry while Gatsby was away at war?

Gatsby got rich to impress Daisy and hoped to win her back and recreate their past love

Why did Gatsby want to become rich?

His dream isn’t just about Daisy —- Gatsby wants to go back to a perfect moment that never truly existed

What does Gatsby want to go back too?

The green light symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams, especially for Daisy. It’s always out of reach — like the American Dream

How is the green light a motif?

The eyes of the Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are a faded billboard in the Valley of Ashes.

What are the Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg?

Gatsby’s lavish parties show wealth and fun but also emptiness. His parties reflect the shallow side of the American Dream

How are Gatsby’s parties a motif?

The eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg symbolize a distant, silent judge over a corrupt world

What do the eyes of Dr TJ Eckleburg represent?

She married Tom for money and status

Why did Daisy marry Tom Buchanan?

She cried over Gatsby’s letter the night before because she still had feelings for Gatsby

Why did Daisy cry at Gatsby’s letter during her wedding to Tom Buchanan?

Gatsby made money fast through illegally making, selling and transporting alcohol (bootlegging)

How did Gatsby make money?

Meyer Wolfsheim is Gatsby’s shady business partner who helped him get rich through bootlegging. He shows him the dark side of the American dream

Who does Gatsby work with?

Daisy says she hopes her daughter is a beautiful little fool because in the world it’s easier for women to be pretty and unaware than to be smart and suffer

“I hope she’ll be a fool —- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Why does Daisy say this about her daughter?

Daisy stays with Tom because of his wealth, social status and security. She values the lifestyle he provides, even though they have a troubled relationship

Why does Daisy stay with Tom instead of going back to Gatsby?

Gatsby’s illegal bootlegging makes his wealth seem less respectable, so Daisy prefers Tom’s old money instead of Gatsby’s new money

Why does Daisy prefer Tom’s wealth over Gatsby?

Gatsby’s American dream is to rise from poverty to wealth and win Daisy’s love, believing success will bring him happiness

What is Gatsby’s version of the American Dream?

Gatsby struggles to accept that Daisy might stay with Tom, yet he clings to his dream of being with her

How does Gatsby react to Daisy staying with Tom?

The American dream is an illusion —- wealth and status can’t buy true happiness or erase the past

How is the American dream the main theme in Great Gatsby

Gatsby’s hope for the future and Daisy is unreachable —- just like the American dream in Chapter 9

“Gatsby believed in the the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before” (Chapter 9)

Gatsby naively believes he can recreate the past with Daisy, ignoring how time and people change in Chapter 6

“Cant repeat the past? Why of course you can!” (Chapter 6)

Gatsby reaches toward the green light, symbolizing his longing for Daisy and the American dream she represents in Chapter 1

“He stretched out his arms toward the dark war… I could have sworn he was trembling.” (Chapter 1)

Jay Gatsby is wealthy, mysterious, and obsessed with rekindling his love with Daisy. He represents the American dream and also is corrupted by wealth

Who is Jay Gatsby?

Nick Carraway is the narrator, a thoughtfu and honest man who observes the events and reflects on what happens around him

Who is Nick Carraway?

Daisy Buchanan is Nick’s cousin, beautiful and charming but shallow and careless. Gatsby’s love interest, symbolizing wealth and unattainable dreams

Who is Daisy Buchanan?

Tom Buchanan is Daisy’s wealthy, arrogant, abusive and aggressive husband. He represents old money and entitlement

Who is Tom Buchanan?

Jordan Baker is a professional golfer and friend of Daisy’s. She’s cynical and dishonest but also attract’s Nick attention as a love interest

Who is Jordan Baker?

Myrtle Wilson is Tom’s mistress, unhappy and desperate to escape her lower class-life

Who is Myrtle Wilson?

Myrtle’s husband, a struggling mechanic who is devastated by his wife’s affair and death

Who is George Wilson?

Daisy was driving Gatsby’s car with Gatsby beside her. She hit Myrtle, and Gatsby tried to take the blame to protect her

How did Myrtle die?

Owl Eyes is a guest at Gatsby’s parties who sees the truth behind Gatsby’s illusion and represents truth and wisdom in a fake world

Who is Owl Eyes?

Gatsby sees Daisy as the prize for success — beautiful, rich and unreachable just like American dream

How does Daisy Buchanan represent the American Dream?

Gatsby’s dream collapses after Daisy chooses to stay with Tom, and Gatsby is left isolated

How is Gatsby dream collapsed?

Gatsby is murdered by George Wilson, who believes Gatsby is responsible for his wife Myrtle’s death

Who is Gatsby murdered by?

Nick is disgusted by the shallow behavior of the Buchanans and the other wealthy characters who abandon Gatsby

What is Nick disgusted by?

Nick arranges Gatsby’s funeral, but very few show up, highlighting Gatsby’s loneliness despite his popularity with parties

Who arranges Jay Gatsby’s funeral?

Nick decided to leave New York and return to the Midwest, reflecting on the corruption and empty pursuit of the American dream

Why does Nick leave New York/West Egg?

The point of view is first person, told by Nick Carraway.

What is the point of view?

Daisy and Tom argued because Tom confronted Gatsby about Daisy. Upset, Daisy drove Gatsby car to calm down, with Gatsby letting her drive

Why was Daisy driving Gatsby’s car?

Tom Buchanan is racist because he believes white people are superior and fears losing power to other race

How is Tom Buchanan racist?

Novel

What is the genre?