The Great Gatsby Chapters 1 - 4

PoV:

1st person

What advice does the narrator's father give him at the open of chapter one? What does this tell us about the narrator?

Don't criticize others because they're not as privileged; they are well off

What is the narrator's name, and list 4 details about his family:

Nick Caraway;

1. Eavesdropper

2. Well-to-do family

3. Graduated from Yale

4. moved to the East after WWI

What is the name of the island the narrator lives on? Why does it have that name?

West Egg (less fashionable); it was shaped like an egg

How does Nick know Daisy and Tom?

Daisy is his second cousin and he knew Tom in college

How would you describe Daisy Buchanan and her friend, Miss Baker?

Daisy is bright and pretty with a "breathy" voice. Miss Baker is beautiful and prideful with abnormally good posture

What does everyone else seem to know about Tom that Nick doesn't?

Tom is cheating with another woman

What is used in this sentence, and what does it mean?

"...but I doubt if even Miss Baker was able utterly to put this fifth guest's shrill metallic urgency out of mind":

Personification; the telephone is almost like another entity or guest

When Nick sees Mr. Gatsby at the end of Chapter 1, what is Gatsby doing?

He's at the end of his dock, stretching towards a green light

What stands above the valley of ashes?

A billboard of Dr. Eckleburg's eyes

When Nick is in NYC with Tom and Tom's mistress, Myrtle Wilson, Fitzgerald uses a metaphor to describe the apartment the taxi drops them at. What is the metaphor?

One slice in a long white cake of apartment houses

What happens to Myrtle Wilson over the course of the day? How does her character change?

She becomes more arrogant and bold; she becomes more emotional

Who is Kaiser Wilhelm? What does this rumor tell us about Gatsby?

A German emperor; there are several rumors about Gatsby

At Myrtle and Tom's aparment friends speak openly about their relationship and about their hatred of their respective spouses. According to Myrtle's sister, what is keeping them from getting married? Why doesn't Tom want to marry Myrtle?

Daisy is Catholic, and Catholics don't believe in divorce; she isn't from a prominent family and she is married to a gas station owner

What happened to Myrtle Wilson when she defied Tom and said Daisy's name?

Tom broke her nose "with an open hand"

When Daisy and Tom's daughter was born, why do you think Daisy said, "I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool"?

Because women's beauty was valued, but smarts weren't

Study vocabulary:

:-)

Describe one of Gatsby's parties:

It gets wild; excess of everything; it gets really crazy

How would you describe most of the guests that attend Gatsby's parties?

Many shallow people who only cared about money and who weren't invited

No one really seems to know Gatsby - what are some of the rumors people say about him?

He's generous; he has killed a man once; he was a German spy in the war

What is Nick's first impression of Gatsby when he finally meets him?

1. He was an "elegant young roughneck" 2. He spoke absurdly - doesn't sound like a Harvard man 3. Had an understanding smile 4. "Old sport"

Nick stops his story at then end of Chapter 3 to remind us that these 3 events - having dinner with Tom and Daisy, traveling into the city with Tom and his mistress, and Gatsby's party - happened over the course of several weeks. What did he do in the meantime?

He worked at the Probity Trust in NY and had a short affair with a girl in Jersey City

When Nick begins to hang out with Jordan on a regular basis, what story about her does he remember hearing a long time ago?

She was involved in a scandal in which she was suspected of moving her golf ball to win the semi-final round

What cardinal virtue does Nick believe he has?

He's the only honest person he's ever met

Recount Gatsby's life story a he tells it to Nick on their way to lunch:

1. He claims to have inherited money from his dead family from San Francisco

2. He went to Europe and did many impressive things

3. He was in WWI (Argon Forest)

4. Didn't want Nick to think that he's a nobody;

He shows Nick a medal

What is a paradox? What does Fitzgerald mean when he says, "Mr. Wolfshiem began to eat with ferocious delicacy"?

Something that is self-contradictory; it's to show that he's rich, and there's a proper way to eat, but he's passionate about eating

When Gatsby leaves the table to make a phone call, what comment does Wolfsheim make about Gatsby and women?

He would never look at another man's wife; he's trustworthy (irony); he's careful with women

What is Mr. Wofshiem famous for?

He's a gambler and fixed the 1919 World Series

What's Gatsby's reaction to meeting Tom Buchanan?

They shake hands briefly very awkwardly, and Gatsby leaves

According to Jordan, how does Daisy know Jay Gatsby?

Gatsby met Daisy in Louisville because he was stationed there; her parents kept Daisy from saying goodbye to Gatsby, and he was eventually shipped away

Why did Gatsby buy his house?

To be closer to Daisy

What's the favor that Gatsby wants from Nick?

He wants Nick to invite Daisy to tea so Gatsby and Daisy can meet again romantically

What do you think Jordan means when she says, "And Daisy ought to have something in her life"?

Jordan wants Daisy to have true joy in her life - not fake happiness

Who is this book written by?

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Review the character sheet:

:-)