The Great Gatsby

What is the valley of ashes?

Answer:  Place where New York’s ashes get dumped; men work to shovel these ashes up

Who’s eyes watch over everything in the valley of ashes?

Answer:  Dr. T. J. Eckleburg

Describe George Wilson.

Answer:  -Lives in a garage -Buys and sells cars -Blonde, spiritless, anæmic -Faintly handsome -Light blue eyes

Describe Myrtle.

Answer:  -Wife of Wilson

Answer:  -Tom’s other lover

Answer:  -Thickish figure

Answer:  -Middle thirties

Answer:  -Faintly stout

Answer:  -Face has no facet or gleam of beauty

Where do Tom, Myrtle, and Nick go in New York?

Answer:  They go to the apartment where Tom and Myrte have affairs.

What kind of puppy does Myrtle buy?

Answer:  an Airedale

Was this the first time Nick had ever been drunk?

Answer:  No, the second

Describe Catherine.

Answer:  -Slender, worldly girl of about thirty

Answer:  -Red hair

Answer:  -Eyebrows plucked and drawn on again

Answer:  -Blurred air to her face

Answer:  -Wore so many bracelets

Answer:  -Lived with a girl friend at a hotel

Who does Myrtle invite to the party?

Answer:  Her sister Catherine and the McKees

Describe Mr. McKee.

Answer:  -Pale, feminine man from the flat below

Answer:  -White spot of lather on his cheekbone

Answer:  -Most respectful in his greeting

Answer:  -In the artistic game

Answer:  -Photographer; made the dim enlargement of Myrtle’s mother

Describe Mrs. McKee.

Answer:  -Shrill, languid, hansome, horrible

Answer:  -Mr. McKee photographed her 127 times since they married

What does Catherine say about Gatsby?

Answer:  Gatsby is the nephew of Kaiser Wilhelm.

What does Catherine wish the McKees and the Wilsons would do?

Answer:  Since neither of them like the person they’re married to, Catherine wishes they would just divorce.

Why does Catherine think Tom hasn’t divorced with Daisy?

Answer:  She said Daisy is Catholic and Catholics don’t believe in divorce.

Is Daisy really Catholic?

Answer:  no

What does Catherine say Daisy and Tom will do when they get married?

Answer:  They will move West.

What did Daisy think of Monte Carlo?

Answer:  She hated that town. She had an awful time getting back.

Who was Mrs. McKee originally going to marry?

Answer:  Mr. Wilson

What did Myrtle think of Mr. Wilson?

Answer:  She wasn’t the man she expected.

How did Myrtle meet Tom?

Answer:  On a train

How did Tom react when Myrtle mentioned Daisy?

Answer:  He broke her nose with his open hand.

What does the Valley of Ashes likely evoke?

Answer:  images of death and darkness

How does Nick meet Tom’s mistress?

Answer:  Tom and Nick took a train to New York and it stopped near Toms’ mistress’ husband’s shop

How does Myrtle react to Tom’s arrival?

Answer:  Myrtle ignores her husband and walks straight to Tom

Describe George Wilson. How does he react to Tom’s arrival?

Answer:  George Wilson is blond, spiritless, anaemic and faintly handsome. He is excited to see Tom to fix his car because he needs the money

How does Myrtle behave as the party progresses?

Answer:  As the party progresses, Myrtle becomes more outspoken

Why, according to Catherine, has Tom not left Daisy to marry Myrtle?

Answer:  Tom hasn’t left Daisy to marry Myrtle because Daisy us Catholic and doesn’t believe in divorces

Why did Tom break Myrtle’s nose? How is this consistent with the author’s description of him in Chapter 1? Judging by his treatment of Myrtle and his wife Daisy, what seems to be Tom’s attitude towards women?

Answer:  Tom broke Myrtle’s nose because she kept saying Daisy’s name. This shows that Tom is abusive towards women

What and where is the ” valley of ashes.” What does it look like and what does it represent?

Answer:  The “Valley of Ashes” is a huge trash dump. It represents the rotting American dream

Describe Mr. Wilson and Myrtle. Do they seem to fit into the setting?

Answer:  Mr. Wilson and Myrtle are a poor couple. They do not fit into the setting

What is the relationship between Myrtle and Tom Buchanan?

Answer:  They are having an affair with each other

Does Nick feel comfortable at the party in the apartment?

Answer:  No, Nick does not feel comfortable at the party in the apartment

How does Myrtle’s nose end up broken?

Answer:  Myrtle’s nose ended up broken because Tom hit her

What more have you learned about Nick in this chapter? Is he similar or different than the people he spends time with?

Answer:  Nick is very different and more of an observer

According to Catherine, Myrtle’s sister, why doesn’t Tom and Daisy get a divorce? Is this the truth? If not how or why did this rumor start?

Answer:  Tom and Daisy cannot divorce because it goes against her beliefs. This is false because she isn’t really Catholic. She probably made it up so he can’t leave her

What is the valley of ashes?

Answer:  Place where New York’s ashes get dumped; men work to shovel these ashes up

Who’s eyes watch over everything in the valley of ashes?

Answer:  Dr. T. J. Eckleburg

Describe George Wilson.

Answer:  -Lives in a garage

Answer:  -Buys and sells cars

Answer:  -Blonde, spiritless, anæmic

Answer:  -Faintly handsome

Answer:  -Light blue eyes

Describe Myrtle.

Answer:  -Wife of Wilson

Answer:  -Tom’s other lover

Answer:  -Thickish figure

Answer:  -Middle thirties

Answer:  -Faintly stout

Answer:  -Face has no facet or gleam of beauty

Answer:  They go to the apartment where Tom and Myrte have affairs.

What kind of puppy does Myrtle buy?

Answer:  an Airedale

Was this the first time Nick had ever been drunk?

Answer:  No, the second

Describe Catherine.

Answer:  -Slender, worldly girl of about thirty

Answer:  -Red hair

Answer:  -Eyebrows plucked and drawn on again

Answer:  -Blurred air to her face

Answer:  -Wore so many bracelets

Answer:  -Lived with a girl friend at a hotel

Who does Myrtle invite to the party?

Answer:  Her sister Catherine and the McKees

Describe Mr. McKee.

Answer:  -Pale, feminine man from the flat below

Answer:  -White spot of lather on his cheekbone

Answer:  -Most respectful in his greeting

Answer:  -In the artistic game

Answer:  -Photographer; made the dim enlargement of Myrtle’s mother

escribe Mrs. McKee.

Answer:  -Shrill, languid, hansome, horrible

Answer:  -Mr. McKee photographed her 127 times since they married

What does Catherine say about Gatsby?

Answer:  Gatsby is the nephew of Kaiser Wilhelm.

What does Catherine wish the McKees and the Wilsons would do?

Answer:  Since neither of them like the person they’re married to, Catherine wishes they would just divorce.

Why does Catherine think Tom hasn’t divorced with Daisy?

Answer:  She said Daisy is Catholic and Catholics don’t believe in divorce.

Is Daisy really Catholic?

Answer:  no

What does Catherine say Daisy and Tom will do when they get married?

Answer:  They will move West.

What did Daisy think of Monte Carlo?

Answer:  She hated that town. She had an awful time getting back.

Who was Mrs. McKee originally going to marry?

Answer:  Mr. Wilson

What did Myrtle think of Mr. Wilson?

Answer:  She wasn’t the man she expected.

How did Myrtle meet Tom?

Answer:  On a train

How did Tom react when Myrtle mentioned Daisy?

Answer:  He broke her nose with his open hand.

What does the Valley of Ashes likely evoke?

Answer:  images of death and darkness

Who is the narrator? Where is he from?

Answer:  The narrator’s name is Nick Carraway. He is from Minnesota

How does Nick describe himself at the beginning of the book?

Answer:  Nick says he reserves judgement to others at the beginning of the book

Why has Nick come to the East?

Answer:  Nick came to the East to learn the bond business

How does Nick know Daisy and Tom?

Answer:  Nick knows Daisy because she is his second cousin and he had known Tom in college

How does Nick describe Tom Buchanan?

Answer:  Nick describes Tom Buchanan as arrogant, wealthy and athletic

What is the name of the book Tom is reading? What does this show us about him?

Answer:  The name of the book Tom is reading is called, ” The Rise of the Colored Empires.” This shows that he is potentially racists

Who is Jordan Baker? What does Nick find appealing about her?

Answer:  Jordan Baker is a friend of Daisy. Nick finds her self- sufficiency and appearance as appealing

How does Daisy react to the phone calls from Tom’s woman in New York?

Answer:  Daisy reacts by feeling like she has to be polite towards the phone calls from Tom’s woman in New York

What is Gatsby doing when Nick first sees him?

Answer:  Gatsby is standing in his yard, looking at a green light when Nick first sees him

Notice how many times Fitzgerald uses the words hope or dream. Why does he do this?

Answer:  Fitzgerald uses the words hope and dream because they are living the American dream

Nick starts the novel by relaying his father’s advice ” Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” Does he reserve 

judgment in the novel?

Answer:  Nick judges Tom for his affair and he is open minded about it

Pay attention to time. What is the day and year during the first scene at Daisy’s house?

Answer:  The day and year during the first scene at Daisy’s house is June 7, 1921

Describe Nick. What facts do you know about him, and what do you infer about him? What kind of 

narrator do you think he will be?

Answer:  Nick grew up wealthy, he is polite and a relaxed/ observant narrator

What image does the author use to describe Jordan Baker? What does it mean?

Answer:  The author uses the image of Jordan being on a couch, buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon; she doesn’t have a care in the world

How does Nick react to Jordan?

Answer:  Nick is very curious about Jordan

What does Tom’s behavior reveal about his character?

Answer:  Tom’s behavior reveals that he is very mean

Why does Daisy say she hoped her daughter would be a beautiful fool?

Answer:  Daisy said she hopes her daughter will be a beautiful fool. This means she hopes she will be oblivious and not get hurt like Daisy

What kind of relationship do Tom and Daisy have?

Answer:  Tom and Daisy have a complicated and unhealthy relationship