What actually happened?
Who narrates the novel?
Nick Carraway
What color is the distant light Gatsby reaches toward at the end of Chapter 1?
Green.
What trait does Tom reveal when he physically insists that Nick get off the train with him?
He is controlling, forceful, or entitled: he treats Nick’s time and choices as his to command.
What literary term describes Fitzgerald’s sensory descriptions of the party’s colors, music, food, and movement?
Imagery.
Nick participates in the events and tells the story using “I.” What narrative point of view is this?
First person point of view.
Who is Myrtle married to, and with whom is she having an affair?
She is married to George Wilson and having an affair with Tom Buchanan.
What are the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg literally part of?
An old advertising billboard for an eye doctor overlooking the valley of ashes.
How does Myrtle’s behavior change after she puts on her elaborate dress in the apartment?
She comes off more superior and demanding, behaving as though she belongs to a higher social position.
Identify the following piece of figurative language:
“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” — p. 34
Simile -- the guests are being compared to moths using the word "like."
A guest says Gatsby killed someone. Why should readers treat this as a rumor rather than an established fact?
The guest provides no direct evidence and relies on speculation or hearsay. Someone making a claim does not establish its truth.
What's different about Nick’s arrival at Gatsby’s party from that of most guests?
Nick receives an actual invitation. Most guests arrive without being personally invited.
How does the valley of ashes challenge the image of wealth presented by the Eggs?
Its dust, poverty, and industrial waste contrast with the mansions and luxury, revealing hardship alongside the wealthy world.
Why might Daisy hope her daughter becomes a “beautiful little fool”?
Daisy suggests that an attractive woman who understands less may suffer less in a society that limits women. Her remark reveals bitterness beneath her cheerful presentation.
Identify the figurative language below:
“It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself…” — Gatsby’s smile, p. 41
Personification -- the smiles receives human abilities like understanding and belief.
Nick says he tries to reserve judgment. Give one example showing that readers still receive his judgments.
He labels people or evaluates their behavior—for example, describing Tom as arrogant or calling Gatsby an elegant young roughneck. His narration contains opinions.
Explain how Nick meets Gatsby before realizing who he is. What connects them during their conversation?
They sit together and discuss their military service in France. Nick talks about not having met the host, prompting the man to identify himself as Gatsby.
Gatsby’s library contains real books, but their pages are uncut. How can these two details support an interpretation about appearances?
The books are authentic objects, but the uncut pages suggest they have not been read. The library may display sophistication without showing that Gatsby practices it. This does not prove everything about him is fake.
Why does Nick’s description of Gatsby after his smile disappears complicate the impression created by the smile?
The smile makes Nick feel understood and reassured. Afterward, Gatsby’s careful wording and excessive formality suggest effort or self-consciousness behind that charm.
Identify the figurative language:
“The moon had risen higher, and floating in the Sound was a triangle of silver scales, trembling a little…” — p. 40
Metaphor -- the moonlit water is described as silver scales without using "like" or "as"
Jordan doubts Gatsby attended Oxford. Does her doubt prove he did not attend? Explain what readers actually know.
No. Readers know Jordan reports Gatsby’s claim and expresses disbelief, but she supplies no evidence that disproves it. His education remains unverified at this point.
Catherine gives Nick an explanation for why Tom cannot marry Myrtle. What is the explanation, and what does Nick know that challenges it?
Catherine says Daisy is Catholic and does not believe in divorce. Nick knows Daisy is not Catholic, exposing the explanation as false. The passage does not establish who originated the lie.
Using Gatsby’s reaching gesture and the distance across the water, explain a possible symbolic meaning of the green light at this point in the story.
It may represent a desired future or goal that feels compelling but remains out of reach. His reaching shows longing; the distance suggests separation.
Develop a claim about how Tom uses power. Support it with one detail from Chapter 1 and one from Chapter 2.
Tom uses power to dominate others. His aggressive handling of people or racist assertions in Chapter 1 establishes his entitlement; forcing Nick off the train or breaking Myrtle’s nose in Chapter 2 shows that entitlement becoming physical coercion.
Identify TWO pieces of figurative language here.
“This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens…” — p. 21
Simile: ashes are compared to wheat using "like"
Metaphor: The valley is described as a "fantastic farm"
A reader argues, “Gatsby’s reassuring smile proves he is trustworthy.” Evaluate that claim using the smile passage and one other detail already read.
The smile establishes Nick’s impression, not Gatsby’s trustworthiness. His careful speech, unanswered questions, or the library’s display may complicate that impression. Neither charm nor mystery alone proves honesty or dishonesty.