Character Traits
What trait best describes King Midas at the beginning of the story?
Greedy, he cares more about gold than anything else.
What does King Midas want more than anything else?
He wants whatever he touches to turn to gold.
What does King Midas wish for that represents wealth?
He wishes that everything he touches would turn gold.
How do both Midas and Gatsby sacrifice relationships for their ambitions?
Midas values gold over his daughter, and Gatsby values Daisy and wealth over genuine friendships and honesty.
How does Midas’ daughter show the consequences of his wish?
She turns into gold when he touches her, showing how his greed hurts the people he loves.
What character trait does Gatsby show by throwing extravagant parties?
Ambitious, he is determined to win Daisy’s love by showing off his wealth.
How does Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy connect to greed, not just love?
Gatsby doesn’t just want Daisy’s love, he wants to recreate the past and prove his wealth can win her over.
Why is gold important in both The Golden Touch and The Great Gatsby?
In both texts, gold symbolizes greed and the belief that wealth brings happiness, but it actually creates emptiness and loss.
What effect do Gatsby’s parties and lifestyle have on the people around him?
They attract crowds and gossip, but leave him isolated without true friends.
In what ways do Midas’ gold and Gatsby’s mansion symbolize the same human flaw?
Both symbolize greed and the belief that wealth can guarantee happiness, but they end up showing emptiness instead.
Which trait causes trouble for both Midas and Gatsby?
Obsession because both men are fixated on wealth and desires that blind them to reality.
Which moment in The Golden Touch shows how Midas’ greed harms his family?
When he accidentally turns his daughter into gold.
What does Gatsby’s mansion symbolize about his ambition?
It shows his desire to prove his wealth and status in hopes of winning Daisy back.
What lesson does Midas learn after he begs to have the golden touch taken away?
He realizes that love and life are more valuable than gold.
What do both stories suggest about whether money or wealth can truly bring happiness?
Both show that money and wealth cannot bring true happiness. Midas loses joy, and Gatsby’s riches don’t give him the love he wants.
How does Midas’ change at the end of the story reveal a new trait?
He shows humility and wisdom when he realizes gold isn’t worth more than love and happiness.
Compare how Hawthorne and Fitzgerald suggest that greed can destroy both personal happiness and society’s values.
Hawthorne shows Midas losing joy and even harming his daughter because of greed, while Fitzgerald shows how greed for wealth and status creates shallow relationships and an empty version of the American Dream, proving that greed can corrupt both people and society.
In Chapter 5, why does Gatsby show Daisy all of his shirts, and how does this act as a symbol of wealth?
Gatsby’s shirts symbolize the success and luxury he’s gained, but also reveal that he uses wealth to impress Daisy instead of forming a real emotional connection.
How does Gatsby’s belief that he can recreate the past with Daisy show the consequences of ambition?
It shows that his ambition blinds him to reality, causing him to chase an impossible dream that leaves him unsatisfied and vulnerable to disappointment.
How do Gatsby’s character traits reflect the larger flaw of society during the 1920s?
His ambition, obsession, and desire for wealth reflect a society consumed by materialism and the illusion of the American Dream.
How do Midas’ golden touch and Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy both show that greed can lead to disappointment instead of happiness?
Midas finds that gold ruins his food and family, while Gatsby discovers that winning Daisy doesn’t bring him the joy he imagined.
In what way do symbols of wealth hide weakness in both stories?
Midas’ gold hides his emptiness until it ruins him, and Gatsby’s wealth hides his insecurity and longing for the past.