SYMBOLS & MOTIFS
What does the "defunct mantelpiece clock" that Gatsby almost breaks during his reunion with Daisy symbolize?
What is his inability to accept the passage of time since 1917 (or his desire to pause/catch time)?
In Chapter 3, Nick compares Gatsby's party guests to people at this location to highlight their shallow behavior.
What is an amusement park?
Gatsby specifically purchased his house in West Egg for this single reason
What is to be directly across the bay from Daisy?
At the end of Chapter 3, Nick claims to possess this trait, contrasting himself with the dishonesty of East Egg.
What is being one of the few honest people he knows?
Jordan Baker’s driving metaphor ("It takes two to make an accident") characterizes her as having this attitude
What is careless, entitled, and expecting others to move for her?
Meyer Wolfsheim’s cufflinks made of human molars serve as a symbol of this aspect of Gatsby's business dealings
What is their predatory and ruthless nature?
The "Owl-Eyed" man is shocked to discover this fact about Gatsby's library.
What is the fact that the books are real?
Gatsby asks Nick to invite Daisy to tea primarily so he can stage this opportunity.
What is displaying his wealth to her?
The structural choice to shift to Jordan’s narrative voice in Chapter 4 serves this literary purpose
What is bridging the gap between Gatsby's past and present motivations?
The imagery describing Daisy's voice as a "deathless song" emphasizes this Siren-like quality.
What is her alluring nature that draws Gatsby in?
As Gatsby and Daisy finally reunite in Chapter 5, this famous harbor object loses its "enchanted quality
What is the green light at the end of the dock?
During their car ride to NYC, Gatsby’s "punctilious" manner and rehearsed background story reveal this about his behavior
What is that he is trying too hard to fit a preconceived image of wealth?
Jordan’s flashback reveals Daisy was found "drunk as a monkey" holding a letter on her wedding day because of this conflict
What are her deeply conflicted feelings about Gatsby versus marrying Tom?
The heavy rain at the start of Chapter 5 mirrors this specific emotional state of Gatsby's.
What is his intense anxiety and gloom?
When Nick notes that Gatsby "literally glowed" after the rain stopped and Daisy arrived, it structurally highlights this.
What is the transformative power of Gatsby's achieved hope?
Daisy’s weeping over Gatsby’s "beautiful shirts" reveals this core aspect of her personality.
What is her overwhelming materialism and emotional shallowness?
Nick uses this phrase to describe how Gatsby's dream of Daisy has far surpassed the actual reality of who she is.
What is the "colossal vitality of his illusion"?
This mentor and benefactor inspired Gatsby's dream and left a portrait hanging in his house
What is Dan Cody?
Nick writes an extensive list of guest names on a timetable at the start of Chapter 4 to illustrate this thematic idea
What is the decay and moral emptiness of the upper class?
The presence of this "boarder" playing the piano in Chapter 5 creates a tone of melancholy and outside intrusion
Who is Ewing Klipspringer?
This object shown to a police officer reveals that Gatsby possesses influence placing him above the law.
What is the "white card"?
Nick notes that Gatsby revalues every object in his house based entirely on this metric
What is the measure of response it draws from Daisy's eyes?
Nick’s observation of Gatsby standing entirely alone on his porch while guests party reinforces this major theme.
What is the isolation inherent in Gatsby's singular pursuit?
Leaving Gatsby and Daisy alone at the end of Chapter 5 highlights this shift in Nick's character.
What is his own displacement and growing disillusionment?
The overarching theme most prominently developed through the climax of Chapter 5 is this truth about time
What is the impossibility of recapturing the past?