Chs. 1-3
Who is the narrator of the novel and what initial detail does he give about his background that shapes his perspective?
Nick Carraway; he claims to be nonjudgmental and from a well-to-do Midwest family, which frames his perspective.
What list of items does Gatsby show Nick on the drive into the city, and what do they suggest about Gatsby?
Gatsby shows a medal, picture, and other memorabilia suggesting European connections and wealth; implies fabricated status.
Why does Gatsby stop throwing parties and what does this change indicate about his priorities?
He focuses on winning Daisy. Parties no longer useful; shows shift from spectacle to personal desire.
What is Jordan Baker’s defining character trait introduced in early chapters, and how does it affect Nick’s view of her?
Jordan is cynical and dishonest; her cheating in golf/personal evasiveness affects Nick’s trust.
Describe Tom Buchanan’s character and one early action or comment that reveals his social attitude.
Tom is arrogant, racist, and domineering; example: his conversation about the book on race or his treatment of George Wilson.
Summarize Meyer Wolfsheim’s role and the concrete detail that signals his shady connections.
Wolfsheim is a gambler/businessman who fixed the 1919 World Series which signals criminal ties.
What happens in the suite at the Plaza Hotel, and how does this scene escalate the central conflicts?
Confrontation between Tom and Gatsby. Tom exposes Gatsby’s past and challenges Daisy; tensions peak between lovers.
Explain Daisy’s conflicting feelings toward Gatsby and Tom—give one textual example that shows her ambiguity.
Daisy loves glamour and security; she hesitates when asked to renounce Tom. Example: her wavering in Plaza.
What is Gatsby’s first impression on Nick when they meet at one of Gatsby’s parties, and what rumor about Gatsby is introduced earlier in Chapter 3?
Gatsby appears charming, mysterious, and hopeful; rumors include that he killed a man or was a German spy/Oxford man.
How does Gatsby finally explain his relationship to Daisy in Chapter 5, and what does this reunion reveal about Gatsby’s aims?
Gatsby reunites with Daisy at Nick’s house; the reunion shows Gatsby’s romantic idealism and desire to recreate the past.
Describe the chain of events that leads to Myrtle Wilson’s death.
After the confrontation, Daisy drives Gatsby’s car back; Myrtle runs into the road and is struck and killed.
Explain how Nick discovers that Daisy and Gatsby are connected to events in East Egg or West Egg in these chapters.
Nick learns of connections via Jordan and observations at parties that link Gatsby socially to Daisy’s world.
What is the truth about Gatsby’s origins revealed in Chapter 6, and how does it complicate the myth he has created?
Gatsby’s real name is James Gatz from North Dakota; he reinvented himself under the mentorship of Dan Cody, complicating the "self-made" myth.
Who actually kills Gatsby, and what mistaken beliefs and motives surround his death?
George Wilson shoots Gatsby, believing Gatsby had an affair with Myrtle and was driving the car; he is misled by Tom and by assumptions.
Analyze the significance of the novel’s opening description of Daisy’s voice and the scene at Tom and Daisy’s home for establishing themes of wealth and illusion.
Daisy’s voice is described as “full of money” (implied); the Buchanan home displays wealth and emptiness establishing illusion, carelessness, and power.
Evaluate the function of Gatsby’s parties in the novel up to Chapter 6. What do they reveal about social mobility and the American Dream?
Parties reveal performative leisure, hollow social mixing, and the tension between appearance and achievement; the parties "show off" to Daisy.
Assess Nick’s final judgment of the Buchanans and of Gatsby. What moral view does Nick articulate by the end of Chapter 9?
Nick rejects the Buchanans as careless, rich people who “smash up things,” and admires Gatsby’s dream even if flawed.