CCSS – RL 3, 4, 5, 6
Gatsby Fishbowl Discussion
1. Do you think that it was right for Nick to agree to help Gatsby see Daisy again?
2. Do you think that Daisy and Gatsby should have gotten together? If so, what about Tom? What about Daisy’s daughter?
3. Is it okay for Daisy to have an affair because Tom is having one, too? What do you think about the situation?
4. Do you think it is better for someone to secretly be unfaithful to their spouse, or to get a divorce and then start the other
relationship? Would Tom have allowed Daisy to leave him?
5. Jordan tells Nick that she had never seen people seem so in love as Daisy and Tom when they first got married. Do you think they
were really that in love? If not, why do you think they pretended to be? If they were really in love, why do you think it did not last?
6. Gatsby wants Daisy to see his house and be impressed. Do you think it will impress her? Do you think Daisy is interested in
money? Do you think money has anything to do with Daisy marrying Tom? Does it have anything to do with why she stayed with
Tom?
7. When Gatsby got pulled over by the police, the officer actually apologized to Gatsby and let him go. Why was Gatsby able to get
out of the ticket? What does this tell you about Gatsby?
8. What did Daisy mean when she said (about her daughter), “And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this
world, a beautiful little fool”? Do you agree with her?
9. Who is Wolfsheim? What sort of man do you think he is? What clues did you get from the text that told you more about
Wolfsheim?
10. Nick knows about Tom’s affair with Myrtle; Nick has even met the mistress. Because he is related to Daisy, does Nick have a
familial responsibility to tell Daisy what he knows? Why or why not?
Gatsby Fishbowl Discussion
1. Do you think that it was right for Nick to agree to help Gatsby see Daisy again?
2. Do you think that Daisy and Gatsby should have gotten together? If so, what about Tom? What about Daisy’s daughter?
3. Is it okay for Daisy to have an affair because Tom is having one, too? What do you think about the situation?
4. Do you think it is better for someone to secretly be unfaithful to their spouse, or to get a divorce and then start the other
relationship? Would Tom have allowed Daisy to leave him?
5. Jordan tells Nick that she had never seen people seem so in love as Daisy and Tom when they first got married. Do you think they
were really that in love? If not, why do you think they pretended to be? If they were really in love, why do you think it did not last?
6. Gatsby wants Daisy to see his house and be impressed. Do you think it will impress her? Do you think Daisy is interested in
money? Do you think money has anything to do with Daisy marrying Tom? Does it have anything to do with why she stayed with
Tom?
7. When Gatsby got pulled over by the police, the officer actually apologized to Gatsby and let him go. Why was Gatsby able to get
out of the ticket? What does this tell you about Gatsby?
8. What did Daisy mean when she said (about her daughter), “And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this
world, a beautiful little fool”? Do you agree with her?
9. Who is Wolfsheim? What sort of man do you think he is? What clues did you get from the text that told you more about
Wolfsheim?
10. Nick knows about Tom’s affair with Myrtle; Nick has even met the mistress. Because he is related to Daisy, does Nick have a
familial responsibility to tell Daisy what he knows? Why or why not?
CCSS – RL 3, 4, 5, 6
7. Is it important HOW Gatsby got his money? Do you think that rich is rich? Would it matter to you where the
money came from? Why or why not?
8. Who do you think is to blame for the way things ended up? Is it Tom’s fault that Wilson killed Gatsby? Is it
Myrtle’s? Is it Daisy’s? Who is responsible?
9. Did the story end the way you expected it to? If not, what did you think was going to happen? Did you end up
liking the way it played out in the book? Why or why not?
10. The color green is really significant in this story. Where do you remember seeing the color green and WHY
is it significant?