The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 1
1. What advice does Nick’s father give him?
How has this advice affected Nick’s personality and how others treat him?
2. The narrator of The Great Gatsby is Nick Carraway. Answer the following questions about his
background:
a. Where is Nick from?
b. To what social class does Nick belong?
c. Where did Nick go to school?
d. What was Nick doing just before moving out East?
e. Why does Nick go East?
3. One of the major themes of the novel is rebirth/man’s ability to remake himself. How do Nick’s
actions suggest a kind of rebirth? Find a quotation on page 8 that shows how the novel will be a
story about rebirth or starting over.
4. What do West Egg and East Egg look like (physically)? Use the description found on page 9 and
the illustration on page 206 to help you.
5. What is the difference between West Egg and East Egg?
6. Where is Gatsby’s mansion? What does it look like?
7. How does Nick know Tom and Daisy Buchanan?
8. Explain the irony of Nick’s words: “to see to two old friends whom I scarcely knew at all” (11).
What aspect of society does Fitzgerald criticize?
9. Describe the Buchanans’ house, both the exterior and interior.
10. Of what social class are the Buchanans?
11. Describe Tom Buchanan—his background, his physical characteristics, and his personality.
12. What kind of person is Daisy? How do you know?
13. Describe Jordan Baker. What kind of person is she?
14. What controversial book does Tom bring up suddenly at dinner? What does Tom’s opinion about
the book tell you about his personality?
15. What “secret” does Nick find out about Tom during dinner?
16. Describe Daisy’s relationship and/or attitude toward her daughter. What is strange about it?
17. What comment does Daisy make about the “truth” on page 24? What does her comment tell you
about her and her social class?
18. How does Nick feel after his visit to the Buchanans’ house?
19. What is Gatsby doing at the end of Chapter One?
20. Notice how many times the adjective “restless” is used to describe a character or action. Give
some examples below (use page numbers). What might Fitzgerald’s use of the word “restless”
indicate?
The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 2
1. What town is between East and West Eggs?
2. What is on the billboard?
3. Who lives in this area?
4. Describe Wilson.
5. Describe Myrtle.
6. Where does Myrtle say she is going when she meets Tom?
7. Why does Wilson not object, according to Tom?
8. How is Tom keeping Wilson in poor conditions?
9. What does Tom buy Myrtle?
10. How does Myrtle transform when she is in the apartment?
11. Who is Catherine?
12. What does McKee do for a living?
13. How is McKee like Nick?
14. What rumor does Catherine share with Nick about Gatsby?
15. What rumor does Catherine share with Nick about Tom and Myrtle’s relationships?
16. Why did Myrtle marry Wilson?
17. Why did she become Tom’s mistress?
18. What is Tom’s reaction to Myrtle mentioning Daisy?
19. Where does Nick end up?
20. What does the apartment look like?
The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 3
20. At the beginning of Chapter 3, Nick describes the lavish preparations made for
Gatsby’s parties. List some of the details of the preparations.
21. Why is it ironic that Gatsby invites Nick to his “little party” (45)?
22. Who does Nick see again at Gatsby’s party?
23. What gossip about Gatsby circulates during the party? What might this gossip tell you about
Gatsby’s character?
24. Who do Jordan and Nick meet in the library? What interesting observation does this man make about
the library?
25. What is surprising or strange to Nick about his first official conversation/meeting with Gatsby?
26. What nickname does Gatsby use to call Nick (does this nickname sound familiar in anything else
we’ve read)?
27. Where is Gatsby rumored to have gone to school?
28. What is the significance of Jordan’s statement: “And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At
small parties there isn’t any privacy” (54).
29. Describe Gatsby’s interaction with his guests and his general behavior at his party. What is unusual
about it? How is Gatsby different from most of his guests? (Hint: see pages 54-55)
30. Describe the behavior of the guests at the party continues on into the night (pp. 55-5).
31. Throughout Chapter Three, Gatsby is characterized as rather mysterious, both to his guests and to
Nick, the narrator. What is it about Gatsby—his actions, his background, his behavior, etc.—that
makes him so mysterious?
32. What “bizarre and tulmutuous scene” does Nick witness as he leaves Gatsby’s party (60). Describe
the people who are involved.
33. What else has Nick been up to while in New York?
34. What does Nick remember about a scandal having to do with Jordan Baker’s golf career? How does
he react to it upon remembering?
35. Reread Nick and Jordan’s conversation about driving. Nick calls Jordan “careless” (63). What might
Fitzgerald be criticizing about Jordan and people like her?
36. What does Nick mean when he says he must get himself out of that “tangle at home” (64)?
37. What is ironic about Nick’s statement: “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known”
(64)?
The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 4
38. In the beginning of Chapter Four, Nick remarks that he once tried to keep a
record of all the people who frequented Gatsby’s parties. Why do you
think Fitzgerald includes this information?
39. Describe Gatsby’s car. What role do cars seem to play in this novel (think back to the other times
cars have been mentioned so far)?
40. What information about his background does Gatsby give to Nick? How does he “prove” this
information to be true?
41. Why does Gatsby give Nick this background information?
42. How does Gatsby avoid getting a speeding ticket?
43. What does Nick see that causes him to make the observation, “Anything can happen now that we’ve
slid over this bridge. Anything at all…” (73)?
44. Who is Mr. Meyer Wolfshiem? How does he seem to know Gatsby?
45. What does Gatsby do when Nick sees Tom at lunch?
46. Jordan tells Nick a story about Daisy and Gatsby. When did Jordan first meet Gatsby and through
whom?
47. Where are Daisy and Gatsby when Jordan first meets them (notice the symbolism)? What can you
infer about their relationship?
48. What rumors were going around about Daisy (back in 1918, the year after Jordan first met her)?
49. Jordan was a bridesmaid at Daisy and Tom’s wedding. On the night of the bridal dinner (rehearsal
dinner—the night before the wedding), in what state does Jordan find Daisy? What is Daisy doing
when Jordan finds her in her room?
50. Shortly after Daisy and Tom are married, Tom gets into a car accident that gets him into trouble—
how? (notice again the symbolism–page 82).
51. According to Jordan, why did Gatsby move to West Egg?
52. Why doesn’t Gatsby ask Jordan to arrange a meeting between him and Daisy?
The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 5
1. Why is Gatsby anxious to talk with Nick at the beginning of this chapter?
2. Why does Gatsby offer Nick a chance to earn more money? How does Nick react?
3. Describe Gatsby’s behavior when he arrives to Nick’s house for tea. Why does he act in this way?
4. Nick walks into the room and finds Gatsby “reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit
of perfect ease, even of boredom” (91). What does this description tell you about Gatsby?
5. What does Gatsby knock over?
6. How long has it been since Gatsby and Daisy have seen each other? Who remembers how long it has
been?
7. Nick leaves Gatsby and Daisy alone for some time. In what condition does Nick find Gatsby and
Daisy (what seems to have happened in Nick’s absence)?
8. How long did it take Gatsby to make the money to buy the mansion?
9. How does Gatsby try to impress Daisy?
10. What does Nick mean when he says that Gatsby “revalued everything in his house according to the
measure of response it drew from [Daisy’s] well-loved eyes” (97-8)?
11. Fitzgerald writes that Gatsby “had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it right through to the end,
waited with his teeth set, so to speak, at an inconceivable pitch of intensity” (98). To what “idea” is
Fitzgerald referring?
12. In the next passage (immediately following #11), to what is Gatsby compared?
13. Why do you think Daisy cries when she sees all of Gatsby’s beautiful shirts?
14. At night, how could Gatsby see where Daisy lived across the bay? What had the green light on the
dock meant to Gatsby?
15. Who is Mr. Klipspringer?
16. Gatsby has a romanticized or idealized version of Daisy in his mind and heart. Note the passage on
page 101: “There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his
dreams—not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone
beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all
the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness
can challenge what a men will store up in his ghostly heart” (101). Why do you think Gatsby sees
Daisy in such a favorable light? What is it about human beings that allow Gatsby to create a perfect
version of Daisy in his mind?
17. How are Gatsby and Daisy standing just before Nick leaves them alone at the end of the chapter?
18. Review questions 5 and 12. What might a clock symbolize and why?
The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 6
Before you read: Think back to a moment or decision you regret, perhaps an opportunity
that was missed or a something you said that you’d like to take back. Describe that time.
How would you do things differently if you had the chance?
19. What is Gatsby’s real name? How old was he when he changed his name? Why?
20. Why did Gatsby leave Lutheran college?
21. Describe Dan Cody. How did Gatsby meet Dan Cody?
22. What kind of work did Gatsby do for Dan Cody?
23. How much money does Gatsby eventually inherit?
24. How much time passes after Nick sets up the meeting between Gatsby and Daisy and Chapter 5?
What has Nick been doing?
25. Who is at Gatsby’s house?
26. What happens at Gatsby’s house that shows that Gatsby is not necessarily “accepted” by Tom and the
others?
27. Why does Tom go with Daisy to Gatsby’s party?
28. How is the mood at Gatsby’s party different from previous parties? Why?
29. What impresses Daisy at Gatsby’s party?
30. How does Gatsby introduce Tom?
31. Where does Tom think Gatsby got all his money?
32. How does Tom feel about Gatsby? How do you know?
33. What does Gatsby want Daisy to say to Tom?
34. What does Gatsby say about the past? Do you agree or disagree?
35. How do you feel about Gatsby at the end of this chapter?
The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 7
1. Why does Gatsby fire all of his servants?
2. Who sends the servants’ replacements?
3. When Nick goes to the Buchanan’s house who is he surprised to see there?
4. Who is Pammy?
5. Who does Daisy say Pammy looks like?
6. Why might Daisy say this considering the company?
7. Why is Gatsby puzzled by Pammy?
8. What does he realize by seeing Pammy?
9. What does Gatsby do for the first time in the novel upon seeing Pammy?
10. How does Gatsby always look, according to Daisy?
11. Where does the group decide to go?
12. Who travels in which car?
13. What does Gatsby say Daisy’s voice is full of?
14. What color is Gatsby’ car inside and outside? Explain the significance?
15. Why does Wilson say he could use Tom’s car?
16. Who does Tom say owns the car he was driving?
17. What reason does Nick give for Wilson’s physical illness?
18. Who does Myrtle mistake Jordan for?
19. At this point in the novel, over whom is Tom losing control?
20. Why does Gatsby say he can’t call himself an Oxford man?
21. What does Gatsby tell Tom about Daisy?
22. Why, according to Gatsby, did Daisy marry Tom?
23. Does Tom love Daisy?
24. Can Daisy say that she never loved Tom?
25. Why does Daisy say that Gatsby wants too much?
26. According to Tom, for what did Gatsby use his drugstores?
27. What did Nick suddenly remember about that day?
28. With whom does Gatsby leave?
29. Who is killed?
30. Where was this person prior to the accident?
31. Who does Tom think killed Myrtle? Why?
32. When Nick gets to the Buchanan’s, who is in the bushes?
33. Who was driving the car that hit Myrtle?
34. What does Nick see Daisy and Tom doing in the kitchen of their house?
35. What sort of air was there in that particular scene?
The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 8
1. What does Nick tell Gatsby he should do?
2. What does Gatsby say excited him about Daisy?
3. What increased Daisy’s value to Gatsby?
4. When Daisy made major decisions in her life, what forces would she allow to make these
decisions?
5. When Gatsby returned from Europe, where was Daisy?
6. How much money did Gatsby have after the war?
7. Why does Gatsby suddenly decide to go swimming?
8. What does Nick shout to Gatsby as he leaves?
9. Where does Jordan go after the accident? Does Nick care?
10. How long had the Wilsons been married?
11. What did Wilson find in the drawer at the garage?
12. How does Wilson think he will find the murderer?
13. Who does Wilson confide in?
14. Why does Wilson think Myrtle ran out into the road?
15. To Wilson, who or what is God?
16. Who did Wilson tell Myrtle she could fool? Who couldn’t she fool?
17. Why does Wilson go to Gatsby’s house?
18. Gatsby waits for a phone call that never comes. Who is supposed to call?
19. What happened while Gatsby is swimming?
The Great Gatsby
Study Guide
CHAPTER 9
1. What does Catherine tell the police about Myrtle’s marriage?
2. What happens when Nick call Daisy?
3. What is Wolfsheim’s response to Nick’s news?
4. What is the mysterious call from Chicago?
5. What does this phone call suggest would have happened had Gatsby lived?
6. Who comes from Minnesota?
7. Where does Mr. Gatz decide to bury his son?
8. Why can’t Klipspringer come to the funeral?
9. What does Wolfsheim reveal to Nick about Gatsby?
10. Why can’t Wolfsheim come to the funeral?
11. What does Wolfsheim say about friendship?
12. What does Mr. Gatz carry with him?
13. What is in the book that Mr. Gatz shows Nick?
14. Who attends the funeral?
15. What does he say “amen” to?
16. Where does Nick say they all come from?
17. Where does Nick decide to move?
18. What does Jordan tell Nick before he leaves?
19. When Nick sees Tom again, what does he refuse to do?
20. What did Tom tell Wilson?
21. How does Tom say he suffered too?
22. In the novel’s closing paragraph, what does Nick say Gatsby didn’t realize when he finally saw
Daisy’s green light?
23. Why does Nick say the green light is like everyone’s dreams of the future?