CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER FOUR
1. Describe the relationship that exists
between Nick and the Buchanan’s. How
well do they know one another?
2. What is Tom reading? What does the
subject matter of the book suggest about his
character?
3. Daisy says she hopes her child will be a
beautiful fool. Why does she say this?
4. Why does Daisy try to show off her
cynical attitude? What does this say about
her?
5. Why does Gatsby reach out toward the
water?
CHAPTER TWO
1. What is the symbolic significance of the
fact that Wilson is described as being
covered in ashes?
2. Describe Myrtle’s behavior toward her
husband and in the city apartment. What
does her behavior reveal about her?
3. What two facets of Tom’s personality are
revealed when he breaks’ Myrtle’s nose?
4. Describe the narrator, Nick. What is he
like? Why does he make a good narrator?
Or does he?
CHAPTER THREE
1. What do we know about Gatsby from this
chapter?
2. Juxtaposition: placing side by side, for
comparison perhaps. What is the effect of
juxtaposing the small party at the Wilson’s
with Gatsby’s opulent party right after?
3. Describe what exactly it is about Gatsby
that Nick admires (No, it’s not his money.
Dig deeper.).
4. Describe how Gatsby acts at his parties.
What does this reveal about him?
5. What have we learned about Jordan’s
character?
1. Reread the passage where Gatsby tells
Nick about his past. What clues make Nick
suspect that he is not telling the truth?
2. According to Jordon, what did Daisy do
on her wedding day?
3. What does Tom do when he and Daisy
return from their honeymoon?
4. What does Gatsby’s friendship with
Wolfsheim imply about his own
background?
5. After Jordon tells Nick the story of
Gatsby and Daisy, Nick says that Gatsby
“came alive to me, delivered suddenly from
the womb of his purposeless splendor.”
Explain
6. Why does Gatsby want Daisy to see his
house? What does this say about him?
7. What characteristics of the rich have
been represented so far in this novel? Do
you think they are accurate? Why or why
not? What might the author be trying to say
about rich people? What are Nick’s views?
8. Choose a passage that you find
interesting. Explain why you chose it.
CHAPTER FIVE
1. What is the meeting between Gatsby and
Daisy like initially?
2. The passage where Daisy sobs when
Gatsby shows her the shirts is a famous one.
Why does she do this? What is interesting
about the passage to make it “famous”?
3. How is Gatsby feeling toward the end of
the chapter? Why do we, the readers,
sympathize with him?
4. In chapter 5, Gatsby’s dream seems to be
fulfilled. What indications are there,
though, that reality cannot possibly satisfy
his dream?
5. The philosopher, Plato, said that reality
was only an imperfect reflection of an ideal.
With this in mind, what would you say
Nicks means when he says that “Jay Gatsby
sprang from his Platonic conception of
himself?”
6. How is the comparison of Gatsby and
Christ ironic (… he was the son of God...)?
4. What do the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg
symbolize to George Wilson? What is
significant about this symbol?
5. How does Nick characterize Gatsby’s
state of mind before he is killed?
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER NINE
1. In chapter 6, Gatsby makes a social faux
pas. What is it? And what does it say about
him?
2. What is Gatsby’s view of the past?
3. At the end of the chapter, Nick describes
Gatsby kissing Daisy in Louisville five years
before. What is Gatsby giving up when he
kisses her? Why?
CHAPTER SEVEN
1. Why does Gatsby stop giving parties?
2. Why is Myrtle Wilson upset when she
sees Tom and Jordon?
3. Why does George Wilson lock Myrtle in
the bedroom?
4. How does Gatsby characterize Daisy’s
voice? What do you think he means by this?
5. Why does Gatsby lose Daisy during the
confrontation at the Plaza? Could he have
done anything to win her? If so, why
doesn’t he?
6. Why do we know that Daisy will not
leave Tom? What does this say about her?
7. At the end of the chapter, Gatsby is again
standing alone, looking at Daisy’s house.
How are things different this time?
CHAPTER EIGHT
1. What does Gatsby tell Nick the night of
the accident?
2. What evidence has Wilson found that his
wife is having an affair?
3. What would you say is the principal
reason for Daisy’s appeal to Gatsby?
1. What is the motive publicly given for
Wilson’s murder of Gatsby?
2. What does the telephone call from
Chicago tell us about Gatsby’s business?
3. Why is Gatsby’s father so proud of him?
4. What does Tom confess to Nick when
they meet that fall? Does he regret what he
has done?
5. How does Nick characterize Tom and
Daisy at the end of the book? What has
each of them “smashed” during the course
of the novel?
6. What does the green light symbolize at
the end of the novel?