The Great Gatsby Chapter Four Questions and Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Argonne Forest: a great battlefield of WWI where the American Army distinguished
itself during the last few months of the war
1919 World Series: often referred to as the “Black Sox Scandal” involved a plot in
which major league players threw the World Series for money
Rosy Rosenthal: a gambler murdered in New York City in 1912
Becker: Charles Becker, a NYC police lieutenant executed in 1914 for involvement in
Rosenthal’s death
Questions
1. The introductory part of this chapter gives a long roster of people who accept
Gatsby’s hospitality. In general, how do they behave toward their host? Why do
they accept his hospitality? What various types do they represent? What evidence
do you find here that East Egg symbolizes long established wealth (“old money”)
and that West Egg symbolizes money recently acquired (“new money”)?
2. In addition to his mansion Gatsby owns a seaplane and various motor vehicles.
How is this similar to how wealthy people today live? What does a car say about a
person? What do Gatsby’s cars say about him?
3. Nick gets the same impression of Gatsby’s story of his education at Oxford as
Jordan Baker did. What is that impression? Why do you think this point is
stressed?
4. What effect do the medal and the photograph have on Nick’s thinking?
5. Meyer Wolfsheim is one of the few acquaintances of Gatsby that we meet in the
novel. What kind of man is he? What do you learn about his past or present
activities and what conclusion can you make about Gatsby based on the fact that
this is the type of man that he associates with?
6. Summarize the story that Jordan tells about Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby. With whom
was Daisy is love at the time of her marriage?
7. Why do you think a “strained look of embarrassment” came across Gatsby’s face
when he was introduced to Tom?
8. Why had Gatsby wanted to talk to Jordan alone at the party in Chapter Three?
9. To what event does Nick refer to in the comment, “Then it had not been merely
the stars to which he had aspired on that June night”? (Read again the last
paragraphs of Chapter One). What was Nick’s interpretation of Gatsby’s behavior
that night? Where was the green light?
10. What does the last paragraph say about Nick’s feelings toward the girl back
home?