The Great Gatsby Assignments (150 pts) and Reading Help
REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS:
1. 50 pts-Study guide questions- 50 questions (inference/evaluation/analysis/essay questions)
2. 25 pts- Character sketch- 15 people (appearance, personality, actions)
3. 75 pts- Vocab- worksheet and chart (25 words)
Gatsby Vocabulary
Find THREE SYNONYMS for each vocabulary word:
1. ambiguous 2. punctilious 3. hors d’ oeuvre 4. disintegrate 5. ravages 6. defunct 7. aesthetic 8. sporadic 9. erroneous 10. nebulous 11. innuendo 12. feign 13. impetuous -
14. rind 15. tentative 16. incessant 17. corpulent 18. supercilious 19. dissension 20. ashen 21. bootlegger 22. commensurate 23. cordial 24. insignia 25. euphemism -
Fill in the Blank (use 1-23 from above- EACH word will be used once between questions 26-48)
26. That _______________________ talking gets on my nerves.
27. _____________________s, like today’s drug dealers, could make a great deal of money illegally in the 1920’s.
28. We had _____________________ plans for the evening, I wasn’t sure they would work out.
29. The _______________________ in our group will cause us to disband.
30. His ________________________ manners got on my nerves, he was always acting like he was stuck up.
31. Myrtle Wilson had a ______________________ body.
32. Before the main course, we had an ______________________.
33. The painting on the wall was not _____________ly pleasing.
34. The _____________ of the orange was hard to peel.
35. The color in her face was ____________________ when she heard the bad news.
36. The teachers ____________________ directions had the students questioning what the assignment required.
37. The _______________ down-pouring of the rain made the woman question when she would need her umbrella.
38. The man made a comment to the woman and she took it as an ____________________ and slapped his face.
39. Your grade will ____________________ with the quality and quantity of your work.
40. The ____________________ nurses and doctors made his stay at the hospital very enjoyable.
Antonyms (use 1-23 from above- EACH word will be used once between questions 26-48)
41. flourishing45. planned42. rebuild46. grow43. correct47. real44. outskirts48. approximateExamples
49. Give an example of a euphemism.
50. Give an example of a profession that would have an insignia.
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Vocabulary Worksheet Continued:
Word
Sentence (Do NOT use the sentences from above!)
1
ambiguous
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
2
Picture
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
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Character List with Details (aka Character Sketch)
For EACH character write down their appearance (how they look), their personality (how they act and their
beliefs/values/morals) and their actions (what they do).
Nick Carraway -
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Tom Buchanan -
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Daisy Buchanan -
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Jordan Baker -
__________________________________________________________________________________________
George Wilson -
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Myrtle Wilson -
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Catherine__________________________________________________________________________________________
Mr. McKee__________________________________________________________________________________________
Mrs. McKee__________________________________________________________________________________________
Jay Gatsby -
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Owl Eyes __________________________________________________________________________________________
Mr. Wolfsheim________________________________________________________________________________________
Dan Cody__________________________________________________________________________________________
Klipspringer_________________________________________________________________________________________
Michaelis
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Henry Gatz-
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*The Great Gatsby could be defined as a book of mystery, of mysterious characters.
*Fitzgerald slowly unfolds the truth and the inner-workings of each character as the novel progresses.
*The narrator speaks to the reader in 1st person (which limits the matter of the novel to what the
narrator knows, experiences, infers, or can find out by talking to other characters)
*however, at points within the novel, the “I” narration is given to other characters, BUT ONLY
when that character is retelling a story, otherwise the “I”s mentioned refer to the narrator.
Chapter 1:
Introduction of the narrator and the main characters (5 people)
Introduction of the setting
CHAPTER 1
1. Who is the narrator of the story? Why is he made narrator?
2. What kind of relationship exists between Nick and the Buchanan’s?
3. What is the significance of Tom’s reference to the book he is reading?
4. Why does Daisy hope her child will be a “beautiful little fool”?
Chapter 2:
Tom Buchanan’s secret
Introduce new characters and more details of the ones already met
CHAPTER 2
5. Why is Wilson covered with dust from the ashes?
6. Describe how Myrtle Wilson behaves.
7. Why does Nick see himself as both on the inside and outside of the apartment?
8. What did Tom do to Myrtle? Why? What does this say about him?
Group Discussion Questions Chapter 2
1. Why does Fitzgerald describe the ash piles? What does the Valley of Ashes represent?
2. What is the significance of the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg?
3. Who owns the garage?
4. Who is Tom’s mistress? Describe her.
5. Myrtle is poor and described as not very attractive. What attracts Tom to Myrtle?
6. How does Nick feel about hanging out with Tom and his mistress and their friends?
7. What does Tom tell Myrtle, so that he doesn’t have to divorce Daisy?
8. How do you think the group of people in chapter 2 is different/similar from the people in chapter 1?
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Chapter 3:
Gatsby’s party description
Rumors about Gatsby
Introduce new characters and more details of the ones already met
Introduce Gatsby in more detail
Narrator’s thoughts and feelings about people and places
CHAPTER 3
9. What is revealed when Nick says that people aren’t actually invited to Gatsby’s parties, they just sort of go there?
10. What are some of the rumors about Gatsby? Are they credible?
11. How is Gatsby different from the people at his party?
12. How is Gatsby different from what Nick expected him to be?
13. What is the significance of Jordan’s lies?
Chapter 4:
More rumors about Gatsby
Guest list at Gatsby’s parties
Information about Gatsby FROM Gatsby AND Gatsby’s secret told by Jordan Baker
A favor asked of the narrator by Gatsby
CHAPTER 4
14. Why is the list of Gatsby’s guests included?
15. Describe Wolfsheim. What does he do for a living? Why does Gatsby associate with him?
16. What is significant in Jordan’s remark that Daisy’s voice has an amorous tinge?
17. Why does Gatsby want Daisy to see his house?
Chapter 5:
Gatsby and Daisy’s meeting and Daisy’s tour of Gatsby’s mansion
CHAPTER 5
18. Why does Nick reject Gatsby’s offer of business?
19. What is significant about Nick’s embarrassment during the tea, and the fact that he leaves and walks around the
house?
20. Does Gatsby really believe, as he tells Daisy, that his house is always full of interesting, famous people?
21. What is the significance of Klipspringer’s song? How is this related to the American dream?
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Chapter 6:
The truth about Gatsby and his past
Old Money versus New Money attitudes
The Buchanan’s at Gatsby’s party
Introduce new characters and more details of the ones already met
Tom Buchanan’s thoughts about Gatsby
CHAPTER 6
22. Why did Gatsby change his name and make his new identity?
23. Compare the attitudes of Gatsby and the visiting trio which includes Tom Buchanan.
24. What is the irony of Tom’s remark that women run around too much and meet the wrong kind of people?
25. How does Tom sense immediately that Gatsby is a bootlegger?
26. What does Gatsby want out of his relationship with Daisy? What finality does he create when he kisses her?
Chapter 7:
Tom Buchanan learns the truth
More truths about Gatsby
A death occurs and the truth about the death
CHAPTER 7
27. Why does Gatsby view Daisy’s child with surprise?
28. What does Daisy’s relationship with her daughter seem to be like?
29. Why does Gatsby object to letting Tom drive his car?
30. What ironic situation is occurring on the drive to town?
31. Why is Nick so pleased with Gatsby’s honesty about Oxford?
32. What happened to Myrtle Wilson? Who is responsible?
Chapter 8:
More truths about Gatsby and his past
More truths about the previous death
A murder and a suicide and the events leading up to them
CHAPTER 8
33. How has Gatsby’s house changed?
34. Why does Fitzgerald wait until now to give details about the love affair between Daisy and Gatsby?
35. Why does Daisy’s wealth always remain in the foreground of Gatsby’s feelings and memories of her?
36. What is Gatsby’s response to Nick’s compliment?
37. What happens to Gatsby and Mr. Wilson?
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Chapter 9:
The truth is covered up
Some characters take an escape from the events and guilt
Preparing for a funeral
Introduce new characters and more details of the ones already met
More truths about Gatsby
A funeral
More events leading up to the murder and the suicide are discovered
The narrator wraps up relationships he has and contemplates his experiences
CHAPTER 9
38. Why do Tom and Daisy leave?
39. What is Gatsby’s father’s opinion of him?
40. What is the significance of Gatsby’s youthful resolutions?
41. Why is no one eager to come to Gatsby’s funeral? Who does show up?
42. How does Nick feel about the West compared to the East? How does the East change for Nick after Gatsby’s death?
43-50. THREE PARAGRAPH ESSAY QUESTION (Intro, Body, Conclusion): How does Nick compare all Americans to
Gatsby and how is this related to the American dream (see your notes)?
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