The Great Gatsby- Study Guide Questions
Chapter One:
1. Who is the narrator? How does he describe himself?
2. What does he tell us about Gatsby?
3. Describe the setting.
4. Describe Tom and Daisy Buchanan. What is their relationship like?
5. Describe Miss Baker.
6. What is Daisy’s reaction when Gatsby’s name is mentioned in conversation?
7. How do Daisy and Tom react when the phone rings? Why?
8. What was Daisy’s reaction to the birth of her daughter? What does that reveal
about her character?
9. What is Daisy’s plan for Nick and Jordan?
10. What does Daisy ask Nick about as he is leaving? What is his response?
11. Who does Nick observe outside at night? What is this person doing?
Clarification:
 Are there any facts that are confusing to you?
 What do you want to know more about?
Making Predictions:
 What do you think is being foreshadowed so far?
 Is there any symbolism that stands out in the first chapter?
Chapter Two:
1. What is the valley of ashes? Who is Doctor T.J. Eckleburg?
2. Where do Tom and Nick go?
3. Describe George and Myrtle Wilson.
4. How do Tom and Myrtle arrange to meet?
5. Describe the apartment.
6. Who else comes to the party at the apartment?
7. How is Mrs. Wilson’s behavior different while in New York?
8. How does Gatsby’s name come up? What is said about him?
9. According to Catherine, why can’t Tom divorce Daisy? Why does this surprise
Nick?
10. What does Myrtle say about her marriage to George?
11. How did Myrtle and Tom meet? Describe their relationship.
12. About what do Tom and Myrtle have a fight?
English 11
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The Great Gatsby- Studyguide Questions
Chapter Three:
1. What simile does Fitzgerald use to describe the way people come and go from
Gatsby’s parties? What does Gatsby’s Rolls Royce become on the weekends?
2. Describe Gatsby’s parties. What about Nick is different from the other guests at these
parties?
3. What are rumors and pieces of gossip do we hear about Gatsby? What information
contradicts these rumors?
4. What quality does Gatsby’s smile possess? How old does Nick assume Gatsby to be?
5. What does Gatsby reveal about himself to Jordan?
6. Describe the car accident and the person involved. What message is Fitzgerald
making about the society of the time?
7. What further information do we get about Jordan’s character?
8. What does Nick define as one of his cardinal values?
Chapter Four:
1. Where are the people when the church bells are ringing on Sunday morning? What
might this tell you about their values?
2. Who is Klipspringer? What does he become known as and why?
3. Describe Gatsby’s car. What does it symbolize?
4. What does Gatsby reveal to Nick about himself and his past? What makes Nick believe
Gatsby might be lying? How does Gatsby attempt to prove himself?
5. Describe Meyer Wolfshiem. What can you infer Mr. Wolfshiem to be involved in
based on his conversations with Gatsby? What can you infer about Gatsby from his
association with him?
6. What does Jordan relate about the events of 1917?
7. What is Gatsby’s reason for purchasing his house in West Egg? What can the green
light symbolize?
8. What does Gatsby want Nick to arrange for him? What is important about the location
of this event?
9. How is Nick different from Gatsby and Tom at the end of this chapter?
Chapter Five:
1. What is Gatsby doing at two in the morning? What is his real intention?
2. How does Gatsby prepare for his meeting with Daisy? What colors make up his attire?
What might they symbolize?
3. Describe the reunion between Gatsby and Daisy. How does each character act? What is
the tone?
4. What does the clock symbolize? What does the rain symbolize?
5. How does Gatsby contradict his past in telling Nick about earning the money for his
house? What does it reveal about him?
6. How does Daisy react to seeing Gatsby’s shirts? Why?
7. Predict what will happen to the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. Support your
answer with details from the text.
Chapter Six:
1. What is Gatsby’s legal name? At what age did he change his name and why?
2. Describe Gatsby’s relationship with Dan Cody.
3. When, and under what circumstances, do Gatsby and Tom meet again? What is the
tone of the meeting?
4. What is Tom’s opinion of Gatsby? How do you know?
5. What does Gatsby want of Daisy?
6. What advice does Nick give Gatsby about the past? Do you agree or disagree with it?
Chapter Seven :
1. What changes have occurred at Gatsby’s house? Why?
2. Chapter Seven takes place near the end of summer? What might this setting
symbolize?
3. What metaphor does Daisy use to describe her daughter? Why is this significant?
4. What does Gatsby recognize Daisy’s voice as being full of? Why is this significant?
5. Explain who rides in each car on the way to the city. Where does Tom stop on the
way? Whose car is he driving? What color is it?
6. What has Wilson discovered about Myrtle? Where is she and what is she doing?
7. What is happening beneath the parlor suite at the Plaza Hotel? How is it ironic?
8. How is Tom’s lecture to Gatsby ironic? What does Gatsby tell him about Daisy?
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9. Why didn’t Daisy marry Gatsby? What does she say about her love for him? What
does she plan to do now?
10. What does Tom discover about Gatsby? What is Gatsby’s reaction? Daisy’s?
11. What does Michaelis witness in front of his restaurant? What really happened?
12. What are the characters doing at the end of the chapter?
Chapter Eight:
1. What Nick suggest to Gatsby? Why? What is Gatsby’s reaction?
2. In what way did Gatsby mislead Daisy when they were younger? How does he
discover she has moved on?
3. What does Nick mean when he says, “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put
together”? Why does he say it? How does he feel about it afterwards?
4. What has happened to the relationship between Nick and Jordan? What causes this
change?
5. Who does Wilson identify as being God?
6. What does Wilson do at the end of the chapter? Why?
Chapter Nine:
1. What does Nick learn about Tom and Daisy?
2. Who is Henry C. Gatz? What does he show to Nick? Why?
3. Who attends the funeral? Who does not?
4. When and why does Nick return to the Midwest?
5. What does Nick learn about Jordan before she leaves?
6. Who was Wilson’s informant? How does this informant defend his/her actions?
7. How does Nick classify Tom and Daisy? Why?
8. What does Nick say Gatsby believed in? What did it represent to Gatsby?
9. Explain the significance of the closing statement: “So we beat on, boats against the
current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”