English II Honors
Great Gatsby
Student-Generated Socratic Seminar Discussion Questions
4th Hour
Questions from Mrs. Wilcox:
1. TAYLORJACOBS Analyze Daisy’s character and make inferences as
to why she doesn’t divorce Tom and marry Gatsby? Consider scenes
form the novel and make your own inferences.
2. EMMA DOPHEIDE The two most significant men in Daisy
Buchanan’s life are Tom and Gatsby. Compare and contrast the two
men and include a discussion about what Daisy finds attractive in each.
3. Compare Tom to George. What attributes does each possess? Would
George have been able to transcend his class and circumstances to rise
above the ashes? What is class structure like in America today? Can the
poorest of the working poor leave their circumstances surrounding their
situation? Why or why not?
4. Consider the last three paragraphs of the novel (which begin “And as I
sat there brooding.”) These paragraphs speak of the unfulfilled longing
of Gatsby. They also address the unfulfilled American dream.
Compare Gatsby’s goals and desires with the desires that most
Americans have.
5. What comparison does Nick make between the virgin continent and
Gatsby’s dream? What image reveals this belief? Examine the syntax
of these last few paragraphs of the novel, and explore how this infinite
capacity for hope reflects the American spirit. Is this a similar
sentiment to the one Nick expresses at the beginning of the novel?
6. Nicole McMindes: The automobiles in The Great Gatsby are more than
just a means of transportation. Examine the different automobiles and
discuss what they could symbolize. Look at the many traffic accidents
(not just the death scene). Examine the car accident after Gatsby’s
party. How might it be similar to the final car accident? What kind of
driver is Jordan and how does her last comment to Nick underscore her
character?
7. Examine the idea of light/dark in the novel. What characters are
represented by light, and which ones are represented by darkness?
8. How do the various locales & homes (mansions) reflect the values of
those who occupy them? Move beyond what we discussed early on in
the novel. Consider class structure, values, mannerisms, and
accountability or lack thereof. What is Fitzgerald implying about class
in America?
9. Do you feel that Nick Carraway is a reliable narrator? Can we trust that
his reporting in the story is unbiased? Is he objective? Does he make
assumptions? What are his values, biases? Does social status or gender
affect his opinions? Give some examples to back up your argument.
10.
BRENNA DOUGAN Gatsby spends five years dreaming about
Daisy and being reunited with her. Describe Daisy the “colossal”
illusion. How does his relationship with Daisy change during the
story? Consider her actions at the end. As the driver of the death car,
Daisy is complicit and a murderer, having struck and killed Myrtle
Wilson. What allows her to retreat back into her world, unscathed by
the events?
11.
LAUREN HUNT: Perhaps we’re a bit too rough on Daisy. Both
Daisy and Gatsby fell in love with a perception of the other. Recount
all the narrative flashback scenes and examine each carefully. Consider
Jordan’s perspective in chapter 4, Gatsby’s in chapter 6, and Nick’s
own views, based on Gatsby’s stories, in chapter 8. Make inferences
based on your perceptions of the Louisville encounters.
12. What is the significance of the Valley of the Ashes? What images
does Fitzgerald use to describe the landscape? How does the setting
seem to affect the people who live there? There is a remarkable contrast
in the atmosphere of the “valley of the ashes” with the atmosphere of
West Egg and East Egg as well as that of Manhattan.
12. At the end of the novel, only Tom and Daisy remain together,
unscathed by the novels many tragedies and disappointments. Knowing
what you do about these two characters, why do things turn out this way?
What allows Tom and Daisy to escape much of the pain of what they
contributed to? Nick shares his last, most recent meeting with Tom. Describe
the meeting and make inferences.
13.
Some critics believe that Nick Carraway, not Jay Gatsby, is the
protagonist of the novel. Defend or refute this conclusion.
14.
Fitzgerald uses the symbolism of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg to comment
on the moral, relations, and spiritual values of his day. Explain what
the author has to say through the sign that presides over the valley of
ashes. How does it reflect the morally corrupt values of the characters?
15.
At the end of the novel when he leaves Gatsby for the last time,
Nick says, “They’re a rotten crowd. You’re worth the whole damn
bunch put together.” And at the beginning of the novel, he asserts
“Gatsby turned out all right at the end.” Explain how Nick can make
such statements.
16.
SYDNEY CUCCHIARA What does Mr. Gatz reveal about his
son’s ambitions? Were his aspirations corrupt or was the society in
which he attempted to attain this dreams corrupt? Both? Explain.
17.
Why is the novel entitled The Great Gatsby? He did have his
flaws as well as many strengths. List those, compare, and comment on
the significance of the title and Nick’s altering attitude toward him.
Re-read the beginning of the book to make some significant claims.
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1. OLIVIA ENRIGHT What do Doctor T.J. Eckleburg's eyes represent?
What do they tell about the characters and their actions? Why is the sign in
the valley of the Ashes versus any other places? (Sydney Cucchiara)
2. What is the purpose of Gatsby’s father in the novel? What does he reveal
about Gatsby and how does his reaction to Gatsby’s death compare to the
reactions of the other characters? What was his relationship with Gatsby like?
(Nicole McMindes)
3. At the end of the novel, Nick states, “I see now that this has been a story of
the West, after all - Tom, and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all
Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which
made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life.” (p. 176) What does Nick mean
by this? Does this change these characters’ statuses? Are the morals and
attitudes of these characters associated with the West or East? (Mary
Sizemore)
4. How does Fitzgerald’s use of structure add to the characterization of
Gatsby and the dream surrounding his name? Identify three examples from
the text that show Fitzgerald’s unique use of structure. What is their purpose
in the overall effect of Gatsby’s character? (Lauren Hunt)
5. RACHEL TRITT How does The Great Gatsby resemble a greek tragedy?
What traits of a tragic hero does Gatsby possess, what could be considered
his tragic flaw, and how do these traits ultimately lead to his demise? (Claire
Elbert)
6. MARY SIZEMORE Compare when Nick is introduced to Tom and when
Nick is introduced to Gatsby. What do Nick’s first encounters with the two
show about their character? How does Fitzgerald’s description of Tom and
Gatsby’s homes and lifestyles develop an understanding of society in the
1920s? (Madi Lamb)
7. How do descriptions of the weather and other natural surroundings
(landscape, smells, etc.) add depth to The Great Gatsby? What are their
meanings in relation to the personalities of the characters and the overarching
theme? (Rachel Tritt)
8. Christina Rosasco At the beginning of the novel Nick says, “Gatsby turned
out alright in the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in
the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive
sorrows and short-winded elations of men.” What foul dust is Nick referring
to? Do you believe that Gatsby turned out alright in the end, even though he
was killed by Wilson? Did Gatsby’s dreams come true? (Amelia Jones)
9. CLAIRE ELBERT Analyze the different women that appear in the
novel. Do they come off as strong? Weak? Are they likable? Keep in mind
the 2012 perspective on the attitude and expectations of a women are vastly
different than the 1920 perspective (write about that too). (Brenna Dougan)
10. SYDNEY POPP The title of the novel is The Great Gatsby. How is
Gatsby great? In what ways does he show his “greatness”? (Emma Dopheide)
11. AMELIA JONES What role did gatsby play in Daisy's life? Was he
someone being used to retaliate against Tom or did he remind Daisy of a
happier time in her life? (Margaret Schorgl)
12. (Margaret Schorgl)How does Gatsby represent the American dream?
What does this suggest about the “American Dream” in the 1920’s? (Sydney
Popp)
13. How does Wilson's change in personality show the stress that the "rich
people" of East Egg have placed on the lesser characters of the book?
Elaborate about the negative and positive influences that Tom (from old
money) and Gatsby (new money) have on those characters. How does this
affect the outcome of the novel? (Christina Rosasco)
14. MADI LAMB At the end of chapter one, Gatsby is standing on his porch
with his arms spread and staring across the water at a green light, does this
symbolize anything? If so, what does it symbolize? (Olivia Enright)
15. In this novel, what role does the setting of the story play? How does the
geography form the themes and the characters? (Taylor Jacobs)theeth
16. Why did the man in Gatsby’s libary to Gatsby’s funeral? What did he
represent? (kitty tankard)
17. ALEX MAYSE: How would the story be different if it took place in
present day society? How would the women act differently? Be treated
differently? (Katherine Baker)
18.) kitty tankard How does Tom represent a symbol more than a character in
The Great Gatzby? (Danielle Shelton)
19) Describe instances of irony in the novel. What role does irony play in the
novel and how does it affect the story and its tone? (Alex Mayse)