The Great Gatsby
CHAPTER 2 Take notes to make a short
summary of each chapter.
a) There is a very obvious contrast between the setting of the first chapter and the area
described in the opening two pages of this chapter. Describe the difference and
consider why the writer chose such a different setting for this pan of the story. Use
the sheet provided on Setting to note down your answers.
b) At this point we meet Myrtle, Tom's mistress. Re-read the description of Daisy
(13-15) and then note the contrasting details in this description of Myrtle. Add the
answers to this question to your notes on Characters.
c) In his description of the journey to town, Myrtle's purchase of the puppy, the flat
and the people who join the party, Fitzgerald is building up a picture of the other
side of Tom's life. Select a few details that sum up this other life. Add your
answers to the characters sheet.
d) What does the lie about Daisy being a Roman Catholic tell us about Tom’s
relationship with Myrtle? Add your answer to the characters sheet.
e) The evening ends with an incident of violence. What does this add to what we
have already learned about Tom and Myrtle? Add your answer to the characters
sheet.
f) Note that although this chapter has advanced the theme of the Daisy/Myrtle/Tom
relationship, we have learned no more of Gatsby, apart from one tantalising
reference (34-35).
STYLE
Fitzgerald uses a range of devices to increase our understanding of what is going on in the
story. Here are three for you to consider:
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His use of symbols i.e. objects that represent things other than themselves, for example
the light at the end of Daisy's pier is also a symbol of hope and of Gatsby’s dream
His use of parallel scenes, where Fitzgerald moves from one incident or setting to
another and expects his reader to make comparisons between them.
Dialogue, the way in which Fitzgerald brings each character to life with speech that
can only belong to that particular individual.
F tzgerald combines these ingredients into his prose which is detailed and descriptive. He
often uses metaphors: for example, Long Island Sound is described as ‘a great wet
barnyard’; ‘the cab stopped at one slice in a long white cake of apartment houses’. This
technique allows the author to introduce one of the themes of the novel - appearances can be
deceptive! When Nick sees Gatsby for the last time, Gatsby is dressed in a ‘gorgeous pink rag
of a suit’, stressing his superficiality. His beautiful bright clothes hide the darker side of his
character. The language of the novel also includes phrases of the time: ‘Tom's the first
sweetie she ever had’. This gives us a flavour of the 'jazz age' of the-twenties.
i
The Great Gatsby
Chapters 2 - 5
Another aspect of the language of the novel is the author's ability to startle us by using
sudden, concise statements rather than his usual detailed, narrative style - near the end of
Chapter 2 Fitzgerald surprises us with 'Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan
broke her nose with his open hand’.
Fitzgerald also makes frequent use of an ironic tone. Irony occurs when a statement is
made which means the opposite of what it says - when Nick says, in Chapter 3, ‘I was
enjoying myself now', we realise that he means the opposite. The materialism and
superficiality of the guests at the party he is attending are not enjoyable and he has to get drunk
in order to alleviate this. As you read through the novel, note down other examples of irony
on the style sheet.
CHAPTER 3
Take notes to make a short summary of each chapter.
Now you have read about the author's style, try to answer these
questions on the beginning of Chapter 3. Read from 'There was
music…' to ‘…the party has begun'.
a
What is your general impression of the party?
b
What is Nick's impression of the party?
c
Pick out an example of metaphorical language from the
first paragraph.
d
Pick out an example of irony from the second paragraph.
e
What impression does the author give of the catering arrangements at the party?
f
How does the author create the atmosphere of the party for us through his language?
Now try the rest of the questions on Chapter 3, adding your comments to the appropriate
sheets on characters or setting.
a) As Nick talks to people at the party, he learns more details of the stories circulating
about Gatsby. What are these stories and what is the point of the comment on the
books in his library (47)?
b) Nick's meeting with Gatsby is almost an anti-climax. How does he finally meet him
and what are his first impressions of him?
c)
The party ends in a drunken shambles and a minor motor accident. Re-read the
paragraph on page 56 beginning 'The caterwauling horns....a gesture of farewell.’ and
sum up your impression of this last view of Gatsby in the context of the party that has
just been described.
d)
The last few pages of the chapter return to Nick's relationship with Jordan. What is
that relationship, what motivates it and what does the motoring incident on page 59
add to our view of Jordan?
The Great Gatsby
Chapters 2 - 5
CHAPTER 4
Take notes to make a short summary of each chapter.
Chapter 4 opens, like Chapter 3, with a description of the types of people who
frequent Gatsby's house, but in this chapter they are described in far more
detail. What do you learn about them?
a) In the book Gatsby gives two versions of his background and of how he acquired his
money. Re-read pages 63-65 and make brief notes on this first version.
b) What extra information does Nick gain about Gatsby from his lunch with Wolfshiem?
c) Gatsby uses Jordan to convey information to Nick and to involve him in his plans.
What is that information and what part has Nick to play in Gatsby's plans?
d) Has the information given in this chapter about Daisy and Gatsby altered your
opinions of either character in any way?
CHAPTER 5
Take notes to make a short summary of each chapter.
a) Chapter 5 opens with the preparations that Gatsby makes for Daisy's
visit. What is his state of mind and how does he reveal this?
b) The first minutes of Gatsby's meeting with Daisy are not a success.
Why not?
c) During the tour of the house what aspects is Gatsby trying to
emphasise and what is the point of the incident with the shirts?
d) In romantic terms his meeting with Daisy is the high point of excitement for Gatsby,
but even here there are hints that all will not be well.
Read the following quotations.
What does (i) imply about Gatsby’s background?
What warning about the problems of dream meeting reality is being given in (ii)?
(i)
‘
I thought you inherited your money.’
'I did, old sport,' he said automatically, 'but I lost most of it in the big panic-the panic of
the war.'
I think he hardly knew what he was saying, for when I asked him what business he was in
he answered: 'That's my affair/ before he realised that it wasn't an appropriate reply.
(87)
(ii)
'His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.' (90)
‘No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly
heart.’ (93)
The Great Gatsby
Chapters 2 - 5
This is an appropriate point at which to pause in the story. Daisy and Gatsby have
finally met after their long separation, and if this were a romantic novel it might
be possible to imagine a happy ending. But Fitzgerald has dropped enough hints
for us to know that all will not be well.
Think back over what you have read and write a paragraph on how you already
know that the ending will not be happy.
This is also the time to recap on the work you have already done up to Chapter 5.
You should have compiled:
 notes on characters
 notes on setting
 notes on style
 notes to summarise each chapter
Themes and Symbolism.
The themes of The Great Gatsby were outlined at the start of the first ‘Gatsby’ section.
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the American Dream (dreams and reality)
materialism and wealth
appearance and reality
Look back over your notes on characters, setting and style. Take three new sheets and head
each one of them with one of the themes given on the previous page. Now take notes under
each of the themes: for example, your notes on Tom Buchanan should show that he is
ruthless and ostentatious about his great wealth. He is also arrogant and has ‘a cruel body'.
These facts about Tom illustrate the theme of 'materialism and wealth'. (In fact, they
illustrate the negative aspects of great wealth.) Another example from your notes is the
luxurious and elegant beauty of Gatsby's house at West Egg. This illustrates well the
theme of 'appearance and reality’ because the beauty of the house and surroundings are a
facade for the decadence and corruption inside.
Try to find at least six illustrations for each of the three themes from your sheets of notes.
Now continue with your work on theme by looking at symbolism in the novel. Symbols have
already been mentioned in the section on style earlier in this unit. Scott Fitzgerald obviously
uses certain major themes which he illustrates with general statements - Gatsby's house,
Tom's personality are examples. But the author constantly reinforces these themes by the
repetition of small details, too. These may not appear to be significant, but if they are taken
together, they emphasise some of the themes we have been studying. One of these symbols
is the green light at the end of the pier - as you read through the novel you will notice that it is
mentioned often. It is a symbol of hope and of Gatsby's dream.
It is one of Scott Fitzgerald's characteristics that he often uses symbolism to reinforce
theme. Some of the symbols he uses most often are listed on the next page.
You will see that under each symbol, there are quotations or references to it from Chapters 1-5.
As you read through Chapters 6-9, keep filling in references to these symbols and add any
others you can find from Chapters 1-5.
The Great Gatsby
Chapters 2 - 5
Symbols
Green light
‘
a single green light, minute and far away' (1)
Names
'women who never knew each other's names....'(3)
'grey names' (4)
Civet, Blackbuck, Beaver (4)
Colours
‘blue gardens…..yellow cocktail music’ (3)
'golden shoulder' (4)
'rose and lavender silk’ (4)
Gatsby standing alone
'... he was content to be alone ' (1)
Dust
‘
a valley of ashes…. ash-grey men' (2)
‘
a white ashen dust….’ (2)
‘f oul d us t …’ ( 1)
Flowers
Names – Myrtle, Daisy
‘a greenhouse arrived…’ (4)
Cars
'... the dust-covered wreck of a Ford…’ (2)
car accident in chapter 3
Jordan, a careless driver (3)
The Great Gatsby
Chapters 2 - 5