The Great Gatsby Ch. 4-6 Study Guide Questions
Directions: Answer each of the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Label each section
according to the chapter from which the questions come. Submissions with answers that are not in
complete sentences will not be accepted.
Chapter 4
1. Describe Gatsby’s car in 3-4 sentences.
2. What new information does Gatsby give Nick about himself? List at least five important pieces
of information.
3. What is Nick’s reaction to Gatsby’s story? What makes Nick suspect that Gatsby is lying about
his past?
4. How does Gatsby get out of a speeding ticket?
5. Describe Mr. Wolfshiem. What kind of man is he? Why do you think he is associated with
Gatsby?
6. Why, according to Jordan, is it not a coincidence that Gatsby lives where he does, at West Egg?
7. What did Gatsby want Jordan to ask Nick? What does Gatsby want Daisy to see?
8. Explain your interpretation of the quote, “There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy
and the tired.” In terms of the novel, who are the ones being pursued, the ones doing the
pursuing, the ones who are busy, and the ones who are tired? Justify your answers in a few
sentences.
Chapter 5
9. Explain what Gatsby does to prepare for his meeting with Daisy. Why do you think he does all
this?
10. What happens to the clock on the mantle? What do you think this awkward moment
symbolizes?
11. How long has it been since Daisy & Gatsby have seen each other?
12. How does Gatsby behave upon seeing Daisy again? What is your impression of his behavior?
Why is this ironic, considering the title of the novel?
13. Why does Gatsby show daisy all of his shirts? Is Daisy truly crying because she’s “never seen
such beautiful shirts before”? Or is she crying about something else? What could it be?
14. To what is the author referring in the statement: “Possibly it had occurred to him that the
colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever…His count of enchanted objects had
diminished by one”? What does the green light symbolize? Explain its significance to the novel.
15. What could the weather in this chapter symbolize? How does the weather change? What could
that change symbolize?
16. Gatsby finally winning Daisy is as much a triumph as it is a tragedy. What, no, does he have to
look forward to? Write down three quotes from Chapter 5 that illustrate this statement.
Chapter 6
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20.
21.
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24.
Who is James Gatz?
Why did he change his name? How old was he at the time?
How was Dan Cody involved in shaping Gatsby into the man he is now?
Why did Gatsby not get the money that Cody left for him?
Why does Tom attend Gatsby’s party? What is ironic about this?
How does Tom’s presence affect the atmosphere of the party?
What does Gatsby want Daisy to do? What is Nick’s response?
Do you agree or disagree with Nick’s statement that “You can’t repeat the past”? Explain. What
was your reaction to Gatsby’s reply?
25. How do the flashbacks to Gatsby’s young life contribute to the development of his present
character?