Heading:
Ms. Vilhotti, January 3, 2013
1.
Begin by reading through the given questions first before turning to the novel so you are aware of what you are to focus on as you read.
2.
Read comfortably using whatever annotation methods come most naturally to you: I suggest underlining and flagging “meaty” passages that relate to discussion questions so you can return to them more easily
3.
After completing the assigned reading, return to the discussion questions and passages you flagged.
4.
Jot down responses to the questions (I recommend doing so on your computer) so that you are spending no more than 2-3 minutes per question.
Move on if it’s taking you longer than that.
5.
For each reading assignment, pick ONE question to elaborate upon in a structured free-write for about 7 minutes, or roughly a paragraph. I strongly recommend working with your group so that each member is responsible for a separate question, as you will be better able to perform in small group and whole class discussions and will be better able to inform each other’s final essays. It is up to your group to figure out if you want to coordinate.
1.
Reading check quizzes: Expect a pop reading quiz about once a week (~5 points each). I will limit the pop quizzes to these HW questions.
2.
Class participation and graded discussions: These discussion questions will directly inform the following day’s class discussion. We will have two formally graded discussions (~20 points each) that will be unannounced, but questions will always be drawn from these discussion questions.
1

3.
Collected responses: Responses to discussion questions will be collected twice (~25 points each) throughout the unit with only 1 class session advance notice, so make sure to keep up and always be prepared to turn in a product you’d want graded. To encourage all students to do their own work, you will be submitting your responses to Turnitin.com.
1.
Each student is to post a vocabulary word from the reading to our class
Quizzlet for each chapter (each student posts a total of 9 new words), due when that chapter is to be discussed in class.
2.
You are to post to Quizzlet, after the term on the first side: (1) the pronunciation of the word, (2) the definition (use the “auto-define” feature, picking the meaning that best seems to fit the sentence in the text), (3) the sentence from the text, (4) the Chapter number and page number where the sentence was found, and (5) your name, so you can receive credit.
3.
To edit the set: (1) log in to Quizlet as yourself, (2) type in “Vilhotti” under the button “Find Sets,” (3) find your class block, (4) Scroll down to “Edit this set” near the right, (5) enter the password, “Vilhotti,” when prompted.
4.
Vocab Quiz: There will be a vocabulary quiz every 30 new words (~10 points each).
2

Heading:
Ms. Vilhotti, January 3, 2013
1.
What do we learn about the narrator in the first pages of this book? Where is he from and how is that area of the country possibly significant? What is his background? Education? List at least 5 attributes of this narrator.
2.
Discuss Nick as a reliable or unreliable narrator. What factors point to his inherent unreliability (think of how the structure is set up and the time frame)?
What does Fitzgerald do to help provide Nick credibility? What factors make him credible?
3.
What does the narrator tell us about Gatsby, the title character?
4.
What does the narrator tell us about Tom Buchanan? Write down at least 5 phrases from pages 6-8 that describe him.
5.
How does Nick view Tom? What features does he most notice? What can we infer about Nick?
6.
How does the narrator describe his own house? Tom Buchanan’s house?
Gatsby’s house? What is the significance of these descriptions?
7.
Study the paragraph on p.8 that describes two young women on a couch. What picture is created? How (what details)? What does the last sentence imply about Tom and the women?
8.
Accumulate at least 10 details, written in phrases, about Tom, Daisy, and “the younger of the two women.”
9.
Imagery (word pictures, metaphors, similes) is an important element in this chapter. Find and annotate at least 3 passages containing imagery. What effect does each passage create? Be prepared to identify and discuss these passages in class.
10.
What is our first image of Gatsby? What is he doing? What key image(s) is he associated with?
3

Read Chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby and answer the following questions in writing.
1. What is the physical setting/atmosphere of the first two pages of Chapter 2? How does it compare with the setting of Chapter 1?
2. What does George Wilson look like? How does he interact with Tom Buchanan?
3. What does Mrs. Wilson look like? How does she behave? What interests her?
4. What do the Wilsons’ home and business look like?
5. What does Myrtle Wilson’s apartment in New York look like? What objects does it contain? How does it compare with the Buchanans’ East Egg home?
6. What does Myrtle’s sister, Catherine, look like? How does she behave? What does she talk about?
7. What do Mr. and Mrs. McKee talk about?
8. How does Tom Buchanan behave towards George Wilson? Towards Mr. McKee?
Towards Myrtle?
9. What is your sense of Nick Carraway, our narrator, through all the events of this chapter?
4

1.
What mood is created in the first three pages of the chapter? Give 3 adjectives that capture the mood of the party at Gatsby’s house. In addition, give 3 specific details from these pages that contribute to the mood you’ve identified.
2.
What color is frequently mentioned in these 3 pages? What meaning does this imagery create?
3.
What types of people come to Gatsby’s party besides Nick and Jordan? Give 3 examples.
4.
How does Jordan get along with these people? What more do we learn about her?
5.
What new stories and rumors are voiced about Gatsby in this chapter? List 3
6.
Why is the man in the library surprised that the books are real?
7.
What is Gatsby like when we meet him? Is he what you expected?
8.
Why does Nick become curious about Gatsby?
9.
Write down at least 3 images of him; brainstorm associations. Be ready to write about what we have heard and seen about Gatsby so far.
10.
What tone overtakes Gatsby’s party once most people are drunk? (50-52)
What is the significance of the accident?
11.
Nick gets to know Jordan Baker better. What does he remember about her?
What is Nick’s interpretation of her dishonesty? What is his attitude towards this dishonesty?
12.
How does Nick characterize himself at the end of the chapter? Do we believe him?
5

Read Chapter 4:. Come to class prepared to answer the following with specific reference to the text. If there is a quiz, you will be able to use your book but only if there are thorough annotations. Continue adding to your vocabulary lists.
1.
Compare the first 3 pages of this chapter with the beginning of Chapter 3.
Both passages describe the parties at Gatsby’s mansion. What do we get in the beginning of Ch 4? Is there a difference in tone? What do you think of the different names of the guests?
2.
On pages 64-69, Nick drives with Gatsby into Manhattan from Long Island.
What do you notice about the description of Gatsby’s car? Have comments in the margins. Other cars?
3.
What does Gatsby tell Nick about his background in these pages? Make a list of at least 5 details from his biography that he reports. Do you find these details believable? Why or why not?
4.
What are Nick’s thoughts about Gatsby over the course of this ride into the city?
5.
Pages 69-73 show us Nick at lunch with Gatsby and Mr. Wolfshiem. What do you think of this new character/ What are his most important characteristics
6.
What does Wolfshiem’s friendship with Gatsby imply about the latter?
7.
What story does Jordan tell Nick? What light does this shed on different characters in the novel? Be sure to add to your material on car motifs.
8.
How does Nick respond to Jordan’s story? What does he now think about
Gatsby?
9.
Pages 69-73 show us Nick at lunch with Gatsby and Mr. Wolfshiem. What do you think of this new character/ What are his most important characteristics?
10.
What does Wolfshiem’s friendship with Gatsby imply about the latter?
11.
What story does Jordan tell Nick? What light does this shed on different characters in the novel? Be sure to add to your material on car motifs.
6

12.
How does Nick respond to Jordan’s story? What does he now think about
Gatsby?
7

1.
Annotate the conversation between Nick and Gatsby (81-3). What do you note about Gatsby's behavior? What do the words, phrases, exchanges show us? Go beyond the literal.
2.
What does Gatsby have done to get ready for Daisy? Annotate. So?
3.
Interpret Gatsby's behavior in the scenes preceding and with Daisy. Again, annotate significant words, phrases, etc. Have an idea or two or three about this scene. What do you think happened between them? Back up your interpretation.
4.
Re-read Daisy’s arrival p. 85 through her departure p. 89. How do Daisy and
Gatsby first respond to their meeting? What changes by a.
p. 89? Be ready to give specific lines as support for your ideas? b.
What does Gatsby tell us about himself on p. 90?
5.
Note the description of the house on p. 90-1 What details do you notice?
What questions do you have about this description? Go back to the description of the exterior of the house on p. 88.
6.
What objects in the house does Fitzgerald single out for description on p. 91-
2? Why does he emphasize these objects?
7.
Read the “shirt scene,” p. 92, carefully. What does this scene tell us about
Gatsby? About Daisy?
8.
What further objects in the house does Fitzgerald emphasize on p. 93?
9.
How does the chapter end? What portrait does Nick give us of Gatsby and
Daisy on the couch? What are Nick’s reflections on the scene? Remember
Jordan and Daisy on the couch in Chapter 1.
10.
Pull out 3 images (or metaphors) and EXPLAIN what they show and
ELABORATE how they connect to a repeated idea in the novel or a motif that you have noticed.
8

1. So who is/was Gatsby? What are three important things you learn about him in the first pages of Chapter 6?
2. Who was Dan Cody? How did he fit into Gatsby’s ambitions? What did Gatsby learn from Cody?
3. On p. 101, three people arrive “on horseback.” What does this suggest about them? How do they interact with Gatsby during this episode?
4. On pp. 104-108, we read about another party at Gatsby’s house. On the bottom of p. 104, Nick says that he looks at West Egg “through Daisy’s eyes.” What does he see now that he didn’t see before? Note at least three things that Nick sees differently.
5. How does Tom respond to Gatsby’s party? To Gatsby’s guests? To Gatsby himself?
Note at least three passages that show Tom’s reactions.
6. How does Daisy respond to the party? To Gatsby? To Gatsby’s guests?
7. What do we learn about the differences between Gatsby’s guests and Tom and
Daisy Buchanan in this chapter?
8. Note the descriptions of Daisy’s voice in this section. Find at least three. What does Daisy do with her voice? How does her voice differ from those of other women at the party?
9. Study the paragraph on the bottom of p. 108. What does the party seem to offer to Daisy? What is she worried about?
10. On pp. 109-111, find three passages that express what Gatsby wants.
11. What advice does Nick give to Gatsby? What is Gatsby’s response?
9

Overarching Question: Think about this chapter as a “match” (boxing or otherwise) between Tom and Gatsby. Where and when are the “punches” thrown? Who throws them? Who wins each round? Who is the ultimate victor?
1. At the beginning of Chapter 7, what has changed at Gatsby’s house? Why?
2. As we return to the Buchanans’ house for the lunch party, think about the parallel scene in Chapter 1 (Nick’s visit). What is the same? What has changed? What is the mood?
3. How does Daisy treat her daughter?
4. Note the interactions among the adult characters. What is happening?
5. What happens on p. 119? How does it happen?
6. Find two references to Daisy’s voice and explain why they are significant.
7. How does Tom talk about Gatsby on pp. 121-122?
8. How does he characterize Gatsby’s car? Why?
9. Read carefully the passage on 123-top of 125. What happens at the Wilsons’ garage? What has happened before this encounter? What, now, is the situation of each of the following characters: Tom, Daisy, Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, George Wilson?
10. What is Tom’s mood as he enters Manhattan (p. 125)? What about Gatsby’s?
Tom’s mood 126-136 (top) (this is the hotel room scene)? And Gatsby’s?
Tom’s mood 136-145 (accident and aftermath)? And Gatsby’s?
10

1. What is Nick’s attitude towards Gatsby at the beginning of Chapter 8? Why?
2. What does Gatsby tell Nick (and us) about the beginning of his relationship with
Daisy? Pull out at least three details of this story that you think are important
(passages) and be prepared to discuss them in class,
3. What do you now think about Gatsby? Why?
4. What happens between Nick and Jordan? Why?
5. What happens between Wilson and Michaelis? What do we learn about George and Myrtle?
6. Read pp. 160-162 carefully. What happens?
Please note: on p. 162, my edition has a typo. The word “transit” at the end of the long paragraph should read “a compass,” i.e., “like the leg of a compass....”
11

This chapter deals with the aftermath of Gatsby’s death and centers on Nick trying to make sense of what has occurred. This chapter moves around a lot in time and place.
1.
Why does Nick think that Gatsby “paid a high price for living too long with a single dream” (p. 161)?
2.
In Chapter 7 we learn of Gatsby’s origins as James Gatz of North Dakota. In the novel, Gatsby has become his alter ego, leaving James Gatz behind as he travels the world as Dan Cody’s steward. a.
Yet, we meet his father, Henry C. Gatz. Describe the meeting between
Nick and Mr. Gatz. What is revealed about Gatsby? b.
What does his father think about his son? c.
Why did Gatsby’s father feel a sense of pride in the house? (p. 176) d.
Look at the “general resolves”—what does this suggest about the young James Gatz’s hopes and dreams? His ambition? (p. 181)
3.
Thinking about the documentary we viewed at the beginning of the unit
(People Like Us), how does Gatsby feel limited by class? a.
What are the particular pressures and obstacles that he faced when he moved into a different social class?
4.
We also get more information about the evolution of James Gatz to Jay
Gatsby. How did Meyer Wolfsheim put him on the road to success? (p. 179)
5.
How does this success have ironic implications by Wolfsheim’s desire to not associate himself now with his dead partner? a.
Why didn’t Wolfsheim come down?
6.
Nick doesn’t manage to get in touch with Daisy after Gatsby’s murder, but he does run into Tom. What does he ask him? a.
Their suspicious departure? (p. 172) b.
What do you think of Tom’s response? c.
What about Nick’s reaction?
7.
Talk about your thoughts on Gatsby’s funeral. How attends? What is Nick’s reaction to the fact that no one attends? (pp. 182-183) a.
Why does Nick hang up on Klipspringer in disgust? (p. 177) b.
What does this ultimately suggest about Gatsby?
12

8.
Examine the last page of the novel. Fitzgerald writes, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther…And one fine morning—(p. 180). a.
Why does Fitzgerald leave this sentence unfinished? b.
What does Nick think will happen one fine morning?
9.
Is Fitzgerald writing a love story the embraces American ideals, or a satire that comments on American ideals? a.
Does the novel critique or uphold the values of the Jazz Age and the fears of the Lost Generation? If it is not a critique, why not? b.
Critique of American morality and idealism c.
What did he have to say in Gatsby? d.
How might this book represent the hopes and dreams of Americans during the 1920s? e.
The desire for reinvention—after the Great War—to make oneself into what you hope and desire
13