THE GREAT GATSBY

Chapter 1

1. Represents solid American values/ moral or traditional or conservative

2.1 gives unbiased reactions/ the reader’s understanding develops with Nick’s/ as he collects varied

responses/ creates multi-layered characters but is Nick as neutral as he claims to be?

2.2 noun = “hope” or “tolerance”

3. Looked down on Gatsby’s values “unaffected scorn”/ but somehow a magnificent figure (had a dream)

4. “preyed”

5. Daisy = obviously attractive, but her voice holds the greatest allure/ charming, yet “silly or superficial/ also cynical (her child’s birth) setting = predominantly white* one of the themes/ grand (wealth)/ indolent/ underlying sense of insincerity or disquieting atmosphere important.

6.1 he needs to dominate everyone around him/ uses his physical strength/ even racially prejudiced in

attempts to be superior/ likes to display his power.

6.2 “dominance”/ “power”/ “imperatively”/ “brute”/ “hulking”7. *difficult question. Break down the words in the quote –

“complacency” – key idea is that he’s not particularly clever/ trying hard/ to combat his dissatisfaction with life.

8.1 Labels herself pessimistic/ yet makes everything light-hearted or trivial/ her absorption with herself (“I” pronouns) clearly evident/ her child is merely a vehicle to talk about her life.8.2 *key quotes “basic insincerity of what she had said” and “smirk”. Although she is fascinating to listen to/ Nick senses fakeness/ as if all she said was manipulative/ to get attention/ plus showing off her self- satisfied social superiority.

9. NB question relating to themes: “single green light” introduced (we don’t know that it’s Daisy’s dock yet)/ Gatsby is “stretching” his hand out towards it/ reaching for his dream of Daisy/ “trembling”/ shows his urgency or yearning/ Gatsby already portrayed as a lonely and mysterious figure.

CHAPTER 2

1. Depressing and bleak/ industrial/ poor area/ polluted/ dust covered.

2. Farming suggests growth and nature/ valley of ashes exact opposite/ an industrial strip/ lacking anything positive.

3. Still the bully “literally forced”/ carelessly manipulative and cruel/ toys with Mr Wilson about the car/ makes no effort to hide his affair with Myrtle/ lies about Daisy being Catholic, i.e. stringing Myrtle along/ openly betrays Daisy, yet brutally defends her honour/ an absolute hypocrite.

4. *difficult question – open to interpretation and understanding of novel as a whole (Mr Wilson in chapter 8): Eckleburg represents the “god” of this terrible environment/ he watches everything/ hence stare/ devoid of any emotion (spirituality).

5. Mr Wilson = “spiritless” and “anaemic”: pathetic character / lacking any energy or life/ trapped in the valley but sadly desperate to escape/ victim. Mrs Wilson = “sensuously” and “vitality”: opposite to her husband/ cheaply attractive/ radiates energy, especially sexuality which she desperately uses to escape her present life.

6. The dust = lifelessness/ covers Mr Wilson/ but it’s not on Mrs Wilson, which symbolises that she still has vitality and she sees Tom as her way out.

7. Part of his essential character trait of “reserving judgement”/ he’s not particularly comfortable, yet doesn’t want to appear rude or disapproving.

8.1 trying to appear rich or sophisticated/ this is how she thinks a wealthy woman would behave, but actually just cheap materialism.

8.2 over-indulgence = lack of restraint/ no sense of appropriate behaviour/ moral decay or hedonism

8.3 again false snobbery/ she is from the servant’s class/ trying to act the lady

9. Some ideas: Tom is a bully/ has no misgivings about betraying his wife/ yet “defends her honour” (from his mistress!)/ so brutally/ shows how preserving his lifestyle and place in society is paramount/ Myrtle is beneath him and can be treated as such/ uses people/ has no value system/ whereas Myrtle doesn’t realise that she is just a bit of fun for Tom/ she could never take Daisy’s place/ she is not allowed to even say her name/ after violence she continues to see Tom – her desperation to escape her present situation – or doesn’t realise Tom’s casual use of her.

CHAPTER 3

1. (various interpretations) demonstrates Gatsby’s wealth/ shows the lengths taken to attract Daisy/ epitomises the wildness and indulgence of the Jazz Age/ but also the purposelessness of it all (corruption of the American Dream)

2. His wealth in itself not important/ all a lure to attract Daisy/ thereby achieving his dream

3. Want to attend a fabulous party/ exciting to mix with the “lower” classes/ curious about Gatsby/ something new in their dull existence

4.1 Doesn’t look the part/ glasses and “stout”/demonstrates a perceptive understanding of Gatsby (NB)/ more serious (although also drunk)

4.2 Although Gatsby has created/ an illusion of himself/ shows the extent to which he has gone/ to add minute details to the fantasy.

5. Conflicting reaction/ Gatsby is younger that he thought/ contrived speech/ has obvious charisma/ stylish/ yet “roughneck”/ already Nick feels Gatsby’s lonely isolation

6. No restraint/ excessive behaviour/ lacking moral code/ her escort not her husband?/ all quite vulgar

7. So protected by their elitist wealth/ can do what they want/ without any sense of the consequences of their actions!/ no sense of reality/ trying to drive without a steering wheel

8. Time passes between Gatsby’s story/ Nick does have his own life.

9. Nick: perceptive/ sees Jordan for what she is/ but still attracted to her/ sexist/ he is different to the others/ Jordan points out he is not “careless”/ honourable – ends previous relationship.

Jordan: dishonest/ mixes with people she can manipulate/ uses lies to feel dominant.

CHAPTER 4

1. To show the variety of people who attended/ as well as the clear distinction between East and West Egg/ names are both vulgar and humorous/ shows the craziness of the Jazz Age.

2. Thought Gatsby was a man of substance/ but he actually has “little to say”

3.1 Nick is disbelieving/ although fascinated.

3.2 the story is so extravagant or romanticised/ yet clichéd/ that it is almost ludicrous “incredulous laughter”

3.3 he is shown a war medal (for bravery)/ that proves Gatsby did fight in the war/ so then maybe

everything else is also true

4. Various interpretations – some options: Car: a symbol of Gatsby’s gaudy wealth/ yet “flies” over the valley of ashes and the city// lifts Gatsby above mere vulgar/ and suggests the purity of his dream. City: described as “white heaps and sugar lumps”, mystery and the beauty”/ equates to all that is prosperous/ yet seems like an illusion.

5. Sport was revered in that era/ with the World’s Series been followed by the whole country/ it symbolised the country’s belief in fair play or success through hard work/ all ideals of the American Dream is distorted (your answer would need to follow the argument, rather than definite points)

6. Location: purely for its proximity/ to Daisy’s house (would Gatsby have got into East Egg at all?)

Size: the bigger the better/ to interest Daisy in his parties.

CHAPTER 5

1. Gatsby is so indiscreet in his manner/ that it’s easy for Nick to turn him down/ but it could have been a moral crossroads for Nick/ who is inherently an honest man/ Gatsby does not even seem aware that his offer is socially wrong.

2. The care he took in dressing the part/ but under stress/ “sleeplessness”/ and distracted/ even wants to leave when Daisy is a few minutes late/ he can’t stand the agony of waiting any longer.

3.1 (for Daisy their time apart is an indistinct blur)/ whereas for Gatsby his precise answer/ shows his obsession with Daisy/ and his desire to turn back the past.

3.2 so used to lying about his past/ that it is mechanical

3.3 his created image of Daisy is so perfect /that he couldn’t imagine her suffering “normal” emotions

4. From being miserably uncomfortable/ he is now ecstatically confident (must show change). Something transpired/ that made Daisy re-accept Gatsby’s affections

5.1 His house is an extravagant bauble/ but the quote proves that his wealth was a means to an end/ it was linked to his dream/ of regaining Daisy’s affections.

5.2 The light had been (for Gatsby) a symbol of the unattainable Daisy/ now that he has her, it has lost its significance

5.3 *difficult question – some options: now that Gatsby has Daisy, he seems dissatisfied somehow/ the

real Daisy/ can never measure up/ to Gatsby’s creation of her/ he spent so long dreaming of her/ that even the alluring Daisy/ is a shadow of his colossal dream.

6. Her marvellous voice is one thing/ that matches the grandeur of Gatsby’s creation of Daisy.