Higher Study Workbook

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Introduction

This novel will form part of your exam preparation – specifically for paper 2: Critical Reading.

You can write an essay based on this novel for part two of this paper.

In order to be fully prepared, you must read this novel several times. In class you will be able to take notes based on:

Characters Themes Settings

The more notes you make and the more quotes you select and learn, the easier your exam response will be.

The BlurbF. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby brilliantly captures the disillusion of a

society obsessed with wealth and status. Young, handsome and fabulously rich,

Jay Gatsby appears to have it all, yet he yearns for the one thing that will always

be out of his reach: Daisy. The absence of her renders his life, of glittering parties

and bright young things, ultimately hollow. He lived under the delusion that he

could pursue his dream and eventually be accepted into the society he aspired to

be part of. Gatsby's tragic pursuit of his dream was always destined to be a tragic

failure and this novel is often cited as the Great American Novel.

Chapter 1: Understanding Questions

1. What facts do we learn about Nick? What can we infer about him?

2. How does Nick react to Jordan?

3. What does Tom’s behaviour reveal about his character?

4. Why does Fitzgerald keep focusing the quality of Daisy’s voice?

5. Why does Daisy believe it is better for a woman to be ignorant?

6. How does the tone of Nick’s description of Tom reveal Nick’s feelings about Tom?

7. How does the tone of Nick’s description of Tom reveal Nick’s feelings about Tom?

8. Who is Jordan Baker?

9. What is Gatsby doing when Nick first sees him?

10.What indications are there that the green light will have a powerful emotional significance to Gatsby?

Character Quotes:Daisy:• “ …an absurd, charming little laugh.”• “ (Daisy’s murmur was only to make people lean towards her…)”• “Her face was sad and lovely…bright eyes and a bright, passionate mouth.”• “Her voice … a singing compulsion.” • “Our white girlhood…our beautiful white…”

TOM:• “Standing with his legs apart…”• “Sturdy…supercilious manner.”• “Two shining arrogant eyes…”• “… dominance…”• “…leaning aggressively forward…”• “…enormous power of that body…”• “…great pack of muscles…”• “…a cruel body.”• “If we don’t look out the white race will be - will be utterly submerged.” • “It’s up to us…the dominant race…”

Theme Quotes:

Setting Quotes:WEST EGG(p10)• “West Egg-the less fashionable pf the two…”• “superficial tag”• “bizarre and not a little sinister contrast.” • “A colossal affair…factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville.” (p10)

EAST EGG(p10)• “White palaces of fashionable East Egg…”• “…glittered…” • “…elaborate.”• “…cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial Mansion.” (p12)

Chapter 2: Understanding Questions

1. What is the Valley of Ashes?

2. Who or what is Dr. T. J. Eckleburg?

3. What is George Wilson’s occupation?

4. What items does Myrtle purchase in the city?

5. What is significant about these items?

6. Who is Catherine?

7. What effect does the change of dress have on Myrtle?

8. How does Myrtle talk about the help at the hotel?

9. What rumour has Catherine heard about Gatsby?

10. How does Catherine explain to Nick the affair of Myrtle and Tom?

Character Quotes:Tom: arrogance

“…he turned up at popular restaurants with her (Myrtle)…sauntered about, chatting…”

Theme Quotes:

Setting Quotes:• “A fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque

gardens.”• “Where ashes take on the forms of houses and chimneys …and men…already

crumbling through the powdery air.”• “gray cars”• “ash-gray men”• “Gray land and spasms of bleak dust”

• “Small living room, small dining room, small bedroom and bathroom.”

Chapter 3: What do these quotes highlight for us?

1. “Men and girls came and went like moths among the whispering and the champagne and the stars.”

2. “Mondays…servants…toiled…repairing the ravages of the night before” (p52)

3. “Five crates of oranges and lemons…”

4. “…pulpless halves…”

5. “Machine…extract juice from 200 oranges…button pressed two hundred times by a butler’s thumb.” (p53)

6. “Corps of caterers” “spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs, pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a burnished gold.” “ whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and…” (p53)

7. “Casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other’s names.” (p54)

8. “Conduct themselves according to the rules and bahvior associated with amusement parks.”

9. “I was sure they were selling something: bonds or insurance or automobiles.”

IMPORTANT QUOTES

CHARACTER: GATSBY

“He doesn’t want trouble with ANYBODY” “Somebody told me…he killed a man.” “…German spy during the war…” “American Army…” “It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance. “…elegant young roughneck, a year or two over thirty, whose elaborate

formality of speech just missed being absurd.”

Chapter 4: Understanding Questions

1. What phrase does Gatsby repeatedly use to address Nick and others?

2. Who fixed the World Series in 1919, according to Gatsby?

3. Who is Meyer Wolfsheim?

4. What does Gatsby’s friendship with Wolfsheim imply about Gatsby?

5. Why is Daisy’s reputation so unspoiled?

6. How do Daisy and Gatsby know each other?

7. What is the significance of the scene with Daisy and the letter on p98?

8. Why does she almost call off her wedding to Tom? Why doesn’t she?

9. For how long has Gatsby been pursuing Daisy?

10.Based on Jordan’s story, what do we learn about Gatsby’s intentions? What does Gatsby want Nick to do for him?

Chapter 5: Understanding Questions

1. What does Gatsby offer Nick in return for Nick’s cooperation in inviting Daisy to his house?

2. What is the meeting between Gatsby and Daisy like initially?

3. How are Daisy and Gatsby different when Nick returns to the house after a half an hour?

4. What are Gatsby’s feelings by the end of the chapter?

5. Why do you think Daisy sobs when Gatsby shows her his shirts?

6. What is the weather like in this chapter? How does it reflect the emotional climate of Gatsby and Daisy?

7. In this chapter, Gatsby’s dream seems to be fulfilled. What indications are there that reality cannot satisfy his dream?

8. Why does Gatsby deliver so may goods and services to Nick’s house?

9. Explain the significance of the green light

10. Why does Gatsby get so many phone calls? What does this say about him?

Write a short paragraph outlining Daisy and Gatsby’s journey from their first beginning until the meeting at Nick’s house. Include a time frame and a description of their feelings.

Chapter 6: UnderstandingWhat do you know about these characters at this stage?

(add quotes)

James Gatz

Dan Cody

Jay Gatsby

Who is Mr. Sloane?

What are the main points of significance about the incident with Gatsby, Tom and Mr. Sloane? (add quotes)

THEME QUOTESSociety & Class

“Tom’s arrogant eyes roamed the crowd…I don’t know a soul here.” P135

“…the rest offended her…she was appalled by West Egg.” “…appalled by its raw vigour that chafed under the old euphemisms.”

Gatsby’s Dream “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go

to Tom and say: “I never loved you. ...” “… after she was free, they were to go back to Louisville and be

married…”

Chapter 7: Understanding

1. Describe the weather and its relevance to the plot.

2. Explain how Pammy’s appearance affects Gatsby.

3. The Buchanan’s unlimited wealth has left their lives empty and boring. Because of this, what does Gatsby represent for Daisy?

4. What is Tom’s hypocritical reaction to Daisy’s affair?

5. Gatsby aptly describes Daisy’s voice as “full of money.” Explain

6. What has George Wilson learned?

7. Why has George, throughout the novel, been trying to buy a car from Tom?

8. Discuss the confrontation between Tom and Gatsby in the hotel.

9. Explain Nick’s comment, “So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight.”

10. How does Nick change as a result of Myrtle’s death?

11. Who did Myrtle think was driving the Car? Who was really driving?

Make a chart, spider diagram, graphic… explaining the significant points of the incident at The Plaza

(Use this space and the following page)

Chapter 8: Understanding

1. Why was the young Gatsby drawn to Daisy?

2. What is the cause of the problem between Jordan and Nick?

3. In what context do Dr. Eckleburg’s eyes appear in this chapter?

4. How can Wilson’s actions at the end of this chapter be explained?

5. What were Nick’s final significant words to Gatsby? Why is this a fitting goodbye?

Significant Quotes

“He couldn’t possibly leave Daisy.” “He was clutching at some last hope.” “’Jay Gatsby’ had broken up like glass against Tom’s hard malice…”

Chapter 9: Understanding

1. Why does Nick feel responsible for getting people to the funeral? Why do you suppose Wolfsheim reacts the way he does?

2. What does young Jimmy Gatz’s daily schedule say about him?

3. Is Nick surprised that Daisy has not sent a message or flowers? Are you?

4. What is Nick’s final feeling about Tom and Daisy?

5. In the last 3 paragraphs, Nick makes the symbol of the green light very concrete. What does the green light symbolize?

6. Keeping the last 3 paragraphs in mind, what does the last sentence in the story mean?

Quote Meaning

Quote Meaning

Quote Meaning

ThemesThere are 2 main themes that you could easily discuss in an essay:

The corruption or failure of the American Dream Society and class

Use these pages to make notes, draw diagrams or charts to build up a quote and analysis bank for these themes.

The corruption or failure of the American Dream

Society and class