Chapter 4: Comprehension Questions
A. Why is there a catalog of names at the beginning of the chapter?
Answer:
The catalog of names shows the wide variety of people who attend Gatsby’s parties,
highlighting their wealth, status, and the diversity of his guests. It also emphasizes the
extravagance and social importance of Gatsby's gatherings.
B. What does Gatsby tell Nick about himself? Is there any evidence he is
lying?
Answer:
Gatsby tells Nick he is the son of wealthy people from the Midwest, educated at Oxford, and a
war hero who has traveled across Europe. There is evidence he is lying because his story
sounds rehearsed, inconsistent, and overly dramatic. Nick is skeptical, especially when Gatsby
says he's from San Francisco, which contradicts the idea of being Midwestern.
C. What accomplishments of Meyer Wolfsheim’s does Gatsby describe to
Nick? How does Nick react?
Answer:
Gatsby tells Nick that Wolfsheim fixed the 1919 World Series. Nick is shocked and disturbed
that someone could get away with such a crime. It makes Wolfsheim seem very powerful and
dangerous.
D. How did Daisy behave after Gatsby went overseas? What does her
behavior show about her feelings for Gatsby?
Answer:
Daisy was very sad and tried to follow Gatsby, even attempting to run away to say goodbye.
However, she eventually moved on and got engaged to Tom. Her behavior shows that she loved
Gatsby but lacked the emotional strength or commitment to wait for him.
E. According to Jordan, what did Daisy do on her wedding day? Why?
Answer:
Daisy got drunk and cried over a letter (presumably from Gatsby), saying she changed her
mind about marrying Tom. This shows that she still loved Gatsby and wasn’t sure about
marrying someone else.
F. What does Tom do when he and Daisy return from their honeymoon?
Answer:
Tom is involved in a scandal where he gets into a car accident with a maid from a hotel. This
incident suggests he is already cheating on Daisy shortly after their wedding.
G. Why does Gatsby want to have tea with Daisy in Nick’s house? Why
doesn’t Gatsby ask Nick for this favor himself?
Answer:
Gatsby wants to see Daisy again in a private, casual setting and hopes to rekindle their
relationship. He doesn’t ask Nick directly because he is nervous and relies on Jordan to help
make the arrangement.
Discussion Questions (Slightly Longer
Answers)
H. Why does Gatsby call Nick “old sport”?
Answer:
Gatsby uses “old sport” as a term of endearment and charm, possibly to sound aristocratic or
British, and to build a sense of closeness and loyalty. It’s part of his carefully crafted persona.
I. How might different characters in the story view Gatsby’s past with Daisy
differently? Pick two characters and explain.
Answer:
Nick sees Gatsby’s past with Daisy as a romantic and tragic love story; he sympathizes with
Gatsby and believes in his dream.
Tom, on the other hand, sees Gatsby as a threat and dismisses their past, viewing Gatsby as
socially inferior and not a true rival.
Antisemitism in The Great Gatsby: Arnold
Rothstein, Meyer Wolfsheim, and F. Scott
Fitzgerald
J. Who was Arnold Rothstein?
Answer:
Arnold Rothstein was a famous gambler and crime boss in the 1920s involved in illegal
activities like bootlegging, drugs, gambling, and bribery. Known as “the Big Bankroll,” he was
deeply connected to many aspects of New York society and rumored to have fixed the 1919
World Series.
K. Why Did Fitzgerald base Meyer Wolfsheim on Rothstein, Why is it
considered antisemitic, and Why does that matter?
Answer:
Fitzgerald based Wolfsheim on Rothstein because Rothstein was a real-life Jewish mobster,
fitting the criminal stereotype. However, the portrayal is considered antisemitic because
Wolfsheim is reduced to harmful stereotypes—shown as greedy, grotesque, and sinister. This
matters because it reinforces negative and harmful views of Jewish people, even if
unintentionally, and contributes to a larger pattern of prejudice in literature and society.
L. Quote from the Text about Wolfsheim
Detail about Wolfsheim Connection to Corruption
“Mr. Carraway, this is my friend Mr. Wolfsheim.” A small, This physical description
flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me dehumanizes him, focusing on
with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either stereotypical features to portray
nostril. After a moment I discovered his tiny eyes in the him as sinister.
half darkness.
His nostrils turned to me in an interested way. “I Wolfsheim assumes Nick wants
understand you’re looking for a business gonnegtion.” to join illegal activities. This
Gatsby answered: “Oh, no, this isn’t the man.” shows the kind of business
Gatsby is around.
“I see you’re looking at my cuff buttons.” … “Finest This shocking detail adds to his
specimens of human molars,” he informed me. grotesque and criminal persona,
again emphasizing Fitzgerald’s
use of stereotypes.
M. What can we tell about Gatsby based on the company he keeps? What is
Fitzgerald trying to show us?
Answer:
Gatsby's friendship with Wolfsheim suggests that he’s willing to be involved with shady people
to gain wealth and status. Fitzgerald is showing that Gatsby’s dream is tainted—he's not purely
noble; his success is tied to corruption and deception. It reflects the corruption beneath the
American Dream.
Chapter 5: Comprehension Questions
N. Why does Gatsby want to have Nick’s lawn cut?
Answer:
Gatsby wants everything to be perfect for Daisy’s visit, including the appearance of Nick’s
house. He’s trying to impress her.
O. Why does Gatsby say he’s going to go home right before the lunch at
Nick’s?
Answer:
Gatsby is extremely nervous about seeing Daisy again. He feels anxious and wants to escape
before facing her.
P. Why do they end up going to Gatsby’s house later?
Answer:
Gatsby wants to show Daisy his mansion and his wealth to impress her and prove he is now
worthy of her.
Q. What does Gatsby say about his wealth that contradicts what he had
previously told Nick?
Answer:
Gatsby tells Nick he inherited his wealth, but later he admits that he earned his money through
other means in the last three years, implying illegal activities.
R. What does Gatsby throw in front of Daisy and Nick? What does this
scene tell us about Gatsby (think about material possessions)?
Answer:
Gatsby throws his expensive shirts in front of Daisy and Nick. Daisy cries over them. This
scene shows that Gatsby believes wealth and material things can win Daisy back, and that he
sees possessions as symbols of success and love.
Discussion Questions (Slightly Longer
Answers)
S. Why does Gatsby allow Klipspringer to stay at his house?
Answer:
Gatsby doesn’t care about Klipspringer personally; he’s indifferent to the man staying there. It
shows that Gatsby’s house is a tool for status and parties, not a true home, and that he doesn’t
form real relationships with most of his guests.
T. Explain Gatsby’s complex attitude towards Daisy.
Answer:
Gatsby is deeply in love with Daisy, but his love is based on an idealized memory of her from
the past. He’s obsessed with recreating their perfect moment and believes that if he becomes
rich and powerful, he can win her back. However, he doesn't fully see who Daisy is in the
present—he’s chasing a dream rather than a real person.
Chapter 5: Conveying Awkwardness in Mood and
Symbols
Gatsby and Daisy’s first meeting Symbols
Page 86 “With his hands”—88 “I walked 86-87: The clock: What happens with Gatsby and the
out the back”: Describe the mood of these “defunct clock” (defunct means that it is not telling the
pages and how the weather relates, time any longer). What does this clock represent?
referencing quotations when appropriate.
92: Shirts: what might the shirts symbolize? Find a quote
Page 88 “After half an hour” – 90 “I that shows Daisy’s reaction, and theorize about why she
agreed”: Describe the mood of these pages has this reaction.
and how the weather relates, referencing
quotations when appropriate.
92-93: The green light at the end of the dock: what is
How does the changing weather echo the this green light literally? What does it represent, and how
changing mood? do you know? (Look at the end of the chapter).
Close Reading: Similes and Metaphors in Chapters 1–5
Quote Simile or What 2 Why did the author choose to
Metaphor unlike make this comparison? What
things are does it emphasize about the
compared? things being compared?
“Tom Buchanan compelled Simile Tom moving The simile emphasizes the
me from the room as though (uses “as Nick and way Tom treats people – he
he were moving a checker though” to moving a acts as though they are
to another square.” (10) compare) checker nothing more than game
pieces on a checkerboard that
he can manipulate. Both
physically and mentally, Tom
acts as though others are
pawns and he is a chess
master.
“At 158th Street the cab Simile Apartment Fitzgerald compares the
stopped at one slice in a house and apartment building where Tom
long white cake of slice of parties with Myrtle to a slice
apartment- houses.” (28) white cake of cake to suggest celebration
and indulgence. It reflects
Tom’s dual life and hints at
the irony of cheating on Daisy
in a building that resembles a
wedding cake.
“The exhilarating ripple of Metaphor Daisy’s This metaphor emphasizes
her voice was a wild tonic in voice and a how Daisy’s voice is
the rain.” wild tonic intoxicating and invigorating
to Gatsby, like a refreshing
and energizing drink during a
storm. It shows her voice’s
magical, almost healing, effect
on him.
“With his hands still in his Simile Gatsby’s The simile suggests Gatsby’s
coat pockets he stalked by movement tension and controlled, almost
me into the hall, turned and a puppet unnatural movements, like
sharply as if he were on a on a wire someone being pulled by
wire, and disappeared into strings. It emphasizes his
the living-room.” nervousness and the artificial
way he behaves in front of
Daisy.
“Compared to the great Simile and Gatsby’s This shows Gatsby’s
distance that had separated metaphor dream and a disillusionment. The simile of
him from Daisy it had star/moon the star and moon shows how
seemed very near to her, close yet unreachable Daisy
almost touching her. It had is. The green light becomes
seemed as close as a star just a light again — a
to the moon. Now it was metaphor for his fading
again a green light on a dream.
dock. His count of
enchanted objects had
diminished by one.”
Chapter 6: Comprehension Questions
A. Define perspective as a literary device: Perspective is the lens through which a story is
told — the viewpoint of a character or narrator that shapes the way events and characters are
described.
B. FACT CHECK for pages 98–100:
● Jay Gatsby’s name was originally: James Gatz
● He is from the state of: North Dakota
● His parents worked on a: farm
● Gatsby always wanted to be: successful and wealthy
● When he was: 17 years old, he met a man named: Dan Cody
● Gatsby had been working on Lake Superior as a: clam-digger and fisherman
● He attended a college called: St. Olaf and stayed there for two weeks. While he was
there, he worked as a janitor.
● Dan Cody made his money in: copper. He dated a not-too-nice woman named Ella
Kaye.
● **When Dan Cody asked Jay Gatz what his name was, he said, for the first time, “Jay
Gatsby.”
● Gatsby worked for Dan Cody on his: yacht, which was named Tuolomee.
● Some of the jobs Gatsby did were: steward, mate, skipper, secretary
● Gatsby stopped working for Dan because: Cody died
● Gatsby drank so little due to: Dan Cody’s alcoholism
● Gatsby inherited: $25,000 from Dan Cody, but Ella Kaye took it.
C. What is Daisy’s opinion of Gatsby’s party? How does this affect him?
She didn’t like it — she found it tasteless and overwhelming. This deeply upsets Gatsby
because he wanted to impress her, and her disapproval hurts his dream of rekindling
their romance.
D. How does Gatsby act when the visiting trio (including Tom Buchanan) comes to visit?
How do they act toward him?
Gatsby tries to impress them, but he’s awkward and they look down on him. Tom, in
particular, is judgmental and condescending.
E. What is a bootlegger? Why does Tom immediately sense that Gatsby is a bootlegger?
A bootlegger is someone who illegally sold alcohol during Prohibition. Tom senses this
because Gatsby’s wealth is suspicious and sudden, and rumors about him are
everywhere.
Discussion Questions
A. Why do you think Gatsby lied about his past?
Gatsby lied about his past because he was ashamed of his poor background and wanted
to reinvent himself as someone worthy of Daisy. He believes that wealth and prestige are
the only ways to win her love back.
B. What does Gatsby want from Daisy and why?
He wants Daisy to leave Tom and declare that she never loved him. He wants to erase
the past and return to the ideal love they had before the war, believing he can recreate it
exactly as it was.
Chapter 6: Discussion (Pages 110–111)
Question Your Answer Your Classmates’
Answers
1. Paraphrase the Gatsby wants Daisy to tell Tom she never Classmate answers
passage (summarize loved him. He believes they can go back in vary — leave blank
in 1–3 sentences) time and pick up where they left off, as if the for your classwork.
past five years never happened. Nick realizes
Gatsby is chasing an illusion.
2. What’s one line you “You can’t repeat the past.” “Can’t repeat the Classmate answers
find interesting? past?” he cried incredulously. “Why of course vary.
you can!”
3. Ask a question Why is Gatsby so obsessed with recreating a Classmate
about the passage. perfect version of the past with Daisy? questions vary.
4. What does this He’s trapped in it. Gatsby believes the past Classmate answers
passage illustrate can be recreated and that it’s the key to his vary.
about Gatsby’s happiness.
relationship with the
past?
5. What does this Gatsby doesn’t love Daisy as she really is — Classmate answers
passage illustrate he loves the idealized version of her that he vary.
about Gatsby’s created in his imagination.
relationship with
Daisy?
Chapter 7: Comprehension Questions
A. What has changed at Gatsby’s house? What reason does Gatsby give for these
changes?
He stops throwing parties, fires his staff, and hires new servants. He says it’s to avoid
gossip now that he’s seeing Daisy.
B. Why is Daisy and Tom’s daughter’s entrance significant? How does Gatsby react?
It proves Daisy has a life with Tom and responsibilities Gatsby can’t erase. He’s shocked
— the child doesn’t fit into his dream.
C. Describe the mood of the luncheon and explain why. How does the weather echo the
mood?
The mood is tense and awkward. The heat symbolizes building tension and anger,
similar to the storm of emotions between the characters. Unlike the romantic rain from
Chapter 5, this heat is oppressive.
D. What does Tom realize at lunch and why?
He realizes Daisy is in love with Gatsby. He notices how they look at each other and
begins to panic.
E. What happens at George’s garage? Why does George want to move? Who is at the
window and why is she jealous?
George tells Tom he’s moving west. Myrtle is at the window, jealous because she thinks
Jordan is Tom’s wife.
F. Why is Gatsby surprised when Daisy says, “I did love him [Tom] once — but I loved
you too”?
Gatsby is shocked because he wants Daisy to say she only ever loved him. This ruins
his fantasy of perfect love.
G. What happens to Myrtle? How and why?
She runs into the road thinking Tom is driving the yellow car. Daisy, driving Gatsby’s car,
hits and kills her.
H. Why does Tom say the yellow car wasn’t his? What are his motives?
He wants to distance himself from the accident and protect himself legally. He may also
be trying to frame Gatsby.
I. Whose birthday is it? How old is he turning?
It’s Nick’s birthday. He turns 30.
J. What is the tone/mood of the Daisy and Tom kitchen scene?
Quiet and conspiratorial. They’re huddled together, suggesting they’ll stay together
despite everything.
Chapter 7: Discussion — Connections to the Yellow Car
A. Daisy: She was driving it when Myrtle was killed.
B. Tom: He drove it earlier that day and lied about it not being his.
C. Myrtle: She ran toward it thinking Tom was driving.
D. Gatsby: It was his car, and he took the blame for the accident to protect Daisy.
Chapter 7: Close Reading/Diction Analysis
Pag Quote Passage: Strongest Image/feelings How does
e# context Quotation words and the reader gets this passage
phrases in from the affect the
the passage passage and the mood and
strong words tone of the
novel?
114 Beginning of “The next day Broiling, Overwhelmed, Creates a
chapter, was broiling... simmering oppressive heat, mood of
intense heat Her pocketbook hush, rising pressure suffocating
symbolizes slapped to the combustion, intensity,
rising floor.” lapsed matching the
tension. despairingly emotional
tension
125 Tom realizes “There is no Confusion, Urgency, fear, Increases
Daisy loves confusion like... hot whips of desperation suspense
Gatsby with the double panic, and reflects
purpose of instinct, Tom’s
overtaking accelerator internal panic
Daisy and and jealousy
leaving Wilson
behind.”
134 After Daisy’s “Only the dead Dead dream, Sadness, Highlights
rejection dream fought slipped away, hopelessness, the death of
on... lost voice no longer faded love Gatsby’s
across the tangible, ideal and
room.” struggling fading hope
for his dream
136 After Myrtle’s “So we drove on Drove on iniveitability, Marks a
death toward death toward death, fatalism major turning
through the cooling point — a
cooling twilight.” twilight sense that
fate is
closing in