chapter 1 Flashcards
Gatsby
Nick mentions Gatsby ‘the man who gives his name to this book’
Nick’s background
his family has lived for generations in the same city in Minnesota, after Nick graduated he joined the army and fought in WWI
He relocated to New York City to ‘learn the bond business’
Old vs New money
Nick says that West Egg is ‘the less fashionable of the two’ because it is where the ‘new rich’ live, while East Egg is home to ‘old money’
Tom
he hasn’t changed since his university days he still comes across as arrogant and condescending
The Rise of the Colored Empires
book Tom discusses over dinner, describes how the white race is at risk of being usurped by ‘other races’
book espouses racist, white supremacist attitudes
Summer of 1922
Nick had just arrived in NY, moved to work in the bond business
West Egg
home to the ‘new rich’ those who have made their fortunes recently
lavish display of wealth and garish poor taste
East Egg
conservative and aristocratic
Nick as an anomaly in the West Egg
they lack social connections and aristocratic pedigrees
Nick graduated from Yale and has many connections
Tom and Daisy
live in the EE
Tom is a former member of Nick’s social club at Yale
Analysis
Chap 1 establishes certain contradictions in Nicks POV
Nicks description of himself
describes himself as tolerant and nonjudgemental, also views himself as morally privileged
Reality
surface glamour covers up all the characters inner emptiness
Gatsby - money
Daisy - beauty (marriage)
Tom - appearance (marriage)
Daisy
tries hard to be shallow ad says she hopes her baby daughter will turn out to be a fool, because women live best as beautiful fools.
Relationship between geography & social values - motif
EE and WE are separated by a small expanse of water, have completely opposite values
