chapter 1

Question 1

summary

Answer 1

• Nick tells us about himself and sets the scene
• He recently moved to New York ( West Egg)
• His cousin (Daisy) and her husband (Tom) live in East Egg in where he visits them
• He meets Jordan there and finds out that Tom is having an affair
• He returns home and sees Gatsby’s garden

Question 2

“just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” - Nick’s father

Answer 2

• Self-conscious narrator
• May be hiding how wealthy he actually is

Question 3

“I’m inclined to reserve all judgements” - Nick

Answer 3

• Judges everyone which makes human
  o Thinks it’s an observation not a judgment
• Part of the lost generation who came back from WW1 and doesn’t know what to do
  o Modernist character

Question 4

“Accused of being a politician” - Nick

Answer 4

• Politicians are known for lying
  o Not telling the truth about everything

Question 5

“There was something gorgeous about him”
“who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn” - Nick about Gatsby

Answer 5

• Contradictory – loves him but also hates him
  o Hates what he represents wealth, money etc
• “gorgeous”
  o Can suggest Nick’s attraction to him and refer to his sexuality
  o Hates himself for being attracted to him

Question 6

“my family have been prominent”
“we lie descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch”
“I graduated from New Haven”
“father agreed to finance me for a year” - Nick

Answer 6

• May have more money than he’s letting on

Question 7

“identical in contour “ - West and east egg

Answer 7

• Look the same
• West egg = new money
• East egg = old money
• Eggs are protected by shells = like the people in East egg are protected by money
  o Look strong but they aren’t
  o Just like the American dream
• Eggs need to be broken to be useful
  o May be Fitzgerald making a comment about changes in social class

Question 8

“spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivory” - Gatsby’s house

Answer 8

• Enigmatic description (difficult to understand or mysterious)
  o Illustrates how it is brand new, but Gatsby is trying to make it look like old money
  o Tries to impress Daisy
• “ivory”
  o Shade of green which symbolises his vision of wealth in the future as he tries to rise in social class