Role-play and Performance

Question 1

1. How does Gatsby’s persona reflect the theme of role play and performance?

Answer 1

“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.” (Chapter 9)

This quote highlights Gatsby’s constructed persona and the illusion he maintains. His dream of Daisy and the life he imagines with her is a performance, built on past ideals that he can never truly attain.

Question 2

2. In what ways does Daisy Buchanan exhibit role play and performance?

Answer 2

“They’re such beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such — such beautiful shirts before.” (Chapter 5)

Daisy’s reaction to Gatsby’s shirts is an exaggerated performance, reflecting her superficial values and the emotional show she puts on to fit the role expected of her in her social circle.

Question 3

3. How does Tom Buchanan’s behavior illustrate the idea of role play and performance?

Answer 3

“Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward. Not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body…” (Chapter 1)

Tom performs the role of the dominant, wealthy, and powerful man, projecting arrogance and aggression to maintain his status and control over others, including Daisy and Myrtle.

Question 4

4. How does Nick Carraway’s role as the narrator reflect the theme of role play and performance?

Answer 4

“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” (Chapter 2)

Nick acknowledges his dual role in the story—both as a participant and as an observer. This duality reflects his own form of performance, as he navigates his social circles while maintaining a sense of detachment and judgment.

Question 5

5. How do the lavish parties at Gatsby’s mansion contribute to the theme of role play and performance?

Answer 5

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” (Chapter 3)

Gatsby’s parties are theatrical productions where guests perform their social roles amidst the opulence. These events are designed to project an image of wealth and success, masking the underlying emptiness and longing for genuine connection.

Question 6

6. How does the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy serve as a performance?

Answer 6

“He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you.’ After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken.” (Chapter 6)

Gatsby’s desire for Daisy to renounce Tom is part of his fantasy, a scripted performance where she plays the role of the idealized lover who has always been faithful to him in spirit, if not in fact.