WHOLE GATSBY BOOK Flashcards
setting
America, roaring 20s (alcohol prohibited)
theme
American dream old money vs new money judgment pretending to be someone you're not recreating the past
where is old money - who is in it
where is new/poor - who is in it
Old = East: Daisy, Jordan, Tom New/Poor = West: Gatsby, Myrtle, George
How to describe Tom?
Arrogant, dominant, aggressive, power
How to describe Daisy?
manipulative “I’m paralyzed with happiness”
how to describe jordan baker
doesnt acknowledge nick - chin held high
American Dream
Tom
Daisy
Jordan
T: For the white race to be superior
D: Status quo - doesn’t want anything to change same as Jordan
“And I hope she’ll be a fool, a beautiful little fool”
who is saying this? about who?
why?
1) daisy is saying this about her daughter
2) just like daisy goes along w/ everything - doesn’t question anything = ignorance is bliss/status quo - she wants her daughter to be the same
how to describe gatsby
wants to be alone
trembling
green light (money, envy)
why does tom have an affair w/ someone poor and not within his own crowd
if he were to have an affair w/ someone his own crowd - he can get his reputation ruined
but if he has the dominance over someone - he can call the shots and have no consequences
what are the symbolism of the billboard eyes?
Gd/Someone is always watching = judgment
what happens as myrtel cahnges her costume?
as she changes her clothes - so does her attitude - she begins acting as if she is all this and that - she begins acting as if she’s someone who is old money = pretending to be someone you’re not
an example of tom having no consequences
punches myrtle in the nose - gets away w/ it
how to describe nick
renting, unsure, unstable - doesn’t know where he wants to be - w/ the old mone crowd yet lives in west egg
how is nick apart of the old crowd
dating Jordan
hangs out w/ them - enjoys the attention form them even if its bad
how is nick apart of the new money crowd
he gets lonely sometimes - small moments
like gatsby in a way who is new money yet is alone in a big house
how is Jordan an example that old money has no consequences/is able to get away with everything?
1) she cheated in a golf game - this blew up but then died down - can hint to Jordan paying her way out of it - showing ppl w/old money have no consequences
2) she drives irresponsibly - placing the blame on others, saying she doesnt have to be responsible = no consequences/not caring if anything happens she has money and most likely will get away w/ everything
what does gatsby say abt his life vs reality
1) wealthy family, gets money from them = poor farmer family, gets money from bootlegging alcohol
2) educated oxford = went to st Olaf for a few weeks - dropped out bc ppl didn’t see his ‘potential’
3) from mid-west - San Francisco = actually from North Dakota
4) served in the army, traveled the world = truth
5) his name is Jay Gatsby - james gatz
quotes abt what nick thinks abt gatsby
1) “why Jordan baker thought he was lying”
2) hurried the words Oxford
3) suspected he was pulling my leg
4) character
who is meyer wolfsheim?
a gangster - friend of Gatsby - they work together
he fixed the 1919 world series
can imply the way tom gets his money is in an unhonest way
Jordan explained daisys life back in Louisville
what is this showing?
1) daisy and gatsby were close
2) planned on running away w/ gatsby
3) her family doesn’t let her since he was poor - she doesn’t talk to her family
4) gets engaged to tom
5) gets drunk - gets a letter from gatsby and calls of the wedding
6) gets married to tom the next day
7) tom cheats on her
8) has a child with him
-
she lets things happen - doesn’t try to change things - status quo
what does a clock represent?
where is it placed?
1) can represent time - past
2) Fitzgerald places it front and center during gatsby and daisy reunion
3) the clock breaks - can show that maybe it isn’t possible to recreate the past and if you try to tamper w/ time it can ruin things hence clock breaks
quotes about 17 year olf gatsby
never accepted his parents
he was a son of gd
what did ella kay teach gatsby
the people with money can get things to go their way
what is george wilsons american dream
to move west
yellow car meaning
one way in the yellow car was tom and Jordan - myrtle sees this
on the way back its gatsby and daisy are in the car - myrtle thinks its tom - jumps in front of the car
yellow goes from a happy color to a color of death
this is showing pretending to be someone you’re not/ consequences
nicks view of gatsby throughout the book
1) thinks he’s mysterious
2) charming - hiding something
3) delusional
4) “I disliked him so much at that time” (only cared for daisy when someone died)
5) “you’re worth more than them” - implying gatsby is better than the rotten old money crowd
nicks relationship w/ old money
1) they look down on him
2) he likes the attention form them (good or bad)
3) Jordan likes careless [ppl/dumb ppl - so she can trick them and they wont know
4) nick dates her after she made her intentions clear of who she likes to date
5) “id had enough of these people”
6) they’re a rotten crowd
