Great Gatsby HELP

[Unregistered]

you have to be the most uneduacted, uncoothed person i have ever met in my entre life. i can't belive that you would add your idiotic oppinions to a literary masterpiece. you are worthless and when you are sitting in some exostential quandering pondering your meanignless existence just remember: I told you so.

[Unregistered]

First off, You must have been asleep in English class. Example:<br><br>I were force to read it for english class, and i hated it.<br>--Shouldn't it be was<br> thank God i'll never have to read a crapy book like that again. <br>--Crappy<br>It was by far one of my least favorite book i ever read. <br>--Book should be books<br>If i had to give this book a rating i'll give 1 out of a possible 10.<br>--Mixture of past and future tenses<br><br>But nice try "Grammer Good"<br><br>And it is also nice of you to give us a reason to agree with you. I have no problems with people disliking literature, however don't just complain about without giving us any justification for your opinion.

[dmcadidas15]

PLEASE answer any of these questions if u know them, thanx
Some are multi choice, some are short answer, and some are true and false.


1. Gatsby's car is a:

2. For a time, Nick's girlfriend:
a. Catherine
b. Myrtle
c. Lucille
d. Daisy
e. Jordan

3. Name Myrtle's sister:

4. Of whom is Tom talking when he remarks, "He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive"?

5. Daisy had second thoughts about marrying Tom.
True or False?

6. Wolfshiem attends Gatsby's funeral.
True or False?

7. Who is Fond of calling people "old sport"?

8. Gatsby's father produces an old ragged copy of:
a. "Hopalong Cassidy"
b. "Great Expectations"
c. "Riders of the Purple Sage"
d. "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"
e. "David Copperfield"

9. College that Tom and Nick attended:

10. The Buchanans' house is in East Egg.
True or False?

11. Which one of the following was NOT one of the "GENERAL RESOLVES" written by young Gatsby:
a. "No more smoking or chewing"
b. "Read one improving book or magazine per week"
c. "Be better to parents"
d. "Make first million by age twenty-one"
e. "Bath every other day"

12. Gatsby did attend this famous university, for a time:

13. Gatsby's real home state:

14. According to Nick, Gatsby believed in the ___________ light.
a. yellow
b. orange
c. green
d. blue
e. gold

15. Which one of the following is NOT a rumor mentioned about Gatsby.
a. That he was a German spy during the war.
b. That he grew up in Germany.
c. That he killed a man.
d. That he is President Harding's illegitimate son.

16. Whom does Nick meet for the first time "in a well-fanned Forsty-second Street cellar"?

17. Gatsby is driving the car that runs down Myrtle Wilson.
True or False?

18. Meyer Wolfshiem recounts the murder of Rosy _______.

19. The camp near Daisy's house where Gatsby was stationed: Camp ___________.
a. Logan
b. Bennett
c. Davis
d. Taylor
e. Robertson

20. The young Greek who runs the coffee joint:

21. Gatsby gives Nick a medal supposedly given to him by the country of:
a. Romania
b. Croatia
c. Bulgaria
d. Montenegro
e. Bosnia

22. Who actually fires the shots that kill Gatsby?

23. Has racist views, has been reading racist book "The Rise of the Coloured Empires":

24. Name Dan Cody's yacht:

25. He's the man who fixed the world series back in 19__."
a. 20
b. 21
c. 19
d. 22
e. 18

26. The main action of the novel takes place in 1929. True or False?

27. The "boarder" in Gatsby's house:

28. In chapter VII, the major characters are gathered together in New York's famous _____________ Hotel.

29. The Buchanans' house used to belong to _______________ the oil man.
a. Morgan
b. Demaine
c. Wesson
d. Parker
e. Rockefeller

30. The looming billboard features the _________ of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg.
a. eyes
b. nose
c. money
d. ears
e. smile

31. Jordan's last name:

32. Meyer Wolfshiem's cufflinks are notable for:
a. rubies
b. human teeth
c. glass eyes
d. silver beads
e. nuggets of gold

33. Made his fortune in Nevada and on the Yukon:
a. Tom
b. Nick
c. Wilson
d. Gatsby
e. Cody

34. Daisy never has a child.
True or False?

35. The job that Gatsby had at St. Olaf's college:

36. According to Gatsby, Daisy's voice is full of ...
a. faith
b. wisdom
c. money
d. deception
e. carelessness

37. Nick's last name:

38. Present at Gatsby's funeral:
a. Wilson
b. Owl Eyes
c. Tom
d. Jordan
e. Daisy

39. Late in the novel, whom does Nick meet walking along Fifth Avenue?

40. Name one of the sports Tom is famous for:

41. Tom Buchanan's hometown:

42. Owl Eyes turns out to be Gatsby's brother.
True or False?

43. Gatsby's real name is James ___________.

44. After the tragic events of the main story, Nick moves back to the Mid-West.
True or False?

45. Gatsby's house is in West Egg.
True or False?

46. The composer of the "Jazz History of the World":
a. Daisy Fay
b. Owl Eyes
c. Dr. T.J. Eckleburg
d. Vladimir Tostoff
e. Jay Gatsby

47. Which of the following characters is NOT alive by the end of the novel?
a. Daisy
b. Myrtle
c. Tom
d. Wofshiem
e. Nick

48. Jordan Baker is a champion in this sport:
a. golf
b. tennis
c. show jumping
d. motor racing
e. swimming

49. Where is Gatsby when he is shot?
a. In his library.
b. In his fancy car.
c. In Daisy's arms.
d. In a pool hall.
e. In his swimming pool.

50. Mr. McKee's first name:
a. Charlie
b. Tom
c. Meyer
d. George
e. Chester

[Basil]

Hi there, dmcadidas15! Welcome to the forum!

I did a search for "the Great Gatsby" on Google and found these terrific sites:

sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/

gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/gatsby/

novelguide.com/thegreatgatsby/

metopera.org/synopses/gatsby.html

Not only do they have summaries, synopses, and character analyses, but many of them feature quizzes with many of the same questions that are on your quiz! (don't worry, they give you the answers!)

I hope that I have helped! Good luck!

[trismegistus]

Dear dmcadidas15,

Don't waste your time doing all that annoying research. Here are the answers to almost all your questions:

1. A 1968 Ford Fairlane
2. A. (She also his second cousin once removed, but that relationship is so distant, it's cool that they are lovers too.)
3. Technically a trick question. Myrtle Wilson has a STEP sister named Catherine.
4. He's speaking of Meyer Wolfsheim.
5. True. She gets a letter from Gatsby that makes her have second thoughts.
6. True. He believes in loyalty as he demonstrates when he speaks of his old gang buddy who was gunned down.
7. Jordan Baker (She is herself an athlete and so the "sport" tickles her fancy.)
8. B. This is Fitzgerald's not-so-subtle internal reference to Gatsby's own hopes.
9. St Olaf's
10. Don't remember
11. E. Gatsby bathes every day.
12. Yale
13. North Dakota
14. E. (This is why an alternative title to the book was "Gold-Hatted Gatsby")
15. C. (Gatsby has convinced the world he is a legit businessman from a family of blue bloods)
16. George Wilson
17. False - Jordan Baker is driving the "death car"
18. Rosenberg
19. Don't know
20. Zamfir
21. "Little Montenegro!"
22. Myrtle Wilson
23. Meyer Wolfsheim
24. The Pinafore
25. Don't know
26. True. (Fiztgerald's great irony is that all this wealth is just about to go down the drain in the stock market crash)
27. Nick Carraway for the period in the book when he is homeless and Gatsby helps him out. Just before offers him a "gonnegtion"
28. Marriott
29. E.
30. B. (This sets the reader up for the mention of Meyer Wolfshiem's nose later in the novel.)
31. Baker
32. B.
33. A.
34. False. She introduces Gatsby to her child, Elizabeth Barrett Browning Buchanan
35. TRICK QUESTION ALERT! Nick and Tom went to St. Olaf's NOT Gatsby!
36. E. (Nick says later on that both she and Tom were both "careless people")
37. Cassidy (A reference to Hopalong Cassidy, the great hero of the West)
38. E.
39. Myrtle Wilson after she has recovered from her brush with death
40. Polo (He brings a "whole string of polo ponies" from Chicago for his wedding)
41. See above
42. False
43. Gatsse
44. False. He narrates the story from the Mid-West, but he states that he will ultimately return East to accept Wolfsheim's "gonnegtion"
45. False. NICK'S house is in West Egg
46. D.
47. C. (Remember that George Wilson kills him for the affair with Myrtle)
48. B.
49. In his library among his beloved books. The irony is of course that he's surrounded by all the "genuine" books at this moment - his moment of truth when he must choose between the great loves of his life: Daisy or Jordan.
50. Don't know

Good luck, dude. I'm sure you'll do just fine.

[BSturdy]

Jeepers what a beastly thread

[rocksea]

http://www.malumovies.com/modules/Forums/images/smiles/laughing4.gif

[subterranean]

Good God :rolleyes: ..well you deserve an award for this :)


Dear dmcadidas15,

Don't waste your time doing all that annoying research. Here are the answers to almost all your questions:

1. A 1968 Ford Fairlane
2. A. (She also his second cousin once removed, but that relationship is so distant, it's cool that they are lovers too.)
3. Technically a trick question. Myrtle Wilson has a STEP sister named Catherine.
4. He's speaking of Meyer Wolfsheim.
5. True. She gets a letter from Gatsby that makes her have second thoughts.
6. True. He believes in loyalty as he demonstrates when he speaks of his old gang buddy who was gunned down.
7. Jordan Baker (She is herself an athlete and so the "sport" tickles her fancy.)
8. B. This is Fitzgerald's not-so-subtle internal reference to Gatsby's own hopes.
9. St Olaf's
10. Don't remember
11. E. Gatsby bathes every day.
12. Yale
13. North Dakota
14. E. (This is why an alternative title to the book was "Gold-Hatted Gatsby")
15. C. (Gatsby has convinced the world he is a legit businessman from a family of blue bloods)
16. George Wilson
17. False - Jordan Baker is driving the "death car"
18. Rosenberg
19. Don't know
20. Zamfir
21. "Little Montenegro!"
22. Myrtle Wilson
23. Meyer Wolfsheim
24. The Pinafore
25. Don't know
26. True. (Fiztgerald's great irony is that all this wealth is just about to go down the drain in the stock market crash)
27. Nick Carraway for the period in the book when he is homeless and Gatsby helps him out. Just before offers him a "gonnegtion"
28. Marriott
29. E.
30. B. (This sets the reader up for the mention of Meyer Wolfshiem's nose later in the novel.)
31. Baker
32. B.
33. A.
34. False. She introduces Gatsby to her child, Elizabeth Barrett Browning Buchanan
35. TRICK QUESTION ALERT! Nick and Tom went to St. Olaf's NOT Gatsby!
36. E. (Nick says later on that both she and Tom were both "careless people")
37. Cassidy (A reference to Hopalong Cassidy, the great hero of the West)
38. E.
39. Myrtle Wilson after she has recovered from her brush with death
40. Polo (He brings a "whole string of polo ponies" from Chicago for his wedding)
41. See above
42. False
43. Gatsse
44. False. He narrates the story from the Mid-West, but he states that he will ultimately return East to accept Wolfsheim's "gonnegtion"
45. False. NICK'S house is in West Egg
46. D.
47. C. (Remember that George Wilson kills him for the affair with Myrtle)
48. B.
49. In his library among his beloved books. The irony is of course that he's surrounded by all the "genuine" books at this moment - his moment of truth when he must choose between the great loves of his life: Daisy or Jordan.
50. Don't know

Good luck, dude. I'm sure you'll do just fine.

[ajoe]

I think the Buchanan's house is in the South Egg.

[atreides]

gah! dont do his homework for him. He'll probably get an A+ because of your answers. Unless they are all wrong. Then it would be a sneaky plan forcing him to check himself.

[trismegistus]

Good God :rolleyes: ..well you deserve an award for this :)

Oh it was a labor of love, trust me. I hope he reports back to tell us the results.

[Basil]

7. Jordan Baker (She is herself an athlete and so the "sport" tickles her fancy.)

I think this one was my favorite . . . the use of quotation marks to create a false sense of legitimacy is hilarious.

[trismegistus]

I think this one was my favorite . . . the use of quotation marks to create a false sense of legitimacy is hilarious.

I only hope he writes on his test that Dan Cody's boat is named the "Pinafore" That will have made it all worth it.

[Hans]

Professional authors seldom (if ever) use such stylized modes of writing by accident. The reason that Fitzgerald "speeds far too much time <i>seting</i> [sic.] up circumstances and events" is because Gatsby's story is being filtered through a third-person narrator, namely Nick. The events cannot simply be given straight to the reader because the most important aspect of Gatsby's character is the way he is perceived by others, and the lengths he goes to in order to create that perception. Without the narrative distance provided by Nick, all the reader gets is a plain representation of events, which leaves the reader at the same disadvantage as the "bright young things" of the book: too absorbed in the small details to be able to see the pattern of the whole.<br><br>Incidentally, your criticism that the book contains too few events berges on the ridiculous. I cannot help but wonder how you would fare with Ishiguro's <i>A Pale View of Hills</i>, which contains neither plot nor significant events but is nevertheless an amazing and soul-searing book.

[Hater]

This book realy sucks. I were force to read it for english class, and i hated it. thank God i'll never have to read a crapy book like that again. It was by far one of my least favorite book i ever read. I didn't enjoy it at all. I will not advise any one to read this book. If i had to give this book a rating i'll give 1 out of a possible 10.

[Eric]

The idea behind The Great Gastby is certainly a respectable one: A man with a dream, a man determined enough to reach against the current of time to bring that dream to the present. The interplay of events, such as Wilson's attack, Gatsby's reaching for the green light, and Tom and Daisy's interplay with Gatsby himself, were all well thought out. Had this idea been the subject of another writer, I would have enjoyed this book.<br>However, I did not enjoy this book. Why? Simply because F. Scott Fitzgerald is a terrible writer (comparitively). He spends far too much time seting up circumstances and events instead of actually telling about them. When actions and events actually happen, they are well developed (almost rediculously well developed), but the actual number of events contained in this read could have been contained in a short story without having detracted from the story itself. Prehaps I'm just impatient, but I believe Fitzgerald ruined his book by rambling on and on about events that we would have gained alot more from by simply seeing them.<br>

[SickofReadingthisSh*tforschool!]

I had to read The (Not-so)Great Gatsby for my English class, and I have to say it is one of the worst books I have ever read. All of my friends agree. It is boring and has no point to it! The book looses me on several spots, especially when he is talking about the journalist and James Gatz. Book was the worst waste of time! Who cares about Myrtle or Daisy or Jordan or Tom or Nick OR EVEN GATSBY! To hell with Wilson and everyone!<br><br>Sorry, but this is the most boring book, I have ever read. I will never read it again. It wasn't worth having the school make me waste $12 on a book that is only 189 pages, and a sucky one at that!<br><br>This book gets a -10 of a scale from 1-10<br><br>

[iridescence]

I just got finished reading The Great Gatsby for a school assignment, and there is one thing that i just can't figure out. Why is Daisy so enthralled with Gatsby's shirts that day he shows her his estate? I understand that it shows his wealth and position but that still leaves out the fact that she was so delighted over shirts when her excitement was less so over the granduer of the house itself...Maybe there was some indication of what the symbolism of the shirt was in the book and it just slipped over my head? If someone could clarify this, I would be really thankful. ^.^

[limetree89]

It does not say this but perhaps Daisy's fascination with the shirts is superficial. Perhaps she is saying in a woman kind of way that she likes him. Saying he has lovely shirts naturally implies that he looks lovely in them.

[ReadWatuWant]

Ur totally right. and schools r crap for makeing us read books that r extreamly boring.but it's also u choice to read it... half of my grade 12 class didn't read they just relied on the teachers notes and the book and we all got good grades. but u do have to admit that even thought the book and moive r deadly boring the story line is intestesting.

[ArcherSnake]

I also disliked this book when I read it in school, but it may have also been due to the fact that I had a horrible teacher who analyzed it all to death, not only because of the book itself. I'm still not crazy over it, but I did enjoy the movie version with Robert Redford.

[beckstar06]

Hey Im doing the great gatsby for school aswell n we have the same question. The answer is that Daisy cries so stormily because when gatsby is displaying his beautiful shirts, "it makes her sad because i've never seen such beautiful shirts before" (p.89)

This basically confirms that Gatsby is a very wealthy man, and she never expected him to be. It shows that if she had had a life with him, she would have gotten such beautiful items just like the shirts.

Hope that helped i registered just to reply to you lol cya

[Valentine]

Well I think it was because she said, 'I've never seen.' As though she had never experienced. I though the shirts represented everything that she though she may have never had because she had married Tom the man she half loved and not Gatsby the man she trully loved. As in 'OMG what have I been missing all my life,' kind of thing

[Valentine]

Yuh-hu you said it! Every time you walk into english it's like, 'prepare for the snore-a-thon' I don't see why intellectual, symbolic books, have to be as dull as dishwater. I think the aim of this book was to find out who had the energy to stay awake and listen, it wasn't testing knowledge, but boredom thresholds. lol ok over the top, but at least it has the fuel in it to write loads for exams and stuff.

[litlearner]

Shirts, I wondered about this myself. Maybe it has to do with Tom's class. He is upper class, old school, very snobby and taken with himself. He is conservative and his fashion sense would reflect that--maybe tweeds, white shirts--nothing--trendy[/I]--that's for sure. He is also cheap!--remember his conversation with Mr. Wilson? Daisy may be somewhat taken with the Jazz age; Flappers, dancing and all of those exciting things that marked the "Roaring Twenties." A beautiful shirt may be symbolic of the times and represent a release from possessive, old stoggy Tom and his "superior" class. Merely an educated guess, what do you think?

[Scheherazade]

I thought the scene with the shirts is an indication of 'shallow' nature of Daisy (maybe of her class as well). She is more interested in clothes one wears than the person who actually wears them. What are clothes/shirts but mere shells? However, Daisy, very superficially, gets carried away with them, not what/who Gatsby is. For her to be able to be interested in Gatsby, he needs to wear all those expensive clothes.

[litlearner]

Daisy is more interested in appearences--the outside--a shirt--than what is inside--a person, like his heart--very superficial--I agree. Hey, isn't that the name of a song? Is Daisy like Dr. TJ in this respect? All eyes and no brain? HA!
Actually, I have some, not much but some sympathy for Daisy. She is not happy. Who knows what might have happened if Gatsby had lived?

[Imnotasoldier]

I loved it

[fatblueserpent]

When assigned a book, try reading it as if you want to. Maybe you can fool yourself into enjoying it. Most times it works for me.

I had to read this book for a class as well. I didn't read it until the school year ended and I was stuck in summer boredom. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It's now one of my favorites.
You certainly can't enjoy a book if you don't try.

[Sandrine]

I always find it fascinating that so many people neglect to get the point of The Great Gatsby. Whether you enjoyed reading it or not, it does have a point.

The Great Gatsby is a story that is still told every day on TV, in movies, in raps songs...Have you ever seen Scarface with Al Pacino? Very similar plot from a different point of view. Both of them are cautionary tales of class struggle and the dangers of debauchery and excess.

[Edvin]

When assigned a book, try reading it as if you want to. Maybe you can fool yourself into enjoying it. Most times it works for me.

I had to read this book for a class as well. I didn't read it until the school year ended and I was stuck in summer boredom. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It's now one of my favorites.
You certainly can't enjoy a book if you don't try.

"You certainly can't enjoy a book if you don't try."
Oh, so true :)

I kind of liked the book. But the fact the you're forced to read it before a specific date does take away a lot of the fun for me. It makes it into a stretch you hav to get across more than a journey into imagination.

[sazah09]

Hiya. I'm also reading it at college, and this is my take on the shirts scene. I don't think that the shirts have anything to do with her crying - or not directly. I think that after seeing Gatsby again, and glimpsing the life she could have had, Daisy starts to cry. She does not want the men to know why, so she sobs into the shirts...
I know what I mean, but, looking over what I have just written, it sounds really stupid. Sorry.

[commasplice]

Hello there.

I have an essay to write about The Great Gatsby. Although I don't have a thesis statement yet (since I have to make a consultation with my teacher first before I can finalize that), it would be wonderful if you could share some of your ideas on this:


Cars symbolize the main points and foreshadows the plot of the novel, The Great Gatsby.

I already have some points that I will use for my essay which I won't divulge so that the thread won't focus on MY ideas. What I would truly appreciate is if you could give me your own insights on this. It would really help me a lot if I get other people's perspective on the topic. Feel free to negate me if you want. I'm open to criticism. =)

Much thanks!

[commasplice]

Hello there.

I have an essay to write about The Great Gatsby. Although I don't have a thesis statement yet (since I have to make a consultation with my teacher first before I can finalize that), it would be wonderful if you could share some of your ideas on this:


Cars symbolize the main points and foreshadow the plot of the novel, The Great Gatsby.

I already have some points that I will use for my essay which I won't divulge so that the thread won't focus on MY ideas. What I would truly appreciate is if you could give me your own insights on this. It would really help me a lot if I get other people's perspective on the topic. Feel free to negate me if you want. I'm open to criticism. =)

Much thanks!

[Virgil]

1. From what I remember, the cars reflect the peronalities of their owners.
2. The car symbolizes the modern industrial world, similar to the rail train in Anna Karinina.
3. The car reflects the brute force recklessness of Tom & Daisy.

You should be able to take it from here.

[commasplice]

The cars reflect the personalities of their owners?

That has something to do with Gatsby's Rolls Royce doesn't it? How about when it comes to relationships? Because one of the examples I'm using is Daisy's white car.

When Jordan was describing to Nick how she met and remembers Gatsby, she said something like "only then did I make the connection that he was the officer who used to ride with Daisy in her white car" (not exact quote, btw). And considering that white is the lack of color, does it not symbolize the empty relationshonship of Daisy and Gatsby (in the sense that there was all the fuss in their fling and yet nothing good happened to them in the end)?

As for recklessness, that is also one of my main points. Klipspringer, Daisy and Jordan were reckless drivers - this showed the carelessness of the old rich and their inability to take responsibility for their actions.

PS. This is helping me very much. Much Much Thanks again :D

PPS. oh wow, I haven't thought of the industrialization. Thank you Virgil :)

Other points and New ideas are welcomed!

[Virgil]

There is a whole system to the colors and what they stand for in the novel. Unfortuantely I can't remember off the top of my head. I'm sure you can research that. It's common knowledge for the work.

[sam10289]

for writing class i have to write a paper on gatsby life? what all jobs did he have

[Virgil]

Did you read the novel? There's a section where the narrator fills in the life of Gatsby, somewhere towrds the last part of the novel.

[starrwriter]

for writing class i have to write a paper on gatsby life? what all jobs did he have
I vaguely recall he was involved in rum running/speak easies or a similar illegal activity that paid very well.

[Automagic]

My thoughts are that you're not going to be able to put together a sufficiently long paper about Gatsby's profession ... which is "bootlegging" by the way. (If you recall, around the Gatsby era, alcohol was banned) I suppose he also delves into some kind of illegal bond replication, kind of like false checks now-a-days I think.

But! That's not the point of all this, the point is that Gatsby went to SUCH great lengths in order to summon enough wealth to call upon Daisy again, who previously turned him down because he was poor, and because she was a selfish (insert word Tom uses to opposite dog gender when Myrtle purchases 'boy' dog) and also because she is incredibly shallow.

[bootlegger]

for writing class i have to write a paper on gatsby life? what all jobs did he have

well. u probably need to know more about gatsby's personal life and relationships etc but JOBS-wise:
firstly gatsby was a clam-digger/salmon fisher, then he met Dan Cody and became his kinda personal assisstant. It was this relationship that inspired him to strive for his own personal wealth and left him with the illusion he had created of "Jay Gatsby". Meeting Daisy later gave him a purpose for ascertaining this wealth; she became a goal for him. He managed to become rich by being a "bootlegger" (the illicit selling of alcohol during the Prohibition Era) with Meyer Wolfshiem, who you meet in chapter 4.

But as i said, by "Gatsby's life" you probly have to look at his distant past as well, like how he rejected his parents, and his relationship with Daisy.

[bootlegger]

Hello there.

I have an essay to write about The Great Gatsby. Although I don't have a thesis statement yet (since I have to make a consultation with my teacher first before I can finalize that), it would be wonderful if you could share some of your ideas on this:


Cars symbolize the main points and foreshadows the plot of the novel, The Great Gatsby.

I already have some points that I will use for my essay which I won't divulge so that the thread won't focus on MY ideas. What I would truly appreciate is if you could give me your own insights on this. It would really help me a lot if I get other people's perspective on the topic. Feel free to negate me if you want. I'm open to criticism. =)

Much thanks!

hmm an interesting question. well i do think cars are a key theme in the novel...Fitzgerald often personifies them to reflect the situation or their driver...such as i think the cars are creaking and groaning and crawling in the Valley of Ashes or something...in contrast to Gatsby's car which is portrayed as a "brisk yellow bug".
The "car" theme is a motif used as a prolepsis- a foreshadowing of death. theres a point after a party where the back wheel comes off a car, and the inebriated driver continues to attempt to drive it! Also, Nick and Jordan have two conversations about "bad drivers".
If im not mistaken, the Ford car was invented around 1910? so therefore the car represents modernity, technology and innovation...all things that the rich elite can afford yet routinely abuse, as at this point driving tests were not standard.
As an interesting and possibly irrelevant point, the most emancipated female of the novel, Jordan Baker has a name which is a hybrid of two car manufacturers- The Baker Company and Edward S Jordan. so maybe the car represents a modern independance and mobility that the women use to become more independant and routinely infuriate Tom, who complains of them being able to "run around the country", and that the men, such as Tom use to conduct their affairs, as they can easily travel from place ot place on a whim.

sory if its not much help, but thats my opinion on the role of the "car" motif in the novel. :)

[bootlegger]

why is daisy enthralled by the shirts.

my personal opinion is that the words "ive never seen such beautiful shirts" are totally irrelevant... the point is that Gatsby is discarding the shirts as a display that Daisy means more to him then all these possessions he has built up...as he built them up for her. These wonderfully expensive imported shirts he has, he's just tossing them aside and saying "This was all for you, but now you're here, they mean nothing to me". For the most part of the chapter he has been showing her around his house, room by room, and Daisy crying is the climax to this...she realises that its all for her.

how sweet.

[bootlegger]

how did this book suck...it was Fitzgerald's masterpiece. Fine, you can dislike a book, but you've got to give reasons for it.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the characters of Tom and Daisy wonderfully despicable, and the self-analytical character of Nick, so desparately consumed with his own perception of morality a joy to criticise and attack.
I hated the characters, hated the setting, hated the attitudes.
So therefore: loved the book. I think thats the point...its an account of the rich elitist society...and leaves us with an eerily correct prolepsis (shown in the depression of 1929) : the disgustingly rich will crash and burn.
so. whats not to love?

[redsgirl]

the incident with the shirts is actually very simple to understand it has nothing to do with the actual shirts it could have very well been shoes or even dishes. Daisy was actually over come by MATIRAL possesions it had nothing to do with gatsby at all it just shows how shallow and concited a person daisy actualy is

[djmyerhmgirl]

Is Daisy like Dr. TJ in this respect? All eyes and no brain? HA!


When I read the book, Daisy came across as an intelligent girl who was so concerned with what other people thought that she allowed herself to be suppressed by society. In the twenties was the emergence of the bold, brainy woman (i.e. Jordan) who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Until then, society told women that they were to be seen and not heard. I think Daisy's brainlessness was due to her belief that this was the way to have the best life. In the third chapter, Daisy says she hopes her daughter grows up to be a 'little fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.'

It was social conditioning, not the lack of a brain that caused her to appear stupid.

[djmyerhmgirl]

I loved it all!! There was so much wit and hidden humour in there... and the randomness of some of Daisy's lines!
"you dream on you absolute little dream"
"such beautiful shirts!"
need I continue?

[djmyerhmgirl]

Can someone please write me a Gatsby Eulogy before Monday!!??

800-1000 words please :)

Cheer Bro :D

[Scheherazade]

If you start writing one and share it here, I am sure, some members will be willing to discuss it with you, djmyerhmgirl.

Welcome to the Forum! :)

[miickEe]

I know there is another thread just like this one on the forum, but I thought it would be easier to create another one because advice could be misinterpreted when directed to two people.

Alright.. I am required to write a Eulogy on a character by a character of the Great Gatsby. It is required to be at least 800-1000 words, and must display a strong understanding of the text.

I am doing Daisy Fay Buchanan from Nick Carraway's perspective. I have been having problems with finding events in the book to include in this Eulogy, mainly for the fact that most events in the book including Daisy have not been positive. I need to find some more themes/events to write about in a positive light.
Here is what I have written so far:

A congregation such as this, on such an occasion, is worthy of such an admirable person. This woman had the power to change the lives of all who encountered her. This woman had the aura of charm, wealth, sophistication, grace and aristocracy. It is my duty, for which I am honoured to do so, to present and pay tribute to the life of Daisy Fay Buchanan. If I may introduce myself, my name is Nick Carraway, and although I am but a second-cousin to this amazing woman, we shared a limited but special relationship.

It pains us all to realize that her presence is not with us, but with those who came before us. We will forever retain this gathering in our heads and in our hearts as a standing-ovation to her, an everlasting grace not unlike that she bestowed upon us when she were with us. This grace was not limited to her beauty externally, but her internal beauty. The beauty that we felt in hearing her speak, seeing her dance, or feeling her warm embrace; though physically gone, will always live on in our memories, as she would liked it to. She had this kind of voice that the ear followed up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again. It was her inner beauty, as much as her splendor and charisma that captivated us so.

Her socialite standing in high-society was due, in large part, to her wealth inherited by her aristocratic family. This quality, however, was overshadowed by her charm and exquisiteness, as she became popular with young soldiers before the Great War. She had the ability to show an instantaneous affection towards those she met, albeit temporary, was still something of remembrance by many of us. One of those young soldiers, of whom I had the honour to fight in the Great War beside, was a man by the name of Jay Gatz ..

I am going to cover this stage in her life first, with Gatsby being her lover etc and then Tom Buchanan becoming her husband. After that, I don't have any more themes/events to cover in this assignment. I am pressed for time on this one and all advice and whatnot will be highly appreciated.

EDIT: I have done a bit more on this assignment today.

A congregation such as this is, on such an occasion, is worthy of such an admirable person. This woman had the power to change the lives of all who encountered her. This woman had the aura of charm, wealth, sophistication, grace and aristocracy. It is my duty, for which I am honoured to do so, to present and pay tribute to the life of Daisy Fay Buchanan. If I may introduce myself, my name is Nick Carraway, and although I am but a second-cousin to this amazing woman, we shared a limited but special relationship. The event of her passing has given us, no doubt, a much stronger spiritual relationship with her now than when she were here among us in person.

It pains us all to realize that her company is not with us, but with those who came before us. However, this is not to say that her presence cannot be felt. We will forever retain this gathering in our memory – in our heads and in our hearts - as a standing-ovation to her, an everlasting grace not unlike that she bestowed upon us when she were with us. This grace was not limited to her beauty externally, but her internal beauty. The beauty that we felt in hearing her speak, seeing her dance, or feeling her affectionate nature, though physically gone, will always live on in our memories, as she would liked it to. Her internal beauty resembled much of the flower of her name; for she was the essence of a trapped woman inside, oppressed and coordinated the way society had wanted her. And also, her external beauty was that of white, delicate petals; pure, sweet and visually appealing.

The way she dressed was tantamount with her name, Daisy; for she wore such delicate articles and wore them with a sense of confidence that you would want to believe. Her actions, though admittedly sometimes careless, were directed with a definitive poise and elegance, and with a warm, comforting smile that was highly infectious .She had this kind of voice that the ear followed up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again. It was her inner beauty, as much as her splendor and charisma that captivated us so.

Her standing in high-society was due, in large part, to her wealth inherited by her aristocratic family. This quality, however, was overshadowed by her charm and exquisiteness, as she became popular with young soldiers before the Great War. She had the ability to show an instantaneous affection towards those she met, albeit temporary, was still something of remembrance by many of us. One of those young soldiers, of whom I had the honour to fight in the Great War beside, was a man by the name of Jay Gatz, or Gatsby as he and others had preferred to say.

[djmyerhmgirl]

lol excuse my friend who wrote this under my name...

[Sarah G]

the point is that Gatsby went to SUCH great lengths in order to summon enough wealth to call upon Daisy again, who previously turned him down because he was poor, and because she was a selfish and also because she is incredibly shallow.

I know you probably know this already but Gatsby didn't try to get rich after he met Daisy, he's always wanted to be rich. Daisy didn't know of his poor family heritage because he was going away to war and he told her all lies about himself. The fact is that she was incorporated into his dream only after he met her and they fell in love. She was just too tired of waiting for him to return from war, hence why she married Tom.

[CollisClay]

What the hell is Gonnegtion
Wolfshiem mentions it several times to Nick
Its not in the dictionary as far as i can see
Maybe its mispronounced like Oggsford

[ShoutGrace]

'Gonnegtion': Wolfsheim speaks often about a business 'gonnegtion' or 'connection' although Nick declines his offer.

Connection.

[lucifer-she]

I think most of you have read the Great Gatsby, and I'm now working on the narrative techniques of the novel. I have a problem, whethe in Chapter VIII, the love story between Jay and Daisy told by Jay can be counted as free indirect discourse. The following is part of the novel,

"she was the first 'nice girl he had ever known. In various unrevealed capacities he had come in contact with such people...." till ""the letter reached Gatsby while he was still at Oxford."

I think it is somewhat a narrative by Nick, but that's also told to Nick by Gatsby. Hope to get help from anyone interested in this.

[Zippy]

I don't have a copy of Gatsby in front of me, but can give you the rundown on the differences between different types of discourse.

1. Direct discourse is straight-forward dialogue in quotation marks. The character is speaking: "I don't know why, goddam-it, but I think I love you!"

2. Indirect discourse is the narrator or a character telling the reader about something another character said. It is not in quotation marks and is mere reportage: Jim said that he loved her although he didn't know why.

3. Free indirect discourse is mid-way between direct and indirect discourse. The narrator or character is still telling us about something another character said, but the account takes on the naunces of the original character's speech. This is not in quotation marks either: Jim said that he didn't know why, but goddam-it, he loved her.

Here's an example of free indirect discourse taken from 'A Very Short Story' by Ernest Hemingway:

"He went to America on a boat from Genoa. Luz went back to Pordonone to open a hospital. It was lonely and rainy there and there was a battalion of arditi quartered in the town. Living in the muddy, rainy town in the winter, the major of the battalion made love to Luz, and she had never known Italians before, and finally wrote to the States that theirs had been only a boy-and-girl affair. She was sorry, and she knew he would probably not be able to undrstand, but might some day forgive her, and be grateful to her, and she expected, absolutely unexpectedly, to be married in the spring. She loved him as always, but she realized now it was only a boy and girl-love. She hoped he would have a great career, and believed in him absolutely. She knew it was for the best."
(Hemingway. E, 1939, 'A Very Short Story' in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1977), Grafton).

The parts which are underlined are examples of free indirect discourse. Hemingway is a very subtle writer, but you should be able to make out the naunces of the character's speech which are being quoted by the narrator.

I hope this helps.

Zippy.

[branka]

a very nice, though a bit unrealistic, piece of work. contrasted honour and frailty, loyality and greedy, dreams and materialism.

[kjt1981]

At the beginning of the book, Nick says that Gatsby represents "everything for which i hold unaffected scorn". Why is this? i read through it twice and both times Nick seems to come across as more or less on Gatsby's side; He never seems to be very disparaging about Gatsby (apart from near the end he says that "i never really approved of him" or something like that).

Im struggling a little to get to grips with the relationship between them...

[Satine]

To me it seems Gatsby had everything: money, women, etc. He was popular, charming, had the love of Nick's cousin (Daisy), who was beautiful and unattainable. Everything Nick didn't have. It wasn't until the end that Nick realized how empty Gatsby really was. Up until that point, I think he envied all of the things Gasby seemed to have at such a young age, whereas Nick had nearly nothing. I think he always liked him, but we was jealous in many ways. When all was said and done, though, Gatsby died alone. No friends, and his father was the only family member who showed up at the funeral. At that point, I think he realized that Gatsby was all smoke and mirrors. Had it all on the outside, but on the inside he was empty. I think in the end, he was filled with pity for him.

[kjt1981]

Poor Gatsby. :bawling:

I felt really sorry for him at the end, but why was he so lonely? i didnt really get that either - he seemed like a decent bloke and wasnt really hiding anything severe (at the beginning i thought that maybe he's murdered someone), so why was it that only his father and the bloke with the owl-eyes turned up for his funeral? In 5 years, since he last saw Daisy he made no friends?

[Satine]

I think it was that he had a lot of aquaintances, but no real friends. He never bonded with anyone, never was able to make lasting connections/friendships. He was nice enough, sure... and people were more than willing to show up for a free party or free food. When the money ran out and the parties stopped, nobody paid him any attention anymore. Nick was the only one who he let get close to him, and really only because he wanted to get to Daisy...though I think in the end he really DID grow fond of Nick as a person. I think there are a lot of people like Gatsby out there.

[rabid reader]

Gatsby was the afinity of "Eastern Money". Gatsby started poor and earned his money (questionably) but he was driven by the thought that money would give him happiness. This is almost opposite of Nick's beleives coming from Mid-West Old Money". If you remember in the end Nick moves back to the Mid-West, showing the evident distingtion between the East Coast and Mid-West, Gatsby was the east and everything Nick did not want to be appart of.

[Mr_Jones]

I am fascinated by these two passages:

"[T]he phone rang, and Gatsby took up the receiver
'Yes ... Well, I can't talk now, old sport ... I said a small town ... He must know what a small town is ... Well, he's no use to us if Detroit is his idea of a small town...'
He rang off." pp 100-1 Pengiun ed.

"When the phone rang that afternoon and Long Distance said Chicago was calling I thought this would be Daisy at last. But the connection came through as a man's voice, very thin and far away.
'This is Slagle speaking....'
'Yes?' The name was unfamiliar.
'Hell of a note, isn't it? Get my wire?'
'There haven't been any wires.'
'Young Parke's in trouble,' he said rapidly. 'They picked him up when he handed the bonds over the counter. They got a circular from New York giving 'em the numbers just five minutes before. What d'you know about that, hey? You never can tell in these hick towns -'
'Hello!' I interrupted breathlessly. 'Look here - this isn't Mr Gatsby. Mr Gatsby's dead.'
There was a long silence on the other end of the wire, followed by an exclaimation ... then a quick squawk as the connexion was broken." p 173 Penguin ed.

SO what kind of scam was Gatsby running? Was Wolfshiem involved? etc.
Seems to me there's a story in there.

[Mr_Jones]

Wofshiem's mispronouncations serve to emphasise his 'Jewishness'. See comments on anti-semitism in another thread

[LiuGrace]

I am writing the thesis on Nick Carraway in the Great Gatsby.What about your opinions? I need help: the more, the better!!

[Shakira]

I have tried to put down a few points from my research paper. Hope it will be any help to you.

The novel’s narrator, Nick is a young man from Minnesota who, after being educated at Yale and fighting in World War I, goes to New York City to learn the bond business. Honest, tolerant, and inclined to reserve judgment, Nick often serves as a confidant for those with troubling secrets. After moving to West Egg, a fictional area of Long Island that is home to the newly rich, Nick quickly befriends his next-door neighbor, the mysterious Jay Gatsby. As Daisy Buchanan’s cousin, he facilitates the rekindling of the romance between her and Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is told entirely through Nick’s eyes; his thoughts and perceptions shape and color the story.

If Gatsby represents one part of Fitzgerald’s personality, the flashy celebrity who pursued and glorified wealth in order to impress the woman he loved, then Nick represents another part: the quiet, reflective Midwesterner adrift in the lurid East. A young man (he turns thirty during the course of the novel) from Minnesota, Nick travels to New York in 1922 to learn the bond business. He lives in the West Egg district of Long Island, next door to Gatsby. Nick is also Daisy’s cousin, which enables him to observe and assist the resurgent love affair between Daisy and Gatsby. As a result of his relationship to these two characters, Nick is the perfect choice to narrate the novel, which functions as a personal memoir of his experiences with Gatsby in the summer of 1922.
Nick is also well suited to narrating The Great Gatsby because of his temperament. As he tells the reader in Chapter I, he is tolerant, open-minded, quiet, and a good listener, and, as a result, others tend to talk to him and tell him their secrets. Gatsby, in particular, comes to trust him and treat him as a confidant. Nick generally assumes a secondary role throughout the novel, preferring to describe and comment on events rather than dominate the action. Often, however, he functions as Fitzgerald’s voice, as in his extended meditation on time and the American dream at the end of Chapter IX.
Insofar as Nick plays a role inside the narrative, he evidences a strongly mixed reaction to life on the East Coast, one that creates a powerful internal conflict that he does not resolve until the end of the book. On the one hand, Nick is attracted to the fast-paced, fun-driven lifestyle of New York. On the other hand, he finds that lifestyle grotesque and damaging. This inner conflict is symbolized throughout the book by Nick’s romantic affair with Jordan Baker. He is attracted to her vivacity and her sophistication just as he is repelled by her dishonesty and her lack of consideration for other people.
Nick states that there is a “quality of distortion” to life in New York, and this lifestyle makes him lose his equilibrium, especially early in the novel, as when he gets drunk at Gatsby’s party in Chapter II. After witnessing the unraveling of Gatsby’s dream and presiding over the appalling spectacle of Gatsby’s funeral, Nick realizes that the fast life of revelry on the East Coast is a cover for the terrifying moral emptiness that the valley of ashes symbolizes. Having gained the maturity that this insight demonstrates, he returns to Minnesota in search of a quieter life structured by more traditional moral values.

[Shakira]

The character of Nick Carraway functions prominently in this novel. He is a transplanted Mid-westerner who buys a house in West Egg and sells bonds on Wall Street in New York City. Young and attractive, Nick becomes friends with Jordan Baker at a dinner party, where he is reunited with his cousin, Daisy. Nick, who claims to be the only honest person he knows, succumbs to the lavish recklessness of his neighbors and the knowledge of the secret moral entanglements that comprise their essentially hollow lives.

Nick Carraway is the narrator of the entire novel, the protagonist of his own plot, and the moral judge of the events that surround him. He is a practical and conservative young man who turns thirty during the course of the story. Raised in a small town in the Midwest, he believes his hometown to be stifling and decides to move to the East Coast to learn the bond business. He hopes to find a sense of identity and freedom in New York. He rents a small bungalow out from the city on a fashionable island known as West Egg. His next door neighbor is Jay Gatsby, and his distant cousin, Daisy Buchanan, lives across the bay with her husband, Tom, on the more fashionable and wealthy island of East Egg. Nick plays an important role in the main plot of the novel, for he is responsible for reuniting Gatsby and Daisy.

During the course of the novel, the naïve and innocent Nick becomes totally disillusioned with the lifestyle of the wealthy on the East Coast. For most of the book, he is disgusted by Gatsby, with his wild parties, ostentatious dress and manners, and his shady business dealings. He is horrified when he meets Meyer Wolfsheim, a racketeer and business associates of Gatsby, who wears human molars as cuff links and who fixed the World Series. He feels shame for Jordan Baker for her incurable lying and cheating, both on and off the golf course. He is shocked that Tom has a mistress to whom he wants to introduce Nick and horrified that he hits her in the face, breaking her nose. His greatest disillusionment, however, comes with Daisy. He sees her shallowness and carelessness and knows that she is trifling with Gatsby. More shocking is the fact that she hits and kills Myrtle while driving Gatsby's car and does not even bother to stop; she then willingly lets Gatsby take the blame for the accident. When Gatsby is killed, he is appalled that Daisy does not even bother to telephone or send flowers to the funeral. It is not surprising that in the end he judges Gatsby to be worth more than the whole bunch of the Buchanans and their wealthy friends.
Nick Carraway does indeed find his identity on the East Coast. At first he is hesitant to take a stand or to judge those with whom he comes into contact; however, as the novel progresses, he begins to find everything about New York disgusting. He realizes that he has no desire to marry the likes of Jordan Baker, or live the careless, purposeless lifestyle of the Buchanan's, or be associated with immoral characters like Meyer Wolfsheim. As a result, on his thirtieth birthday, Nick realizes that his place in the world is in the Midwest, a symbol of morality and conservatism. In an orderly fashion, he fulfills his personal responsibilities in the East, including an explanation to Jordan of his feelings for her. He then returns to live in his small hometown and marry his old girlfriend, who has faithfully waited for him. As a result, Nick's plot ends as a comedy, for he has found himself and his place in life; he has also matured enough to make wise, moral judgements.

[Shakira]

Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby opens with Nick Carraway, the novel's narrator, introducing himself as a man who tends to listen and observe without passing judgment. Carraway immediately proceeds to preface the story he recounts over the course of the novel by passing judgment on his former companions. Mysteriously hinting at themes which will pervade the plot of his tale Carraway reflects, "When I came back from the East last autumn I felt that I wanted the world to be in uniform and at a sort of moral attention forever; I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart. Only Gatsby...was exempt from my reaction -- Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn" (6). Thus, providing plenty of room for speculation as to what provoked such a critical response, Nick begins his story.

After serving in World War I, Nick moves east from his Midwest roots to learn the bond business, settling on the island of West Egg, New York, "one of the strangest communities in North America" (9). Nick reveals, however, that his story really begins on a June evening in 1922, when he drives over to East Egg (the more fashionable and wealthy of the twin islands) to have dinner with "two old friends whom I scarcely knew at all" (11). Nick meets with an old college associate, Tom Buchanan, and his wife, Daisy, as well as Jordan Baker, an unexpected guest. For more detailed information about these characters, please see the Character Profiles section.

When the light-hearted conversation includes a brief reference to a man named Gatsby -- his next-door neighbor -- Nick's curiosity is evident. Tension mounts during dinner, however, when Tom leaves to answer a phone call, and Jordan reveals to Nick that it is Tom's mistress calling. Later, perhaps searching for sympathy in response to Tom's phone call during dinner, Daisy cynically tells Nick that she believes "everything's terrible" (21). Though riveted by Daisy's voice while she speaks, Carraway finds her insincere, and leaves the Buchanan house feeling "confused and disgusted" (24).

Upon arriving home Nick sees a silhouette emerge from the mansion next door, and assumes it is Gatsby. When Gatsby suddenly stretches his arms toward the water, Nick turns to see what he reaches for, but "distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock" (26). When Nick looks back towards the silhouette, Gatsby has vanished.

[Shakira]

Moderators sorry for the multiple posts.

[Satchmo442]

I'm finishing up a Dialectical journal, and one particular question i'm having problems with is to discuss Fitzgerald's use of satire in this book. Nothing in particular stands out to me. Anyone have any suggestions

[bookreader67]

Just curious what people think, but I see a lot of similarities. Obviously Gatsby has the ill-gotten wealth similar to the mob money of the Sopranos, and they are both well-made/written, both take place on the east coast, but the other connection is that both give us average, non-wealthy, un-connected observers a chance to take a peak behind the scenes into the lives of the ultra-wealthy and confirm what we all knew deep down: that it's not all it's cracked up to be. What looks like "the life" on the outside is riddled with problems. There's an emptiness behind the facade, they have problems with intimate relationships just like the average person does, despite the appearance of having many friends (big parties, "the family") they are all just as likely to be buried alone (or shot by their own team which happens often on Sopranos).

I think there's a similar theme to both works.

[F.Emerald]

Well, I loved it. Although it didn't last long enough, my book had 171 pages, it felt like about 50.

[watson]

the word "gonnegtion" is spelt the way that these men would say it and the actual spelling of the word is connection however it is spelt the way the would say it such as "oggsford"

[dj Winston]

Was Myrtle angry with her life:flare: :flare: :flare: :flare: or was she sad:bawling: :bawling:!!!!

[dj Winston]

i agree however you must see beyond that and belive the characters situation besides its pretty cool when myrtle was flattened

[watson]

no myrtle was not angry or sad with her life as she had no real reason to be as she had a good life, good man and acsess to lots of Toms wealth. There are no real signs for her to be angry or sad

xxx

[baldy1]

No she was just sad because did not love myrtle. Tom just wanted Myrtle when he was bored with Daisy. xxx

[dj Winston]

definitly agree that the book was rubbish! it had basically no action and no big explosions etc! It was dull and the language just droned on about describing everything!

[MRG]

I agree with that Watson, the use of this style of language is attempting to express how Wolfshiem is a rough character who should not be trusted. This contrasts with the character of Gatsby, who appears very well spoken and therefore the reader trusts him. Oh Yeh

[dj Winston]

think nick was bad to get with people who are so headonistic:bawling: :bawling: :blush:

[RossMCBrimer]

In my opinion, Myrtle was argry as she was jelous of Daisy as she wished to live with Tom. This can be seen in the novel during the scene in which Myrtle shouts at Tom, "Daisy, Daisy, Daisy" This is why Tom smackes Myrtle in the puss. But she deserved it!!!!!

[eilidhx]

"Gonnegtion" means connection, it is spelt this way to show that Wolfsheim is speaking with an accent. This is also evident when he states "Oggsford" as opposed to Oxford.xxxxxxxx

[watson]

yes i do agree with eilidh on this point as that is also what i belive. thankyou xxxxxxx

[tait]

F. Scott Fitzgerald is an excellent writer, i would like to see you do better :flare: Eric. "he Great Gatsby" has a particularly in depth and intellectual storyline, the book is made by Fitzgerald's brilliant writing and subtlety in portraying the problems of the time.

[RossMCBrimer]

She was angryyy! She could not stand her husband as he was a poor man. She wanted Tom's lifestyle thats why she kept trying to cling to him.

:D :D :D :D

[watson]

Who do you believe is the true villan in the novel as many people are corrupt and bad

[RossMCBrimer]

i believe so

[tait]

Of course, Myrtle was both angry and sad, she had the jealousy of Daisy, and she was sad as she also had the problem of being beaten by Tom, she was also sad in the way of being a loser because she tried to get higher up the social lader, but couldn't. :)

[baldy1]

Do you think Daisy truely ever loved Gatsby :)

[JRussell]

I have to disagree as The Great Gatsby is a "Great" book. I feel that the messages put across in the book are very beneficial as they highlight to the reader how the failure of the American dream affected everyone. The themes of the hedonism of the rich, show that the lower classes are paying for the sins that were actually committed by the higher classes and the lower class people - whom live in the valley of ashes- were actually the people who lived the better lifestyle as they didn't has to worry about any hedonism. This is all told in a story about a man who has endless passion to achieve his goals and this is why Nick looks up to him, not the fact that he is gay as some readers think (this is only an image created my the more immature readers).

[dj Winston]

I think there is not one main villain but F. Scott Fitzgerald wants the reader to understand that everyone who led the hedonistic lifestyle was a villain. Tom and Daisy can be called villains because they do not appreciate how much they affect the people around them with their reckless lifestyle.

Winston xxx

[MRG]

Tom is the real villain as he is disloyal and untrustworthy. However, this is typical of the corruption at the time. Having affairs was commonplace. Gatsby was a gangster, bootlegging was frowned upon despite the fact everybody drinks. This makes Gatsby seem villainous when Tom is the real villain. This is how in my opinion Gatsby is brutally shot at the end.

[RossMCBrimer]

i also dislike this book. I have no specific reason for this argument i just found the text boring and uninteresting. I am sure this is a great book if u like it but it did not appeal to me! :flare: x

[tait]

There is no one main villain, but a conglomerate of them.

[dj Winston]

Gatsby is a villain but because he doesnt affect others but lets them use his house and cars for parties etc he can be considered a minor villain, compared to other folk who used and abused Gatsby.

[MRG]

How could you not love this book. It's beautifully written to start with which makes you want to read it even if it is about nothing. Additionally, the themes that he brings up such as hedonism are interesting and challenging to the reader. Shame you dislike it so much! Mrs DuVivier will be so disappointed. No cake for you!

[-emily-]

In the past i think she did but she didn't want to be with him because he had no money. In the end both Tom and Gatsby are wealthy but she chooses to stay with tom which must mean she is no longer in love with gatsby xxxx

[RossMCBrimer]

It is also apperent at Myrtles death that she was extremely jelous of Daisy. The reader can see that she runs onto the road as she belives it is Tom driving the car and she possibly wishes to tell Daisy about her affair so she could spend the rest of her life with her true love, Tom. This gives a sense of sadness not only towards Myrtle for being so attached to Tom, but George Wilson as well, as it is obvious that Myrtle does not have true love and passion for her husband.

[RossMCBrimer]

Yes but she loved a man she oncve new a long time ago. When she meets Gatsby again he has changed but she does noit realise this until the end of the book when she chooses Tom over him. :yawnb: :( :lol: :flare: ;) :alien: :p :sick: :thumbs_up :)

[watson]

i belive that Daisy did love Gatsby a long time ago however when he returned she did not truely ever love him and i think she just wanted to relive a past love and deep down she knew that it would never work out now that she was with and i think she was just with Gatsby so she could have the best of both worlds and have 2 men xxxx

[dj Winston]

good god you are a genius

[sarahjames]

In the past I think Daisy loved Gatsby as much as she could possibly love a person. However when they were reunited he was only a form of escapism from her reality that she had grown to dislike.

[Redzeppelin]

I agree with these posts - Daisy did once feel deeply for Gatsby (the hint provided by the scene the night before her wedding where she was drunk with the mysterious letter confirms this). But she and he were both young when they were "dating" - and a war was going on and the atmosphere of being young in such a time may have contributed to the romance of their relationship. Either way, by the time they re-met in the novel, things had clearly changed.

I think an interesting question would be the other side of the coin: did Gatsby ever really love Daisy, in the past or in the "present" in the novel when they get back together?

[Asker]

I don't believe Daisy ever truly loved Gatsby simply because Daisy was a very self-involved personality. It is unlikely she even truly loved her daughter judging by the way she treated the child as something of a show piece trotting her out to perform for guests and then sending her away. In the past Daisy might have felt an attraction to Gatsby possibly to the point of being infatuated with him but when push came to shove and she got Gatsby's letter the night before she married Tom, Daisy did not call off the wedding. While Daisy probably enjoyed the attention Gatsby bestowed on her, I don't believe Daisy ever had any intention of leaving Tom for Gatsby. She probably liked the idea of having another suitor again but she certainly never planned to leave her secure and respectable life with Tom and seemed genuinely dismayed when Gatsby tried to broach the subject with Tom in the Plaza Hotel.

[Andy3003]

You could comment on her physical attributes..

Like her bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth?

You should also note that her voice pays tribute to her sexual allure, she creates an intimiacy with the recipient of her words but ultimately this shows her to be seductress - which Nick probably finds attractive.

Rippling and fluttering - in the first chapter shows them to be more than human - possibly angelic?

How about the moments of ephiphany - eg crying over shirts and the comment about a 'beautiful little fool'. Maybe dispell the view that she is surfaceless by saying she is emotionally aware and understands society's prejudices (beautiful little fool comment)

Hope this helps.

[Kymzii]

All the post here seem to say Daisy loved Gatsby and then she was just in love with the idea of loving Gatsby. I don't think Daisy is the sort of person that would fall in love with the idea of Gatsby. She loved him and then she forgot him, but when she saw him again their love of rekindled. Only it wasn't an easy life, and that is one of Daisy's main goals, to live an easy life.

[Kymzii]

I agree that there is no villian in the novel. The novel has characters that are too realistic to ever be grouped under the title 'villian'. The novel illustrates the immorals of life in the Jazz age, the good and the bad. I like this more realistic approach.

[Kymzii]

The main issue was that Myrtle was bored with her life, and felt that she was going no where. When she met Tom he gave her the oppertunity to do and be things that she could not have overwise achieved with Wilson. Then she was stuck down by many other emotions. She was both angry and sad when she looked at her life in comparision to what it could be if she was married to Tom, I think in a way even though she was aware of how she used Tom she did love him. She was incredible jealous and not that brightest of people.

[flyinpixie9189]

Originally Posted by trismegistus
Dear dmcadidas15,

Don't waste your time doing all that annoying research. Here are the answers to almost all your questions:

1. A 1968 Ford Fairlane
2. A. (She also his second cousin once removed, but that relationship is so distant, it's cool that they are lovers too.)
3. Technically a trick question. Myrtle Wilson has a STEP sister named Catherine.
4. He's speaking of Meyer Wolfsheim.
5. True. She gets a letter from Gatsby that makes her have second thoughts.
6. True. He believes in loyalty as he demonstrates when he speaks of his old gang buddy who was gunned down.
7. Jordan Baker (She is herself an athlete and so the "sport" tickles her fancy.)
8. B. This is Fitzgerald's not-so-subtle internal reference to Gatsby's own hopes.
9. St Olaf's
10. Don't remember
11. E. Gatsby bathes every day.
12. Yale
13. North Dakota
14. E. (This is why an alternative title to the book was "Gold-Hatted Gatsby")
15. C. (Gatsby has convinced the world he is a legit businessman from a family of blue bloods)
16. George Wilson
17. False - Jordan Baker is driving the "death car"
18. Rosenberg
19. Don't know
20. Zamfir
21. "Little Montenegro!"
22. Myrtle Wilson
23. Meyer Wolfsheim
24. The Pinafore
25. Don't know
26. True. (Fiztgerald's great irony is that all this wealth is just about to go down the drain in the stock market crash)
27. Nick Carraway for the period in the book when he is homeless and Gatsby helps him out. Just before offers him a "gonnegtion"
28. Marriott
29. E.
30. B. (This sets the reader up for the mention of Meyer Wolfshiem's nose later in the novel.)
31. Baker
32. B.
33. A.
34. False. She introduces Gatsby to her child, Elizabeth Barrett Browning Buchanan
35. TRICK QUESTION ALERT! Nick and Tom went to St. Olaf's NOT Gatsby!
36. E. (Nick says later on that both she and Tom were both "careless people")
37. Cassidy (A reference to Hopalong Cassidy, the great hero of the West)
38. E.
39. Myrtle Wilson after she has recovered from her brush with death
40. Polo (He brings a "whole string of polo ponies" from Chicago for his wedding)
41. See above
42. False
43. Gatsse
44. False. He narrates the story from the Mid-West, but he states that he will ultimately return East to accept Wolfsheim's "gonnegtion"
45. False. NICK'S house is in West Egg
46. D.
47. C. (Remember that George Wilson kills him for the affair with Myrtle)
48. B.
49. In his library among his beloved books. The irony is of course that he's surrounded by all the "genuine" books at this moment - his moment of truth when he must choose between the great loves of his life: Daisy or Jordan.
50. Don't know

Good luck, dude. I'm sure you'll do just fineD

I was just wondering if you even read the book? Because anyone who actually read it would not have gotten such odd answers as you did. It was strange some were right.
Some wrong ones I automatically noticed and corrected:
2. e- Jordan Baker
4.Tom is talking about George Wilson
6.False- He doesn't go to the funeral becuase he doesnt get involved in deaths.
7. Gatsby calls everyone old sport (VERY OBVIOUS ?)
8. A - the book was Hopalong Cassidy
11. D- making a million dollars wasn't on Gatsbys list.
17. False- Daisy was driving the car
20. Michealis
23. Tom
25. c- the 1919 world series
27. George Wilson kills Gatsby
30. A- it was his eyes!
39. MYRTLE IS DEAD! Nick meets Tom again.

[SaGe]

flyinpixie is right.

[flyinpixie9189]

ok i need quick responses. I have to write an essay on self discovery in the book. I'm thinking of focusing on Nick mostly b/c he realizes that hes not cut out for the east blahblahblah... so if you have ideas shout them out!:D :D

[pan]

just happen to be studying for my english final (in which this book appears) and decided to give my two cents:

On the question of Gatsby's shirts and why Daisy cries over them.

I've read previous responses to this question and I have to say that I disagree with just about all of them. To truly understand the significance of this scene, we must understand how different Daisy and Gatsby are. Daisy is of "Old Money" - Old Money tastes and lifestyle. Gatsby, however, is of the Nouveau Riche class, one that also Meyer Wolfshiem belongs to. As "New Money" Gatsby's tastes are superficial, imitations (and horrible ones at that) of "old Money" luxuries determined by his ideas of what it is to be rich. His West Egg shirts and parties are complete opposites of the banquets of the East Egg. He wears garish shirts and drives an ostentatious car.

These differences go beyond the present time. Daisy was born and bred into wealth, while Gatsby, a poor clam digger (he was a clam digger, right?), only dreamnt of it.

Taken these fundamental differences in their social status, it is (at least to my ears) ridiculous to suggest that Daisy cried over his shirts because she saw in them what her life would be like with Gatsby. She has no desire for his Nouveau Riche shirts or parties (and when invited to one, dislikes it), as her tastes are of Old Money - effectively, of Tom. Her tears are her realization of the impenentreable distance between East and West Egg. Gatsby can never be an East Egger (in spite of his futile attempts to do so), the same way she cannot come to live like a West Egger.

It is this revelation that brings her to tears, knowing now that she and Gatsby, in spite of their briefly rekindled romance, can never be together as before.

"Her voice is full of money."

[UnPrepared]

Is there anyone here who can answer a few questions for me on the Great Gatsby?

[shortstuff1789]

can someone please help? I have a report on Nick Carraway on if or not he was corrupted? I think he was but I need help finding some examples.

[alias3r]

i have some questions that need helped being answered as well. These are percise questions so the passage readings are listed.

Starting from the beginning of Chapter 8 p.154 to p.157 ending with "...safe and proud above the hto struggles of the poor."

1. In the fourth paragraph, which describes Gatsby's house, the surreal atmosphere is conveyed primarily through the choice of
a. nouns
b. adjectives
c. verbs
d. pronounds
e. adverbs

2. In the clause "Jay Gatsby' had broken up like glass,"Jay Gatsby" refers to
a. the public perception of Gatsby
b. Gatsby's relationship with Daisy
c. Gatsby's association with Wolfsheim
d. Nick's belief in Gatsby
e. The perosna Gatsby had created

3. The "long secret extravaganza" (mentioned in the paragraph beginning "it was this night") had begun when Gatsby
a. first met Daisy
b. was reunited with Daisy
c. met Dan Cody
d. was in the war
e. moved to West Egg

4. In the second sentence of the paragraph beginning " She was the first 'nice' girl," the phrase "such people" refers to those who differed from Gatsby in terms of
a. social status
b. moral values
c. manners
d. concern for others
e. occupation

5. The paragraph begining "She was the fifrst 'nice' girl" reveals Gatsby's
I. materialism
II. romanticism
III. cynicism

a. I only
b. II only
c. I and II only
d. II and III only
e. I, II, and III

6. IN the paragraph beginning "But he knew" and the paragraph which follows it, Gatsby is portrayed as
a. delusional
b. guilt-ridden
c. opportunistic
d. nonchalant
e. resigned

7. In the last two paragraphs of the passage, Daisy is presented as
a. committed
b. unattainable
c. insincere
d. manipulative
e. uninterested

8. In the ocntext of the passage and the novel as a whole, the comparison of Daisy to "a grail" could best be described as
a. appropriate
b. sarcastic
c. foreboding
d. ironic
e. condescending

hope u guys got the same answers i got

[thefunkygibson]

flyinpixie is right.

I believe trismegistus was joking as he did not want to do the original poster's homework for him.


Been lurking here for a while now, your discussions and insight are really helping me revise! Thanks! :D

[KellyNeedsYou]

i need answers to these ?s below about Great Gatsby.. any of the answers would be nice and ill do anything PLEASE!! please e-mail answers to me at [email protected]

Chapters 4-6 ?s

In Chapter 5, Gatsby's dream seems to be coming ture. What indications are there, though, that reality cannot satisify his dream?

The philosopher, plato said that reality was an imperfect reflection of an ideal realm. With this in mind, what would you say Nick means when he says that "jay gatsby sprang from his platonic concpetion of himself."?

Discuss the relationship between Daisy and Tom. What do you think they have in common? why do they stay together?

Chapters 7-9 ?s

What do the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg symbolize to George Wilson? What is the significance of this symbol?

What does the green light symbolize at the end of the novel?

discuss the title of the book. IN what way is Gatsby "great"?

Describe the gradual revelation of Gatsby's Character. what do we learn about him and when? why is this an appropriate way of learning about him?

Tom and Daisy, we are told, drifted around before settling in east egg and nick expects them to continue to drift. how much does rootlessness have to do with the characters problems, do you think?

Gatsby's tragedy is that he chooses the wrong dream(Daisy). Has he been corrupted by society? or is his choice an indication that he is part of the problem?

[stephofthenight]

gr. i realy relay, do not like this book. Ive been sick and missed the first 5 chapters, and now i have to write 10 dialetical journals? and 3 short answerws, the prompts are as follows.
1. show that old money belives they are better than new money.
2. show how there is snobbery even in the lower classes
3. show the difference between west egg and east egg.

all are from chapter 1 and 2.
if you could help me with anything it would be realy realy appreciated. i just need maybe a few important points that would help with the short answers, or what a dialetical journal is?

[charlie_108]

The significance of the shirts is entirley existential: Gatsby is acting in mauvais fois and placing value in material objects and is hence feeling nausea.... look it up Jean Paul Sartre

[jamesdean]

I was wondering if anybody could help me with the narrative techniques used in chapter four ? i need to write like a small essay (:

[IndyMan123]

This book realy sucks. I were force to read it for english class, and i hated it. thank God i'll never have to read a crapy book like that again. It was by far one of my least favorite book i ever read. I didn't enjoy it at all. I will not advise any one to read this book. If i had to give this book a rating i'll give 1 out of a possible 10.

I don't blame you. I hate "crapy" books, too.