The Novel as aWhole  

1. Discuss Nick Carrawy’s character. How reliable is he as anarrator? What aspects of his character make him an effective narrator?

2. Why is first person narrative an effective andappropriate way of telling this story?

3. Discuss the title of the book. In what way is Gatsby“great?”

4. An epigraph is a quotation at the beginning of a workthat reflects on that work.  How does theepigraph to The Great Gatsby reflect on Gatsby’s story?

5. Discuss the relationship between Tom and Daisy.  What do they have in common? Why do they staytogether? Does their relationship change at all during the course of the novel?

6. How does Fitzgerald use Gatsby’s parties to present asatirical portrait of the Roaring Twenties?

7. Compare and contrast the character of Daisy and MyrtleWilson?

8. Discuss the relationship between Nick and JordonBaker.  How does it reflect, if at all,on the story of Gatsby and Daisy?

9.Discuss Fitzgerald’s use of the automobile in thisnovel.  What do you think might have madethe automobile an appealing symbol to Fitzgerald in the early 1920s.

10. Contrast the setting of the valley of ashes with that ofEast Egg and West Egg.

11. Describe the gradual revelation of Gatsby’scharacter.  What do we learn about himand when?  Why is this an appropriate wayof learning about him?

12. Tom and Daisy, we are told. Drifted around beforesettling in East Egg, and Nick expects them to continue to drift. Othercharacters in the novel, while not drifters, appears to be rootless.  How much does “rootlessness” have to do withthe characters’ problem, do you think?

13. How would you describe the theme of this novel?

14. 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 corruption.