Knowledge & Revision Book

Context: F. Scott Fitzgerald

his life, work & place in American Literature

F. Scott Fitzgerald occupies a central place within the canon of twentieth century American
Literature; texts like The Great Gatsby and The Damned and the Beautiful are seminal moments in the emergence of a powerful and
tragic body of work.

Fitzgerald was born on September 24th 1896 at the turn of the twentieth century. His early life witnessed a broad array of major
historical events that came to encapsulate the sense of history that underpins many of his novels; the sinking of The Titanic, The
First World War, and later, The Wall Street Crash all came to shape a view of life that is explored both viscerally and painfully in
Fitzgerald’s writing.

Of the five novels that Fitzgerald wrote, all of them, to one degree or another, are informed by arguably the greatest influence on
Fitzgerald’s development as an author: the Jazz Age. This period in Fitzgerald’s life – that marked the collapse of old, traditional
morality and values in favour of an obsession with free market capitalism – was central to the crafting of his characters and the
events of his narratives.
Fitzgerald’s life was marked by excess and tragedy: he was an alcoholic for much of his life and his wife, Zelda, suffered from
schizophrenia. However, this hides a life lived in celebrity during the 1920s in New York; Fitzgerald and his wife were major
players in New York society, thanks, in part, to the cultural elite’s reception of his novel.

However, Fitzgerald also spent much of his time in financial difficulty having to fund his alcoholism and his wife’s medical care.
In turn, Fitzgerald had to borrow money from his literary agent who eventually refused to help him, leaving the author to abandon
his long-time friend. Arguably, this points to one of the many complex themes of his novels: the idea that money is itself an evil
that pervades much that is good; certainly in Gatsby it brings the characters little by way of happiness,

Fitzgerald died on December 21st 1940.

Context: America in the 1920s

The Great Gatsby has often been described as the ‘definitive’ or ‘conclusive’ representation of life in America in the 1920s. While this
may be subjective, there is clearly a sense in which the novel is centrally concerned with America in the aftermath of the First
World War.
Historians and economists now believe that the 1920s in the United States saw levels of economic growth seen only afterwards in
the 1950s and 1990s. That is, periods of sustained economic development which brought about a general social sense of wealth and
affluence for all members of US society. Indeed, the name the ‘roaring twenties’ - as this period is referred to in Europe - reflects
the growth of wealth and materialism during this period.

That said, the greater financial and economic growth in the United States is counterpointed by a period of moral paradox. On the
one hand this is the period of Prohibition: on the other, a time of greater acceptance for the Ku Klux Klan. This morally
questionable counterpoint underlies the movement towards a morally ambiguous country that appears to be dispensing with the
virtues of its Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence.

However, these moral questions are further obscured by a period in which man seems to be at the forefront of invention and
adventure: in 1925 the colour television is invented; in 1927 Charles Lindbergh crosses the Atlantic on his own. These moments of
invention move the focus away from moral and theological abstracts to that which man can achieve materially. It is in this way
that the tension between what some historians see as a spiritual decline, and others a booming decade, come to the fore.
Fitzgerald, it seems, is interested in all aspects of the 1920s in his novels, and particularly in The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is a
character who was engaged in bootlegging. At the same time, he is almost celebrated by Nick Carraway, which confuses the moral
paradigm further. The novel therefore, much like America in the 1920s, is a paradox of virtue and vice; morality and materialism.
Context: The Jazz Age
The Jazz Age is the period that began in the 1920s and gave way to the Great Depression of
the 1930s in the United States. The advent of the radio made possible the upsurge in
popularity of dance and Jazz in the US.

The birth of Jazz in the US is widely accredited to the African American population
but, during the Jazz Age, the white middle classes adopted it as their own, recalibrated the
genre.

Cities like New York and Chicago became the cultural centres for the upsurge in popularity amongst the white middle classes of
the time. However, on the fringes of these major cities, the birth of the radio made it possible for members of all communities to
have experience of the newly-popularised form.

The Jazz Age is important for all kinds of symbolic reasons: primarily, the sense of ‘fun’ that it came to represent. This led to a
cultural realignment: of generation against generation, of women against men. In turn, what we see when we look at the Jazz Age
is a period in which old assumptions are being questioned, which is to say that many young Americans came to rebel against their
elders; the subject of women’s sexuality came to the fore and was celebrated once more. These were times – in the urban areas at
least – of great social change.

However, this period is also a creature of it economic condition: as social wealth and mobility increased because of greater wealth
and aspiration, so too did the sense of freedom and hope enjoyed by the middle and upper classes.
Fitzgerald takes these ideas as central to his narrative: the proliferation of parties in the novel reflects the sense of celebration and
fun that is a characteristic of the time. Equally, the complicated sexual relationships of the characters, and the male desire for Daisy
Buchanan, reflects the emerging acceptance in the New York of the time, that women could be sexually powerful and confident
women.

However, it is also interesting to consider the impact of the ending on the characters: all of the partying and joviality is replaced
with a sense of foreboding and disappointment. Indeed, we come to see that all of the hollowness of the decadence and
materialism comes to bear on the characters of Fitzgerald’s novel, much in the same way as it does on their real-life counterpoints
in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash.
 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Suggested Tasks & Activities – Chapter-by-chapter

 Chapter One

 Work in pairs to select, prepare and rehearse readings of short extracts from the novel’s opening. Focus on Nick Carraway’s
self-conscious narrative style as a writer, the contradictions revealed by his narration and, aspects of his character.

 Look carefully at the section from Nick’s entrance: ‘The only completely stationary object …’ to Tom and Jordan’s exit: ‘…
strolled back into the library …’. Work in groups of four to break this down into a number of smaller sections. To help decide
on the smaller sections, focus on tensions, and exits and entrances within the group. Once agreed, decide on a title for
each small section. Then, prepare a series of still images for each of the titled sections. Focus on characterisation and
character relationships, as well as mood and atmosphere. Select a quote from the text to support each still image.

 Work in pairs. Prepare a list of twenty questions for use in determining if other people have read the chapter carefully.
Include some "thought" questions - "How?", "Why". Test another pair.

 Work in groups of three to prepare a collage of the settings that are described in the first chapter. Focus on Nick’s house,
and Gatsby’s and the Buchanans’ mansions. Support your presentations with quotes from the text.
Chapter Two

 Imagine that you were one of the characters who attended the party in New York. Using your mobile phone or a Dictaphone,
record a spoken diary of the evening’s events. Describe what happened and your feelings about the evening. Swap
recordings with a partner and compare the feelings and attitudes described. With your partner, rewrite the party sequence
using the feelings and attitudes that you recorded. How is your new version different? Which do you think is most
interesting and effective?

 Look again at the description of The Valley of the Ashes on page 26. Annotate the description trying to identify words and
phrases that Fitzgerald uses to create a sense of atmosphere. Using the Internet or your school library, find a copy of The
Wasteland by TS Eliot, a poem written in 1922, the same year in which the novel is set. Looking closely at The Wasteland,
identify a passage that is concerned with landscape and annotate it trying to identify the ways that Eliot creates atmosphere.
Critics have suggested a link between bleak landscape of The Wasteland and The Valley of the Ashes. Why do you think
Fitzgerald might have wanted to establish such a link?

 Look back at the description of Dr Eckelburg’s advertising hoarding. Using Photoshop, and from the description in the novel,
create your own interpretation of what you think it looks like. Annotate your version explaining what you have done to make
it an effective advert. What do you think the advert symbolises about America in 1920s?
Chapter Three

 Work in pairs. Identify all of the examples of different rumours that are circulating about Gatsby’s past life. Write the different
rumours on to pieces of card and with a friend look for evidence from the novel thus far to identify which are most likely to be
accurate.

 Imagine you are showbiz reporter for a major newspaper. Write a report for your editor about the party at Gatsby’s mansion.
Include:
- who was present at the party;
- the general mood and atmosphere;
- what the party tells us about the state of American high society;
- some of the rumours that are circulating about Gatsby.

 Nick tells us that Gatsby signed the invitation to the party in a ‘majestic hand’; identify other examples of language that could
be used by Fitzgerald to emphasise the grandeur of Gatsby’s party.

 Work in small groups. Imagine you work as Party Planners. Research the conventions of 1920s American high society
parties and create a party plan for Gatsby. Write a commentary on your plans using textual evidence to explain the choices
and decisions that you have made.
 Research the Ford Motor Company on the Internet or in your school library. What is the significance of the Ford Motor
Company - in symbolic terms - at this point in America history? What do you think is important about Gatsby’s choice of
Ford?
Chapter Four

 Look again at the names on Gatbsy’s guest list; put some of the names into Google. What connections are there between
each name and the results from your Internet search? Why do you think Fitzgerald has done this? Using both the novel and
the results from your research above, to compile a guest list identifying:
- who attended;
- their social, economic and professional backgrounds.
What does the guest list tell you about the social hierarchy that
operates in American high society?

 Gatsby introduces Nick to Meyer Wolfsheim - who allegedly fixed the Baseball World Series in 1919. Use the Internet to
collect some examples and images of baseball cards and complete cards for all of the characters that Gatsby introduces
Nick to in this chapter.

 Much of this chapter is concerned with the reconstruction of past events. Choose two of these events and rewrite them from
the perspectives of different characters to show how they try to construct the events differently. Why do you think these
differences exist? Are they solely concerned with memory or do the characters have different agendas?

 Look again at the passage where the south-eastern Europeans are attending the funeral. Identify all of the different racial
and ethnic groups present. On a map of the world identify which nationalities and ethnic groups are identified.
 Now look at the objects with which they are associated and, using symbols to represent the objects, match these up with the
different nationalities. Look at the United States on your map. What does the relationship between the people and the
objects outside of the US tell you about the state of America at the time? What does this imply about Gatsby’s fate?
Chapter Five

 As Gatsby and Daisy are reacquainted in this chapter, Nick remarks that he is ‘aware of the loud beating of my own heart’.
Write a short soliloquy that recounts the thoughts and feelings that are running through Nick’s head as he witnesses the
meeting between Gatsby and Daisy.

 Look closely at the meeting of Nick and Daisy in this chapter paying particular attention to the mood and tone of the
passage. Now re-write the passage from the perspective of a stranger looking in on the two people, unaware of who they
are, but conveying the meaning of the conversation by describing their body language and facial expressions.

 Look closely at the description of Gatsby’s mansion, paying specific attention to the descriptions of the objects and
decoration of the place. How would you describe the mansion? Imagine that Gatsby’s mansion has been turned into a
tourist attraction some years later. Write and record the audio guide for tourists walking round the mansion explaining the
style of the place.

 On page 86 Nick remarks that ‘Americans while willing, even eager, to be Serfs have always been obstinate about
peasantry’ and that Gatsby’s mansion has a ‘feudal silhouette’. Define what each of these statements might mean.
 Research the historical emigration to the United States from Europe. Thinking about what you know about why people
moved from Europe to America, what do you think that Fitzgerald is trying to say about the European legacy that prevails in
American high society?
Chapter Six

 Look again at the passage where we learn more about Gatsby’s past life. Identify the key differences between James Gatz
and Jay Gatsby.

 Look again at page 96 where Nick recounts Gatsby’s relationship with Dan Cody. How does this relationship provide a
catalyst for the later events of the novel? Using the notes you have made, complete the essay task below.

‘The great skill of Fitzgerald is to create a character which is as much a figment of his own imagination as he is the reader’s.’
How far do you think this reflects the author’s presentation of Jay Gatsby.

 Work in pairs. Look at the passages where Nick describes how Gatsby ‘constructed’ his persona and highlight examples of
the way that language suggests the ‘building’ of a character. Within your pairs, each person takes an aspect of Gatsby’s
character to focus upon. Present to the rest of the group how Fitzgerald uses language to show the ‘creation’ of Gatsby’s
character from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby.

 Throughout this chapter there are a number of extra-textual references:

- Platonic Conception;
- ‘he must be about his Father’s business’;
- Madame de Maintenon.
Research these references and determine how they enhance the meaning
of the passages.
Chapter Seven

 Look again at page 123, Tom Buchanan accuses Gatsby of being a ‘Mr Nobody from Nowhere’. What, do you think, are the
implications of this phrase?

 The idea of people living ‘rootless’ lives is central to the novel. For each of the main characters complete a map – based on
quotations from the text – to show where they have come from. Label the map with your quotations.

 Fitzgerald uses the ‘Scenic Method’ to present the events of the narrative; one of the best examples of this is the party in the
Plaza Hotel in this chapter. Look again at this passage. Work in small groups to write your own version of this sequence in
screenplay format - film script. You should use the same dialogue but focus on how you would present the sequence
visually. Film and edit a short sequence from your screenplay.

 Write a comparison of Fitzgerald’s written version and the moving sequence that you have created. Focus on why you think
Fitzgerald has used the scenic method throughout the novel.

 In a previous chapter, we explored the importance of Gatsby’s car and its symbolism. However, in this chapter cars are
important in terms of Myrtle’s death. Reread the passage on page 131 where Myrtle’s body is discovered. How do you think
the image of the car has been inverted from the earlier chapters here? What point about contemporary American society is
Fitzgerald attempting to make with this incident?
Chapter Eight

 Look again at the oblique description of Gatsby’s death. How far do you think that it is a ‘fitting’ end for the character? Why
do you think that Fitzgerald illustrated Gatsby’s death with the Butler hearing a ‘few shots’? Rewrite Gatsby’s death passage
so that we actually witness the killing.

 Now compare both versions thinking about which is most effective. Why do you think Fitzgerald opted for his means of
portraying the death?

 Look again at the following quotation from the novel:

‘Gatsby was overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves, of the freshness of many
clothes, and of Daisy, gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor’.

 What do you think this quotation has to say about the tension between wealth and poverty in the novel? One reading of the
quotation might suggest a tension between a desire for wealth and a pragmatic realisation of its frailties. Find examples
from the text where this statement might be true.

 As a class you are going to have a debate. The topic for the debate is:
‘The death of Jay Gatsby confirms what we already secretly knew: that the American Dream is nothing but the hope that sustains
the hopeless.’

Each member of the group will speak for a maximum of three minutes
either in favour of or against the statement.
Chapter Nine

 Look again at the passage that tells of Gatsby’s funeral. Imagine that his funeral had been attended by some of those who,
in the text, refuse to attend. Choose one of the characters and write the oration that they would deliver in memory of Gatsby.
In writing your oration, try to make it represent what that character felt about Gatsby and base it on evidence from the text.
Deliver your oration to the rest of the class.

 Reread from ‘Gatsby’s house was still empty when I left’ to ‘borne back ceaselessly into the past’. Annotate the passage
focussing on how Fitzgerald uses language to mark the sense of the closing of an era.

 Complete the essay task below:

‘Fitzgerald’s description of Gatsby’s house at the end of the novel is as much a description of where wealth and materialism led a
country as it is the remnants of a fictional character’s life.’ Discuss the validity of this view by referring to this extract and ranging
more widely across the novel.
Chapter 1

As the first chapter begins, we are introduced the novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway. Nick is in the process of writing a book about his
experiences on the East Coast of America, and in particular about his dealings with a man called Jay Gatsby. Nick tells us very little about his
own origins, except that he is a descendent of the Dukes of Buccleuch.

Nick tells us that he has served in the First World War and that it has had a major impact on his life. His move to the East Coast of America was
triggered by returning home to the Mid-West to find it a place changed from the one he remembered before he left.

In turn, Nick moves to West Egg. It is here that he – and the audience – first becomes aware of Jay Gatsby who lives in a mansion next to Nick.
Nick describes West Egg as full of ‘white palaces’.

Nick recounts a visit to the house of Tom Buchanan, one of his old collegiate buddies from Yale, and Daisy, Nick’s cousin once removed.
Buchanan in an archetypal alpha male: he is physically strong, extremely wealthy and hides a burning aggression; he also holds racist attitudes.

As the evening draws to a close, Nick catches his first glimpse of Gatsby; the enigmatic protagonist of the novel is staring, almost transfixed, by
a green light at the end of the Buchanan’s dock.
Chapter 2

The narrator, Nick, describes the ‘Valley of Ashes’, which is desolate area between West Egg and New York. The Valley of Ashes sits beneath
a massive advertising hoarding featuring Dr T.J. Eklenburg.

In the ‘Valley of Ashes’ we are introduced to Myrtle Wilson, the wife of a motor mechanic, who is having an affair with Tom Buchanan.

In this sequence of the narrative, Myrtle is accompanied on a shopping trip to buy cosmetics, magazines and a dog. This is followed by a visit to
the apartment that is kept entirely for Myrtle and Tom’s adulterous liaisons. Here, they are joined by Catherine, (Myrtle’s sister), and a
photographer and his wife.

As the group drink, they begin to speculate about Jay Gatsby.

Chapter 3

One summer evening Nick goes to Gatsby's house for the first time. He is invited by Gatsby's chauffeur and it ends up being a very large and
crowded event. He knows no one at first, but sees Jordan and stays with her for the most of the evening. While he is there many guests talk about
Gatsby. He is a very mysterious man to them and everyone has their speculations as to how he obtained his money. Some say he was a
bootlegger, some say a spy during the war, and others think that he has the look of someone who's killed a man.

While moving through the party Nick finally meets Gatsby, although he wasn't aware of it at first. They make small talk and find out that they
had seen one another during the war. But their talk is short lived because Gatsby has business to attend to. Jordan says that Gatsby is an Oxford
man and Nick watches him curiously for the rest of the evening. He notes that Gatsby seems detached and distant from almost everyone.

Later in the evening Gatsby asks to speak to Jordan. After their meeting, she tells Nick that Gatsby has told her something amazing that she can't
talk about right now but she asks Nick to look her up sometime.

Nick does end up calling on Jordan. They start to spend time with one another and he likes her company. But he says that he has to end his
"tangle back home", the engagement misunderstanding, before he can start a relationship.
Chapter 4

Nick goes back to Gatsby's for another party. Nick gives a detailed list of all of those in attendance and just what kind of people he thought they were.

One morning Gatsby's car pulled up in Nick's driveway. Gatsby tells Nick that they are going to be going to lunch together and Nick agrees. As they
are driving, Gatsby tells Nick that he would like to dispel any myths that Nick may have heard about him. Gatsby says that he came from a wealthy
family from the midwest - San Francisco - to be exact. He said that his parents died and left him a lot of money. After that he went to war and lived in
all of the great cities and later attended Oxford College. Although Nick is skeptical of this story Gatsby shows him a medal he earned from the war and
a picture of himself at Oxford. Gatsby also tells Nick that he has a "big request" to make of him but that Jordan Baker will talk to him of it later. Nick
is confused, but Gatsby will speak no more of it.

When they reach the city Nick is introduced to Gatsby's friend Meyer Wolfsheim, who they dine with. After Meyer leaves Gatsby tells Nick that he is a
gambler and the man who fixed the 1919 World Series. As they are talking about Meyer, Nick sees that Tom has also come to the restaurant. Nick
thinks that he will introduce the two men but when he turns around, Gatsby has disappeared.

After this, Nick goes to meet Jordan for tea. She tells him the story of how she got to know Daisy when they were both younger back in Louisville.
Daisy spent quite a bit of time with a young soldier in those days, and now Jordan realized that that soldier was Jay Gatsby. But he had to go to war,
they lost contact and Daisy ended up getting engaged to Tom. Jordan was at the wedding and the day before they were to be married, Daisy received a
mysterious letter. After reading it, she told Jordan that she wasn't going to get married, but went through with it anyway. Soon after the honeymoon,
she and Tom were expecting a baby.
Daisy had forgotten all about Gatsby until she heard Jordan and Nick talking about him not long ago. Daisy asks about him and Jordan pieces together
that he was the soldier Daisy had spent so much time with. Nick points out what a coincidence it is for them to be living near one another now but
Jordan says that it is anything but. Gatsby bought the house to be close to Daisy. This is where Nick fits in. Gatsby would like for Nick to help him see
Daisy again.
Chapter 5

When Nick returns from the city that evening he finds Gatsby admiring his house. He tells him that he plans to invite Daisy over for tea. Gatsby
tries to act casual but it is obvious he is excited. During their exchange Gatsby tries to offer Nick some kind of job, but Nick sees it only as a
polite gesture and turns it down.

The next day Nick invites Daisy to tea and tells her not to bring Tom. Gatsby comes over to inspect everything to make sure that the tea goes
perfectly. Daisy finally arrives and Nick goes out to meet her. When they return inside Gatsby is nowhere to be found. A moment later there is a
knock at the door and Gatsby walks in. He and Daisy look at one another in awkward surprise. Nick tries to make the afternoon go smoothly but
realizes that the two would like to be alone. He goes out to his porch to let them catch up. When he returns the two seem relaxed but entranced
with one another. Gatsby invites them over to see his house. While walking over, Nick asks Gatsby about how he made his money but is
answered with a curt "that's my business". The group are given a tour and Gatsby tries to impress Daisy with all of the possessions he has filled
his house with. Nick, again realizing that his presence is not needed, leaves the two alone.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Central Characters

Chapter 6

A reporter calls at Gatsby's home in attempt to learn more abut him. This visit was fueled by Gatsby’s status as a sort of celebrity. He asks
questions about many of the myths surrounding Gatsby, but Nick gives us the truest account of Gatsby's life.

He was born James Gatz in North Dakota. His parents were poor farm people and to escape the blandness of his existence, Gatsby created a
fantasy world. Part of this fantasy included the name Jay Gatsby. As a young man he worked along the shore of Lake Superior doing odd jobs.
He tried a small college for a couple of weeks but quickly grew restless and went back to the shore. While walking the shoreline he spots a yacht
owned by the wealthy Dan Cody. He warns Cody that he might have sailing troubles. Cody takes Gatsby under his wing. When Cody died
Gatsby was supposed to receive a large portion of his fortune but was tricked out of it. However, Gatsby had created a persona and found
something that he wanted to achieve at all costs.

After an absence of several weeks due to work, Nick goes over to see Gatsby one Sunday afternoon. While there, Tom Buchanan and two others
arrive on horseback. Gatsby tries his hardest to be hospitable to the trio. They make an attempt to invite Gatsby with them somewhere but when
he goes to get ready, they leave without him.

Tom and Daisy attend Gatsby’s next party. Tom immediately dislikes the party and begins to question how Gatsby came into so much money.
Daisy also seems to be unhappy at the party - which concerns Gatsby. He tells Nick that he will make things right with her and they will be able
to go back to how they once were.

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

After hearing this, Nick tells the reader of an evening Gatsby and Daisy spent together in their youth. The moment was so perfect and beautiful
to Gatsby that he has spent all of his time trying to recreate that moment. It is this recreation that he believes will make him happy.
Chapter 7

Nick goes to the Buchanans for an afternoon with Tom, Daisy, Gatsby, and Jordan. While they are there, the group - including Gatsby - sees
Daisy's child for the first time. As the group talk, Daisy says she loves Gatsby. Being a hot and uncomfortable day, they all decide to go into the
city to find something to do. Tom asks to take Gatsby's car. It seems odd to Gatsby but he lets him. Tom, Jordan and Nick drive off together
with Daisy and Gatsby in Tom's blue sports car.

Tom stops at Wilson's garage to fill up the gas tank and speaks to Wilson. Wilson alludes to the idea that he thinks his wife is having an affair
and that he wants to get some money to move out west. Nick thinks he sees Myrtle watching them from the window.

The groups meet up in the city and decide to take a hotel suite to enjoy a few cold drinks. While there, Gatsby and Daisy begin to act more
obvious about their affections in front of everyone. Tom begins to get angry and starts shouting at them. As the fight continues, Gatsby tells Tom
that Daisy has never loved him but that she has always loved him – Gatsby. Daisy quietly agrees. Tom, enraged, says that he has investigated
Gatsby and found out that he earned his money through being a bootlegger. The argument dies down and Gatsby and Daisy decide to leave in his
car. The rest of the group quietly exit with Tom.

Meanwhile, a neighbour of Wilson's, stops by to see him and finds him very ill in his office. Wilson tells him that he has locked his wife up and
that they will be leaving tomorrow. Wilson never tells Michaelis why they are leaving or why Myrtle is locked up. Michaelis leaves Wilson
alone.
Later, he comes out of his restaurant and hears Wilson and Myrtle fighting. During the fight, she runs into the road just as two cars are
approaching. She is hit and killed but the car does not stop.

Tom pulls up a little later when he sees all of the commotion around Wilson's. It is established that the car was Gatsby's. Wilson believes that it
was Tom who hit his wife since Tom was driving Gatsby’s car earlier in the day. Tom assures him it wasn't. When the group arrives back at
Tom's, Nick decides to wait outside for a cab. While waiting, Gatsby appears from behind a bush. He admits that Daisy was driving the car. Nick
asks Gatsby to come back with him but Gatsby wants to wait outside the house to make sure that nothing happens to Daisy.
Chapter 8

Early the next morning Nick goes over to check up on Gatsby. He has been at Daisy's all night just watching to see if she was safe. He and Nick
stay up talking about Gatsby's past. Gatsby is being very honest with Nick and tells him that Daisy was the first nice girl he had ever really met.
He was in love with her and planned on marrying her but the War split them apart. When it was over, he intended to go back and marry her but
ended up at Oxford instead. When he finally makes it back to America and goes to Louisville, he cannot find Daisy. She is on her honeymoon
with Tom Buchanan. Nick has to leave Gatsby to go to work. He is concerned about him, but Gatsby insists that he will be fine. After Nick
leaves, Gatsby decides to use his pool and relax.

Nick narrates what happened at Wilson's following Myrtle’s death. Michaelis stayed with Wilson in order to look after him. Wilson tells
Michaelis that someone killed Myrtle on purpose – the person who was having the affair with her. Michaelis thinks it is all nonsense and tries to
talk reasonably to Wilson. He ends up staying there until late. A man Michaelis recognized from the day of the accident offers to stay with
Wilson. When Michaelis returns, both Wilson and the man are gone. Wilson tries to locate the yellow car, and therefore, its owner. By early
afternoon, he is on his way to gatsby’s house. Wilson shoots Gatsby in his pool and then kills himself.
Chapter 9

In this chapter, Nick’s narration takes place two years later when he recalls the events of Gatsby’s death.

Nick calls Daisy's house to speak to her but she and Tom have left and cnnot be contacted. He also tries to contact Meyer Wolfsheim but fails.
Wolfsheim sends a letter later saying that he cannot comes to Gatsby's side. A few days later, Henry Gatz - Gatsby's father - comes to the
house. He had heard about Gatsby's death in the paper and came at once.

On the day of the funeral, Nick goes into the city to see Wolfsheim. Nick has to force himself into Wolfsheim's office, but Meyer refuses to
come to the funeral saying that he can't get mixed up in another man's death.

When Nick returns to the house, Mr. Gatz describes Gatsby when he was younger. Gatz shows Nick a schedule that Gatsby wrote out. It
suggests a very driven and determined young Gatsby.

The minister arrives at the house and is ready to start the funeral but Nick asks him to wait for more people to arrive. No one does. When the
small group goes to the cemetery, another man arrives for the service. He was a man who came to Gatsby's party that summer and thought he
should be there out of respect. He is the only one who does so.

Nick goes to see Jordan. She claims that she is engaged to another man and, although not surprised, Nick pretends to be.
In October, Nick sees Tom on a street in the city. Tom admits to telling Wilson that it was Gatsby who owned the car that killed Myrtle.

Nick decides to move to the Midwest. Nick’s narration becomes one of contemplation as he recalls the house, the parties and Gatsby’s faith and
hope.
Jay Gatsby

Jay Gatsby is a complex character: that is, he is defined by a range of conflicting characteristics which combine to make the whole of his
personality.

1. Look at the list of descriptions below and complete spider charts for each one giving textual references and chapter numbers
to show which passages you might refer to in order to prove the idea.

• Gatsby as ‘outsider’
• Gatsby as ‘lonely’
• Gatsby as ‘cynic’
• Gatsby as ‘idealist’
• Gatsby as ‘liar’
• Gatsby as ‘intelligent’
• Gatsby as ‘sensitive’
• Gatsby as ‘hypocrite’
• Gatsby as ‘child’
• Gatsby as ‘suicidal’
• Gatsby as ‘optimist’
• Gatsby as ‘nihilist’ – one who rejects the value and meaning of life & people
• Gatsby as ‘fatalist’ – one who sees life as predetermined and themselves powerless
• Gatsby as ‘redeemed’ – saved from his own weakness
Gatsby’s interactions
(Enlarge to A3)

1. Consider all of the interaction that Gatsby has with other characters. For each character, complete the table below:

Gatsby’s Interactions

Character’s name

Relationship to
Gatsby

Gatsby’s attitude to
them

What does the

character symbolise
/ represent in the
 narrative?

What does this

interaction show us
about Gatsby in the
wider novel?
Characters and Gatsby’s world
(Enlarge to A3)

Some critics have suggested that Fitzgerald uses the characters in the novel to ‘represent’ both positive and negative aspects of Gatsby’s world.

2. Group the characters according to whether they are representations of ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ aspects of Gatsby’s world, and
then try to determine what they represent. Use the table below to structure your ideas:

Characters as Representations of Gatsby’s World

What does the

Character’s name Positive Negative character
represent?
 Character continued
3. Now consider whether the characters that you have grouped can be as clearly defined as wholly ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. Which
ones are more complex and why is this? Think about Gatsby’s own complexity.

4. Think about the novel as a whole. How do Gatsby’s interactions throughout the novel reflect on Gatsby as a character?

5. What does Gatsby learn from his interactions with other characters in the novel?

6. Think about the characters we do not see in the novel.

• Who are they?

• What do they have in common?
• Why does Fitzgerald choose not to give them a voice in the novel?
• What function do these characters serve as opposed to the ones who appear in the novel?

7. Consider Gatsby’s death. Is it a fitting end for a character of Gatsby’s stature?

Use textual detail to support your ideas.

Characters & oppositions
The characters in The Great Gatsby essentially work as opposites to one another. This is true when we consider the four principal characters.
Indeed, the oppositions that define the characters can also be split along the lines of gender such that we see the characters representing opposites
of one another. As the novel progresses, this becomes much more complex. In turn, we come to see that there is a duality of characterisation at
work in the novel. The immediate dramatic purpose of the novel’s characterisation is clear: Fitzgerald establishes these oppositions to enhance
the novel’s drama, and the final reversal as it concludes. Equally, they tell us something of the society in which the characters exist.

 Complete the table below for the four main characters in The Great Gatsby to identify their immediate oppositions. Provide
textual evidence to support your ideas.

Jay Gatsby Nick Carraway

Characteristic Evidence Characteristic Evidence

Tom Buchanan Daisy Buchanan

Characteristic Evidence Characteristic Evidence
Character and society
(Enlarge to A3)

Many of the characters in the novel exhibit attitudes or behaviours that either conform to, defy, or affirm a particular perspective on American society during
the Jazz Age. In a novel that is centrally concerned with propriety and its observance, or otherwise, it is inevitable that characters will come to embody
elements of that society’s values, prejudices and virtues.

 For each of the major characters in the novel, complete a table like the one below to show how their dialogue and actions
demonstrate conformity or defiance of social propriety.

Character and society

Character’s name

Dialogue /
Behaviour

Conformity?

Defiance?
Textual evidence

Explanation
Character and conflict
(Enlarge to A3)

Conflict is central to The Great Gatsby, and the conflicts between the characters essentially drive the plot of the novel. More significantly, it is
conflict between the ideals, values and aspirations of the different characters that drive the central axis of the text.

 Complete the chart below to show which characters are in conflict at different points in the novel, and give an explanation of
what the conflict is. It might be about something physical, ideological or moral, for example.

Character and conflict

Description of
Character’s name In conflict with … Textual evidence
conflict
Character and allegiances
(Enlarge to A3)

Conversely, loyalty is another central part of the narrative. In a novel that is arguably about codes of American high society, the allegiances that
the different male characters make are important. Remember, however, that some of the allegiances that the different characters make, vary in
their legitimacy.

 Complete the chart below to show which characters form allegiances. Give reasons for the allegiances and explain whether
or not they are genuine.

Allegiances

Purpose of
Allegiance Genuine? Textual evidence
allegiance
Character and hierarchy
(Enlarge to A3)

In a society like 1920s New York - the period of the novel - the idea of hierarchy was an important tool for imposing order on society. In The
Great Gatsby we see different types of hierarchy: financial, nepotistic, age, and gender. All of these things determine the levels of power and
influence that each character possesses at different points, and in various exchanges, throughout the novel.

 For each of the different types of hierarchy that are at work in West Egg, complete a chart like the one below to show how
power is distributed.

Hierarchy of _________________________ in The Great Gatsby

[Most powerful character(s)]

[Subordinate characters] [Subordinate characters] [Subordinate characters]
Character and objectification
(Enlarge to A3)

One of the most interesting elements of The Great Gatsby is the way that characters are valued. Most obviously, this objectification is driven by
the male characters. In turn, we can discern an important tension in the novel surrounding both who is objectified, and for what reasons.

 Complete the chart below to show who is objectified, and by whom, in the novel. Provide textual evidence to support your
answer.

Objectification

Objectified By whom? Reason? Textual evidence

 Use this chart to collect the key quotations related to the different aspects of Gatsby’s character in The Great Gatsby.
[Characteristic]
[Characteristic] [Characteristic]

Jay Gatsby

[Characteristic]
[Characteristic]

[Characteristic]
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Central Characters

Use this chart to collect the key quotations related to the different aspects of Nick Carraway’s character in The Great Gastby.
[Characteristic]
[Characteristic] [Characteristic]

Nick Carraway

[Characteristic]
[Characteristic]

[Characteristic]

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Central Characters

Use this chart to collect the key quotations related to the different aspects of Tom Buchanan’s character in The Great Gatsby
[Characteristic]
[Characteristic] [Characteristic]

Tom Buchanan

[Characteristic]
[Characteristic]

[Characteristic]

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Central Characters

Use this chart to collect the key quotations related to the different aspects of Daisy Buchanan’s character in The Great Gatsby
[Characteristic]
[Characteristic] [Characteristic]

Daisy Buchanan

[Characteristic]
[Characteristic]

[Characteristic]

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The American Dream The Failure of the American

box.
Dream – Key Quotations

Fitzgeralds’s novel depicts a very

particular moment of doubt in the
America of the time: the high-
minded and admirable ideals of the
Declaration of Independence, for
the first time, clashed with the
Themes – The

realities of contemporary American

life. The growing consumerism of
American Dream

1920s America in which material

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

objects came to supplant the value

Use this sheet to collect quotations

placed upon ideals and moral

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

about the theme explored in the central

The Characters’ Views about the

American Dream
62
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 63

The American Dream & Hope

- Key Quotations

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 64

Themes
Listed below are a number of aspects of the narrative that explore the idea of the
American Dream. Complete a chart for each one.

• Gatsby’s relationships with others

• The communities of East & West Egg
• New York Society
• The new-found Consumerism of the 1920s

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 65

GASTBY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS & THE THEME OF THE AMRICAN DREAM

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF THE

QUOTATION
NUMBER AMERICAN DREAM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 66

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

THE COMMUNITIES OF EAST AND WEST EGG & THE AMERICAN DREAM

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF THE

QUOTATION
NUMBER AMERICAN DREAM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 67

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 68

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

NEW YORK SOCIETY & THE THEME OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF THE

QUOTATION
NUMBER AMERICAN DREAM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 69

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

THE NEW-FOUND CONSUMERISM OF THE 1920S & THE THEME OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF THE

QUOTATION
NUMBER AMERICAN DREAM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 70

Themes and character

(Enlarge to A3)

Each of the characters in The Great Gatsby Gatsby possess their own sense of the
American Dream. For each of them, complete the table below to show how they
perceive the American Dream.

CHARACTERS & THE AMERICAN DREAM

WHAT DOES THE

CHARACTER AMERICAN DREAM MEAN QUOTATION
TO THEM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 Ambition and Aspiration Destructive Ambitions and
Aspirations – Key Quotations
The characters in The Great Gatsby
are linked by their respective
ambitions and aspirations. In
different ways each of the
Aspiration

characters are reflections of a time

that promised much in terms of
personal and material fulfilment.
The novel’s central tension –
Gatsby’s longing for Daisy –
crystallises the fundamental sense
the theme explored in the central box.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

in which the characters in the novel

Use this sheet to collect quotations about

are driven by what they want, and

Themes – Ambition &

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

Failed Ambitions and Aspirations
– Key Quotations
71
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 72

Ambitions and Aspirations - Key

Quotations

Themes
Listed below are a number of aspects of the narrative that explore the idea of
Ambition and Aspiration. Complete a chart for each one.

• Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy

• Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s relationship
• The tension between the old and new aristocracy
• Social mobility

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 73

GASTBY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH DAISY & THE THEME OF AMBITION AND ASPIRATION

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF THE

QUOTATION
NUMBER AMBITION AND ASPIRATION?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 74

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 75

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

TOM AND DAISY BUCHANAN’S RELATIONSHIP & THE THEME OF AMBITION AND ASPIRATION

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF THE

QUOTATION
NUMBER AMBITION AND ASPIRATION?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 76

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 77

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

THE TENSION BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW ARISTOCRACY & THE THEME OF AMBITION AND
ASPIRATION

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF THE

QUOTATION
NUMBER AMBITION AND ASPIRATION?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 78

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 79

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

SOCIAL MOBILITY & THE THEME OF AMBITION AND ASPIRATION

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF THE

QUOTATION
NUMBER AMBITION AND ASPIRATION?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 80

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 81

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 82

Themes and character

(Enlarge to A3)

Each of the characters in The Great Gatsby aspire to be, or have, something.
Complete a table like the one below to show the ambitions and aspirations of each
of the characters.

CHARACTERS & AMBITION AND ASPIRATION

WHAT IS THEIR AMBITION

CHARACTER QUOTATION
& ASPIRATION?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 Decadence and Materialism Decadent Tendencies– Key

box.
Quotations
Linked to the idea of the failing
American Dream is the notion that
decadence and materialism become the
great vices of the Jazz Age.
Fitzgerald’s descriptions of the
characters and settings, for example,
are laden with allusions to the
decadent excess and importance of
materialism at this time. This aspect of
and Materialism

the novel reflects its time: a growing

capacity amongst Americans to own
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

objects and develop wealth

Use this sheet to collect quotations
Themes – Decadence

Obsession with Material Objects –

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

about the theme explored in the central

Key Quotations
83
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 84

Decadence and Materialism

- Key Quotations

Themes
Listed below are a number of aspects of the narrative that explore the idea of
Decadence and Materialism. Complete a chart for each one.

• Mobility and automobiles

• Tom Buchanan’s past
• Gatsby’s parties
• The New York sequences

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 85

MOBILITY AND AUTOMOBILES & THE THEME OF DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF

QUOTATION
NUMBER DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 86

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 87

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

TOM BUCHANAN’S PAST & THE THEME OF DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF

QUOTATION
NUMBER DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 88

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 89

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

GATSBY’S PARTIES & THE THEME OF DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF

QUOTATION
NUMBER DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 90

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

THE NEW YORK SEQUENCES & THE THEME OF DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF

QUOTATION
NUMBER DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 91

Themes and character

(Enlarge to A3)

1. Each of the characters in The Great Gatsby have either an obsession with
material objects, or are, in someway, decadent. Complete the chart below to
show how each of the characters are materialistic and / or decadent.

CHARACTERS & DECADENCE AND MATERIALISM

WHAT IS THEIR
CHARACTER QUOTATION
PRETENSION?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 92

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 Perception and Artifice Aspects of Artifice – Key

box.
Quotations
Fitzgerald’s novel is concerned with
the ideas of perception and artifice;
that is, how the characters perceive
themselves and each other, but also
how their world of artifice is used
to sustain these perceptions. For
example, the initial musings of
AND ARTIFICE

Nick, Myrtle and Tom at the

apartment in New York about
Gatbsy, reflect clearly the
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

importance of how he is perceived

Use this sheet to collect quotations

by others. Equally, the ‘white

palaces’ of East Egg also play an

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

Themes – PERCEPTION

about the theme explored in the central

Different Perceptions of the

Characters – Key Quotations
93
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 94

Perception and Artifice

- Key Quotations

Themes
Listed below are a number of aspects of the narrative that explore the idea of
Perception and Artifice. Complete a chart for each one.

• Rumour and speculation

• The property & decoration of the East Egg residents
• The social roles and functions of the different characters
• The characters’ private lives.

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 95

RUMOUR AND SPECULATION & THE THEME OF PERCEPTION AND ARTIFICE

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF

QUOTATION
NUMBER PERCEPTION AND ARTIFICE?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 96

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 97

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

THE PROPERTY AND DECORATION OF THE EAST EGG RESIDENTS & THE THEME OF PERCEPTION AND
ARTIFICE

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF

QUOTATION
NUMBER PERCEPTION AND ARTIFICE?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 98

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 99

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

SOCIAL ROLES AND FUNTIONS OF DIFFERENT CHARACTERS & THE THEME OF PERCEPTION AND ARTIFICE

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF

QUOTATION
NUMBER PERCEPTION AND ARTIFICE?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 100

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

THE CHARACTERS’ PRIVATE LIVES & THE THEME OF PERCEPTION AND ARTIFICE

CHAPTER / PAGE HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF

QUOTATION
NUMBER PERCEPTION AND ARTIFICE?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 101

Themes and character

(Enlarge to A3)

Each of the characters in The Great Gatsby Gatsby are pretending to be something at
one level or another – it might be to themselves or to one another. Complete the
table below to show what the characters are pretending to be.

CHARACTERS & PERCEPTION AND ARTIFICE

WHAT IS THEIR
CHARACTER QUOTATION
PRETENSION?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 102

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 Ego How characters construct their
egos – Key Quotations
The title of the novel immediately
locates the idea of ego as central to
the novel. The ironic idea of the
‘Great’ Gatsby suggests to us a
sense in which the characters of the
novel are judged and their status
constructed by others. However,
Themes – Ego

there is another element to the

novel which is interested in how the
theme explored in the central box.

characters view, and nurture their

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

own egos: Tom Buchanan, for

example, is a man who has a sense
of his own strength and
Use this sheet to collect quotations about the

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

Characters and their Egos – Key
Quotations
103
 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 104

GATSBY AND HIS PAST & THE THEME OF EGO

Ego - Key Quotations

Themes
Listed below are a number of aspects of the narrative that explore the idea of ego.
Complete a chart for each one.

• Gatsby and his past.

• Tom Buchanan and his masculinity
• The image of Daisy Buchanan

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 105

CHAPTER / PAGE
QUOTATION HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME EGO?
NUMBER

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 106

TOM BUCHANAN AND HIS MASCULINITY & THE THEME OF EGO

CHAPTER / PAGE
QUOTATION HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF EGO?
NUMBER

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 107

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 108

Themes
(Enlarge to A3)

THE IMAGE OF DAISY BUCHANAN & THE THEME OF EGO

CHAPTER / PAGE
QUOTATION HOW DOES THIS SHOW THE THEME OF EGO?
NUMBER

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 109

Themes and character

(Enlarge to A3)

Each characters’ ego plays a significant role in their fate during the novel. For each
of them, complete the table below to show how this is the case.

CHARACTERS & EGO

HOW DOES THEIR EGO

CHARACTER QUOTATION
DETERMINE THEIR FATE?

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 110

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 111

Narrative voice
Fitzgerald chooses a first person narrator to tell Gatsby’s story; Nick Carraway is
more complex than simply the first person narrator of the text: he is also an active
participant in the events of the novel. This means that Carraway, in addition to
being our eyes into the world of the text, is also someone that we have to interpret.

The reader is engaged in an interesting – but complex – game with Carraway: we rely
on him to guide us through the narrative, but we also have to make judgements
about the validity of his story against the agendas he clearly possesses.

Furthermore, the intense complexity of Gatsby is conveyed to us precisely because

of the evident contradiction in the role of Carraway. On the one hand, the
paradoxes of Carraway’s narration are fascinating in understanding who he is as
narrator and character but, on the other, they also problematise the complexities in
our perceptions of Gatsby’s character. Therefore, the choice of Carraway as narrator
is important: it not only complicates our understanding of the novel and its world,
but also our interpretation of Gatsby himself.

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 112

Nick Carraway’s narration

 In the table below, collect examples of Nick Carraway’s contradictory
narration, explain why they are contradictory and explain their effect on the
reader.

EXAMPLE WHY IS IT CONTRADICTORY? EFFECT ON READER?

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 113

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 114

Copyright © 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk