Discussion Questions for Chapter Two of The Great Gatsby ..., Study notes of English Literature

Download Discussion Questions for Chapter Two of The Great Gatsby ... and more Study notes English Literature in PDF only on Docsity! Discussion Questions for Chapter Two of The Great Gatsby What is half way between East Egg and New York? (23)  The Valley of Ashes. What might ashes symbolize?  Answers will vary, but may include: death, the phoenix, which is the bird that dies and is reborn out of its ashes, or just the desperate hopelessness of the place. What appears out of nowhere in the Valley of Ashes? (23-24)  The eyes of Dr. T.J Eckleburg (on a billboard for an optometrist by that name). Why does Nick meet Tom’s mistress even though he has no desire to meet her? (24)  Tom pretty much forces Nick to meet her. What three shops are located on the Main Street of the Valley of Ashes? (24-25)  A place for rent, an all night restaurant and a garage repair place owned by George B. Wilson, who repairs and buys and sells cars. What is George B. Wilson’s occupation? (25)  George Wilson is a car salesman and mechanic. What are several descriptions Nick gives of George Wilson? (25-26)  Blond, spiritless, anemic and faintly handsome. What springs into George Wilson’s eyes when he sees Tom and Nick? (25)  A damp gleam of hope. What does Wilson want from Tom? (25)  Tom’s car (which he wants to buy). How does Wilson’s wife treat him? (26)  She treats him horribly, speaking to him in commands, and treating him almost as if he were not there, as if he didn’t exist. What might the white ash dust on Wilson’s suit symbolically convey about his relationship with his wife?  Their relationship is fading and/or dead and musty. What instructions does Tom give Myrtle Wilson? (26)  Tom instructs her to get on the next train so they can meet on the lower level to have some time together. What does Wilson think about his wife’s visits to the city? (26)  He thinks she goes to visit her sister. What does Myrtle want for the apartment, and why? (27)  She wants a puppy because it would ‘go well’ with the apartment, like a decoration. What kind of glance does Myrtle give the neighborhood of her apartment? What does this tell you about how she feels toward the apartment and Tom? (28)  A regal homecoming glance. This tells you that she believes that this is where she belongs, with Tom. What does it tell us about the values of Myrtle, and the time period in which she is living, that she tells Nick that her sister Catherine is “said to be very beautiful by people who ought to know?” (28)  Answers may vary, but may include that all anyone cares about is what others think, and don’t have any original opinions of their own; also, that they are shallow and care about surface appearances. With what—ironically—does Myrtle seem to believe men are mainly concerned? (31)  Money. What does Myrtle say about the woman podiatrist (foot doctor) who came to examine her feet that reveals Myrtle’s lack of education? (31)  Myrtle says that based on what the woman charged her, you’d think she’d taken out her appendicitis, rather than taken out her appendix. Myrtle doesn’t know the difference between the organ and the medical condition associated with the organ. What is ironic about the way that Myrtle speaks of the lower-class servants such as the boy she had told to bring the ice? (31)  She looks down on those of the ‘lower orders’ (like servants), yet she herself is actually poor. Catherine tells Nick that she had attended one of Gatsby’s parties. What does this seem to imply about Gatsby and his popularity?  He is extremely popular and everyone goes to his parties. Where does Myrtle believe Gatsby gets his money? (32)