The Great Gatsby: Key Concepts and Characters

Questions about Gatsby

• A reporter is inquiring about Gatsby's wealth, reflecting the growing curiosity surrounding his fame and mystery.
• Gatsby's real name is James Gatz, originally from North Dakota; he adopted the name Gatsby to appear more sophisticated.

Dan Cody's Influence

• Dan Cody, a multimillionaire with a drinking issue, was saved by Gatsby from a storm while aboard his yacht.
• Gatsby engaged in various jobs for Cody, such as steward and skipper, and was responsible for overseeing Cody's drinking.
• Dan Cody amassed wealth through mining metals like copper and silver.

Gatsby's Early Life

• In his youth, Gatsby worked as a clam digger and a salmon fisherman.
• He attended St. Olaf College briefly on a janitorial scholarship, leaving after two weeks as he found the work degrading.

Relationships and Tensions

• Ella Kaye, Cody's ex-wife, inherited the $25,000 intended for Gatsby after Cody's suspicious death.
• Nick Carraway learned about Gatsby's history directly from Gatsby himself over time.
• Tom Buchanan unexpectedly arrives at Gatsby's house with acquaintances, including a mysterious woman.

Social Dynamics

• Gatsby's attempt to socialize with Tom leads to tension; Gatsby's aggressive claim, "I know your wife," amplifies the conflict.
• Tom's discontent arises from Gatsby's relationship with Daisy, questioning the propriety of women socializing independently.

Party Perspectives

• Nick's enjoyment of Gatsby's parties diminishes with Tom's presence; he finds Tom's company distasteful.
• Gatsby refers to Tom as the "polo player," which irritates Tom during social interactions.
• Daisy's only moment of happiness at the party comes from her conversation with Gatsby at Nick's house.

Perceptions of Wealth

• Tom suspects Gatsby of being a bootlegger, while Daisy assumes he owns drugstores.
• Daisy observes that Gatsby is too polite to remove uninvited guests from his gatherings, indicating social class awareness.

Daisy's Concerns

• Daisy worries about Gatsby potentially falling for another woman at the party after she leaves.
• Gatsby desires Daisy to assert that she never loved Tom and hopes to rekindle their romance exactly as it was five years prior.

Gatsby's Aspirations and Reality

• Nick advises Gatsby to temper his expectations of Daisy, emphasizing that the past cannot be recaptured.
• Disagreeing, Gatsby insists that it is possible to recreate the past.
• His recollections of a romantic stroll with Daisy transform mundane memories into ideals of perfection.

Commentary on Gatsby

• Nick's criticism of Gatsby’s "appalling sentimentality" reveals his own biases, rendering him somewhat unreliable as a narrator.
• Through Gatsby's romanticized view of life, Nick confronts his own tendencies to idealize experiences.

This quiz explores significant themes and characters in 'The Great Gatsby,' including Gatsby's background, his relationship with Dan Cody, and the influence of wealth on identity. Dive deep into the motivations and tensions that drive these characters in Fitzgerald's classic. Test your knowledge of Gatsby's early life and the pivotal events that shape his story.