The Great Gatsby Study Guide

Chapter 2

1. Language usage: use each of the following words in a sentence. Each sentence should reveal that
you understand the meaning of the word.

 saunter
 vicinity
 grotesque
 discreetly
 strident
 repel
 console
 vulnerable
 boast
 incessant

2. Reading Comprehension: Answer each question in as much detail as you can. Provide enough
information to establish that you read the chapter carefully.

 What does Tom Buchanan do when Myrtle Wilson insists upon saying the name “Daisy” out
loud?

 Consider the billboard advertisement: what might a pair of enormous, disembodied eyes
peering down over humanity symbolize?

 Do Tom and Myrtle want the same things from their relationship?

 Does Tom love Daisy?

3. Character : Nick

“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of
life.”

 Paraphrase the quote into your own words

 What does the quote tell the reader about Nick’s character?

4. Textual Evidence: find a key quote to describe the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg:
5. Close analysis: Myrtle

“You can’t live forever; you can’t live forever; you can’t live forever.”

 List words/phrases from the text to describe Myrtle.

 Is Nick excited to meet her? Why/why not?
 In what ways are Daisy and Myrtle different?
 How does Myrtle Wilson feel about her husband? How do you know?

6. Setting: the Valley of Ashes

 How does the narrator describe the area where George and Myrtle Wilson reside? What are
its features?

 List 3 adjectives to describe the area of land.

 How does this setting provide contrast with the previous chapter?