Why Does Daisy Speak In Such Exaggerated Phrases
The Great Gatsby – Chapter 1 Questions
1. How does Nick describe himself at the beginning of the book? Why do you think Fitzgerald chose him to be the narrator?
a. Nick sees himself as reserved, nonjudgmental (which makes him slightly hopeful), but he can only be tolerant of others for so long.
b. To use Nick as the narrator places psychic distance to the story. Nick is part of the action, yet he is not one of the principals. He shares some of the emotions and is in a position to interpret those of the others. However, the happenings are not centered on him.
2. How does Nick describe Tom Buchanan? Daisy? What kind of relationship do they have (and not that they’re cousins / old college buddies!)?
a. Nick describes Tom as enormously …show more content…
Tom and Daisy seem to be pretty set in their ways. They’re both used to money and attention. Both are a part of the advanced, sophisticated, elite crowd which views the world in a scorned, cynical way.
9. Why does Daisy speak in such exaggerated phrases? Why does Nick feel she is trying to be a cynic (believes the worst about people / life)?
a. By overdoing her remarks, Daisy manages to minimize everything she says. If she describes something as utterly wonderful instead of merely nice, she makes it seem quite ordinary. This may be considered a form of unconscious hyperbole – by making everything sound important, Daisy reveals that nothing is important to her.
b. This is a current upper-class pose and by adopting it, Daisy not only identifies herself as part of a fashionable group, but disposes of the need to live a meaningful life, since life has no meaning anyway.
10. Why does Gatsby reach out to the water? What indications are there that the green light has a powerful emotional significance to Gatsby?
a. Gatsby is so near and yet so far away from a green light. He is stretching out his arms toward an elusive goal that he cannot quite reach.
b. Gatsby reaches out to it as if he desires to touch the light. Also, he’s described as almost trembling, like he’s shaking with …show more content…
Prior to this phrase, Nick saw a limousine pass him with a white chauffeur and black passengers. The white person here is the servant and the black people have the same haughty air of superiority that he recognizes in the social elite of the time. This is still a significant surprise at this time in history due to the racial tensions and restrictions. Really, only New York had this kind of thing happening – the rest of the country is VERY behind this city during the twenties.
i. The twenties was the time of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural explosion of African American writing, music, and art. African Americans flocked to New York to take part in this new freedom.
b. Prior to this scene Nick completely disbelieves Gatsby’s ridiculous story about riches, living like a rajah, and the war; however, in the kind of city where he can see a white person acting as the chauffeur for rich black people, Nick realizes that ANYTHING can happen – New York must be a place for incredible stories and reinvention. Maybe this mysterious man “Gatsby” COULD really exist here…..
i. NOTE: This is the second view of New York in the novel. It’s very much in conjunction with the idea of this city being the place to realize your great American Dream, for Gatsby and
1. How does Nick describe himself at the beginning of the book? Why do you think Fitzgerald chose him to be the narrator?
a. Nick sees himself as reserved, nonjudgmental (which makes him slightly hopeful), but he can only be tolerant of others for so long.
b. To use Nick as the narrator places psychic distance to the story. Nick is part of the action, yet he is not one of the principals. He shares some of the emotions and is in a position to interpret those of the others. However, the happenings are not centered on him.
2. How does Nick describe Tom Buchanan? Daisy? What kind of relationship do they have (and not that they’re cousins / old college buddies!)?
a. Nick describes Tom as enormously …show more content…
Tom and Daisy seem to be pretty set in their ways. They’re both used to money and attention. Both are a part of the advanced, sophisticated, elite crowd which views the world in a scorned, cynical way.
9. Why does Daisy speak in such exaggerated phrases? Why does Nick feel she is trying to be a cynic (believes the worst about people / life)?
a. By overdoing her remarks, Daisy manages to minimize everything she says. If she describes something as utterly wonderful instead of merely nice, she makes it seem quite ordinary. This may be considered a form of unconscious hyperbole – by making everything sound important, Daisy reveals that nothing is important to her.
b. This is a current upper-class pose and by adopting it, Daisy not only identifies herself as part of a fashionable group, but disposes of the need to live a meaningful life, since life has no meaning anyway.
10. Why does Gatsby reach out to the water? What indications are there that the green light has a powerful emotional significance to Gatsby?
a. Gatsby is so near and yet so far away from a green light. He is stretching out his arms toward an elusive goal that he cannot quite reach.
b. Gatsby reaches out to it as if he desires to touch the light. Also, he’s described as almost trembling, like he’s shaking with …show more content…
Prior to this phrase, Nick saw a limousine pass him with a white chauffeur and black passengers. The white person here is the servant and the black people have the same haughty air of superiority that he recognizes in the social elite of the time. This is still a significant surprise at this time in history due to the racial tensions and restrictions. Really, only New York had this kind of thing happening – the rest of the country is VERY behind this city during the twenties.
i. The twenties was the time of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural explosion of African American writing, music, and art. African Americans flocked to New York to take part in this new freedom.
b. Prior to this scene Nick completely disbelieves Gatsby’s ridiculous story about riches, living like a rajah, and the war; however, in the kind of city where he can see a white person acting as the chauffeur for rich black people, Nick realizes that ANYTHING can happen – New York must be a place for incredible stories and reinvention. Maybe this mysterious man “Gatsby” COULD really exist here…..
i. NOTE: This is the second view of New York in the novel. It’s very much in conjunction with the idea of this city being the place to realize your great American Dream, for Gatsby and