TGG Chapter 6 – Flashcards
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Who are Gatsby's parents and what is he leaving when he leaves homes at 16?
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Shiftless and unsuccessful farmers who his imagination never really excepted as his parents. He's leaving a bleak future behind.
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When and why does James Gatz change his name to Jay Gatsby?
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He changed it at the age of 17 and at the specific moment that witnessed the beginning of his career. When he saw Dan Cody's yacht drop anchor over the most insidious flat on Lake Superior. It's more glamorous and sophisticated.
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To young Gatz, what does Dan Cody's yacht represent?
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It represents all the beauty, glamor, and success in the world.
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Why does Gatsby not get the $25,000 left to him in Cody's will?
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Some legal device was used against him, all the money went to Ella Kaye. She cheated Gatsby out of it.
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Referring to the aftermath of Dan Cody's death in chapter six, Nick says, "He [Gatsby] was left with his singularly appropriate education; the vague contour of Jay Gatsby had filled out to the substantiality of a man." In your own words, explain Nick's two points.
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Gatsby was with Dan Cody for 5 years and got his business education from him. The education allowed Gatz to develop into the Jay Gatsby persona. Gatsby became a real person. It's not who Gatz is but he develops the facade.
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Knowing Tom as we do, how can we account for his comment about being "old fashioned" and "women running around too much these days to suit him"?
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Men and women had different standards (double standards) where the woman would stay home and be the good wife and the man could go out. Obviously Tom doesn't like Daisy running around and still believes in these old fashioned standards and that makes him sexist and hypocritical.
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What is Daisy's opinion of Gatsby's party?
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She doesn't like it, it offends her in the way that it's West Egg new money where everybody is tacky, wild, and drunk. She's elite and the party doesn't live up to her classy standards of East Egg. It appalls her.
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While the reader can have easily predicted Daisy and Tom's reactions to his party, Gatsby cannot. Why not?
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Gatsby is new money--tacky, flashy, and showing it off. He wasn't born into privilege so he thinks like West Eggers. While Tom and Daisy are classy old money people with standards and sophistication. They're snobby and the party is below them but Gatsby doesn't understand because he isn't sophisticated like East Eggers.
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When Gatsby says that he cannot make Daisy understand, what is it that he wants her to understand?
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He wants her to understand that he loves her and for them to truely be together Daisy has to tell Tom she never loved him. For them to move on and marry Daisy has to erase the past five years.
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What is Nick's view of repeating the past, and what is Gatsby's opinion? Why is Gatsby's opinion unrealistic?
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Nick know that you can't and shouldn't repeat the past, but Gatsby thinks he can just erase the last five years and start over again. His opinion is unrealistic because it's been five years and both of them have changed. Daisy has a daughter--you can't hit the undo button.
