The Great Gatsby Study Guide: Chapter 2

Comprehension
1. What does Wilson hope Tom Buchanan will sell him?

2. Mr. McKee, the neighbor from the flat below—who comes to Myrtle’s party, has
what hobby or job. It’s described as his game.

3. We hear from Mrytle’s sister that the reason Tom and Daisy don’t get divorced
has to do with Daisy. What is the supposed reason?

4. We hear from Myrtle that Wilson had to borrow something for their wedding, and
this really surprised Myrtle. What did Wilson have to borrow?

5. What happens to Myrtle’s nose?

Analysis

6. What is the Valley of ashes?

7. How might we describe Myrtle’s character after reading this chapter?

8. How does Myrtle define seem to define class in this chapter? In other words, what
things does she consider to be signs of class?

9. What is the purpose of having her live in the valley of ashes?

10. Overall, what does Myrtle (the way Fitzgerald portrays her) tell us about Tom?

11. What can we infer about Fitzgerald’s likes and dislikes—his biases—from the
way he portrays Tom?

12. The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg watch over the wasteland. Nick believes Eckleburg
has since died or moved on. What, symbolically, might this all suggest?

13. What is the wasteland? Literally, what is it?

14. Figuratively, what is the wasteland? Why, symbolically, might Fitzgerald include
it in the novel?

15. What does Fitzgerald seem to want us to see about the world through his
description of the party? What seems to be his message?

16. What is the symbolic message in the fact that the party ends in incoherent
drunkenness?