The Great Gatsby: chapter 2

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

What is the importance of this to your reading of chapter 2 

Interpretation 

‘…above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleberg…[his] eyes…are blue and gigantic – their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose…his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.’(p.26)

Which ideas, themes and topics do these "eyes" highlight? 

1. The eyes if T.J. Eckleburg  overlook the Valley of Ashes

2. The importance of advertising in society

3.  Lack of vision

4. Symbol of God?

Chapter 2

The only impoverished characters in the novel live in the Valley of the Ashes. Notably their home is made of yellow brick. “The only building in sight was a small block of yellow brick sitting on the edge of the waste land, a sort of compact Main Street ministering to it, and contiguous to absolutely nothing.” (p.27) 

Again, the symbolism of colour is both complex and revealing.

a. What do you think the colour ‘yellow’ could symbolise?

b. How do you see Myrtle and George Wilson from the perspective of this  quote?

yellow 

The yellow brick road from The Wizard of Oz leads to the ruler of Oz who is an imposter. 

Yellow = symbol of false promise 

George Wilson  p 28

Myrtle Wilson pg 28 

Make two columns in your exercise book. 

Write down all the descriptive language used to give a vivid image of George and Myrtle Wilson. 

George Wilson  p 27 & 28

Blond, 

spiritless 

anaemic 

faintly handsome

light blue eyes 

Ghost 

cement colour 

white ashen dust 

Myrtle Wilson pg 28 

middle thirties 

vitality 

smouldering 

wet her lips 

sensuously 

stout 

no facet or gleam of beauty

soft course voice 

Make two columns in your exercise book. 

Write down all the descriptive language used to give a vivid image of George and Myrtle Wilson. 

Assignment in Teams chpt 2 

Complete the questions for chapter 2. You will find these in Teams => The Great Gatsby => chapter 2. 

Complete questions 4,5,6 & 7 

in your class notebook. You have 17 minutes 

Chapter 2

4. Myrtle’s transformation

Identify the three stages of Myrtle’s transformation. These are directly related to her setting and her clothes. Find quotes which show this transformation of character and remember to fully analyse what this represents about her character.

Myrtle's transformation 

"carried her flesh sensually" "continually smouldering" "spotted dress of dark blue crepe-de-chine"pg 28 (Valley of Ashes) 

"changed her dress to a brown figured muslin ... rather wide hips" "I want one of of those dogs"pg 29 (New York) 

"now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-coloured chiffon ... her personality had also undergone a change" pg 33 (apartment in NY) 

The change of dress is symbolic of the nature of appearance versus reality and pretence that pervades the whole novel. 

Her movement from her real self is represented through the saturated colour of the blue of her first dress to her "desired" self which can be seen in the pastel cream of her final dress similar to that of Daisy's dress. She is pretending to be the one person in the world who she cannot hope to emulate - her lover's wife. 

5. Daisy and Myrtle

We are presented with a great contrast between Daisy and Myrtle. Whereas Daisy is presented as faintly ephemeral, dressed in pale pastels with her ‘low, thrilling voice’, Myrtle is charged with sensual and verbal energy. When she comes down the stairs, Nick notes her ‘immediate perceptible vitality… as if her nerves were continually smouldering’. (p.28) 

Later on p. 33 Nick carries on saying the following about Myrtle Wilson: “Mrs Wilson … was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream coloured chiffon … with the influence of the dress, her personality had also undergone a change. The intense vitality … was converted into impressive hauteur. Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected… and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her, until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air.” (p.33)

Based on the two quotes above (on pages 28 and 33) how do you describe the contrast between Daisy and Myrtle? Give as many details as possible.

The reader is presented with a significant contrast between Daisy and Myrtle. These characters appear to be placed in juxtaposition in order to highlight and pinpoint certain character traits. Daisy is presented as faintly ephemeral,  dressed in white. Her "low, thrilling voice"pg 14 pulls the listener in a subtle and refined way. Myrtle, however, is charged with sensual and verbal energy. Nick notes as soon as the appears that she has an "ïmmediate perceptive vitality" pg 28. unlike Daisy she wears bold, saturated colours to reveal her hot-blooded temperament and her robust femininity. She is straightforward, commanding and overtly sexual. These two characters vie for Tom's attention and embody two ways of being a woman. 

6. Chapter 2 

. Appearance versus Reality – Topic

a. The idea of falseness rings throughout this chapter. Find as many examples as you can of this falseness and explain what they tell you about the characters and Fitzgerald’s overall impression of this type of society.

b. Now try to find something that can be seen as “real”. Think about Tom’s response to Myrtle when she talks about Daisy.

• Lie told by Myrtle about the reason Tom cannot divorce Daisy. pg 36
• The abundance of alcohol serves as a reminder of the characters' need to fill their leisure time with artificial stimulants. 
• Myrtle's discussion of her own marriage reveals her own superficiality: the fact that she was appalled that George borrowed a suit for the ceremony only tells the reader that she cannot see beyond the surface appearance. 
• Her husband "dumbly" adores her, but his status in society is the only thing that matters in her materialistic, greedy world. 

Falseness

• The characters are forced out of their drunken stupor and back to harsh reality with the sound of Myrtle's nose being broken by Tom. 
• This first sign of violence is an open admission of the aggressive behaviour that has been alluded to in the novel so far (bruised finger, physical description). With this action, he signals the permanence of his marriage. 
• The one thing in Tom's life that is 'real' is his marriage bond. Despite his lack of fondness or love for Daisy, it is the one unbreakable chain in his life. This is a stark reality for Daisy and Tom.  

Chapter 2

7. Dual Setting: Valley of Ashes vs. Manhattan

Valley of Ashes vs. Manhattan: how are the two settings different? How are they alike?

Both the Valley of Ashes and Manhatten are mould settings. These settings influence and affect the behaviours of characters who encounter or inhabit these settings. The Valley of Ashes contains "ash-grey" men who work hidden amongst the "powdery air" pg 26. Mr Wilson lives here and is a member of the downtrodden working classes who are chained to industry and monotony. New York in opposition to The Valley of Ashes is described as being "warm and soft, almost pastoral". Nick finds it so rural and pleasant that he expects "to see a great flock of white sheep" pg 30. Nick and Tom feels at home in this environment and the inhibitions of West and East Egg are temporarily forgotten.