Gatsby Chapters One and Two

The Great Gatsby

CHAPTERS 1 & 2

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Lesson Objectives

• Analyze key characters (Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, and Myrtle Wilson) and their motivations.
• Examine Fitzgerald’s use of setting and symbolism to establish themes of wealth, class, and the American Dream.
• Interpret the narrative perspective and its effect on how events are presented.

Do Now:

• Think about a person you know who always seems to present themselves differently depending on who they are with. How do you feel about them? Why do you think they behave that way?
• Write 3–5 sentences in the chat

Chapter One Recap

The novel opens with narrator Nick Carraway reflecting on advice from his father about reserving judgment of others. Nick, a Yale graduate and WWI veteran, has moved from the Midwest to West Egg, Long Island in the spring of 1922 to learn the bond business.Nick rents a small house next to a massive mansion owned by the mysterious Jay Gatsby. Across the bay in the more fashionable East Egg live Nick's cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom, a wealthy, brutish former Yale football star from Nick's college days. Nick visits the Buchanans for dinner, where he meets Jordan Baker, a professional golfer with a cynical attitude. The evening is tense—Tom receives a phone call that clearly upsets Daisy, and Jordan reveals to Nick that Tom has "a woman in New York." Daisy seems both sophisticated and deeply unhappy, caught in her troubled marriage. Later that night, Nick returns home and sees Gatsby for the first time—a solitary figure standing on his lawn in the darkness, arms stretched toward the water, seemingly reaching for a distant green light across the bay. The chapter establishes the novel's major characters, the divide between old money (East Egg) and new money (West Egg), and creates an air of mystery around both Gatsby and the green light that captivates him.

Movie trailer

Here is the trailer from Baz Luhrman's 2012 Film version of The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

Nick Carraway's Introduction

Nick Carraway is introduced as the narrator who moves from the Midwest to West Egg, Long Island, in 1922 to work as a bond salesman. He is the cousin of Daisy Buchanan and a former Yale classmate of her husband, Tom Buchanan, and is a neighbor to the enigmatic Jay Gatsby. His introduction also includes his father's advice to reserve judgment, establishing him as a narrator who seeks to be fair and observant.

Essential Passages: Chapter One

Nick’s introduction and perspective: “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since…” Discussion: What does this reveal about Nick as a narrator? Description of Tom and Daisy’s home: “Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion…” Discussion: How does Fitzgerald use setting to reflect wealth and class? Take a couple of minutes to address each question in the chat!

Essential Passages Chapter Two

Valley of Ashes description: “This is a valley of ashes—a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat…” Discussion: How does this imagery contrast with East Egg/West Egg? Introduction of Myrtle Wilson and the party: “Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” Discussion: What does this reveal about Tom? How does it set the tone for social critique in the novel? Take a couple of minutes to address each question in the chat!

The Valley of Ashes

• A desolate wasteland - The Valley of Ashes is a bleak industrial dumping ground located between West Egg and New York City, described as a gray, lifeless area covered in ashes and dust from industrial waste.
• Symbol of moral and social decay - It represents the dark underbelly of the American Dream, showing the poverty and desperation that exist beneath the wealth and glamour of the 1920s, and the human cost of the upper class's excess.
• Home to George and Myrtle Wilson - The valley is where George Wilson runs his failing auto garage, and where his wife Myrtle lives in frustration and desperation, dreaming of escape from their bleak existence.
• The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg - A faded billboard featuring a pair of enormous, bespectacled eyes overlooks the valley, serving as a haunting symbol that's been interpreted as the eyes of God watching over a spiritually empty society, or as a representation of lost vision and meaning.

The Green light

• Located at Daisy's dock - The green light sits at the end of Daisy Buchanan's dock across the bay in East Egg, visible from Gatsby's mansion in West Egg, representing the physical distance between Gatsby and his lost love.
• Symbol of Gatsby's dream - The light embodies Gatsby's longing for Daisy and his idealized vision of their future together. He's first seen reaching toward it in Chapter One, capturing his yearning for something just out of reach.
• Represents the American Dream - Beyond Gatsby's personal desire, the green light symbolizes the broader American Dream itself—the hope for a better future, the pursuit of happiness, and the belief that anything is possible, no matter how distant it seems.

The Eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg

The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are one of the most haunting and enigmatic symbols in The Great Gatsby. Depicted on a faded billboard overlooking the desolate Valley of Ashes, these enormous blue eyes behind yellow spectacles watch over the wasteland between West Egg and New York City. The advertisement, likely abandoned by its creator, takes on an almost godlike presence in the novel—George Wilson even refers to them as the eyes of God after his wife's death. However, these "eyes" see everything but do nothing, suggesting a world where moral vision exists but moral authority has vanished. They represent the spiritual emptiness of 1920s America, a society obsessed with wealth and pleasure but devoid of deeper meaning or values. The eyes witness the characters' moral failings and the tragedy that unfolds, serving as a silent, impotent observer of human corruption and the hollowness beneath the glittering Jazz Age surface

Chapter 1- Assignment

With The Great Gatsby entering the public domain, Asian American author Nghi Vo reimagines Fitzgerald's storyline told from Jordan Baker’s point-of-view. According to the book’s description, “Nghi Vo’s debut novel, The Chosen and the Beautiful, reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.”

Chapter 1- Assignment

Chapter 1- Assignment

Chapter 2- Assignment

Part 1: Valley of Ashes Analysis (15 points)Fitzgerald uses the valley of ashes as a powerful symbol in Chapter 2. In a well-developed paragraph (8-10 sentences), analyze the significance of this setting. Consider:

• What does the valley of ashes represent in the novel's social landscape?
• How does Fitzgerald's description create mood and atmosphere?
• What contrasts exist between this location and East/West Egg?
• Include at least two specific quotations from the text to support your analysis.

Part i- Rubric

Chapter 2- Assignment

Part 2: The Apartment Scene (20 points)The party at the New York apartment reveals much about the characters and their social world. Write a response (2-3 paragraphs) addressing:

• How does the apartment setting contrast with the valley of ashes?
• What does Myrtle's behavior at the party reveal about her character and aspirations?
• What role does alcohol play in this scene?
• How does Tom's violence at the end of the chapter demonstrate his character?

PART 2- Rubric

Chapter 2- Assignment

Part 3: Symbols and Motifs (10 points)

• Identify and explain the significance of TWO of the following symbols/motifs from Chapter 2:
• The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg
• The puppy
• Myrtle's dress changes
• The photography book ("Simon Called Peter")
• For each symbol, write 4-5 sentences explaining its literal meaning and symbolic significance.

part 3- Rubric

Chapter 2- Assignment

Part 4: Creative Response (10 points)Choose ONE:

• Option A: Write a diary entry from George Wilson's perspective on the day described in Chapter 2. What might he be thinking and feeling?
• Option B: Create a visual representation (sketch, diagram, or detailed description) of either the valley of ashes or the New York apartment based on Fitzgerald's descriptions.

part 4- Rubric

Exit Ticket

In one sentence, explain how Nick’s perspective affects how we understand the Buchanans.Tell me in the chat!

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