THEME: class

Question 1

“her life violently extinguished, knelt in the road and mingled her thick, dark blood with the dust.” - CH7

Answer 1

• “Dust” - symbolic of this poverty found in the Valley of Ashes.
• “Mingled” - represents this relationship between death and poverty, and how in a way, the residents of the Valley of Ashes were already dead. More obviously, the idea of the blood and the dust being “mingled” shows that perhaps even in death, Myrtle can’t escape her lower class and poverty, in spite of her aspirations.
• “Dark” - an even further juxtaposition when looking at Daisy, who is repeatedly described as “white” and almost angelic, showing how different the two classes and characters are as well as the class divide of the time.

Question 2

“‘Everybody thinks so—the most advanced people. And I KNOW. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.’ Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Tom’s, and she laughed with thrilling scorn. ‘Sophisticated—God, I’m sophisticated!’” - CH1

Answer 2

• Discusses this idea that those of upper classes are very cynical. Maybe this idea that they’re never satisfied?
• “Sophisticated” - the repetition of sophisticated is interesting as it emphasises this idea that upper classes are sophisticated. However, one could argue this too emphasises how lower classes aren’t considered sophisticated, and this idea of the upper class people being better. It may also hold irony, as sophisticated means to have a vast knowledge on culture and the world, but upper classes such as Daisy are sheltered from so much culture like those of the Valley of Ashes.
• “Most advanced” - the superlative immediately makes this adjective comparative of the classes. Also, “advanced” is a very vague term for the upper class, perhaps a suggestion they feel they are better in every way.

Question 3

“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made…” - CH9

Answer 3

• this represents the upper classes as a whole
• “creatures” - dehumanising. Also, general. They ruin all living things.
• “smashed up” - objectifying of the “things and creatures”, as it is typically used in the context of breaking an object. This only accentuates the power that the upper classes have over the lower classes. They are so powerful that those below them are no more than objects.

Question 4

“her left breast was swinging loose like a flap and there was no need to listen for the heart beneath.” - CH7

Answer 4

• A parallel to this “breast of the new world”. She was robbed of this new world by Daisy, who hit her and killed her. This is symbolic of how the upper classes crush the dreams of those who aspire to more.

Question 5

“He’s so dumb he doesn’t know he’s alive” - TOM ABOUT GEORGE CH2

Answer 5

• Incredibly degrading.
• Brings to light this idea of how “intelligence” is tied to wealth. Tom is presented as incredibly well-read, even if it is in poor topics, while George and even Myrtle are presented as fools.
• A sense of irony, as the real fools are the upper classes like Tom and Daisy, just they can get away with their mistakes due to the security of their wealth.

Question 6

“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.” - CH4

Answer 6

• reflects the polarity of society
• you are either weary or striving
• captures the relentless nature of the American Dream
• “pursued” = the dream/Daisy
• “busy” = those occupied but without a clear drive such as Nick.
• “tired” = those of the Valley of Ashes
• pursuing = Gatsby