Wealth & Class Flashcards
(16 cards)
What theme does Fitzgerald explore in the 1920s America?
Wealth and class
Fitzgerald also highlights the pitfalls associated with striving for these ideals.
Who says, ‘Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!’?
Jay Gatsby, Chapter 6
What does Gatsby’s statement about repeating the past reflect?
His determination and desperation to recreate the past
What is Gatsby’s main goal in the novel?
To reunite with his past love, Daisy Buchanan
How does Gatsby believe wealth can impact the past?
Wealth can recreate the past and overcome time
What does Gatsby’s belief in repeating the past indicate about his character?
His profound yearning for a time before complications of wealth and social status
What does Nick Carraway shout to Gatsby in Chapter 8?
‘They’re a rotten crowd… You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.’
What does Nick’s statement about the wealthy elite imply?
One individual of integrity is more valuable than an entire society of elites
What does the word ‘rotten’ suggest about the social group of the elite?
Moral decay and corruption
What does Nick admire in Gatsby’s character?
Gatsby’s integrity and moral superiority
What does Nick conclude about Tom and Daisy Buchanan in Chapter 9?
They are careless people who retreat into their money
What does the term ‘careless’ imply about Tom and Daisy’s actions?
A lack of concern for the consequences
How does wealth affect Tom and Daisy’s behavior?
It protects them from repercussions and allows irresponsibility
What does Nick mean by saying Tom and Daisy ‘smashed up things and creatures’?
They cause destruction without considering the impact on others
What does it mean when Nick says they ‘retreated back into their money’?
They use their wealth to escape real-world consequences
What larger theme does Nick’s assessment of Tom and Daisy contribute to?
Moral decay and disillusionment in the Jazz Age
