The Great Gatsby by F Scott
Fitzgerald
Leaving Certificate English
The Single Text – Full Notes
© irevise.com 2016
1 The Single Text – The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald – Full Notes
© irevise.com 2016.
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2 The Single Text – The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald – Full Notes
Table of Contents
Context ................................................................................................................................... 5
Summary ................................................................................................................................ 6
Characters............................................................................................................................... 7
Nick Carraway .................................................................................................................................... 7
Jay Gatsby .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Daisy Buchanan .................................................................................................................................. 9
Tom Buchanan ................................................................................................................................. 10
Jordan Baker .................................................................................................................................... 10
Myrtle Wilson .................................................................................................................................. 10
George Wilson ................................................................................................................................. 10
Owl Eyes ........................................................................................................................................... 10
Klipspringer ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Meyer Wolfsheim ............................................................................................................................ 10
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols ................................................................................................ 10
Themes............................................................................................................................................. 10
The Decline of the American Dream in the 1920s ........................................................................ 10
The Hollowness of the Upper Class .............................................................................................. 12
Motifs ............................................................................................................................................... 12
Geography ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Weather ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Symbols ............................................................................................................................................ 13
The Green Light ............................................................................................................................. 13
The Valley of Ashes ....................................................................................................................... 13
The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg ................................................................................................. 13
Important Quotations Explained ............................................................................................ 13
1. ...................................................................................................................................................... 13
2. ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
3. ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
4. ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
5. ...................................................................................................................................................... 15
Sample Answers .................................................................................................................... 15
Discuss Gatsby’s character as Nick perceives him throughout the novel. What makes Gatsby
“great”?............................................................................................................................................ 15
What is Nick like as a narrator? Is he a reliable storyteller, or does his version of events seem
suspect? How do his qualities as a character affect his narration?................................................. 16
What are some of The Great Gatsby’s most important symbols? What does the novel have to say
about the role of symbols in life? .................................................................................................... 16
How does the geography of the novel dictate its themes and characters? What role does setting
play in The Great Gatsby? ................................................................................................................ 17
3 The Single Text – The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald – Full Notes