Read the excerpt from The Great Gatsby.

“But we heard it,” insisted Daisy, surprising me by opening up again in a flower-like way. “We heard it from three people, so it must be true.”

Of course I knew what they were referring to, but I wasn’t even vaguely engaged. The fact that gossip had published the banns was one of the reasons I had come East. You can't stop going with an old friend on account of rumors, and on the other hand I had no intention of being rumored into marriage.

Daisy’s insistence that the rumor of Nick’s engagement is true despite his denial suggests a conflict between
East Egg and West Egg.
the upper class and the middle class.
Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan.
rumor and reality.
Mark this and return

9 answers

Daisy’s insistence that the rumor of Nick’s engagement is true despite his denial suggests a conflict between rumor and reality. The excerpt highlights how social perceptions and gossip can shape the understanding of people's relationships and circumstances, regardless of the actual truth, emphasizing the power of rumor in the social dynamics of the characters involved.

Read the excerpt from The Great Gatsby.

I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them.

The phrase, “I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two” reveals
the narrator’s upper-middle-class, socioeconomic standing.
the narrator’s awareness of social judgments and their central role in the novel.
the narrator’s deep desire to fit in and be friends with the fashionable crowd.
the narrator’s insecurities as he befriends a new group of individuals.

The phrase, “I lived at West Egg, the—well, the less fashionable of the two” reveals the narrator’s awareness of social judgments and their central role in the novel. This acknowledgment indicates an understanding of the social hierarchy and the importance placed on status, which is a recurring theme throughout the narrative.

Read the excerpt from Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay. The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens—finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run. The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold and wide open to the warm windy afternoon, and Tom Buchanan in riding clothes was standing with his legs apart on the front porch.

Based on this description of the Buchanans’ house, what inference can be made about many East Egg residents?
They hide their unattractive qualities beneath beautiful, light, and dreamy appearances.
They commonly ride horses in the afternoon or early evening hours.
They are more sophisticated than West Egg residents, because they have less money.
They place more importance on the appearance of their homes than in anything else.

Based on this description of the Buchanans’ house, the inference that can be made about many East Egg residents is that they place more importance on the appearance of their homes than in anything else. The elaborate and cheerful description of the mansion, along with its meticulously maintained surroundings, suggests that East Egg residents prioritize aesthetics and outward appearances, reflecting their social status and wealth.

Read the excerpt from The Great Gatsby.

The telephone rang inside, startlingly, and as Daisy shook her head decisively at Tom the subject of the stables, in fact all subjects, vanished into air. Among the broken fragments of the last five minutes at table I remember the candles being lit again, pointlessly, and I was conscious of wanting to look squarely at every one, and yet to avoid all eyes. I couldn’t guess what Daisy and Tom were thinking, but I doubt if even Miss Baker, who seemed to have mastered a certain hardy skepticism, was able utterly to put this fifth guest’s shrill metallic urgency out of mind. To a certain temperament the situation might have seemed intriguing—my own instinct was to telephone immediately for the police.

The phone calls that Tom receives during the dinner are an indicator that
he is trying to prevent his marriage from failing.
he and Daisy are not a happily married couple.
he would rather be in the city than on the island.
he has important business deals in the works.

The phone calls that Tom receives during the dinner are an indicator that he and Daisy are not a happily married couple. The interruption caused by the telephone and Daisy's reaction suggest underlying tensions in their relationship, as well as an indication that Tom is preoccupied with something outside of their dinner gathering, hinting at issues in their marriage.

Which best describes the role of setting in a story?
Setting is used to emphasize ideas and theme.
Setting is used to introduce new characters.
Setting is used to lessen a story’s emotional tone.
Setting is used to de-emphasize an existing conflict.

The option that best describes the role of setting in a story is: Setting is used to emphasize ideas and theme.

Setting plays a crucial role in establishing the context in which characters exist and events unfold, often influencing the mood and reinforcing the themes of the story.