Chapter 2 Practice Quiz — The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 2
Where does Tom take Nick at the beginning of Chapter 2?
Tom forces Nick off the train at the valley of ashes to meet his mistress, Myrtle Wilson, at her husband George Wilson's garage.
What does Myrtle buy on the way to the apartment in New York?
Myrtle buys a copy of Town Tattle, a moving-picture magazine, cold cream, perfume, and a puppy from a street vendor.
Where is Tom's apartment located and what is it like?
The apartment is on the top floor of a building at 158th Street. It has a small living room crowded with oversized tapestried furniture depicting the gardens of Versailles.
Who attends the party at Tom and Myrtle's apartment?
Nick, Tom, Myrtle, Myrtle's sister Catherine, and a couple from downstairs named Mr. and Mrs. McKee.
What lie does Catherine tell Nick about why Tom and Myrtle cannot marry?
Catherine claims that Daisy is Catholic and does not believe in divorce, which is keeping Tom and Myrtle apart. Nick notes that Daisy is not actually Catholic.
How does the party in Chapter 2 end?
Tom breaks Myrtle's nose with his open hand after she repeatedly shouts Daisy's name. The scene dissolves into chaos with bloody towels and scolding voices.
Where does Nick end up at the very end of Chapter 2?
Nick ends up lying half asleep in the cold lower level of Pennsylvania Station, staring at the morning Tribune and waiting for the four o'clock train.
How does Fitzgerald describe Myrtle Wilson's physical appearance and vitality?
Myrtle is in her mid-thirties, "faintly stout," with no particular beauty, but she possesses "an immediately perceptible vitality" as if "the nerves of her body were continually smouldering."
How is George Wilson characterized in Chapter 2?
George is described as "a blonde, spiritless man, anaemic, and faintly handsome." He blends into his ash-covered surroundings and is completely unaware of his wife's affair with Tom.
What is Catherine like, and what gossip does she share about Gatsby?
Catherine is a slender, worldly woman of about thirty with a red bob and plucked eyebrows. She tells Nick that Gatsby is supposedly a nephew or cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm and that all his money comes from there.
How do the McKees function in the party scene?
Mr. McKee is a pale, feminine photographer who talks about his artistic ambitions on Long Island. Mrs. McKee is shrill and languid. They represent social climbers who orbit wealth, hoping to gain access through connections.
How does Myrtle's personality change when she puts on the cream-colored chiffon dress?
Her "intense vitality" transforms into "impressive hauteur." Her laughter, gestures, and assertions become "more violently affected moment by moment" as she assumes the role of a wealthy socialite.
How does Chapter 2 illustrate the theme of class disparity?
The chapter moves from the desolate valley of ashes to a New York apartment, mapping social hierarchy. George Wilson fades into his ash-covered surroundings while Myrtle desperately tries to reinvent herself through clothing and possessions.
What does Myrtle's story about marrying George reveal about the theme of disillusionment?
Myrtle says she married George because she thought he was "a gentleman" who "knew something about breeding," only to discover he had borrowed someone else's suit for the wedding. Her story shows how false appearances lead to bitter disappointment.
What does Nick mean when he says he was "within and without" at the party?
Nick describes being simultaneously a participant in and observer of the party's excess. He is "simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life," capturing his moral ambivalence throughout the novel.
How does Tom's violence at the end of the chapter connect to the theme of wealth and power?
Tom's casual breaking of Myrtle's nose demonstrates how the wealthy use physical force to maintain control over those beneath them. His "short deft movement" suggests practiced dominance rather than spontaneous rage.
What does the valley of ashes symbolize?
The valley of ashes symbolizes the moral and social decay hidden beneath the wealth of the Eggs. It represents the human cost of industrial capitalism and the forgotten underclass whose labor enables the lifestyles of the rich.
What do the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg symbolize?
The faded billboard eyes represent the absence of genuine moral or spiritual oversight in 1920s America. Their commercial origin and decaying state suggest that moral authority has been abandoned, leaving only a hollow, watchful remnant.
How does Fitzgerald use contrast as a literary device in Chapter 2?
Fitzgerald contrasts the gray desolation of the valley with the warm apartment, Myrtle's vitality with George's lifelessness, and the cheerful afternoon sun with the violence that erupts at night. These contrasts emphasize the gap between surface appearances and underlying reality.
What does "supercilious" mean as used in Chapter 2?
Supercilious means behaving as though one is superior to others; arrogantly disdainful. Tom's "supercilious assumption" that Nick had nothing better to do on a Sunday reflects his entitled, condescending attitude.
What does "hauteur" mean in the context of Myrtle's transformation?
Hauteur means haughty manner or arrogant pride. After changing into the chiffon dress, Myrtle's vitality is "converted into impressive hauteur," meaning she adopts an air of lofty superiority.
Who says "You can't live forever" and what is the significance?
Myrtle thinks "You can't live forever, you can't live forever" when she first meets Tom on the train. It reveals her rationalization for the affair—life is short, so she seizes the chance to escape her dreary existence with George.
What is the significance of the description: "Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand"?
The sentence's brevity and matter-of-fact tone mirror the casualness of Tom's violence. The word "deft" implies skill and practice rather than impulsive anger, revealing that brutality is a natural extension of his dominance.