Chapter 4 In-Class Reading Discussion (Open Discussion Day 8: Who do you think he really is?

1. What are some of the red flags present in Gatsby’s story?

a. Everyone who could corroborate his story is dead—or at least he’s quick to point it out.
b. He “chokes” on the Oxford story.
c. The “middle-west” is, apparently, San Francisco.
d. I’ve never heard anyone compare themselves to a “rajah” in seriousness before.
e. He sounds like a “character” in a badly-written book.
f. He’s TOO animated about his Montenegro story. What a weird country to pick.
2. What about the medal and photograph makes Nick so certain it’s true? (It’s too random
otherwise. Having these trinkets give him evidence so that Nick can go back to being smitten by
him.)
3. Does Gatsby always carry these medals around? What does that tell us? (He says he only
brought them to validate his story, which means he was highly aware of the rumors being
spread about him.)
4. What does the white card show about Gatsby’s importance level? (He’s a big deal. In fact, the
officer doesn’t even have to STOP him to recognize the commissioner’s card signifying Gatsby’s
connection with him.)
5. What is striking about the funeral processional and Nick’s inner monologue? (Seeing this funeral
processional is probably a negative indicator of what’s to come. He’s looking forward to
enjoying the “first wild promise” of this world, but immediately after that thought follows death.
It’s also really shallow that Nick’s first thought is that he’s “glad” that “the sight of Gatsby’s
splendid car was included in their somber holiday.”)
6. What are some clues that Wolfsheim is shaaaady?
a. He’s talking about old memories of people that were gunned down in public.
b. He thinks Nick is there for a business “gonnection,” and Gatsby immediately shuts down
that conversation.
c. He’s really paranoid.
d. He has human molars for cufflinks. (Bonus question: Do these molars suggest that
Meyer is killing people? Answer: Nope. He’s a gambler. They can’t pay you back if
they’re dead, so it was probably just a reaaally effective scare tactic.)
e. He rigged the 1919 World Series.
7. Does Gatsby’s “gonnection” with Wolfsheim mean that Gatsby’s a criminal too? (It strongly
suggests it based on their relationship.)