At several crucial moments in the "riotous excursions" on which Nick accompanies Gatsby, Daisy and others, Fitzgerald describes a huge billboard advertising a doctor, a T.J. Eckleburg. Locate all of the references to this sign and explore what exactly is going on under his watchful eyes. Analyze your findings and draw some possible conclusions as to what Fitzgerald is up to with this particular recurring symbol.
The alluring yet befuddling Daisy Buchanan is a compelling figure in the novel. On the one hand, she seems to have everything--beauty, money, an athletic and handsome husband, along with the undying affection of Gatsby himself. But on the other, Daisy is often withdrawn, taciturn, perhaps even depressed. Explore and analyze her complex character and draw some possible conclusions as to what Fitzgerald is trying to say through her.
American literature courses often place "The Great Gatsby" in the context of "the American Dream." What, exactly, is "the American Dream" and how is that dream understood outside the context of "The Great Gatsby"? What does this novel by Fitzgerald add to or do to the more conventional understandings of "the American Dream"?
Throughout "The Great Gatsby," Jay Gatsby is a figure of heroic, almost mythic proportions. His wealth is astronomical; his parties are legendary; his sex appeal and panache are unparalleled. And yet when he dies, no one comes to his funeral. Nick, his friend and the story's narrator, literally calls people and begs them to come to Gatsby's funeral. But in the end no one comes. Explore the possibilities of what Fitzgerald is up to here. Consider how this ending fits in with and intensifies other prominent themes in the novel.