Gatsby and Daisy

At this point in The Great Gatsby, we don't know yet if Gatsby and Daisy will end up together. We have been led to believe that Gatsby is more in love with the idea of Daisy than Daisy herself. Also on page 110, Nick describes Gatsby by saying, "He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy". It seems as if Gatsby is stuck in the past and cannot see his present situation for how it really is. He wants to go back to the time where his idea of his former self falls in love with his idea of Daisy. But many things have changed in five years, so how do you think Gatsby and Daisy's relationship will turn out based on this type of thinking?

The Great Gatsby

In chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby the reader is able to view different aspects of New York society. In what ways does this society and it's unwritten rules mirror, or appear different to those that were in The Age of Innocence? Are there still unwritten rules at all? Recall what was important to the characters in Age of Innocence and see if those aspects seem to still be important in The Great Gatsby.

Modernism

As we move from Realism to Modernism, we note a shift in an author or artists's perception. In Realism, many believed that there was only one truth or interpretation of reality. In the Modernism era, the author created their own truth through the multiple realities of everyone. Which era would you prefer to illustrate/write? Which theory of truth do you agree with? Why?

By now we have almost finished the book and have learned a lot about Archer. Do you believe that Archer has free will, or are his choices determined by society. Why or why not?