Glossary: reading the text (Page Numbers don’t correspond to Teacher Copy of Novel)Chapter 1

1

reserve all judgements not judge people on first impressions.

veteran bores people who are always dull.

hostile levity unfriendly laughter.

intimate revelation confession of some innermost secret.

plagiaristic...suppressions everybody's secrets are similar.

fundamental decencies basic rules of good behaviour.

back from the East back to the Mid-West of America from New York in the East.

I wanted the world... moral attention forever I wanted everyone to be on their best behaviour.

riotous excursions...glimpses living an exciting life at second-hand.

2

an unbroken series of successful gestures ability to make all the right moves.

abortive sorrows and shortwinded elations life's ups and downs.

Dukes of Buccleuch ancient and noble Scottish family.

New Haven Yale, one of America's top universities, is in New Haven.

Teutonic migration German invasion of the First World War.

the bond business trade investments and loans.

3

Dodge type of car.

Original settler Dutch sailors were the first settlers in America in 1624.

Midas and Morgan and Maecenas rich, fictional king, a famous American banker and a rich Roman.

4

epigram short and witty saying summing up a situation.

slender riotous island Long Island.

like the egg in the Columbus story Christopher Columbus's third journey to the New World led him to believe that the world might have a flat top.

h'Otel de Ville French town hall, many of which look like fairytale castles.

second cousin once removed fairly distant relation.

5

powerful ends position in American football.

Georgian Colonial eighteenth-century style of American architecture.

6

effeminate unmanly.

paternal contempt disapproval, as a father might show disapproval of a child.

defiant wistfulness Tom needed Nick's approval despite his own arrogance.

7

conscientious expression look of complete attention.

Almost any exhibition...stunned tribute from me Nick is left almost speechless by Jordan's self-confidence.

9

incredulously disbelievingly.

Her grey...face Miss Baker looks at Nick with interest but mistrust.

checker American term for a piece in a game of draughts.

10

continually disappointed anticipation Mid-West evenings never lived up to their expected promise.

The Rise Of the Coloured Empires this is a fictional title but many so-called scientific, racist books were published at this time.

11

Nordic tall, white, blue-eyed and blonde.

infinitesimal hesitation with the smallest, hardly noticeable, break in his speech.

12

extemporizing speaking without preparation.

a short glance consciously devoid of meaning both try to look un-aware of what is going on.

A subdued impassioned murmur Daisy is whispering angrily to Tom.

verge of coherence almost loud enough to be understood.

13

Cunard or White Star Line liners which used to travel from Southampton to New York.

broken fragments the dinner party has broken up.

hardy scepticism tough outlook on life.

fifth guest person at the other end of the telephone.

vigil beside a... tangible body it's as if Tom's mistress is present.

verandas roofed but unwalled walks attached to the house.

14

You didn't come to my wedding this comment is worth noting as it means that Nick knows little about Daisy's past.

cynical believing everyone to be selfish.

gotten grammatically correct in America.

Sophisticated experienced and knowledgeable.

distinguished secret society the wealthy, established upper class.

15

uninflected without emphasis.

rotogravure type of printing used for newspapers and magazines.

critical, unpleasant story story about bad behaviour.

closets cupboards.

16

From Louisville. Our white girlhood reference to the sheltered upbringing of white upper-class girls in the Southern states of America.

corroborated agreed with.

17

Something was making him nibble...his peremptory heart Tom has achieved success early in life and is restless because he has fulfilled all his ambitions.

roadhouse roadside café.

new red petrol-pumps reference to the newly invented motor car.

1 What have we learned about Nick Carraway and his background?

2 Why are Tom and Daisy not happy together even though they seem to have everything one could wish for?

3 What impressions do we have of Gatsby at the end of this chapter?

Chapter 2

18

grotesque fantastic.

transcendent effort attempt which goes far beyond normal limits. cars railway carriages.

The eyes of Doctor TJ. Eckleburg these spectacles seem to observe all human behaviour.

the borough of Queens deprived district of New York.

19

supercilious assumption Tom arrogantly took it for granted that Nick had nothing better to do.

contiguous adjoining.

proprietor owner.

anaemic pale.

20

torpedoes fireworks.

21

drug-store mainly a chemist's but selling other goods.

John D. Rockefeller famous, very rich American.

22

pastoral as if in the countryside.

the Park Central Park, New York.

West Hundreds New York has numbered streets on a grid pattern running east to west.

23

Versailles vast, eighteenth-century French palace, just outside Paris.

decomposed apathetically the dog biscuits have become soggy, but no one seems to care.

a bottle of whisky the whisky is kept hidden because of Prohibition (see Introduction, page xiv) which made the buying and selling of alcohol illegal.

the efforts of nature Caroline's eyebrows are growing back after having been plucked.

24

hauteur Mrs Wilson imitates the arrogant manners of upper-class Tom.

appendicitus Mrs Wilson should have said 'appendix'.

25

shiftlessness laziness.

26

Kaiser Wilhelm King of Germany.

a letter of introduction letter from someone with power and influence. obscene indecent.

27

the elaborateness of the lie Tom could have made up a simpler lie.

Monte Carlo capital city of Monaco and famed for its gambling casinos, situated between the South of France and Italy.

gyped cheated.

ambiguously the meaning of the sentence is unclear because Myrtle's grammar is faulty.

28

janitor caretaker.

simultaneously... variety of life at the same time both loving and hating humanity.

dress suit formal evening clothes.

elevator lift.

1 How is the atmosphere in the valley of ashes created?

2 What is the effect of the detailed description of Doctor T J Eckleburg's spectacles?

Chapter 3

31

aquaplanes type of water-ski-board.

hors-d'oeuvre small, appetizing pieces of food.

harlequin variety of colours.

32

hair bobbed in strange new ways young women were having their long hair cut short as a mark of their new independence (see 'Introduction', page xvi)

Castile a region of Spain which was made rich by the exploitation of South America.

innuendo double meaning.

prodigality extravagance.

Follies Ziegfield's Follies were a famous female dancing troupe.

33

white flannels informal but correct summer clothes.

contemptuous interest although she feels superior to them, Jordan cannot help taking an interest in the party-goers.

35

It was testimony to the romantic speculation the rumours are evidence of the sense of awe which Gatsby inspires in people.

homogeneity sameness.

spectroscopic loud and bright.

36

Gothic ornate architectural style dating back to the Middle Ages.

bona-fide real.

Belasco famous American actor.

didn't cut the pages the books are real but unread.

38

hydroplane plane which takes off from, and lands, on water.

old sport English upper-class slang of the 1920s. Gatsby could have picked up the phrase at Oxford.

irresistible prejudice...

favour smile which makes you feel unique.

39

rough-neck good natured but uncultured.

florid and corpulent red faced and fat.

provincial inexperience from out of town and surprised by behaviour in the big city.

urban distaste of the concrete city person's dislike of down-to-earth reality.

40

echolalia resounding noises.

41

obstetrical to do with child-bearing.

vinous caused by drinking wine.

42

such malevolence...credibility unbelievable ill will.

43

bizarre and tumultuous strange and confused.

a long duster driving coat.

44

pawing tentatively scraping a foot along the ground.

amputated cut off.

45

caterwauling howling.

46

metropolitan city life.

poignant emotional; touching.

affectations mannerisms of a person acting out a role.

47

caddy someone who carries a golfer's clubs around the course.

subterfuges lies.

48

cardinal virtues the most important rules of good behaviour.

1 How is the party atmosphere built up throughout this chapter?

2 What further information have we gained about Gatsby?

3 Do you find anything surprising about Nick's involvement with Jordan?

Chapter 4

49

bootlegger someone selling alcohol illegally during prohibition (see 'Introduction', page xiv).

Von Hindenburg German general during the First World War.

This schedule list of names covering many different classes and nationalities.

penitentiary prison.

51

American Legion ex-servicemen's club.

resourcefulness of movement still, but poised for action.

sporadic from time to time.

punctilious precise.

labyrinth maze.

conservatory mainly glazed room, opening off a house, where tropical plants grow.

undefined consequence general air of importance.

52

generalized evasions indirect answers, avoiding the point of the question.

divine retribution the punishment of God.

San Francisco this is very far west and Gatsby has just said he is from the Mid-West.

rajah Indian prince.

53

commission officer rank in the army.

Adriatic sea off the east coast of Italy.

Valour bravery.

54

Trinity Quad Grounds of Trinity College, Oxford.

loafing standing lazily about.

nineteen-hundreds lively decade at the turn of the century.

55

fenders (American English) guards over the wheels of cars.

commissioner chief of police.

non-olfactory money money not smelling of suspicious deals.

south-eastern Europe countries bordering Russia.

modish...bucks fashionable young black men.

56

somnambulatory like a sleep-walker.

presbyterian nymphs carvings of scantily dressed young women.

But I like...better Wolfshiem's grammar reveals his eastern European origins.

the night... Rosy Rosenthal the story is based on a real gangland shooting.

57

gonnegtion connection. Wolfshiem is speaking in a nasal voice typical of some Americans.

juxtaposition side by side.

succulent hash tasty dish of chopped and fried meat and potatoes.

58

molars teeth.

benediction blessing.

59

denizen someone who lives or is found in a particular place.

fixed the World's Series bribe baseball players to lose the nationwide competition.

60

monopolizing her wanting to have Daisy all to themselves.

61

debut wealthy young girl's first formal appearance in society.

armistice end of hostilities in the First World War.

Sauterne sweet, French wine.

62

Santa Barbara expensive Californian resort.

63

victoria open, horse-drawn carriage.

Sheik of Araby the exotic song echoes Gatsby's love for Daisy.

purposeless splendour Gatsby's wealth has seemed pointless to Nick until now.

64

dispensed starlight Gatsby glamorises the party-goers' lives.

regular real.

universal scepticism unwilling to believe there is any good in people or life.

65

façade front of a building.

cornices ornate mouldings on buildings.

wan slight.

1 What impressions do you get of the changes taking place in the America of the 1920s from the list of names at the beginning of this chapter?

2 What is it that Nick finds laughable about Gatsby and what aspects of Gatsby does he admire?

Chapter 5

66

suppressed eagerness Gatsby is trying not to show his excitement.

67

obviously...for a service to be rendered Nick feels unable to accept

Gatsby's offer because it is so obviously in return for the favour of introducing Daisy.

68

a greenhouse exaggerated reference to the lavish display of flowers.

69

exhilarating ripple the lively rising and falling sound of Daisy's voice.

Castle Rackrent story about the waste of a family fortune.

70

deep tropical burn deep blush.

71

demoniac like a devil.

physical decency normal rules of good behaviour are restored.

unforgettable reproach look of immense criticism.

72

Kant eighteenth-century German philosopher who liked looking at church steeples.

serfs...peasantry willing to be servants but not slaves.

meditatively thoughtfully.

gesture of exultation wide sweep of the arm indicating happiness.

73

ecstatic patron...light Gatsby seems to be responsible for the return of the sunshine.

That's my affair this abrupt reply shows that Gatsby has something to hide.

74

Marie Antionette...Salons ornately and expensively decorated rooms.

Merton College Oxford University college.

75

inconceivable pitch of intensity with an unbelievable depth of feeling.

patent cabinets huge wardrobes.

76

colossal significance of overwhelming importance.

I was going to ask to see the rubies Nick is referring back to the col-lection of rubies (page 52).

77

sneakers...duck trousers soft-soled shoes and cotton trousers, suitable for sailing.

nebulous hue a pale shade, not a distinct colour.

78

In the morning... the song is a comment on the class difference between. Gatsby and Daisy.

colossal...illusion the enormous energy Gatsby has invested in his dream.

1 What impressions are we left with of the love affair between Gatsby and Daisy in view of Nick's comment: There must have been moments that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams...?

2 What additional information have we gained about Gatsby?

Chapter 6

79

notoriety fame for bad behaviour.

Contemporary legends rumours current at the time.

underground pipe-line to Canada there was a story going around that alcohol was being smuggled in through a pipeline from Canada where there was no Prohibition.

James Gatz Gatsby's true origins are revealed.

insidious flat deceptively calm patch of water.

shiftless lazy.

80 Platonic without sex.

He was a son of God...meretricious beauty James Gatz created the idea of James Gatsby so Gatsby is being compared to both God the father, and his son, Christ. The ambition of Gatz/Gatsby, however, is to accumulate vast amounts of money, not to save people's souls.

grotesque...fantastic conceits distorted and far-fetched ideas.

universe of...gaudiness world in which wealth is squandered on trash.

unreality of reality Gatsby realises that he lives in a world which is based on pretence and that he can therefore create his own reality.

the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy's wing the world appears to be based upon a set of rules only because this assumption is rarely challenged.

Lutheran religious movement based on Protestantism.

81

Madame de Maintenon eighteenth-century French courtesan.

84

peculiar quality of oppressiveness Tom has an ability to make people feel uneasy.

88

menagerie zoo.

dilatory late.

90

sidewalks pavements.

One autumn night the start of Gatsby's love for Daisy is revealed.

suck on the pap of life to live life selfishly to the full.

He knew...never romp again Gatsby gives up his ambitions because of his love for Daisy.

uncommunicable forever Nick cannot put his thoughts into words.

1 How is mounting tension of the love affair relaxed at the beginning of this chapter?

2 What gives us the sense of a tragedy unfolding before our eyes?

Chapter 7

91

Trimalchio rich Roman famed for giving a fabulous dinner party.

caravansary simple hotel, in Asian countries, where caravans stop the night.

92

pocket-book wallet.

95

dog-days oppressively hot days of August.

blessed isles eternal islands of peace.

97

Her voice is full of money Daisy's wealth is evident in the way in which she speaks.

unfamiliar and vaguely recognizable Gatsby has a guilty look.

98

immediate...abyss Tom's anger prevents him from continuing with his train of thought.

101

precipitately quickly.

spidery...elevated the steel structure supporting the overhead railway.

102

Mint julep drink in which alcohol and sugar are mixed and poured

over ice. Mint is then added.

103

Biloxi this imposter is taken up by Tom and used as a parallel for Gatsby. putter type of golf club.

105

transition…to prig Tom has a mistress but is indignant that Daisy has a lover.

106

partake vicariously to be involved at second hand.

109

You've got something on reference to Gatsby's criminal involvement in the bond fraud.

accusations...not been made Gatsby has himself revealed that he is a criminal.

presumptuous...flirtation Tom thinks Gatsby too inferior to have an affair with Daisy.

114

dim impulse the policeman almost stumbles upon the fact that Tom is lying.

1 How do the repeated images of heat reintroduce the atmosphere of tension in this chapter?

2 Was Daisy ever worthy of Gatsby's love or has she merely used him to regain Tom's attention?

Chapter 8

120

humidor container for storing tobacco.

121

ravenously...unscrupulously selfishly and without thought.

122

grail sacred quest.

124

cheap sharper low-class crook.

it was just personal Gatsby's love for Daisy is unique.

irresistible journey Gatsby is drawn back to Louisville, Daisy's home.

126

They're a rotten crowd Tom, Daisy and Jordan.

129

half-knowing, half-bewildered Wilson has suspected Myrtle of having an affair but cannot understand why she would want to do such a thing.

131

God sees everything Wilson believes Dr T J Eckleburg's spectacles are the eyes of God.

1 What is the effect of the shift from first person to third person narration which occurs in the first few pages of this chapter?

2 Nick says, They're a rotten crowd. Why should we agree with him?

Chapter 9

132

amorphous without a fixed shape or form.

134

After two years it has taken this long for Nick to get over Gatsby's death.

adventitious unexpected.

pasquinade statues in ancient Rome which were hung with notices of the latest scandals.

136

scornful solidarity Nick is not worried about what other people will think of him.

Young Parke's in trouble further evidence of Gatsby's bond fraud.

137

ulster type of jacket.

142

Hopalong Cassidy fictional cowboy.

144

Those who went...Chicago there is a special friendship between Mid-Westerners.

145

El Greco painter whose subjects are recognisable but distorted.

147

He ran over Myrtle it seems that Daisy has not revealed the truth.

149

orgastic wild and exciting.

1 How far can we trust Nick to have told us the story of Gatsby?

2 What feelings are you left with at the end of the book?