- 1
Cars come up a number of times in these chapters. What do they seem to symbolize, or how do they appear in these incidents?
In the 1920's, cars were a luxury item rather than a means of getting around, as they are today. The people at Gatsby's party are in awe of his Rolls Royce; the party is at least temporarily dampened by a car crash; people comment on one another's driving abilities. In the novel, cars seem to be frightening and powerful, a symbol of luxury and excess and the consequences of those states of being.
- 2
How do Gatsby's parties appear to Nick before he is invited to one? Does this perception change once he attends one of the parties?
Before he is...
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