Nick's initial character change occurs in Chapter Two when Myrtle Wilson exchanges what he sees as "intense vitality" for "hauteur": she leaves her home to party with her lover, and Tom breaks her nose for repeating Daisy's name.
What does Nick learn about Tom in Chapter 2?
Nick learns much about Tom in Chapter 2, and we have to keep in mind that most of it Daisy doesn't know. Daisy knows Tom is having an affair but not who his lover is. Nick, however, meets Tom's lover, Myrtle Wilson, when they stop at the Wilson's garage in the Valley of the Ashes, where Tom arranges a rendez-vous in New York City.
What does Myrtle Wilson seek in the Great Gatsby?
The Great Gatsby Myrtle Wilson desperately seeks a better life than the one she has. She feels imprisoned in her marriage to George, a downtrodden and uninspiring man who she mistakenly believed had good “breeding.”
What happened to Myrtle in the Great Gatsby?
Myrtle, made bold by the whiskey, begins to shout Daisy's name while Tom, exhibiting the brute force Nick has known he was capable of since first meeting him, quickly hits Myrtle with his open hand, breaking her nose. The shocking violence of this incident is calculated and underscores a nastier side of life that most people would like to ignore.
What happens in Chapter 2 of the Great Gatsby?
The Great Gatsby: Chapter 2 Summary. Nick describes the “valley of ashes” that is the area between the rich suburb of West Egg and Manhattan. This is the gray and dirty part of the borough of Queens that you drive through to get from Long Island to NYC.
How does Tom treat Wilson?
Although cuckolding him, he treats Wilson with unabashed disdain, knowing that Wilson cannot retaliate as he needs his business. He seems to enjoy the confrontation with Gatsby at the Plaza hotel, exulting and laughing afterwards.
What do we learn about Nick in chapter 2?
What we learned about Nick in this chapter is he that does whatever he is told to do. He does not really think for himself whenever it comes to making decisions. Nick is different from the people he spends his time with because he does not go to a lot of parties.
What happens to Nick at the end of chapter 2 in The Great Gatsby?
At the end of Chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby, Nick leaves the party with Mr McKee. While they are in the elevator, Mr McKee invites him to come to lunch some day, and Nick agrees.
What do we learn about Nick at the end of chapter 2?
The Great Gatsby: Summary (Chapter 2) Soon Nick learns that Tom Buchanan is cheating on his wife, Daisy, with Myrtle Wilson. She is a vulgar woman that represents a lower social class and lives in the Valley of Ashes. Tom takes Nick on a trip to New York City.
How does Tom's treatment of Mrs Wilson affect Nick?
He sees that Tom's attitude toward Mrs. Wilson, indeed to all women, is to consider them as property and chattel. Nick's reaction to this is two-fold: he does nothing to help the West Eggers reconcile or solve problems, small as his help might be.
How does Nick feel at the end of chapter2?
0:092:55The Great Gatsby | Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis place is coated in grey dust. And it's a dumping ground for New York City. There's an enormousMoreThis place is coated in grey dust. And it's a dumping ground for New York City. There's an enormous faded billboard of dr. TJ eckleburg. On the billboard are two large eyes peering.
What happened in chapter 2 of the Gatsby?
Chapter 2 is mostly about a party that Nick attends. It is hosted at the apartment which Tom rents for secret meetings with his mistress, Myrtle. Myrtle invites her neighbors and sister, and the group gets drunk and converses. Tom and Myrtle have an argument, and Tom breaks Myrtle's nose.
Why is Nick an unreliable narrator in Chapter 2?
Nick is the narrator, but he is not omniscient (he can't see everything), and he's also very human and flawed. In other words, he's an unreliable narrator, sometimes because he's not present for a certain event, other times because he presents the story out of order, and finally because he sometimes obscures the truth.
What does Mrs Wilson get Tom to buy her while she's out with Tom and Nick?
During her day out in New York with Tom and Nick, Mrs. Wilson bought a puppy. This action is a symbol of her impulsive and whimsical personality. For...
Who is the main character in chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby?
Nick is taking the train into New York City with Tom Buchanan. He begins the chapter by describing an area he calls a valley of ashes. It is an area where ashes from coal burning furnaces are deposited.
Did Nick sleep with Mr. McKee?
Even if the reader interpreted the story so that Nick and Mr. McKee did not sleep together or even if Fitzgerald did not mean to imply as much, the fact that Mr. McKee and Nick are together in their underwear is not typical for two heterosexual men in the 1920s.
What is the mood of chapter 2 in The Great Gatsby?
At the beginning of chapter two, the tone is ominous: the Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg create a sense of foreboding: someone is watching over and judging these characters, and readers can assume the characters are about to engage in questionable behavior.
What is Nick's point of view in Gatsby?
Nick's actions now reflect what Douglas Taylor calls his "bifocal," or two-sided, point of view: he encourages Gatsby's reconciliation with Daisy while looking askance not only at Tom and Myrtle's seamy affair but also the party-goers they associate with, as if Tom is responsible for the social ills of West Egg. He retreats from active involvement more and more: when Mrs. Wilson is killed in a hit-and-run, Nick refuses to comfort Tom, saying "I wanted to be alone," and he allows Gatsby to take the blame. Nick knows Daisy is the driver, but says nothing, retreating passively.
What does Nick feel about Tom?
Nick's subsequent responses to the novel's events arise from this encounter; from this moment on, Nick feels only revulsion for Tom. He sees that Tom's attitude toward Mrs. Wilson, indeed to all women, is to consider them as property and chattel. Nick's reaction to this is two-fold: he does nothing to help the West Eggers reconcile or solve problems, small as his help might be. He also increases his admiration for Gatsby who is deeply in love with Daisy: "a son of God ... about His Father's business." Nick adores the romanticism Gatsby represents, but he despises Tom's lack of commitment.
What is Nick's character change?
Nick's initial character change occurs in Chapter Two when Myrtle Wilson exchanges what he sees as "intense vitality" for "hauteur": she leaves her home to party with her lover, and Tom breaks her nose for repeating Daisy's name. Fitzgerald plays an unusual narrative trick when Nick describes the chaos: "bloody towels upon the bathroom floor ... a long broken wail of pain." Nick is far from the scene, talking to McKee over portfolios, and the subject already closed. W.H. Frohack notes that Nick is mentally blocking the violence against Daisy, and Nick's narration represents Fitzgerald's reaction to brutality in his own circle.
Why is Nick the only survivor in the book?
In the book's final chapter, Nick, who did nothing to prevent Gatsby's murder, becomes uselessly frantic over the details of his friend's burial, and even forces himself to shake hands with Tom. "Po or son of a bitch," says an observer of Gatsby's service; he could also be speaking of the rudderless narrator.
What is the chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby about?
That's because this chapter is all about Tom's double life: Nick meets his mistress, gets wasted at her small apartment party in Manhattan, and gets an up close and personal view into Tom's violent tendencies. Read on for a full The Great Gatsby Chapter 2 summary, plus explication of connections to the book's main themes and analysis ...
What is the best summary of The Great Gatsby?
If The Great Gatsby were college, Chapter 2 would be the drunk frat party that gets way out of control, with Tom Buchanan as that guy yelling at everyone to chug. That's because this chapter is all about Tom's double life: Nick meets his mistress, gets wasted at her small apartment party in ...
What does Tom buy Myrtle?
Myrtle decides she would like a dog, and Tom buys her a puppy from a condescending passing salesman. Nick tries to leave Tom and Myrtle, but they insist he come up to their apartment very far uptown. The apartment is small, gaudily decorated, and uncomfortable. Tom brings out a bottle of whiskey.
Why is Gatsby so rich?
According to her, Gatsby is so rich because he is Kaiser Wilhelm's cousin. Catherine then tells Nick that both Tom and Myrtle hate the people they're married to; she wonders why they don't divorced and marry each other instead. When Myrtle overhears, she says something obscene about George Wilson.
Why is Myrtle attractive?
She isn't beautiful, but is attractive because she is plump and lively. Tom quickly makes a plan to meet her in the city. He and Nick leave, and Tom explains that George has no idea that Myrtle is having an affair with Tom.
What is the reason for Tom's lie to Myrtle?
This lack of religious feeling is partly what makes Tom's lie to Myrtle about Daisy being a Catholic particularly egregious. This lack of even a basic moral framework is underscored by the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, a giant billboard that is as close as this world gets to having a watchful authoritative presence.
What does Tom bring out in the book?
Tom brings out a bottle of whiskey. For the second time in his life (or so he claims), Nick gets drunk, so his memory of what happens next is somewhat hazy. Nevertheless, we get the sense that Tom and Myrtle have sex while Nick politely reads a book in the other room.
Where does Tom take Nick and Myrtle?
Tom takes Nick and Myrtle to New York City, to the Morningside Heights apartment he keeps for his affair. Here they have an impromptu party with Myrtle’s sister, Catherine, and a couple named McKee. Catherine has bright red hair, wears a great deal of makeup, and tells Nick that she has heard that Jay Gatsby is the nephew or cousin ...
What is Nick's reserved nature?
Nick’s reserved nature and indecisiveness show in the fact that though he feels morally repelled by the vulgarity and tastelessness of the party, he is too fascinated by it to leave.
Who is Tom's lover?
Tom’s lover Myrtle is Wilson’s wife. Wilson is a lifeless yet handsome man, colored gray by the ashes in the air. In contrast, Myrtle has a kind of desperate vitality; she strikes Nick as sensuous despite her stocky figure. Tom taunts Wilson and then orders Myrtle to follow him to the train.
What does Myrtle talk about?
Myrtle grows louder and more obnoxious the more she drinks, and shortly after Tom gives her a new puppy as a gift, she begins to talk about Daisy. Tom sternly warns her never to mention his wife. Myrtle angrily says that she will talk about whatever she chooses and begins chanting Daisy ’s name.
What does Tom do to Myrtle?
To Tom, Myrtle is just another possession, and when she tries to assert her own will, he resorts to violence to put her in her place. Tom at once ensures and endangers her upwardly mobile desires. Although The Great Gatsby is full of tragic characters who don’t get what they want, Myrtle’s fate is among the most tragic, ...
Why does Daisy run out in front of Gatsby's car?
When she escapes and runs out in front of Gatsby’s car, she does so because she saw Tom driving it earlier in the day; she thinks he’s behind the wheel. Daisy, who doesn’t know Myrtle, is driving the car when it strikes Myrtle down; Daisy doesn’t even stop to see what happened , and escapes without consequences.
Where does Myrtle Wilson live?
She feels imprisoned in her marriage to George, a downtrodden and uninspiring man who she mistakenly believed had good “breeding.” Myrtle and George live together in a ramshackle garage in the squalid “valley of ashes,” a pocket of working-class desperation situated midway between New York and the suburbs of East and West Egg . Myrtle attempts to escape her social position by becoming a mistress to the wealthy Tom Buchanan, who buys her gifts (including a puppy) and rents her an apartment in Manhattan, where Myrtle play-acts an upper-class lifestyle, dressing up, throwing parties, expressing disgust for servants. Myrtle seems to believe Tom genuinely loves her, and would marry her if only Daisy would divorce him. Nick knows that Tom would never marry Myrtle, and the lopsidedness of the relationship makes Myrtle a more sympathetic character than she would be otherwise. To Tom, Myrtle is just another possession, and when she tries to assert her own will, he resorts to violence to put her in her place. Tom at once ensures and endangers her upwardly mobile desires.
Who are the lower class characters in Tom and Daisy?
The lower class characters – Gatsby, Myrtle, and George – are thus essentially sacrificed for the moral failings of the upper class characters of Tom and Daisy. Previous section Jordan Baker. Test your knowledge.
Where does Myrtle live in the movie?
Myrtle attempts to escape her social position by becoming a mistress to the wealthy Tom Buchanan, who buys her gifts (including a puppy) and rents her an apartment in Manhattan, where Myrtle play-acts an upper-class lifestyle, dressing up, throwing parties, expressing disgust for servants.
What does Fitzgerald say about Tom's assault?
Through Tom's assault, Fitzgerald not only demonstrates more about Tom and his callousness toward humanity, but also suggests a hidden side to the Jazz Age. Although most people associate good times and carefree abandon with the reverie of the 1920s, Fitzgerald suggests a much darker side.
What does Nick say at the end of the chapter?
At the end of the chapter, Nick says that after he sees McKee home, after a curious use of ellipses by Fitzgerald, he "was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.".
What is the second chapter of The Book of Fitzgerald?
In just the second chapter of the book, Fitzgerald is already showing the seedy side to a supposedly charmed life. The incident piques the reader's interest, shocking and appalling as it is, making the reader wonder to what depths this society will fall — in the book and in real life, as well.
What does the faceless eyes in the book represent?
The eyes, in this sense, represent the lack of Godliness in the lives of the characters, and by extension, the society on which Fitzgerald comments.
What can we learn about Wilson?
Much can be learned about Wilson, as well as everyone trapped in the valley of ashes, through the brief exchange. There is little about Wilson to indicate he will ever be anywhere but the desolate wasteland of the valley. He is common, "blond," "spiritless," "anæmic" and only faintly handsome.
Who does Myrtle spy on?
While on their way to Tom and Myrtle's apartment, Myrtle spies a man selling dogs and insists on having one. Once at the apartment, Myrtle phones her sister, Catherine, and her friends, the McKees, to join the party. The six people spend the afternoon in a haze of drunkenness.
Where do Tom and Nick go when they get off the train?
The two men are headed to New York when Tom insists they get off the train in order for Nick to "meet [his] girl.". The two men proceed to a car repair garage owned by George Wilson, a "spiritless man" who is also Myrtle's husband. Tom chats briefly with Wilson about business matters.
What is Myrtle's rationale for her affair with Tom?
The only rationale that Myrtle gives for her affair with Tom is: "You can't live forever.".
What does Myrtle Wilson do at Tom's party?
At Tom's party, the characters engage in vulgar, boorish behavior: Myrtle Wilson reads tabloids; she and her sister gossip viciously about Gatsby and each other; Mr. McKee does not say that he is an artist, but instead claims to be in the "artistic game.".
Why does Myrtle chant Daisy's name?
Shortly after Tom gives her a puppy as a gift, Myrtle begins chanting Daisy's name to irritate Tom. Tom tells her that she has no right to say Daisy's name; she continues taunting him, and he responds by breaking Myrtle's nose.
Where does Tom Buchanan take Nick?
Tom Buchanan takes Nick to George Wilson's garage, which lies at the edge of the valley of ashes. Wilson's wife, Myrtle, is the woman with whom Tom has been having an affair. Tom forces both Myrtle and Nick to accompany him to the city.
What is the difference between Daisy and Myrtle?
It is what the wealthy wish to avoid seeing at all costs. In comparison to Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson is sensuous and vital. While Daisy wears pale white, Myrtle dresses in saturated colors and her mouth is a deep red. While Daisy is affected and insubstantial, Myrtle Wilson is straightforward, fleshy, almost coarse.