Effective answers will clarify what is meant by 'the past' and by 'repeat'. In a sense, Gatsby's past is not repeatable, simply because it involves his having been poor and in love with Daisy. In the narrative present, however, he is rich, and so it seems highly improbable that he will repeat his earlier poverty. Another sense of repeating, though, is ironic: it is tragic that Gatsby is destined to fail for a second time to possess Daisy as his wife. In this sense it seems that the past does repeat itself. Nick's remark to Gatsby may well mean that he cannot go back to a world where Gatsby and Daisy are only in love with each other and committed to marriage. The events of the novel, especially from the time that Gatsby resumes his personal meetings with Daisy (Chapters 5-8), suggest that Gatsby cannot gain what he wants from his loved one. The essential tragedy is Gatsby's naïve desire to repeat the past but lack of ability o do so, despite his wealth. The following points suggest that Gatsby would like to repeat the past: ➤ Gatsby tries to communicate to Daisy the depths of his passion. He sends huge numbers of flowers to Nick's house for her (Chapter 5). He wants to restore their original romance. ➤ In his house, Gatsby draws Daisy's attention to a lot of clippings about herself, collected since their parting. He has no doubt kept her obsessively in mind all the time they have been apart (Chapter 5). ➤ It looks as if the past can be repeated when Daisy and Tom visit him at home (Chapter 6):later Nick observes that Daisy had only felt happy in the time she has spent with Gatsby alone. ➤ Daisy's tensions with Tom and the fact that Tom is known to be having an affair, give a brief hope that the two might come together again. ➤ Chapter 6 depicts the possibilities that Daisy might come back to Gatsby; Nick tells us of Gatsby's plan to tell Tom his wife never loved him and the original plan to marry in Louisville. ➤ Gatsby announces that he is going to fix everything as it was before(Chapter 6). The following points suggest that the past cannot be repeated: ➤ In Chapter 6,Nick strongly suggests to Gatsby, who has confided his plan to marry in Louisville, that things cannot happen exactly as if it were five years before. ➤ In Chapter 5, when Gatsby has seen Daisy, there are indications that his feelings for her were exhausted. He does not quite know what to do: Daisy was going to marry him and is happy to see him,but things have changed due to her marriage to Tom. ➤ In the Plaza Hotel, Tom becomes aggressive and rude to Gatsby (Chapter 7). Gatsby tells Tom his wife never loved him and an argument starts. Daisy is persuaded to tell Tom she never loved him, but she gives in to Tom: it is not true that she never loved Tom, she says. She tells Gatsby that he wants too much, though she loved them both. ➤ Nick speculates that the likelihood of their reuniting is gone forever, as he says the green light on the dock where Daisy lives seems much more distant than before. Symbolically, the reality of their reunion is remote (Chapter 5). ➤ Daisy is a passive figure, dominated by Tom and his materialism, whereas before she and Gatsby had a romantic affair. Chapter 8 goes back to Daisy's past. She decided on her own agenda after Gatsby lost touch with her, had affairs and eventually decided to marry Tom. This suggests that Daisy made an understandable decision. Gatsby could not realistically expect her to leave her rich husband and their child.

Gatsby's personal attributes are mediated by what Nick the narrator tells us about his past and about his present behaviour, so any judgements made will be on the basis of how reliable we find Nick. There seems to be no obvious reason why Nick would be an untrustworthy narrator. There are a number of desirable and undesirable qualities in Gatsby so it is not a clear-cut issue as to whether Gatsby is likeable. Likeable aspects of Jay Gatsby's character and actions ➤ He is romantic, especially in comparison to Tom. He is also pleasant. ➤ Gatsby is only partly truthful to Nick about his Oxford education (Chapter 4) but later concedes to Tom that he only visited Oxford for five months after the war (Chapter 7). This admission restores Nick's belief in Gatsby. ➤ He shows his military awards to Nick and they seem to be genuine (Chapter 4), so we may admire his bravery. ➤ Nick is struck by the modesty of Gatsby's request to him to invite Daisy to his home so he can meet her again (Chapter 4). ➤ He is a good host even to strangers: he allows strangers to stay in his house (e.g. the 'owl-eyed man'), and accepts the majority of uninvited guests at his parties (Chapter 3), although he can be rude with some (e.g. Klipspringer in Chapter 6). He also politely hosts Tom in his house and tells Nick he cannot confront him in Tom's own house (Chapter 7). ➤ Gatsby is not overtly aggressive, unlike his rival Tom, and Tom begins the open quarrel that leads to Daisy leaving with Gatsby in the latter's car (Chapter 7). ➤ After the accident in which Myrtle dies, Gatsby tells Nick he will take responsibility even though Daisy was driving: we probably admire this as an extreme act of love (Chapter 7). ➤ We may well understand Nick's final words to Gatsby that he was fine to others even though they all took advantage of him (Chapter 8). ➤ At the end of the novel, we might like Gatsby more as Nick believes in him and is upset that almost no-one attends his funeral (Chapter 9). ➤ We probably believe Gatsby's father, who said he was very kind to him after he became rich (Chapter 9). Dislikeable aspects of Jay Gatsby's character and actions ➤ He is focused on the futile pursuit of Daisy. ➤ Nick's first impressions of Gatsby are that he is polite but appears sometimes to be a rough person (Chapter 3). ➤ While Wolfshiem tells Nick that Gatsby is a 'perfect gentleman' (Chapter 4), we learn that Wolfshiem himself is corrupt and so may not trust his opinion. ➤ In Chapter 6 Nick tells us that Gatsby felt contempt for the women who spoiled him or were virgins. This is probably an unpleasant aspect of his character. ➤ As Tom credibly points out, Gatsby's wealth is probably founded on law-breaking and corruption - bootlegging- which may lead some readers to dislike him. ➤ We might see Gatsby as a dislikeable opportunist who had had sex with Daisy while she believed he was rich like her (Chapter 8). Debatable aspects of Jay Gatsby's character and actions ➤ How much sympathy (and so liking) we have for Gatsby's passion for Daisy will depend on whether we find his behaviour understandable, endearing etc. Gatsby behaves weirdly when Daisy visits and Nick tells him off about acting like a child (Chapter 5); one might understand and like him for his weakness, or one might side with Nick over this issue - he leaves Daisy by herself briefly and this is not good manners. ➤ It is suggested (Chapter 5) that Gatsby's passion went so far as to make him lose track of reality. Again, we might have mixed reactions to this, identifying him as a man of passion (understandable and likeable), but finding he is out of touch with the real world (less likeable).

The question addresses how Fitzgerald highlights the mystery surrounding Gatsby. Gatsby has become a public figure as the host of his luxurious parties, and a recluse, who is unknown to his many guests. His mysteriousness is evidenced in different ways. Effective answers will cover a range of the points below, although they do not have to occur in this order. The writer conveys the mystery surrounding the main character by 1. Delaying information about him; and even then, not revealing the whole story of his life ➤ Unknown and unknowing people: the setting contributes to the mystery surrounding Gatsby: at his parties are huge numbers of people who may not have been invited, who do not know their host personally (Chapter 3). ➤ A mysterious man: at the start, we only know that there is a troubled man called Gatsby and that Nick was curious about what moved him (Chapter 1). Although the question of his identity is raised, for the time being it is unanswered. ➤ Nick is curious: the narrator wants to know who Gatsby is. He has invited him to his party and there is a delay in identifying him until he declares himself. (Chapter 3). Nick asks how a young man could just appear from nowhere and buy a mansion on Long Island Sound. 2. Focusing on rumours about him from numerous viewpoints ➤ Rumours of different kinds circulate about him. At one of his parties (Chapter 3), someone thinks he killed a man once, that he was a German spy, that he was in the American army in the war, and that he is a bootlegger. The contradictory rumours heighten the mystery. ➤ More rumours: in Chapter 6 further legends about Gatsby's background circulate: he secretly lives on a boat on the Long Island shore; he has a link with a pipeline to Canada. All such rumours intensify the mystery behind the tycoon. ➤ Indirect hints about Gatsby's wealth: it is at first only hinted that he acquired his wealth dishonestly, particularly due to ● Criminal connections: he introduces Nick to Wolfshiem, admitted by Gatsby to be a criminal, who asks him if he is looking for a 'gonnegtion' (Chapter 4). ● Wolfshiem's statement: Wolfshiem later claims he made Gatsby what he is (Chapter 9) but just how is not clear, until Tom's claim is credited that he and Wolfshiem sold illegal grain alcohol in drugstores they owned. ● Gatsby's delayed partial confession: later Gatsby seems to admit this (Chapter 7). Thus there is a deliberate delay in revelations about Gatsby until later in the novel. ● Mysteries that remain: after his death, phone-calls are made to Gatsby from suspiciously secretive people(Chapter 9). 3. Registering the impatience that some feel in not knowing who he is or his background ➤ Tom's questions about Gatsby's identity: Tom Buchanan is troubled by Gatsby's identity. He, like Nick, wants to know just who Gatsby is. Tom notes that Gatsby has met Daisy and is jealous (Chapter 6). 4. Noting his often strange and reclusive behaviour, suggesting that he is not sincere about his origins. ➤ At the end of Chapter 1, Nick seemingly sees Gatsby, his neighbour, reach out to the stars in the sky and then disappear. Nick does not want to intrude by calling to him. The man's behaviour raises questions about him and his motivation. ➤ Gatsby's shy inquiries to Nick on what he thinks of him suggest his secretiveness and self-consciousness. Nick does not know whether he is a sinister individual and can understand why Jordan felt he was lying about himself (Chapter 4). ➤Nick is annoyed to find Gatsby has mysteriously asked Jordan to tell him about himself and invite Daisy to his house. At first, Nick cannot see why he has to be so indirect with Daisy (Chapter 4).

Daisy and Myrle ➤ are married to men they dislike (Chapter 1). ➤ are attracted to men outside their marriage (Daisy to Gatsby, Myrtle to Tom Buchanan). ➤ may invite some sympathy. Daisy features in the novel more than Myrtle, and answers will probably reflect this. The points below suggest a balanced view of each character. It could be concluded that finally neither of them (particularly not Myrtle) attract our overall sympathy. Daisy might attract sympathy because ➤ she is emotionally vulnerable and powerless, being tossed about emotionally (e.g. Chapter 7). ➤ she is young and innocent (if snobbish) when she marries Tom Buchanan (Chapter 8). ➤ she is a victim of Tom's unfaithfulness; Nick comments that she should desert him with their baby (Chapter 1). ➤ before marrying Tom she is unsure and gets drunk (Chapter 4), and it appears her doubts about him are well-founded. ➤ she is in a very difficult position when Gatsby turns up (Chapter 5) and in Chapter 7 she is forced to make a decision on leaving Tom. ➤ she feels love for Gatsby, shown by her statement that she loved both men (Chapter 7) and by her tears when he visits her in Nick's house, and when Gatsby shows her his clothes (Chapter 5). In a number of ways she does not invite our sympathy: ➤ One reason she chooses to stay with Tom seems to be for materialistic motives (in Chapter 7 she has a chance to leave him for Gatsby but stays with her husband despite his extra-marital affairs). ➤ She is from the leisured class, and spoiled. She should perhaps have left Tom for Gatsby, as only he really loved her. ➤Nick finds she doesn't understand people in West Egg and their simpler lifestyle (Chapter 6). ➤ She wants to avoid getting into trouble for killing Myrtle in the car accident. Nick may be right (Chapter 9) when he concludes that she and Tom tended to create big problems in people's lives and then walk away. Myrtle might attract sympathy because ➤ Tom Buchanan physically abuses her when he breaks her nose (Chapter 2). ➤ George Wilson locks her up so they can go away to the West together (Chapter 7). ➤ She might have married the wrong person. ➤ She is killed in a car accident (Chapter 7). In many ways, however, she may not get our sympathy: ➤ She has a secret extra-marital affair with Tom Buchanan (Chapter 2). ➤ Perhaps she deserved to be hit by Tom for her infidelity to Wilson. ➤ Perhaps Wilson's imprisoning her was deserved. ➤ She puts on an act, wanting to create the impression that she belongs to the upper classes (Chapter 2): for instance, Nick comments that she seems to look down on those who serve them (e.g. the boy who needs to be reminded to get them ice for drinks). ➤ She bullies her husband and treats him with contempt (Chapter 2) and finds he is no gentleman when Tom visits her in their petrol station. ➤ She is materialistic. She loves money, and expensive clothes that she is always changing into (Chapter 2); her account to Nick of how she first met Tom is also focused mostly on how well he was dressed.

Stronger answers will go beyond a mere list of symbols by considering how they occur in particular contexts, and how they are used to reveal characters, advance plot, develop themes, and contribute to the effect of the novel as a whole. Below is a list of likely symbolism for discussion. 1. Colour symbolism is varied in The Great Gatsby ➤ The green light: the green light at first appears to Nick as a remote single light at the end of a dock. Gatsby stretches in the dark towards it as if he wants to reach it. In Chapter 5 Gatsby tells Daisy about this green light that is always burning at night; and in Chapter 9 we are told that Gatsby had believed in the green light as a hope for his future. This sequence could signify the optimism and high hopes that, possibly,had supported Gatsby in his pursuit of Daisy. Green lights are invitations to go on, despite the obscurity (mist surrounding the light). The colour has positive connotations too: freshness, flourishing plants, peacefulness. The actual distance between the light and himself is great but he finds it is near her and so is special (Chapter 5). ➤ Gatsby's yellow car: Wilson wishes he could buy this in Chapter 7. It is a colour that shows itself off and perhaps reinforces the theme of hollow materialism. ➤ pink and golden cloud forms over the sea: In Chapter 5, as Daisy looks out of the window of Gatsby's house, she tells Gatsby she would like to put him in a pink cloud and push him around in it. This may underline the fantasy that she has about him in the same breath as her affection: the imagining of these richly-coloured clouds takes the narrative for a moment into an unattainable dreamworld for Gatsby and perhaps for Daisy herself. 2. Gatsby's mansion and swimming pool ➤ Gatsby seems to be rich and important. A major symbol of his wealth is his huge mansion (Chapter 3), as well as his car (referred to above). ➤ By contrast, significantly, Gatsby leads a very poor life. On the one hand, he throws extravagant parties for people, but on the other, he avoids their company. His mansion is both his retreat and his prison, in this sense. His guests are usually uninvited and take advantage of him. His life involves a routine, hosting entertainment outside the mansion, but being lonely inside it. ➤ Part of his property is a swimming pool, unused overall (Chapter 8). Gatsby is finally killed by Wilson and sinks into it, a symbol of the futility of materialistic display(Chapter 8). ➤ Furthermore, Gatsby's mansion is portrayed negatively, at night in terms of its emptiness and power to make Gatsby's figure look isolated (Chapter 3). In Chapter 5, its interior seems ghostly when Nick is taken around it. There is also a final depiction of the mansion in Chapter 8 after Gatsby's death as a 'huge incoherent failure of a house'. 3. Clocks: two mentions of clocks in Chapter 5 are arguably linked in signifying Gatsby's outlook on life. Both occasions involve negative connotations. Only the first is strictly symbolic, the second is a simile. In Nick's house as Gatsby meets Daisy after many years, his head touches an old mantelpiece clock that is out of order. He accidentally causes it to fall and it almost smashes on the floor. Later Nick comments that his guest had for so long dwelt on the idea of his loved one that now he was at a loss for words, behaving like an 'overwound clock'. Each instance suggests that life is against Gatsby: firstly because he is out of date (the clock is old and doesn't work), out of touch with a reality that could result in the breaking up of his plans for himself and Daisy now (just as the clock nearly smashes). Similarly, the tycoon has been winding himself up emotionally so much that he has run out of energy. 4. Dr T.J. Eckleberg's eyes and glasses: these (Chapter 2) connote a negative, sinister idea of vacancy, emptiness and failure. The doctor's huge eyes look out from a huge nose but there is no face. Eyes and glasses oversee the 'valley of ashes'. They might signify the absence of vision and of structure that has led to the emergence of the gross-looking valley of ashes where the poor (such as Wilson) struggle to work. 5. Wolfsheim's cuff buttons: In Chapter 4 Nick meets Meyer Wolfsheim, one of Gatsby's acquaintances and a corrupt gambler. He is made to notice some cuff buttons that he is wearing, made of human molars. We soon learn that Wolfsheim fixed the World's series in 1919 but was too clever to be identified and arrested. The buttons may symbolise exploitation of other people: they were extracted from people and used for his personal display.

Entries could begin by unpacking the idea that Gatsby was 'watching over nothing'. After the accident, Gatsby feels compelled to stand guard outside Daisy's house, perhaps because he feels she will be threatened by Tom, her husband. In the plot, nothing actually occurs to threaten her that night. So he adopts a fantasised role here as her guardian. The supposition that he has something to watch over is an illusion, therefore. The entry could include ➤ Gatsby's account to himself of why he decided to undertake the vigil. For example, will Tom abuse her? ➤ Portraying his suffering as he watches over Tom's house at night, knowing she is there and unattainable. ➤ Describing his hatred for Tom, perhaps in the knowledge that Tom and Daisy have a child and he is cast out from that situation. ➤ How he feels about the recent accident: whose fault was it really? Was it simply an accident for which no one is really responsible? ➤ Reflecting on his futile passion for Daisy and where it will lead to. ➤ His feeling of hopelessness after the watch proves needless, and his walk home.

This question asks the candidate to consider whether Gatsby's downfall, which could include his murder by Wilson, his abandonment by the Buchanans and the social group that has surrounded him during his success, and his legal and financial troubles, and decide to what extent it is due to his character or external factors. Candidates may argue either way, or point to a combination of both internal and external issues. The points listed below are not exhaustive, but candidates are expected to cover some of them in a logical and coherent order. Intrinsic (character) factors that lead to Gatsby's downfall include: 1. Gatsby's overly ambitious pursuit of an unachievable goal-the recovery of the past. This may be discussed in terms of a 'tragic flaw': ➤ He is obsessed with re-living or re-creating his pre-war romance with Daisy, who he met as a young military officer in Louisville before leaving for World War I in 1917 (as described in Chapter 4 and Chapter 6). ➤ His re-encounter with Daisy is inevitably disappointing - the present reality cannot possibly compete with years of memory and fantasy (Chapter 5), but he does not allow himself to acknowledge this fact. ➤ He wants Daisy to be someone she is not- the young girl he fell in love with instead of who she is, a married woman with a secure and comfortable social position. He wants to wipe out her past (her marriage, her life since they said goodbye) in order to re-live his past (the brief romance in 1917)(Chapter 6). 2. Gatsby's excessive demands on Daisy: ➤ It is not enough for Gatsby to have met Daisy again, and impressed her with his wealth and success, and to have rekindled their romance in emotional scenes like the one in Chapter 5; instead, he forces the confrontation with Tom in the hotel in New York in Chapter 7, and forces Daisy to choose between them. ➤ At the same time, he forces Daisy to acknowledge that while she does love Gatsby, she also loved her husband at one point (before his infidelities)-Gatsby wants, as Daisy says, 'too much' (Chapter 7). 3. Gatsby's inauthenticity, and his willingness to lie, cheat, and pretend to achieve his goals (see Chapter 6): ➤ Gatsby comes from an impoverished background (see Chapter 6) but he creates a highly improbable self-mythology involving wealthy parents, an Oxford education, extensive global tourist travel and recreation (jewel collecting, big game hunting) and distinguished war service (Chapter 4 and elsewhere). ➤ In order to get rich, Gatsby has resorted to dubious, if not directly illegal, business practices of the type associated in the novel with Meyer Wolfshiem, who is implicitly linked to organised crime, fraud, and other illegal activities (Chapter 4). Candidates may also draw attention to Gatsby's decision to cover up for Daisy in relation to the car accident that kills Myrtle Wilson. His (misguided) nobility here leads directly to his death (with some help from Tom Buchanan's lies to Myrtle's husband in Chapter 9). Extrinsic (external) factors that lead to Gatsby's downfall include: 1. The economic factors arrayed against Gatsby. As a young man, he lives on a North Dakota farm -not a road to economic success. He attends college, but has to do janitorial work to pay for his education, which he can't accept. When he does get an opportunity,by working for the wealthy Dan Cody, it is disrupted by Cody's mistress, who prevents Gatsby from inheriting the $25,000 due to him (Chapter 6). Once he goes into business for himself (after the war) only illegal/illicit means seem to pay. Gatsby's struggle for wealth is contrasted throughout with the huge, unearned wealth of the Buchanans (Chapter 1). 2. The social prejudice Gatsby experiences even after becoming rich - despite his millions, and the parties he hosts at his mansion in West Egg attended by a Who's Who of the elite (Chapter 4), Gatsby remains a social outsider. This is highlighted in Chapter 6 when Mr. and Mrs. Sloane invite Gatsby to dinner only to be polite, but he accepts - this allows Tom Buchanan to express his contempt for Gatsby's lack of social polish. Ultimately, Gatsby is arguably a victim of the class system that lets people like the Buchanans 'smash [...] up things' (Chapter 9) and move on without consequences, while people like Gatsby pay the price.

A reasonably strong argument could be made on either side of this question, which asks the candidates to consider the nature of true friendship, and apply this idea to one or more of the possible friendship pairs in the novel. The most likely example is Nick Carraway/Jay Gatsby. Other possible examples include Daisy/Jordan, Gatsby/Cody, or even Gatsby/ Wolfshiem. Candidates may include examples from more than one friendship to support their claims. Stronger answers should define true friendship, or show understanding of what the term means. They might refer to features of true friendship such as care, love, acceptance, assistance, reliability, and trustworthiness. The key point is that these features should correlate with the candidate's discussion of the novel. 1. Possible arguments/examples in favour of 'true friendship': ➤ Acceptance: While Nick introduces Gatsby as a representative of 'everything for which [he has] an unaffected scorn' in Chapter 1, he also finds him attractive in his 'heightened sensitivity to the promises of life' and 'gift for hope' - so if admiration is a basis for friendship, we have an example here. Another point here is the transformation in attitude from initial scepticism, to eventual liking. ➤ Trust: Gatsby is very secretive, but he eventually comes to trust him enough to tel Nick about the car accident, and the real story of his life (Chapter 8); he also shares intimate details about his love for Daisy with Nick. ➤ Fidelity/loyalty: After Gatsby's death, when all of his ostensible friends abandon him, Nick arranges a funeral, meets his father, and generally remains true to his friend (Chapter 9). ➤ Care: When Nick realises Gatsby is in trouble after the car accident, he encourages him to leave to protect himself from possible legal problems (Chapter 8); also, when he realises what Tom Buchanan has done to 'frame' Gatsby, he is furious with him (Chapter 9). ➤ Appreciation: Nick comes to appreciate something about Gatsby-his honesty or eagerness or energy, and values him very highly-he is 'worth the whole damn bunch put together'(Chapter 8). 2. Possible arguments/examples against true friendship: ➤ Expedience: Gatsby begins by exploiting Nick's relationship with Daisy - he is using him for a purpose -and this is not a characteristic of true friendship (Chapter 4); he even tries to pay Nick for his services as, effectively, a pander (Chapter 5). ➤ Lack of fidelity: Wolfshiem (and many other people) who appear to be 'friends' of Gatsby's when he is alive and successful abandon him after - no one other than Nick is 'interested' (Chapter 9); Nick's fidelity is thus an exception that proves the rule - that there is no such thing as real friendship. ➤ Exploitation: friends should protect friends from trouble, but Gatsby repeatedly tries to involve Nick in his illegal bond-selling schemes - if Nick had not refused (Chapter 5), he could well have ended up in serious legal trouble as Parke (one of Gatsby's underlings) does in Chapter 9. ➤ Lack of reciprocity- the novel provides a great deal of evidence for Nick's interest in, and support for, Gatsby, (the existence of the novel itself, as a fictional memoir, testifies to this) but this is all one-sided-there is little or no evidence for example that Gatsby is even curious about Nick's life, his romances, or his happiness. Some candidates might choose to focus on Gatsby/Daisy, and Nick/Jordan for discussion. They need, however, to recognise in their answers the romantic relationships of these two pairs of characters. They are more than just friends (Gatsby and Daisy are lovers, and Nick and Jordan are romantically attracted to each other). In this context, candidates need to identify the 'friendship' qualities in their relationships, and demonstrate whether true friendship exists between them. Another entry point into the discussion of friendship in Gatsby is the social circles of the upper class(the Buchanans, Jordan). Much of their 'friendship' is based on shallow pursuits together (e.g. parties and other social occasions) and forming cliques that close ranks to protect their class privilege from outsider influence.