The Great Gatsby - DOC 5

							                          The Great Gatsby
                     Socratic Seminar Questions
                     Mrs. Sanderlin - English 11
For the Socratic seminar, be prepared to discuss and debate your ideas with the rest
of the class. Remember you must be able to support all statements with evidence
from the novel.


   1. Do you think Jay Gatsby was a “good guy” with morals? Explain.

   2. If Jay Gatsby came from a wealthy family, do you think the story
      would have been told differently? Why?

   3. What do you think Nick thought of Gatsby? Explain.

   4. Would you like to have a friend like Gatsby? Why or why not?

   5. What do you think would have happened if Myrtle had not been hit by
      a car? Would Tom have continued his affair with Myrtle? Would
      Gatsby and Daisy have gotten married? Justify your response.

   6. What do you think would have happened between Gatsby and Daisy if
      Nick didn’t live next door to Gatsby? Do you think Gatsby and Daisy
      would have eventually met? Should Nick have agreed to the meeting?

   7. Gatsby dropped out of college because he felt that being a janitor to
      pay for college was beneath him. Could you work at a job that you
      thought was beneath you if it meant you could earn a college degree?
      Explain.

   8. If Gatsby’s gardener had closed up Gatsby’s pool as planned, do you
      think Gatsby might have lived? Why?

   9. Do you think Gatsby really loved Daisy, or did he merely love the
      thought of Daisy? Explain.

   10.Do you think that perhaps Daisy killed Gatsby although her hand
      never touched the trigger? Explain.

   11. What is Gatsby’s idea of the American Dream? Did he achieve it?
      Explain your response.