Opening Question:
How has materialism changed from the 1920's to now? Have different generations become more or less materialistic and in what ways?
Core Questions:
Why does Tom Buchanan feel it's appropriate to introduce his wife's cousin to his mistress? Though it was an era of extremely liberal women, to what extent were they still objectified?
I think in a sense, this is him showing off. He wants to assert how traditionally masculine (exemplified by his ability to "get" women) he is, in comparison to Nick, who is more reserved and doesn't really actively seek out company very often. I also saw it as his way of "making it up" to Nick for treating Daisy so poorly. He thinks that letting Nick into this secret facet of his life that he doesn't even reveal to his wife will redeem him somehow in Nick's eyes. Tom wants to show Nick that no matter where you are or who you're with, there will always be a certain air of suffering, so Nick shouldn't hold it against him in Daisy's miserable because he doesn't feel it's his fault.
To what extent is Jordan Baker a foil for Daisy's character? How does Nick and Jordan's relationship act a foil to Tom and Daisy's and even Gatsby and Daisy's?
Jordan Baker is very much a foil to Daisy's character. While Daisy is found weeping over shirts (amongst other things), Jordan is described as very straight-faced and straight-foward. She's athletic and younger and hasn't been attached to many men, while Daisy has a child and pines for a man she once loved while married to a man she loathes. Their relationships act as foils to each other because Nick and Jordan have a very healthy one in the beginning. Nick and Jordan met through friends, got to know each other, and then started seeing each other, a typical procession of how people meet and date, while Daisy has always had whirlwind affairs and very unhealthy relationships. Jordan's relationship with Tom is based on pretty concrete personality traits, and it feels like men just want to be with Daisy because it's so goddamned romantic to be with someone with such a mysterious, lilting voice.
Closing Question:
Daisy marries money and forgoes love, Gatsby seeks money to acquire love. To what extent is it true that greed is what connects these characters? Is it greed as concerning money or can greed also manifest in other ways? How have we seen greed change over the years?
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