Background Information 1920s America
The Great Gatsby
Directions: We are about to begin our journey through the 1920s- Gatsby style. Your task is to complete the background
research necessary to understand the political, cultural, economic climate in which F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the novel. His
novel was written as a love story, informed by his own world and experiences, as well as a commentary on the “Roaring 20s”.
Part I: Web Quest Activity: Use the following link and complete the web quest activities and questions in your notebooks.
Please note, you will need internet access and video/audio capabilities.
http://www.huffenglish.com/gatsby/gatsbyhunt.html
Part II: Once you have completed the web quest, organize your content into the topics below. You may need to do further
research to complete this part of the assignment. Determine the most significant and interesting facts that had an influence on
American culture. For each topic, you should have at least 10-15 facts. We will discuss this on Monday 3/25.
Life of F. Scott
Fitzgerald
1920s Politics
(include
America’s
reaction to
WWI)
1920s
Economy
1920s
Immigration
1920s
Prohibition
(18th
Amendment)
Social Issues:
Women’s
Rights and
Rebellion
1920s Music,
art and
inventions
Early Civil
Rights (for
non-white
males)
Part III. Thinking about the Context
Synthesis:
The Great Gatsby is set in the 1920s “Jazz Age,” a name coined by Fitzgerald himself. Based on the information you learned
from your research, what do you think life was like for the wealthy class in the 1920s? The poorer classes?
Connections:
What major problems/issues were Americans concerned with in the 1920s? What major world problems are
Americans most afraid of today?
Predictions:
Why do you think we are still reading a book written in the 1920's? What aspects of the 20s may influence or
intrigue the people of today? What was the American Dream in the 1920s?