F. Scott Fitzgerald’s
The Great Gatsby
About the Author
September 24, 1896-December 21, 1940
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“Daddy Issues” and success v. failure
Good looking, popular, Princeton boy…who partied too much
Commissioned into the Army and sent to Alabama: enter Zelda Sayre.
Life is marked by extravagance
Success ebbed and flowed; died of a heart attack at 44, a depressed
alcoholic
• Coined the term “The Jazz Age” about the excesses of the 1920s
• “Something had to be done with all the nervous energy stored up and unexpended in the
war.”
• “It was an age of miracles, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess, and it was an age of
satire.”
The Jazz Age/The Roaring Twenties
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1917-1919-U.S. involved in WWI
Jan. 1920-Prohibition
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Changing moral code, social code (blue to white,
men to women)
Role of Women
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Had jobs during the war, continued afterwards
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Received the right to vote
Took more masculine look to symbolize new
freedom/power (helmet hats, bobbed hair, straight dresses
to camouflage curves)
The Flappers
• Flappers were women
who rebelled against
the fashion and social
norms of the early
1900’s.
• They married at a later
age and drank and
smoked in public
• Flappers were known
for their carefree
lifestyles.
Prosperity in the 20’s
• Nearly half the population owns automobiles, radios, vacuum
cleaners and washing machines
• Advertising and public relations begin to campaign for the
American household
• Widespread electrification helps reduce manufacturing costs
of existing products
• Introduction of Consumer Credit
Poverty in the 20’s
• Rural poverty is widespread
• Mainly affected African Americans, White farmers, and
immigrants - DEBT
• Agricultural economy of the 1920’s experiences depression
despite booming economy
• The newly wealthy = obsessed with minority culture
Characters in The Great Gatsby
• Jay Gatsby- The self-made wealthy man who lives next door to
Nick Carraway and loves Daisy Buchanan
Characters in The Great Gatsby
• Nick Carraway- the narrator, Daisy’s cousin, Gatsby’s neighbor
Characters in The Great Gatsby
• Daisy Buchanan- married to Tom, Gatsby’s love interest before
the war, socialite
Characters in The Great Gatsby
• Tom Buchanan- Daisy’s arrogant husband, has an affair with
Myrtle Wilson
Characters in The Great Gatsby
• Myrtle Wilson- Tom’s lower-class woman in the city, married
to George
Characters in The Great Gatsby
• George Wilson- owns the auto shop, wants
success/love/respect
Characters in The Great Gatsby
• Jordan Baker- Daisy’s wealthy friend, professional golfer
Settings in The Great Gatsby
• West Egg- where
Nick and Gatsby live,
represents new
money
• East Egg- where Daisy
lives, the more
fashionable area,
represents old
money
Settings in The Great Gatsby
• The City- New York City, where the characters escape to for
work and play
• The Valley of Ashes- between the City and West Egg, where
Wilson’s station is
Symbols/Motifs in The Great Gatsby
• Green Light- at the end of Daisy’s dock and visible from
Gatsby’s mansion. Represents Gatsby's hopes and dreams
about Daisy.
Symbols/Motifs in The Great Gatsby
• The Valley of Ashes- the area between West Egg and New York
City. It is a desolate area filled with industrial waste. It
represents the social and moral decay of society during the
1920’s. It also shows the negative effects of greed.
Symbols/Motifs in The Great Gatsby
• The Eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg- A decaying
billboard in the Valley of Ashes with eyes
advertising an optometrist. There are multiple
proposed meanings, including the
representation of God’s moral judgment on
society.
Symbols/Motifs in The Great Gatsby
Cars
• Industrialization, status
symbol, carelessness,
recklessness
Water
• Barriers and
boundaries
• Gatsby’s restraints
from Daisy
• Abandonment
The American Dream
• Not just a love affair between characters!
• Fitzgerald showcases disillusionment with the AD
• Post-war soldiers found social mores stifling
• Stock market boom creates easy money, the CONSUMER!
• Old money scorned the new “instant” wealthy
• The AD was discovery, individuality, and happiness…in
1920s it is corrupt.
The Great Gatsby
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xw39kk_th
e-great-gatsby-trailer-2_shortfilms
MLA FORMATTING
INTRODUCTION and THESIS
BODY PARAGRAPH #1
- Minimum 2 Gatsby DIRECT quotes required
- Minimum 1 LitCrit Source DIRECT quote required
- Additional paraphrasing of material is encouraged.
BODY PARAGRAPH #2
- Minimum
2 Gatsby DIRECT quotes required
- Minimum 1 LitCrit Source DIRECT quote required
- Additional paraphrasing of material is encouraged.
Optional additional analysis paragraph --- very impressive.
CONCLUSION
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