The Great Gatsby
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota on Sept. 24,
1896
Lived on the outskirts of a wealthy
neighborhood, but never fully accepted by
the rich children
1918- met and fell in love with Zelda Sayre
1920- When Zelda decided he was
financially secure after publishing two
novels, they married
Fitzgerald
Lived an extravagant lifestyle that included
heavy alcohol consumption and lavish
parties
1925- Published The Great Gatsby, his
most famous work
1930- Zelda had the first of three mental
breakdowns- in 1934 she was
institutionalized and remained there for the
rest of her life
Fitzgerald
Although still married to Zelda, Fitzgerald
fell in love with Sheila Graham
She helped revive his writing career and
spent the last few years of his life with him
1940- F. Scott Fitzgerald died in relative
obscurity
The Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties-success in WWI,
strong economy led to optimism
The Jazz Age- Jazz of New Orleans and
Chicago; party atmosphere
The Age of Intolerance – “us and them”
mentality; effort to unmask Communists;
supremacist organizations
The Age of Wonderful Nonsense- flappers,
gin, moral and sexual revolution
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/early-music-technology-1920sjazz/6605.html
Consumerism
Mass–production and chain stores drove
down prices and encouraged spending
Credit was being used to help American
buy cars. Interest was charged
Runaway consumer credit was part of the
overload that resulted in the Great
Depression
Spending on entertainment increased“talkies”
Prohibition
18th Amendment- prohibited the
manufacture, sale, or transportation of
liquor- Jan. 16,1920
Although the sale was bannedpossession was not
Alcohol was widely available at
“speakeasies”- underground drinking
establishments
Prohibition
Alcohol was often smuggled in from Canada
Wine was still produced and could only legally
be sold for religious services
Whiskey was available by prescription for
medicinal purposes
Prohibition did nothing to stop drinking alcohol, it
only opened the door for organized crime to take
over the distribution
Prohibition
Although the novel never specifies how
Gatsby amasses such a fortune, there are
suggestions that he has been involved in
illegal activities- possibly bootlegging
(illegal trafficking of alcohol
Style, Setting, Themes
Known for his imagistic and poetic prose,
topics are influenced by his surroundings
Motif of geography plays an important role
in defining social stratification. Weather is
used to reflect human conditions. The
green light and eyes of Dr. Eckleburg are
mentioned several times, with various
meanings
Cont’d.
Three things to note are names, dates and ages
The setting of the story is in the summer of
1922, near NYC, in the towns of West Egg and
East Egg
Context- immigration increased creating a dislike
of outsiders, rampant materialism
1919- World Series scandal
19th Amendment- granted women right to vote.
Women began challenging notions of femininity
Themes
The Decline of the American Dream
The Stratification of the Social Classes
The Hollowness of the Upper Class
Byronic Hero
Jay Gatsby is often compared to as a
Byronic Hero
“Byronic Hero” is an anti-hero developed
by Lord Byron
The Byronic Hero is larger than life, but
flawed (a rebel)
Byronic Hero
Is passionate
Has a troubled or mysterious past
Can be introspective
Fiercely independent
Exhibits self destructive tendencies
Rejects norms of society