Historical, Biographical Context, Themes, and Introduction
The Roaring 20’s
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Money, Money, Money
 “Decade of Play and Prosperity”
 At the beginning of the 1920’s, just after The Great War, 2% of
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Americans owned most of the wealth. There was a great divide
between the poor and wealthy.
By 1926, after the rise of factories and Industrial America, there
were 11,000 millionaires in this country. They were not part of
the super-wealthy 2%, but were establishing a new uppermiddle class. This was the economic boom that sparked the
“Roaring 20’s”.
Rural life became replaced by a rush of urban, city life.
Factories decreased the amount of time and energy spent
meeting people’s basic needs, and consumer America was born.
Leisure time increased, creativity flourished, and entertainment
became a central part of the American life.
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Post-War Intolerance
 After the disastrous bloodiness and tragedy of WWI, Americans
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favored isolationism, desiring to separate the country from the
troubles, revolutions, and affairs of foreign nations.
Fearful of the revolution in Russia, Americans became intolerant of
immigrants who may threaten the American way of democracy and
capitalism. This became known as the Red Scare.
Not only were Americans fearful of potential communists and
immigrants, but they extended their desire for dominance over
minorities in this country. Racism was rampant, and discrimination
against anyone who was not “White, Protestant, and American” was
rampant.
American limited immigration from Eastern Europe and Japan, only
accepting immigrants from Western European, democratic, and
capitalist countries.
Patriotism for the American Identity is a critical component of the
Roaring 20’s.
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The Moral Question
 As life moved from rural America to urban cities, the transition
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impacted the traditional moral values of many Americans.
Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution became a heated debate
between the conservative, traditional rural Americans and the
less-religious, more modern views of urban Americans.
Prohibition took effect, making the manufacture, sale, or
consumption of alcohol illegal by Federal law. This actually
resulted in more crime as people began to drink in secrecy and
develop illegal manners of manufacturing and transporting
alcohol. Obviously, prohibition was supported by the nation’s
rural conservatives, and fought by the new urban-dwellers.
Prohibition was revoked, and alcohol continued to be a large
part of the Roaring 20’s entertainment and social scenes.
A new a-morality was growing in America.
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The Jazz Age
 With basic needs being more easily met, and the
development of a wealthier middle class,
entertainment became a huge industry in America.
 Americans had the money to support art and
entertainment in an unprecedented way.
 Jazz music from New Orleans spread to New York and
became a staple of the time period.
 George Gershwin, Georgia O’Keefe, and film stars
created the legacy of the Jazz Age.
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Who was she?
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She was emancipated.
She was entertained.
She was educated.
She was employed.
The 19th Amendment gave women the right
to vote. This was pivotal in the emancipation
of women. Their clothing, hair, careers, and
education all reflected the new idea of an
independent woman.
 Just as other traditional values were replaced,
marriage became a true option, rather than an expectation. Women
could work and create their own careers, go to college, and remain
single if they wanted.
 The “1920’s Woman” was a critical piece of “Adolescent America”. Just
like the new emancipated woman, America was in it’s adolescent years,
enjoying new-found freedom and abundance.
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Who is F. Scott Fitzgerald?
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Born in 1898 to Catholic parents in the Mid-West.
Came from a middle-class to upper middle-class family, with inherited
money from his mother’s side but a string of unsuccessful employment
opportunities for his father.
Sought personal achievement and distinction from an early age, and was
encouraged by his teachers in Catholic schools to continue this ambition.
Attended Princeton, where he was placed on academic probation and
subsequently left school to join the army.
Fell in love with Zelda Sayre, who broke off their engagement until he
found success and distinction as a writer.
They married after he achieved a level of success in the literary realm,
and travelled the world as he wrote novels.
The Great Gatsby was written in France and Rome in 1924-1925.
The marriage between Zelda and Fitzgerald struggled from the
influences of alcohol, Zelda’s eccentric behavior (and ultimately, her
confinement to a asylum), and their poor financial planning.
Fitzgerald died in 1940, believing himself to be a failure. Zelda died in
1948 in a hospital fire.
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What parts of the text of Chapter 1 are
examples of the influence of the historical
context of the 1920’s?
What parts of the text of Chapter 1 are
examples of the influence of the biographical
context of the author?
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In your notebook, make a chart. Leave room
for additional notes as you continue your
reading of the novel. Use an entire page.
Character
Nick Carraway
Tom Buchanan
Daisy Buchanan
Jordan Baker
Details, Images, Associations,
Predictions, Behavior, etc.
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In your notebook, make notes regarding the
imagery provided by Fitzgerald in the novel
and how this imagery creates a scene in the
mind of the reader.
What sort of scene is being developed? Use
descriptive words to capture the scene.
What words are used by the author to
describe the setting created by Daisy? What
about that of Tom?