Name: ________________________________ Date: ______________________ Block: ______
The Great Gatsby Webquest
Directions: Click on the provided links to find information necessary for answering the questions.
1. Read this brief biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Describe some of the high points and low
points in Fitzgerald’s life.
http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/biography.html
2. What is an expatriate and is Fitzgerald one? What is the “Lost Generation”? Was Fitzgerald
influenced by any of its members? If so, provide the names and how Fitzgerald was
influenced.
http://www.justlanded.com/english/Common/Footer/Expatriates
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/hpolscrv/jbolhofer.html
3. What is “the American dream” and how does the concept of it relate to The Great Gatsby?
http://www.inforefuge.com/demise-of-american-dream-the-great-gatsby
4. What impact did Fitzgerald’s editor/publisher have on his work?
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby#Writing_and_publication
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell_Perkins
5. Where is F. Scott Fitzgerald buried?
http://www.peerlessrockville.org/peerless_places/peerless_places_fitzgeralds_gravesite.htm
6. On a separate sheet of paper, compose a literary timeline with U.S. and world events
beginning with Fitzgerald’s birth year and ending with the year of his death. The timeline
must include a minimum of five (5) U.S. and world events and five (5) Fitzgerald-related
events.
http://www.animatedatlas.com/timeline.html
http://www.pbs.org/kteh/amstorytellers/bios.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/fitzgerald_f_timeline_flash.html
http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/chronology.html
7. World War I
After the war ended, the economy skyrocketed, making it possible for people to spend more
time and money on leisure activities. After reviewing the website in this section, list three
major innovations that came out of the WWI experience.
o After the War: List the dominant postwar American attitudes and the major movements of
the 1920's. Pay close attention to the attitudes of the "Lost Generation" and the "Prosperity &
Consumerism" movement.
8. 19th Amendment
What right did women gain from the passage of the 19th Amendment?
9. The Roaring Twenties
List three major events that occurred in 1922 (the year in which the novel is set).
10. 18th Amendment
What exactly does the amendment abolish? What was the result?
18th Amendment
Wikipedia: Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
11. Prohibition
What is a Speakeasy? Based on information you have already collected from previous
questions, why do you think Speakeasies popped up across the country?
Wikipedia: Speakeasy
Speakeasy photos
12. Organized Crime and Arnold Rothstein
What's in a name?: List three elements of Rothstein's character that interest you. Explain.
13. The Organizer: Read the quotes at the beginning of this site. What is his primary occupation?
What are his "sidejobs"?
Did your impression of Rothstein change from one web page to the next? Explain.
14. Flappers
Read the first five paragraphs of the article about "Flapper Jane." According to the author,
what are the essential elements of being a true flapper?
After reading the article, look at the selected photos of Louise Brooks. Does she fit the
"Flapper" profile as proposed by the author of "Flapper Jane"? Why or why not?
Read Dorothy Parker's poem "The Flapper." Do you think Ms. Parker approves or
disapproves of Flappers? Explain.
15. Automobiles
Why were cars considered "the most important catalyst for social change in the 1920's"?
The Rise of Automobiles
Photos of 1920's era automobiles.
Gatsby Coachworks: Reproductions of 1920's era automobiles. The white and gold car is
similar to what Jay Gatsby would have driven.
16. 1920's Slang
Read some 1920's slang terms.
List 5 slang words or phrases and definitions from this site and write them down in your
notes.
Why did you choose these terms?
Revised 10/6/2011