F. Scott Fitzgerald
1925
Anticipation guide
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1. When one comes by wealth illegally, he or she is very likely to pay for it in
the end.
2. People who live in big cities in Eastern America are sophisticated, while
people who live in Midwestern cities are simple and innocent.
3. It is no longer possible to attain the American Dream (to amass a fortune
without compromising traditional moral values).
4. If you truly love another person long enough, you will eventually have a
life together.
5. There is no difference between a family that has been wealthy for
generations and one that was poor until just recently (old money vs. new
money).
6. Money cannot buy happiness.
Anticipation guide

7. Anything you can do to “get ahead” in life or better your
situation is acceptable.
8. You can and should only be in love with one person your
whole life.
9. Reality is what we make of it.
10. Once the past is gone, you can never get it back.
11. If you have unintentionally done wrong, you should not
have to be responsible for your actions.
12. A person’s behavior, occupation, and apparel are good
indicators of what kind of a person he is.
Anticipation guide

 Reveals major themes
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Hope
Success
Ignorance
Judgment
Disillusionment
Morality
 These themes are implied rather than stated
 Characters, setting, situations
Modernism Element
Modernism
Disillusionment with traditions
and old values
Automobiles make travel
convenient
Emphasis on leisure and party
time
Concern with making money
Concern with spending money
Alcohol, once prohibited,
becomes a way of life
The Jazz Age
Prejudices
Disparity in wealth
Fragmentation
Implied theme
Emphasis on material goods
Seen in the play?
Why/why not?

Example from play if
applicable
Weather
Settings
Objects
Symbolism

(revealing “modern life”)
Characters
(names)
Colors
(on characters, surrounding
characters)
Narrative Structure

Reliability of narrator
Flashbacks
Background

“The Jazz Age” and “The Lost
Generation”
Glamorous life—
Married Zelda Sayre
“Internationally celebrated couple”
Stock Market Crash 1929 “The Party is
Over”
Setting

 1922 (most of the action) with some flashbacks
sprinkled in for good measure
 Gold Coast (North Shore—Long Island)
 West Egg (Great Neck) prosperous but pedigreed
 East Egg (Sands Point) blue blooded family homes
Read chapter 1 and fill out study guide