The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgeraldby F. Scott Fitzgerald

English 11English 11

American LiteratureAmerican Literature

The American DreamThe American Dream

Hard Work + Good Character = Success!Hard Work + Good Character = Success!

What happened to the American What happened to the American Dream?Dream?

MaterialismMaterialism– Easy MoneyEasy Money– Lenient ValuesLenient Values– CorruptionCorruption

F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott Fitzgerald

September 24, 1876 – December 21, 1940September 24, 1876 – December 21, 1940

Writer of Writer of ““The Jazz AgeThe Jazz Age””

Very critical of the wealthy excesses of the Very critical of the wealthy excesses of the 19201920’’s:s:““Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we are. They are different.we are. They are different.””   

Historical Context:Historical Context:““The Roaring 20The Roaring 20’’ss””

Impact of World War I, Impact of World War I, ““The Great WarThe Great War””1818thth Amendment: Prohibition (1920) Amendment: Prohibition (1920)1919thth Amendment: Women Amendment: Women’’s Suffrage s Suffrage (1920)(1920)Harlem RenaissanceHarlem RenaissanceCharles Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh, The Spirit of St. LouisThe Spirit of St. LouisMotion PicturesMotion PicturesMass ProductionMass Production

However….However….

Old Money vs. New MoneyOld Money vs. New Money

Bootlegging, the speakeasy, and the rise Bootlegging, the speakeasy, and the rise of the Gangsterof the Gangster

Rise of the KKKRise of the KKK

““Black TuesdayBlack Tuesday”” – October 29, 1929 – October 29, 1929

The Century, AmericaThe Century, America’’s Time:s Time:Boom to BustBoom to Bust

ABC News ABC News

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby

Published in 1925Published in 1925

Takes place in 1920Takes place in 1920

A scathing look at the life of the rich during A scathing look at the life of the rich during the Roaring 20the Roaring 20’’ss

Major CharactersMajor Characters

Nick Carraway (narrator)Nick Carraway (narrator)

Jay GatsbyJay Gatsby

Daisy BuchananDaisy Buchanan

Tom BuchananTom Buchanan

Jordan BakerJordan Baker

Myrtle WilsonMyrtle Wilson

George WilsonGeorge Wilson

Literary CriticismLiterary Criticism

““The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is a mystical, timeless is a mystical, timeless story of integrity and cruelty, vision and story of integrity and cruelty, vision and despair.despair.””

-barnesandnoble.com-barnesandnoble.com

QuotationQuotation

““Gatsby believed in the green light, the Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but thatbefore us. It eluded us then, but that’’s no s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine mornging—So we beat on, boats one fine mornging—So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaslessly against the current, borne back ceaslessly into the past.into the past.””-F. Scott Fitzgerald, -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby

SymbolismSymbolism

Look for the use of color throughout Look for the use of color throughout The The Great GatsbyGreat Gatsby; Fitzgerald employs color ; Fitzgerald employs color symbols on almost every page!symbols on almost every page!

The Green LightThe Green Light

The Eyes of Dr. T.J. EckleburgThe Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg

. . . and many others. . . and many others

Setting: 1922, New York City and Long Setting: 1922, New York City and Long IslandIsland

East Egg (Old Money)East Egg (Old Money)

West Egg (New Money)West Egg (New Money)

ThemesThemes

Outward appearances are deceptive.Outward appearances are deceptive.

Attainment of a dream may be less Attainment of a dream may be less satisfying than the pursuit of that dream.satisfying than the pursuit of that dream.

Wealth can breed carelessness.Wealth can breed carelessness.

Blind pursuit of an ideal is destructive.Blind pursuit of an ideal is destructive.

The American Dream is corrupted by the The American Dream is corrupted by the desire for wealth.desire for wealth.

Nick CarrawayNick Carraway

First person narratorFirst person narrator

Moves from the Midwest to West EggMoves from the Midwest to West Egg

Neighbor to Jay GatsbyNeighbor to Jay Gatsby

Cousin to Daisy BuchananCousin to Daisy Buchanan

Purpose: He wants the readers to know Purpose: He wants the readers to know about Gatsby and how Gatsby affected / about Gatsby and how Gatsby affected / changed him.changed him.

Nick CarrawayNick Carraway

““. . . I’m inclined to reserve all judgements . . . . . . I’m inclined to reserve all judgements . . . And, after boasting this way of my tolerance, I And, after boasting this way of my tolerance, I come to the admission that it has a limit.”come to the admission that it has a limit.”

““Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed upon Gatsby, what foul dust what preyed upon Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.men.