The Great Gatsby may be the most popular classic in modern American fiction. Since its publication in 1925, Fitzgerald's masterpiece has become a touchstone for generations of readers and writers, many of whom reread it every few years as a ritual of imaginative renewal. The story of Jay Gatsby's desperate quest to win back his first love reverberates with themes at once characteristically American and universally human, among them the importance of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past. Though The Great Gatsby runs to fewer than two hundred pages, there is no bigger read in American literature
Cultural and historical contexts give birth to the dilemmas and themes at
the center of the novel. Studying these contexts and appreciating intricate
details of the time and place help readers understand the motivations of
the characters.
The Great Gatsby is set in the mid-1920s, a prosperous time at home and abroad. The United States had joined World War I in 1917, three years after its eruption. The 1919 Peace of Paris established accord between nations that ended the war. Many considered American intervention the best way to a decisive and quick Allied victory.
Prohibition at home led to a growing world of organized crime, as the sale of alcohol went underground. Even the 1919 World Series was affected, as members of the White Sox (the team favored to win) decided to “throw” the series, creating larger profits for those gambling against the Sox. In Harlem, the northern migration of African Americans created an artistic expansion of literature, music, plays, political tracts, and visual art. And around the country, technology produced new opportunities for Americans, including radio, motion pictures, automobiles, and electric appliances.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald, c. 1925 (American Stock/Getty Images)
The Great Gatsby is set in the mid-1920s, a prosperous time at home and abroad. The United States had joined World War I in 1917, three years after its eruption. The 1919 Peace of Paris established accord between nations that ended the war. Many considered American intervention the best way to a decisive and quick Allied victory.
Prohibition at home led to a growing world of organized crime, as the sale of alcohol went underground. Even the 1919 World Series was affected, as members of the White Sox (the team favored to win) decided to “throw” the series, creating larger profits for those gambling against the Sox. In Harlem, the northern migration of African Americans created an artistic expansion of literature, music, plays, political tracts, and visual art. And around the country, technology produced new opportunities for Americans, including radio, motion pictures, automobiles, and electric appliances.
Pre-Reading Activities
24 Great Gatsby Facts http://mentalfloss.com/article/50822/24-great-gatsby-facts
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CHAPTER ONE
Complete: Anticipation Guide http://wheretheclassroomends.com/anticipation-guide-day-four
CHAPTER TWO: Narrator and Point of View
The narrator tells the story with a specific perspective informed by his or
her beliefs and experiences. Narrators can be major or minor characters,
or exist outside the story altogether. The narrator weaves her or his point
of view, including ignorance and bias, into telling the tale. A first-person
narrator participates in the events of the novel, using “I.” A distanced
narrator, often not a character, is removed from the action of the story
and uses the third person (he, she, and they). The distanced narrator may
be omniscient, able to read the minds of all the characters, or limited,
describing only certain characters’ thoughts and feelings. Ultimately, the
type of narrator determines the point of view from which the story is told.
The Great Gatsby is told in the first person by Nick Carraway. The novel begins from the point of view of an older Nick, reminiscing on the events of one summer. Nick’s perspective, entangled in the dramatic action, subjectively depicts a series of events.
The Great Gatsby is told in the first person by Nick Carraway. The novel begins from the point of view of an older Nick, reminiscing on the events of one summer. Nick’s perspective, entangled in the dramatic action, subjectively depicts a series of events.
List the things you've learned about Nick Carraway in the first
two chapters of the novel. How might his background color the way he tells this
story? How trustworthy is Nick?
How might the perspective of Chapter 1 change if F. Scott Fitzgerald had chosen to narrate the story in the first person from Daisy’s “sophisticated” point of view? Have the class brainstorm the outline of this new chapter.
How might the perspective of Chapter 1 change if F. Scott Fitzgerald had chosen to narrate the story in the first person from Daisy’s “sophisticated” point of view? Have the class brainstorm the outline of this new chapter.
Chapter 2 begins with the “valley of ashes” and the “eyes of Doctor T.J.
Eckleburg.” What do they reveal about Nick’s character and point of view?
What do they reveal about the landscape?
CHAPTER THREE: Characters
The central character in a work of literature is called the protagonist.
The protagonist usually initiates the main action of the story and often
overcomes a flaw, such as weakness or ignorance, to achieve a new
understanding by the work’s end. A protagonist who acts with great
honor or courage may be called a hero. An antihero is a protagonist
lacking these qualities. Instead of being dignified, brave, idealistic, or
purposeful, the antihero may be cowardly, self-interested, or weak.
The protagonist’s journey is enriched by encounters with characters
who hold differing beliefs. One such character type, a foil, has traits that contrast with the protagonist’s and highlight important features of the main character’s personality. The most important foil, the antagonist, opposes the protagonist, barring or complicating his or her success.
Nick Carraway narrates the story, but it is Jay Gatsby who is the novel’s protagonist. Gatsby’s love affair with Daisy, her marriage to Tom, and Gatsby’s quest to regain Daisy’s affection provide the story’s narrative arc.
The protagonist’s journey is enriched by encounters with characters
who hold differing beliefs. One such character type, a foil, has traits that contrast with the protagonist’s and highlight important features of the main character’s personality. The most important foil, the antagonist, opposes the protagonist, barring or complicating his or her success.
Nick Carraway narrates the story, but it is Jay Gatsby who is the novel’s protagonist. Gatsby’s love affair with Daisy, her marriage to Tom, and Gatsby’s quest to regain Daisy’s affection provide the story’s narrative arc.
What kind of person is Nick
Carraway? How does he compare to narrators in other novels your students
have studied? How might Nick’s narration color the way readers view the other
characters? Is he a reliable narrator?
Choose two secondary characters: Daisy, Jordan, Tom, Myrtle, Wilson, Mrs. McKee, Catherine, Mr. McKee, or Gatsby’s party–goers. Ask students to review the first three chapters of the novel. Have each group list key attributes of its characters. Prepare a presentation that documents moments when these characters bring out reactions from Nick. What do these characters teach Nick about himself? What do we learn about Gatsby?
Choose two secondary characters: Daisy, Jordan, Tom, Myrtle, Wilson, Mrs. McKee, Catherine, Mr. McKee, or Gatsby’s party–goers. Ask students to review the first three chapters of the novel. Have each group list key attributes of its characters. Prepare a presentation that documents moments when these characters bring out reactions from Nick. What do these characters teach Nick about himself? What do we learn about Gatsby?
CHAPTER 4: SYMBOLS
Symbols are persons, places, or things in a narrative that have significance
beyond a literal understanding. The craft of storytelling depends on
symbols to present ideas and point toward new meanings. Most frequently,
a specific object will be used to refer to (or symbolize) a more abstract
concept. The repeated appearance of an object suggests a non-literal, or
figurative, meaning attached to the object. Symbols are often found in
the book’s title, at the beginning and end of the story, within a profound action, or in the name or personality of a character. The life of a novel is perpetuated by generations of readers interpreting and reinterpreting the main symbols. By identifying and understanding symbols, readers can reveal new interpretations of the novel.
the book’s title, at the beginning and end of the story, within a profound action, or in the name or personality of a character. The life of a novel is perpetuated by generations of readers interpreting and reinterpreting the main symbols. By identifying and understanding symbols, readers can reveal new interpretations of the novel.
Discuss the valley of ashes in Chapter 2. Keeping in mind the historical and
cultural contexts of the novel, what might the valley symbolize? Why might
Fitzgerald want to underscore an important theme, such as the pursuit of wealth,
so early in the story? What do we learn about Nick from his description?
Discuss some of the other potent symbols in the story. How are these interpretive keys to the novel’s meaning? How might the “two young women ... buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon” (p. 8) symbolize the women of this generation?
Gatsby looks for Daisy in the green light at the end of her dock. Does anyone in the story truly know Daisy? Does the light become a symbol for something else?
Discuss some of the other potent symbols in the story. How are these interpretive keys to the novel’s meaning? How might the “two young women ... buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon” (p. 8) symbolize the women of this generation?
Gatsby looks for Daisy in the green light at the end of her dock. Does anyone in the story truly know Daisy? Does the light become a symbol for something else?
CHAPTER 5: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Novels trace the development of characters who encounter a series of
challenges. Most characters contain a complex balance of virtues and vices.
Internal and external forces require characters to question themselves,
overcome fears, or reconsider dreams. The protagonist may undergo
profound change. A close study of character development maps, in each
character, the evolution of motivation, personality, and belief. The tension
between a character’s strengths and weaknesses keeps the reader guessing
about what might happen next and the protagonist’s eventual success
or failure.
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores characters in relation to their landscape, their wealth, and their prior relationships. The more we know about these characters, the more their lives shift from idyllic islands of wealth to colorless portraits floating through a “valley of ashes” with “grotesque gardens.” In this lesson, examine Fitzgerald’s ability to present characters in both their ideal and real countenances.
How does the way Fitzgerald describes the Long Island landscape parallel the
internal struggles of the main characters?
or failure.
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores characters in relation to their landscape, their wealth, and their prior relationships. The more we know about these characters, the more their lives shift from idyllic islands of wealth to colorless portraits floating through a “valley of ashes” with “grotesque gardens.” In this lesson, examine Fitzgerald’s ability to present characters in both their ideal and real countenances.
Have any of the main characters have changed in
the novel’s first six chapters. Examine Tom, Daisy, Nick, Jordan, and Gatsby.
Are there any moments when these characters have a realization about their
circumstances or change a firmly held opinion?
In the beginning of the novel, Daisy says contemptuously “Sophisticated—God, I’m sophisticated!” (p. 17). Now that we know more about Daisy, what did she mean? Does her life represent the free spirit of the Roaring Twenties? If not, why not?
In the beginning of the novel, Daisy says contemptuously “Sophisticated—God, I’m sophisticated!” (p. 17). Now that we know more about Daisy, what did she mean? Does her life represent the free spirit of the Roaring Twenties? If not, why not?
CHAPTERS 6-9: THE PLOT UNFOLDS
The author crafts a plot structure to create expectations, increase suspense,
and develop characters. The pacing of events can make a novel either
predictable or riveting. Foreshadowing and flashbacks allow the author to
defy the constraints of time. Sometimes an author can confound a simple
plot by telling stories within stories. In a conventional work of fiction, the
peak of the story’s conflict—the climax—is followed by the resolution, or
denouement, in which the effects of that climactic action are presented.
The Great Gatsby has a remarkable structure. Chapter 5 provides the emotional center of the drama: when Gatsby reunites with Daisy, when Nick experiences a grand foreboding, and when Daisy’s voice becomes a “deathless song.” Some chapters exhibit parallels. Chapters 2 and 8are physically violent turning points, with grotesque landscapes, dust,
and ashes. The novel begins with Nick’s arrival to Long Island and his memories of his father’s words. Nick wants “the world to be ... at a sort
of moral attention forever” (p. 2). The novel ends with an encounter with Gatsby’s father and Nick’s realization: “I see now that this has been a story of the West after all ... [P]erhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life” (p. 176).
The Great Gatsby has a remarkable structure. Chapter 5 provides the emotional center of the drama: when Gatsby reunites with Daisy, when Nick experiences a grand foreboding, and when Daisy’s voice becomes a “deathless song.” Some chapters exhibit parallels. Chapters 2 and 8are physically violent turning points, with grotesque landscapes, dust,
and ashes. The novel begins with Nick’s arrival to Long Island and his memories of his father’s words. Nick wants “the world to be ... at a sort
of moral attention forever” (p. 2). The novel ends with an encounter with Gatsby’s father and Nick’s realization: “I see now that this has been a story of the West after all ... [P]erhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life” (p. 176).
Identify the most important turning points in the novel. Ask them
to identify the passages from the novel, explaining why these events are the most
significant.
Why does Nick think that Gatsby “paid a
high price for living too long with a single dream” (p. 161)?
THEMES IN THE NOVEL:
Themes are the central, recurring subjects of a novel. As characters grapple
with circumstances such as racism, class, or unrequited love, profound
questions will arise in the reader’s mind about human life, social pressures,
and societal expectations. Classic themes include intellectual freedom versus
censorship, the relationship between one’s personal moral code and larger
political justice, and spiritual faith versus rational considerations. A novel
often reconsiders these age-old debates by presenting them in new contexts
or from new points of view.
In an era of new technology, new opportunity, and artistic expansion, does
Fitzgerald’s novel comment on American morality and idealism? Is The Great
Gatsby a satire or critique of American life? If not, why not?
Alienation
At one party, Nick observes, “People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each other a few feet away” (p. 37). Soon afterward, Tom breaks his lover’s nose. Does Fitzgerald use parties to highlight his characters’ failures to relate to one another? Do Gatsby’s parties reflect genuine celebration or a kind of mourning?
Friendship
Nick is the only person, aside from Gatsby’s father, who attends the funeral. What kind of friendship do Nick and Gatsby have? What does Nick derive from this friendship? Is it true friendship, or does Nick simply pity Gatsby his “romantic readiness”?
Identity
In Chapter 7, we learn of Gatsby’s origins as James Gatz of North Dakota. In the novel, Gatsby has become his alter ego, leaving James Gatz behind as he travels the world as Dan Cody’s steward. Was Gatsby doomed to tragedy as long as
he disguised his Midwestern origins in favor of a more extravagant, fictional biography? Is Nick judging Gatsby for these imaginative exploits or admiring
this skill?
The American Dream
At one party, Nick observes, “People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each other a few feet away” (p. 37). Soon afterward, Tom breaks his lover’s nose. Does Fitzgerald use parties to highlight his characters’ failures to relate to one another? Do Gatsby’s parties reflect genuine celebration or a kind of mourning?
Friendship
Nick is the only person, aside from Gatsby’s father, who attends the funeral. What kind of friendship do Nick and Gatsby have? What does Nick derive from this friendship? Is it true friendship, or does Nick simply pity Gatsby his “romantic readiness”?
Identity
In Chapter 7, we learn of Gatsby’s origins as James Gatz of North Dakota. In the novel, Gatsby has become his alter ego, leaving James Gatz behind as he travels the world as Dan Cody’s steward. Was Gatsby doomed to tragedy as long as
he disguised his Midwestern origins in favor of a more extravagant, fictional biography? Is Nick judging Gatsby for these imaginative exploits or admiring
this skill?
The American Dream
READING GUIDE QUESTIONS
- The novel's action occurs in 1922 between June and September. How does Nick's nonchronological narration shape your response to the events surrounding the mystery of Jay Gatsby?
- Nick believes he is an honest, nonjudgemental narrator. Do you agree?
- Gatsby believes that the past can be repeated. Is he right?
- Why does Daisy sob into the "thick folds" of Gatsby's beautiful shirts?
- What do the faded eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg symbolize? Is there a connection between this billboard and the green light at the end of Daisy's dock?
- Perhaps the novel's climax occurs when Gatsby confronts Tom in New York. Did Daisy's ultimate choice surprise you? Is it consistent with her character?
- Do you agree with Nick's final assertion that Gatsby is "worth the whole damn bunch put together"? Why or why not?
- How does Fitzgerald foreshadow the tragedies at the end?
- Does the novel critique or uphold the values of the Jazz Age and the fears of the Lost Generation?
- Fitzgerald wrote, "You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say." What did he have to say in Gatsby?
- Fitzgerald scholar Matthew J. Bruccoli claims: "The Great Gatsby does not proclaim the nobility of the human spirit; it is not politically correct; it does not reveal how to solve the problems of life; it delivers no fashionable or comforting messages. It is just a masterpiece." Do you agree?
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