F.

Scott
Fitzgeralds
The Great Gatsby

World War I
World War I ended in 1918.
Disillusioned because of the war, the
generation that fought and survived
has come to be called the lost
generation.

About the Author

Born-September 24, 1896
Died-December 21, 1940
Married Zelda Sayre
Famous works include The Great
Gatsby
The Beautiful and the Damned
Tender is the Night

Who is F. Scott
Fitzgerald?

Born in 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He attended Princeton University.
1917 joined the army.
Met his wife Zelda.
Published The Great Gatsby at 23 in 1925.
Regarded as the speaker of the Jazz Age.
Drinking and wifes schizophrenia
Died in 1940.

The Jazz Age

Prohibition was in effect

Dances such as the Charleston were
popular
Popular sayings included 23
Skidoo & Bees Knees
Economy was in a Boom

F. Scott Fitzgeralds Impact

on Society

Fitzgerald named the

1920s The Jazz
Age
Wrote screenplays
for Metro-GoldwynMayer
Created the The
Great Gatsby, which
is said to be the most
accurate description
of the 1920s

The Roaring
Twenties
While the sense of loss
was readily apparent among

expatriate American artists who remained in Europe

after the war, back home the disillusionment took a less
obvious form.
America seemed to throw itself headlong into a decade of
madcap behavior and materialism, a decade that has
come to be called the Roaring Twenties.
Economy booming
America partied
Organized crime
Prohibition Act
Decline of moral standards

The Flappers

Flappers were
women who rebelled
against the fashion
and social norms of
the early 1900s.
They married at a
later age and drank
and smoked in public
Flappers were known
for their carefree
lifestyles.

THE CHANGING ROLE OF

WOMEN 1920s

The 19th Amendment(1920) gave women

the right to vote.
9 million women were employed and
earned money on their own
women bobbed their hair
they were able to drink and smoke in
public. For the first time female
alcoholism is a major problem.
In The Great Gatsby Jordan Baker is
such a new type of woman. She is living
alone and has equal relationships to men.
She is self-confident in dealing with

FACTS ABOUT THE

DECADE

106,521,537 people in the United States

2,132,000 unemployed, Unemployment 5.2%
Life expectancy: Male 53.6, Female 54.6
343,000 in military (down from 1,172,601 in 1919)
Average annual earnings $1236; Teacher's salary
$970
Dow Jones High 100 Low 67
Illiteracy rate reached a new low of 6% of the
population.
Gangland crime included murder, swindles,
racketeering
It took 13 days to reach California from New York
There were 387,000 miles of paved road.

Characters of The Great

Gatsby

Jay Gatsby- The self-made wealthy

man who lives next door to Nick
Carraway and loves Daisy Buchanan

Characters of The Great

Gatsby

Nick Carraway- the narrator, Daisys

cousin, Gatsbys neighbor

Characters in The Great

Gatsby

Daisy Buchanan- married to Tom,

Gatsbys love interest before the
war, socialite

Settings in The Great

Gatsby

West Egg- where

Nick and Gatsby
live, represents
new money
East Egg- where
Daisy lives, the
more fashionable
area, represents
old money

Old Money Vs. New

Money

New Money
Someone who has
achieved the
American Dream
Not as respected in
the 1920s

Old Money
Money from family
wealth
Born rich
Not earned through
work done by
yourself
Respected above all
in the 1920s

Settings in The Great

Gatsby

The City- New York City, where the

characters escape to for work and
play
The Valley of Ashes- between the
City and West Egg, where Wilsons
gas station is

Symbols in The Great

Gatsby

Green Light- at the end of Daisys

dock and visible from Gatsbys
mansion. Represents Gatsby's hopes
and dreams about Daisy.

Symbols in The Great

Gatsby

The Valley of Ashes- the area

between West Egg and New York
City. It is a desolate area filled with
industrial waste. It represents the
social and moral decay of society
during the 1920s. It also shows the
negative effects of greed.

Symbols in The Great

Gatsby

The Eyes of Dr. T. J. Ekleburg- A

decaying billboard in the Valley of
Ashes with eyes advertising an
optometrist. There are multiple
proposed meanings, including the
representation of Gods moral
judgment on society.

The American Dream:

describes an attitude of
hope and faith that looks forward to the fulfillment of
human wishes and desires.

Gatsby is the ideal

image of one who
has achieved the
American Dream.
What is the
American Dream
and who has
achieved it in our
time?

American Dream Cont.

SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL

IMPROVEMENT

Materialism achieved too quickly.

Thus, lacking spiritual life/purpose.
Gatsby is a character that represents
this DREAM.

FAILURE OF THE AMERICAN

DREAM

Poverty
Discrimination
Exploitation
Hypocrisy
Corruption
suppression

How is this developed?

Through the 5 central characters

Through certain dominant images
and symbols
Through diction.

Pre-reading:
1.Why are we still reading a book written in the
1920s? What gives a book its longevity?
2.How was the 1920s a reaction to WWI?
3.Some people think that having money leads to
happiness. Do you agree? Why or why not?
What are the advantages or disadvantages of
being wealthy.
4.What is the "American Dream"? Where did it
originate, and how has it changed over the
centuries?
5.Have you ever wanted to relive a moment from
your past, to redo it? Describe the situation.
How and why would you change the past?