The Great Gatsby  

AoE: Time & Space  
The purpose of this assignment is to increase your schema in order to help you understand the nuances 
of the historical and cultural allusions and context within the novel. Your goal is to explore each topic 
through online articles and videos as a form of background research.   
 

#1: 
The 
Roaring 
Twenties 
& 
The Jazz 
Age 

 
The ROARING TWENTIES:  
 
Check out this short 6 minute ​video​ and answer the following 
questions. ​*I picked this movie because it was impressively 
created by high school students! 
 
1. What two primary media advances were made during 
this time period? How do you think this affected 
American society? 
The two primary media advances included film and the radio. I 
believe this affected American society as a creation of new 
ways to display creativity and more ways to spend free time. 
 
2. In what ways did the arts progress during the 1920’s and 
which group seemed to benefit most from it? 
The arts were greatly affected during a movement called the 
Harlem Renaissance in which the African American culture was 
expressed greatly and tied with the civil rights movement 
(bringing out racial pride for African-Americans). The arts 
progressed since there was much more focus on dancing with 
the time being switching the artistic perspective and poets 
(specifically African-American) grew to inspire more artists and 
writers (also African American). 

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3. How did women evolve during this period? 
Young women, specifically, changed their appearance 
drastically giving them the name of “Flappers” (women who had 
bobs and wore short skirts) who smoked, drinked, and were 
more “sexually free” than women in the generations before 
them.  
 
4. Summarize the essential aspect of the Roaring 20’s and 
explain what primarily caused it, according to the video:  
The most essential aspect was the fact that it was a cultural 
revolution challenging previous ideals through the change in 
women's appearance and behaviors, how African American 
arts were revolutionized through the Harlem Renaissance, and 
overall how influential it was to modern U.S. culture through 
movies, heart, pop culture, and music prospering . 
 
 

#2: 
Immigration 

 
IMMIGRATION: 
 
Next, watch this ​Khan Academy video​ and answer the 
following questions. ​*If you’re already tired of videos, feel free 

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to skip around the document, as the next two sections require 

reading articles.  
 
1. What causes mass migration into cities from rural 
farms? 
Economic opportunity for internal and international migrants. 
 
2. Again, how does the role of women evolve during this 
time period? ​Your answer will be different than the one 
above… 
The roles of women (white and ends up as 25% of women) 
evolve through the larger amount of work opportunities and 
availability, specifically clerical workers (big corporations).  
 
3. What causes a resurgence of the KKK, as well as the 
government desiring to pass the Emergency Quota Act 
and the Immigration Restriction Act? 
The targeting of Jews and Catholics since there was a mass 
immigrantion of African Americans as well. 
 
4. Finally, what do these laws and racist groups show 
about who they believed were eligible to be part of the 
American people during this time period?  
These laws show that they believed only those who were of their 
same complexion and beliefs belong unless they provided some 
kind of special assistance/labor. 
 

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#3: 
 
Prohibition  PROHIBITION:  
 
First, augment your schema by researching the term 
prohibition​ and write the definition here IN YOUR OWN 
WORDS: 
Prohibition is the action/practice of prohibiting something by 
means of a law. 
 
Do the same for the term ​bootlegger​:  
An individual who illegally processes or exchanges alcohol. 
 
Then do the same for the term ​speakeasy​:  
​An illegal establishment exchanging alcoholic beverages. 
 
Next, visit the ​PBS article​ and skim through to find the crucial 
information to answer the following questions:  
 
1. What were TWO causes of America’s prohibition? 
- helping the country return to simpler times 
- The extreme dependence on alcohol (epidemic) 
 
2. According to the article, what were the unintended 
effects of the prohibition laws (which would undoubtedly 
happen again today!)?  

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They disguised the taste of liquor so it would not be recognizable 

but that can not happen today because technology has evolved 
and we now have breathalyzers.  
 
3. STOP READING when the article starts to discuss ​The 
Great Gatsby​ storyline! No spoilers! 
 
 

#5: 
The 
American 
Dream 
&  
The 
Self-Made 
Man 

 
The AMERICAN DREAM: 
 
Quickly review the ​Investopedia Article​ and watch the short 
movie on the site to learn about the American Dream. Then, 
list at least THREE main concepts associated with this dream:  
1. Be who you wanted to be no matter who you are and 
what you come from. 
2. The liberty to have self ownership 
3. Live life the way you want to live life that makes you 
happiest. 
 
Next, visit this ​article​ and read through the sub-section titled, 
“The Self-Made Man Myth and The American Dream.” ​*You do 
not have to read the entire page! ​Then, list at least EIGHT 
qualities that a self-made man will have, or will definitely not 
have, according to the author:  
1. Perseverance 
2. Hard Work 
3. ingenuity 
4. Inherited fortune 
5. Family connections 
6. Come from poverty  
7. Sheer hard work 
8. Determination 
 

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  LAST, in a short paragraph of 4-5 sentences, make a case 

whether or not the American Dream and the Self-Made 
Man still exists today, nearly a hundred years after ​The 
Great Gatsby​ was written: 
 
The American dream is still prevalent and existing today 
through all of the hardship our Country is going through dealing 
with our current situations of rights among citizens. This deals 
with the Black lives matter movement along with the liberties 
that have been taken away due to the current pandemic. Along 
with that the Self-Made Man still exists currently through the 
uniqueness of individuals and what they have to do in order to 
accomplish their dreams. Of course, some have their lives 
handed to them but the ones who genuinely want to make 
something of themselves by themselves must act as Self-Made 
Men do. 
 
 
 

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