F.

Scott Fitzgerald
presents

THE GREAT

GATSBY

ESCOLA GARBÍ
“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me
some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever
since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one’, he
told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world
haven't had the advantages that you've had'”.

― NICK CARRAWAY, The Great Gatsby

 Back to the 20’s:
Historical context

Glitz, glam, parties, fashion, jazz. “The Roaring Twenties” were a time of economic
prosperity, progressive thought, and innovation. After World War I, the nation’s
economy boomed, nearly doubling from the decade before. The wealthy got wealthier,
and life in cities was exciting and sensationalized. Despite being remembered for sleek
automobiles and flapper dresses, the decade also brought hardship and struggle.
The United States entered World War I – or The Great War, as it was known at the time
– in 1917 and saw a year and a half of bloody conflict. Four million soldiers joined the
war abroad with many more fighting on the home front. Women, who hadn’t been
allowed to work many types of jobs before, filled men’s vacancies in factories and truly
held the American economy together. Manufacturers diverted resources to the war
effort, and as a result, life at home was frugal and restricted.
When the war ended in 1918, soldiers returned home. This transition was confusing and
heartbreaking for many – America had lost 117,000 soldiers in the war, with many more
returning home wounded. In his poem “The Waste Land,” T.S. Eliot explores the
turbulent feelings of the post-war era. He writes, “He who was living is now dead; we
who were living are now dying with a little patience.”
This seems like a bleak thought, that those who’d survived the war were now waiting to
die. Many believe this idea points to the loss people saw in their America. However,
others see this poem as an interpretation of post-war America that equated the
emptiness to a clean slate – a chance to start over and redeem the American Dream.
This captures the essential question that carried the United States into the ‘20s: were
Americans rushing toward death, or were they rushing toward possibility?

People felt conflicted. On one hand, they would never forget the horrors of war and
having watched friends and family die. On the other hand, they now had a chance to
relax and enjoy some luxuries. With the rise in popularity of Henry Ford’s Model T car,
Americans felt a new sense of freedom and possibility. The car became a metaphor for
a nation that could go anywhere. And, even though the 18th amendment in 1920
banned the manufacture and sale of liquor, people partied at speakeasies and indulged
in the celebratory momentum of a new decade. This zeitgeist, or ‘spirit of the age’, is at
the core of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, The Great Gatsby.

Not everyone enjoyed the newfound wealth and freedom. Even though the ‘20s were a
time of economic prosperity for some, others struggled to achieve basic rights and
security.
Women, who had played a key role in keeping the economy afloat during the war, were
ousted from their jobs when men returned home. They were denied the right to vote
until 1920. African Americans fled the oppression and danger they faced in the South,
particularly the codified segregation and injustice known as Jim Crow laws. They moved
to northern cities (Washington D.C.,
Baltimore, New York, Chicago) in
what is known today as the Great
Migration. Immigrants also
continued to struggle to find fair
wages and safe housing. Like
women, they had filled factory
positions during the war, only to
have these jobs snatched away from
them afterwards. Anti- immigrant sentiment was prevalent, especially against those of
German descent, even those who had lived in the United States for more than a
generation. These groups were even pitted against each other, with various factions
claiming that the other groups were to blame for their economic instability.
The Roaring Twenties brought great economic and social change to the United States.
New possibilities and opportunities abounded, but systemic oppression still held people
back. As “The Waste Land” posits, driving towards its future (or its death), the United
States still had a long way to go to assure the American Dream to all of its citizens.
TASK 1. READING COMPREHENSION. Answer the following questions taking into
account the information that you’ve just read.

1. What are some possible difficulties faced by soldiers returning home from war?

Soldiers returning home from war faced difficulties such as transitioning back to civilian life, dealing with physical and
emotional trauma from the war, and finding employment opportunities.

2. What was life like for women and families of soldiers during World War I?

Life for women and families of soldiers during World War I was difficult as they had to take on new responsibilities in the
absence of men who were serving in the military. Women filled men's vacancies in factories and held the American
economy together while families dealt with frugal and restricted lifestyles due to resource diversion to the war effort.

3. What was life like for African Americans after World War I?
Life for African Americans after World War I was marked by the Great Migration, as they moved to northern cities in search
of better opportunities and to escape the oppression and danger they faced in the South, particularly from Jim Crow laws.
However, they still faced discrimination and struggles to find fair wages and safe housing.

4. How did American life change when the automobile became widely available?
The widespread availability of the automobile brought new possibilities and freedoms to American life. It became a
metaphor for a nation that could go anywhere and allowed for greater mobility and independence. The rise of the
automobile also brought new industries and economic growth to the United States.

TASK 2. READING COMPREHENSION. Look for words that have positive or negative
connotations. Define each term using your own words.

POSITIVE NEGATIVE

Economic, prosperity, progressive, thought, bloody conflict, hardship, struggle, confusion,

innovation, exciting, sensationalized, luxuries, wounded, oppression, danger, discrimination,
freedom, possibility, opportunities, new industries, economic instability
economic growth
TASK 2. GETTING TO KNOW THE CHARACTERS: The Great Gatsby is full of distinct
characters. Imagine that social media existed in the 1920s. Match each post with its
likely writer.
TASK 3. COLLABORATIVE TASK, SOCIAL MEDIA. Choose one of the characters and
create their social media (choose one of your liking). The task should include a
biography and some posts (tweets, photographs, etc.) according to their personality.

(Groups of 4 max.)

https://www.instagram.com/ja.gatsby/
TASK 4. SPEAKING TASK: Video-record yourself in pairs or individually answering the
following questions:

1. Is Gatsby “great”? Argue for or against that adjective as it pertains to him.

Make clear what your criteria are for the term “great,” and then give specific
textual examples which prove your claim.

2. Does Gatsby develop as a character? Does he grow and learn more about life
and himself? Does he come alive, or is he always a shadowy, “unreal” figure?
Support your response with direct references to the movie.

VOCABULARY I. Match the words with their definition:

A) indicating or showing unbelief.

1. Supercilious
B) having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those
2. Conscientious one views as unworthy.

3. Incredulous C) mutual; corresponding; matching; complementary; equivalent.

4. Complacent D) meticulous; careful; painstaking; particular.

5. Jaunty E) showing that you are happy and confident.

6. Reproach F) express criticism towards someone.

7. Oblivion
G) a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity.
8. Debauchery H) Aspect; face; side.
9. Tumult
I) indicating or showing unbelief.
10. Bantering
J) a general outbreak, riot, uprising, or a highly distressing
11. Facet agitation of mind or feeling.

12. Vicarious K) a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of

some potential danger. Very pleased with oneself.
13. Reciprocal
L) lacking in spirit or interest; listless; indifferent.
14. Languid
M) playful teasing
15. Incredulous
N) the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening
around one.

O) Feeling experienced in the imagination through the feelings or

actions of another person.
VOCABULARY II. Fill in the gaps using some of the words from the previous exercise:

1. If you show poor manners at your grandmother's dinner table, she

will ________
reproach you.

debauchery
2. You probably don’t want to engage in any kind of ________ the night before an
exam. Crazy partying, lack of sleep and alcohol are not good for your academic
success.

supercilious when we asked for help. He looked

3. The dress shop assistant was very ________
down on us as if we were inferior.

vicarious
4. He got a ________ thrill out of imagining FCB scoring the final winning goal.

5. The ________
tumult in the streets awakened everyone in the house. It turns out that
the Cordyceps brain infection was turning humans into zombies.

languid
6. The ________ manner of some of my students annoys me when there's work to
be done.

7. The dentist worked with every facet

________ of the teeth to make sure they were
perfectly clean.

8. There was a playful, ________

bantering tone in his voice. That’s why I knew that he was
joking, although all I wanted to do was to punch him in the face.

TASK 5. WRITING. NEWSPAPER FROM THE 20’S. Imagine that you are a reporter in the
20’s working and living in Manhattan. Write a “short” newspaper about things and
events that were happening at that time. The layout and format MUST be appropriate.

(Groups of 4-5 max).

The newspaper should include:

• Front cover: Name of your newspaper, headings, photographs, and different

news.
• Report on Gatsby’s death.
• News: report or article about something that was happening at that time.
• Interview: ask a family member or a teacher some questions as if they lived in
the 20s.
• Recommendations: theater, shows, restaurants, etc.