The Great Gatsby Overview PPT

Background to The Great Gatsby

World War I

Post WWI Standard of living increased for most Americans abandoned small towns in exchange for urban living Economy prospered as Americans tried to forget troubles of war - frivolous spending - illegal liquor - immorality

The 1920s: Nicknames The Roaring ‘20s The Jazz Age The Flapper Era The Aspirin Age The Age of Wonderful Nonsense

1920’s Context WWI made Americans question traditional ideals. Literature and art denied foundations of the past and went for the new. The philosophy of the Jazz Age was called “modernism."

Modernism Modernism was an artistic trend that sought to find new ways to communicate Writers stripped away descriptions of characters and setting and avoided direct statements of themes and resolutions This “fragmented” style of writing enabled the reader to choose meaning for himself, believing life had no meaning.

The Jazz Age / Roaring Twenties 1918-1929: the years after the end of World War I, continuing through the Roaring Twenties and ending with the rise of the Great Depression. The age takes its name from jazz, which saw a tremendous surge in popularity among many segments of society. Jazz music set exalted standards – Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington This was a period of pleasure seeking & reckless exuberance Most of Fitzgerald’s stories provide a picture of youthful hedonism and the antics of the liberated young women known as “flappers”, affronting conventional values with short skirts, short hair and make-up.

Prohibition 18th Amendment to Constitution prohibited manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages Thousands turned to bootlegging Mob activity increased to supply the demand for what was once legal

More 1920’s This period has been referred to as “The Lost Generation”. Hemingway, in his novel “The Sun Also Rises” depicts a group of expatriate Americans, wandering aimlessly through Europe, sensing that they are powerless and that life is pointless in the aftermath of the Great War. “The Great Gatsby” can be seen to encapsulate this perception of life without purpose, of restlessness, dissatisfaction and drifting. It was published in the middle of the decade and reveals a mindless quest for pleasure and a loss of direction in life.

Historical Connections F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote and set The Great Gatsby in the United States in the 1920s. The novel chronicles an era that Fitzgerald himself dubbed the "Jazz Age." Following the shock and chaos of World War I, American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity during the "roaring" 1920s as the economy soared. At the same time, Prohibition, the ban on the sale and manufacture of alcohol made millionaires out of bootleggers and led to an increase in organized crime. Although Fitzgerald, like Nick Carraway in his novel, idolized the riches and glamor of the age, he was uncomfortable with the unrestrained materialism and the lack of morality that went with it.

Conspicuous Consumption This term was originally coined to refer to the rise & power of extremely rich businessmen, who displayed their wealth in ostentatious houses & extravagant behaviour. This was invariably wasteful & implied increasing poverty among the lower classes in society.

Advertising & the mass market By the time “The Great Gatsby” was published, the American population had almost doubled. solution = mass production. Led to technological development - cars, air travel and the telephone - as well as new modernist trends in social behaviour, the arts, and culture. Central developments included Art Deco design and architecture. This growth in commodities led to standardisation, where all citizens might have the right to buy items that were available to all. The early years saw a corresponding change in advertising – products were given brand names as a sign of reliability. But new advertising also sought to create the desire for commodities & packaging became more important

F. Scott Fitzgerald Born in Minnesota in 1896 Started writing in school - finished his first play in 1911 In 1914 he met and fell in love with a girl who rejected him because he was not rich enough. In 1917 he received a commission as an infantry second lieutenant. In 1918 he reported to Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, Alabama, where he met Zelda Sayre, who later became his wife.

The Great Gatsby After the birth of their child, the Fitzgeralds moved to Great Neck, Long Island in October 1922, appropriating Great Neck as the setting for The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald's neighbours included newly wealthy New Yorkers. Great Neck, on the shores of Long Island Sound, sat across a bay from Manhasset Neck or Cow Neck Peninsula, and was home to many of New York's wealthiest established families. In his novel, Great Neck became the new-money peninsula of "West Egg" and Manhasset Neck the old-money peninsula of "East Egg.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald His death in 1940, was not unlike Gatsby’s. Despite having once been the golden boy of the Jazz Age, upon his death, many of his obituaries were condescending, capitalizing on his personal hardships. Not one of his books remained in print and every indication suggested he was on his way into obscurity. However, after World War II, interest in his work began to grow and by the 1960s, he had begun to secure a place among the great twentieth century American authors. His works provide a valuable voice for exploring themes of ambition, justice, equity, and the American dream—themes that are still current—affording him with a well-deserved place in the American literary canon

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, Daisy’s cousin, Gatsby’s neighbor

Characters in The Great Gatsby Daisy Buchanan- married to Tom, Gatsby’s love interest before the war, socialite

Characters in The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan- Daisy’s husband, has an affair with Myrtle Myrtle Wilson- Tom’s woman in the city, married to George George Wilson- owns the gas station Jordan Baker- Daisy’s friend, professional golfer

Old Money Vs. New Money New Money: Someone who has achieved the American Dream Not as respected in the 1920’s Old Money Money from family wealth Born rich Not earned through work done by yourself Respected above all in the 1920’s

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

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 Wilson’s gas station is Located

Symbols in The Great Gatsby Green Light- at the end of Daisy’s dock and visible from Gatsby’s 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 1920’s. 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 God’s moral judgment on society.

Important Quotes “I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Daisy’s description of her daughter “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” –the last line of the novel

Important Quotes "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made." – Nick’s description of Tom and Daisy

The American Dream 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.

Critical Overview of the Novel How has the reception changed over the decades?

The 1920s While fellow writers praised Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, critics offered less favorable reviews.

Newspaper Reviews The Baltimore Evening Sun called the plot “no more than a glorified anecdote” and the characters “mere marionettes.” The New York Times called the book “neither profound nor durable.” The London Times saw it as “undoubtedly a work of great promise” but criticized its “unpleasant” characters.

The 1930s Fitzgerald’s reputation reached its lowest point during the Depression, when he was viewed as a Jazz Age writer whose time has come and gone. The Great Gatsby went out of print in 1939. When Fitzgerald died a year later, Time magazine didn’t even mention The Great Gatsby.

The 1940s Interest in Fitzgerald was revived with the posthumous book, The Last Tycoon. A literary critic was the first to point out that Gatsby, despite its Jazz Age setting, focused on timeless, universal concerns.

The 1950s Fitzgerald’s reputation soared with a new biography entitled The Far Side of Paradise. The London Times affirmed that Gatsby is “one of the best-if not the best-American novels of the past fifty years.”

What is the reputation today? The Great Gatsby’s place as a major novel is now assured. Most high schools teach this novel

It’s time for you to decide, Old Sport…

Themes Jazz Age / Roaring Twenties Long Island and USA The American Dream Position of women The Automobile Prohibition & organized crime Success & failure Hope & sense of purpose Role of time Conflict betw. Illusion & reality Honesty vs lies

Symbols Eyes The East & the West Dust & ash Money & wealth (old vs new) Significance of colours

Characterization Gatsby Daisy Buchanan Tom Buchanan Jordan Baker Nick Carraway (Narration) Myrtle Wilson George Wilson Meyer Wolfshiem