The 1920s and the American Dream The Great Gatsby The 1920s and the American Dream The 1920s were an era of “mindless materialism and consumption and pursuit of private wealth.”

Who was F. Scott Fitzgerald? Born in 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Attended Princeton University; joined the army in 1917 His would-be wife, Zelda, would not marry him until he could publish This Side of Paradise. Wrote The Great Gatsby in 1925, after Zelda had an affair Critics of the time called him an “irresponsible” writer Drank heavily Died in 1940 believing himself to be a failure His works were celebrated only in the 1950s and 1960s

The 20s: transition after the war Prohibition became law in 1920; “bootleggers” prevalent 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote The Great Gatsby was loosely inspired by his wife’s affair, and the relationship between himself and his life Ideals of grandeur and disillusionment were common after soldiers returned from war and dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Party scene of Europe was brought to America Introduction to the “jazz era”  music, stylish automobiles, “uninhibited” young women with bobbed hair, short skirts. Fitzgerald wrote: “It was an age of miracles, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess, and it was an age of satire.” 1918 the war had been won but nothing worth winning had been gained, because idealism had been used-up, that caused uneasy feelings and a general disillusionment among the people which caused nervousness: racism, intolerance, violence, Ku Klux Klan, immigrants, political intolerance "ghost of bolshevism" behind every form of social protest/ strikes.

“Roaring Twenties” Summarized Economy was booming America partied Organized crime was prevalent Prohibition Act was introduced A major decline of moral standards Decline or destiny? Period between wars.

OPTIMISM ABOUNDS Business, change, and innovation Laissez-faire economy Rapid growth of industry and mechanization: unlimited progress Many previous “luxuries” of the rich became commonplace for average people A new" Golden Age" for America View of contemporaries

CRITICS of the ERA Many people dubbed the 20s a decade of “decline and degradation” America was caught by a "surge of materialism” People failed to grasp life’s meaning/significance Many critics lost faith in the dangerous social progress that was bringing about a lack of interest in politics Mainly from literary intellectuals

SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE OF CHANGE Relaxing of structures within the sphere of private and public morality Change in relationship between the sexes Change in the status of women Unchecked pursuit of material wealth, which led to a lack of spiritual life and purpose

SPIRIT OF THE 20s Fascination with the dream of success Cinema introduced as a medium of entertainment New popularity of jazz Increased mobility (mass produced automobile) Women drank and smoked freely in public Female alcoholism was a major problem for the first time “Liberated” young women were called flappers In Gatsby, Jordan Baker is an example of this “new” type of woman (lives alone, self-confident, equal to males)

Romanticism/Realism/ CONTRAST of ERAS Puritan/Age of Reason Romanticism/Realism/ Modernism Man is corrupt but redeemed through God, work God is in Man God is sovereign Belief in pre-destination (fate) Theocracy Man is divine God present in nature God is detached Fate is unpredictable Flaws are part of the whole Nature is violent at times Modernism: disillusioned – no spiritual connection “Lost” generation

SETTING East and West Egg, Long Island New York West Egg  poorer side (Nick Carraway) East Egg  “Beverly Hills” of Long Island (Tom, Daisy) The “Eggs” show the dichotomy of “The American Dream.”

PLOT – CONDENSED Nick Carraway lives next to the mysterious Jay Gatsby Nick meets Jordan Baker at Daisy’s house Daisy is unhappy in her marriage, and seems desperate to escape domesticity Tom takes Nick to meet Myrtle Wilson (his mistress) Tom and Myrtle’s relationship is justified by the fact that they were “vastly” unhappy in their marriages Nick and Jordan attend one of Gatsby’s parties, and learn that almost no one really knows who Gatsby is

NICK CARRAWAY Narrator of the story Daisy’s cousin Comes of age (loss of innocence) Moral compass of novel: subjects every act and motive to the scrutiny of a lively moral sense Conflicted about Daisy & Gatsby, Tom & Myrtle Unable to decide whether or not Gatsby is to be trusted Gatsby creates him to be almost like a father figure

JAY GATSBY Originally “James Gatz” from North Dakota Mentored by Dan Cody (a wealthy tycoon) Alone, mysterious, obsessed Fell in love with Daisy Buchanan before WWI Moved to West Egg in order to be near her Relentlessly lives in the past Lives without a conscience, except perhaps where Daisy is concerned Willing to give up just about anything for for Daisy (hoping that she will one day love him again)

DAISY BUCHANAN “Femme fatale” Yearns to be independent Does she truly love Gatsby? Or is she playing him? The best thing a girl can be is a “beautiful fool” (17)

TOM BUCHANAN “Devoted” husband of Daisy Conniving, quick to anger Has difficulty persevering “when the going gets tough” Emphasizes the double standard on adultery at that time

JORDAN BAKER Golf pro Independent, self-confident Career tanked after a cheating scandal (result of living in male dominated society?) Nick’s love interest A reason why Nick “hates” Gatsby?

MOTIFS, SYMBOLS, THEMES SYMBOLS, MOTIFS: eyes, songs in chapters, cars, light/dark imagery THEMES: domesticity is impossible to escape, even with independence the American Dream can be found, but at a price the unfulfilled dream of the past can ruin the present, but it may hold insight into the future glamour in the Prohibition Era PTSD and the aftermath of war corruption of individuals / society

WHAT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM? The American Dream describes an attitude of hope and faith that looks forward to the fulfillment of human wishes and desires. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” - Thomas Jefferson (Declaration of Independence) These wishes were expressed in Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. The concept of the American Dream is presented from two different POV

FAILURE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM For all the progress and prosperity, and for all the declaration of democratic principles, there remains: Poverty Discrimination Exploitation Hypocrisy Corruption Suppression The American Dream has totally failed to bring any kind of fulfillment, whether spiritual or material. For all the progress and prosperity, for all the declaration of democratic principles, there are still poverty, discrimination, exploitation As far as morality and values, there are also hypocrisy, cu=corruption and suppression. The Great Gatsby also comments on this. Condition.

HOW IS THIS FAILURE DEVELOPED? through the five central characters through dominant images and symbols through diction

AFTER READING

PLOT – CONDENSED CONT’D At lunch, Nick learns that Gatsby attended Oxford University and that his family is “all dead now” Gatsby reveals that Daisy is the only woman he has ever loved and that they dated before the war Gatsby’s house is built so he can be closer to Daisy The green light at the end of the dock symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes that they will one day be together again Daisy and Gatsby reunite and their relationship resumes On the way to New York, Gatsby and Tom switch cars, and Daisy rides with Gatsby Tom learns that Wilson has locked Myrtle in the house because of her continued affair with an “unknown” man

PLOT – CONDENSED CONT’D Tom confronts Daisy about her relationship with Gatsby Gatsby insists that Daisy choose the man she loves Daisy fails to make a decision and takes off with Gatsby Daisy kills Myrtle Wilson despite Gatsby’s efforts to avoid a collision Tom and Daisy flee, unable to take responsibility for their actions George Wilson kills Gatsby, then commits suicide Few attend Gatsby’s funeral Nick reflects on Gatsby’s life in a bitter-sweet way

AMERICAN DREAM – ANALYSIS Gatsby represents the American Dream, and more importantly, the conflict that exists in exploring the hidden boundary dividing reality from illusions. Sometimes, the illusions in this novel seem more real than reality itself. Gatsby is stretched between a “golden past” and a “golden future,” betrayed by a desolate present. Imprisoned in his present, Gatsby belongs even more to the past than he does to the future. The Great Gatsby is a profound affirmation of the American spirit in the midst of an American world that denies the soul. The American Dream relates to a desire for spiritual and material improvement. But what happened was the material aspect clearly outraced the spiritual ideals… it was achieved too quickly. So there emerged a state of material well-being but lacking in spiritual life or purpose.

LINGERING QUESTIONS Other than when his doom has been secured, does Gatsby actually learn anything over the course of the novel? Unlike the Eastern rich, the racketeers, and the Westerners who adopt Eastern ways (all of whom are debased by selfish motives of personal/sensual gratification), Gatsby actually acts for a “good” that he believes—almost absurdly—to be beyond personal interest. Is his effort heroic and worthy of sympathy? In this novel, the past is represented as a loss, but also as a source of strength. Who experiences the greatest “loss” in this novel? Why are the losses significant? In what ways is Gatsby “great”?