Jolene Haley The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
Welcome to the Roaring Twenties!
Big Happenings in the Twenties The “New Woman” The Birth of Mass Culture The Jazz Age Prohibition The “Cultural Civil War” New Inventions
About the Author Name: Francis Scott Fitzgerald Lived from the years Went to Princeton but didn’t graduate Married a southern woman named Zelda Wrote The Great Gatsby in 1925, much at the same time that he was struggling to afford a lavish lifestyle The end is tragic. He became an alcoholic and Zelda went “mad” His work didn’t really have any acclaim until he was dead. He died poor. His work was revived in the 1950’s.
Fulfillment (Standards met) Content Area Literacy Strategy Content Area: English Strategy Topic: Pre-reading (The Great Gatsby) Name of Strategy: Color and Connotation Graphic Organizer Description of Strategy: The Color and Connotation Graphic Organizer is a verbal, critical thinking, and writing assignment where students fill in the four boxes on the paper. Each box is equipped with a question for discussion within their peer groups. Relevant English-Language Arts Content Standards: 1.2. Distinguish between the denotative and connotative meanings of words and interpret the connotative power of words. Explain How This Strategy Can Specifically Benefit Students: This strategy will help students apply their preconceptions about color and their critical thinking skills to help prepare them for The Great Gatsby. This pre-reading exercise will remind the students to keep a watchful eye on colors during their close reading of the novel. When students relate color to their own experiences, it makes the assignment more fun and memorable. Source: Content Area Literacy; An Integrated Approach
Before we begin… Discuss in your groups the following questions: What do you think this book is about? What words and things do you associate with this novel? Do colors mean anything to you in novels? Discussion: What do you think of when you see the color: BLUE GREEN YELLOW RED PINK
Write down words that are associated with your group’s color. Next, write down words that your group comes up with that are variations of the color, meaning or types of the color. Last, write down your own opinion of what your color reminds you of. There is no right answer. Draw from your own experiences. Variations of the word blue that my team came up with were: light blue, teal, indigo, robin’s egg, cerulean, sapphire, and navy. Other things that blue reminded our group of was: blue (sad), the ocean, calm, cold, freezing, barren, snow, depression, and anxiety. When I think of blue, I think of the words cold, calm and relaxed. Use this space to write down what you think are complementary and contrasting colors to your assigned color. What are the meanings and connotation of those colors? Which one (the contrasting or the complementary colors) do you feel are closer related to your assigned color? Our group decided that complementary colors to blue are the “cool” colors that we know as: purple, green, and teal. They are all cool types of colors and are closer related to blue than any other. We think that contrasting colors would be orange, yellow and red. These are more commonly known as hot colors. These contrasting colors are supposed to be opposites. Someone who is “calm cool and collected” would be exactly opposite of someone described as hot-headed (eager to jump to conclusions). How does the feeling of your color change when it is combined with other colors? Give specific examples. The first example that we thought of was red, white and blue. When the color blue is combined and showed with the colors red and white, it no longer has the connotation of calm or cold, it changes to representative colors of a nation. The French flag also demonstrates this. When combined together each color (red, white, and blue) is symbolic of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Make predictions here on how you believe that colors could be used in the novel. Our group believes that the author will use colors to describe not only the settings, but also the people in the novel. We can only guess that like the meanings that we associate with these colors, the author will also use. We think he will use specific colors every time he describes certain characters in the book. The color could also be used to help the mood. Write down words that are associated with your group’s color. Next, write down words that your group comes up with that are variations of the color, meaning or types of the color. Last, write down your own opinion of what your color reminds you of. There is no right answer. Draw from your own experiences. Variations of the word blue that my team came up with were: light blue, teal, indigo, robin’s egg, cerulean, sapphire, and navy. Other things that blue reminded our group of was: blue (sad), the ocean, calm, cold, freezing, barren, snow, depression, and anxiety. When I think of blue, I think of the words cold, calm and relaxed. Use this space to write down what you think are complementary and contrasting colors to your assigned color. What are the meanings and connotation of those colors? Which one (the contrasting or the complementary colors) do you feel are closer related to your assigned color? Our group decided that complementary colors to blue are the “cool” colors that we know as: purple, green, and teal. They are all cool types of colors and are closer related to blue than any other. We think that contrasting colors would be orange, yellow and red. These are more commonly known as hot colors. These contrasting colors are supposed to be opposites. Someone who is “calm cool and collected” would be exactly opposite of someone described as hot-headed (eager to jump to conclusions). How does the feeling of your color change when it is combined with other colors? Give specific examples. The first example that we thought of was red, white and blue. When the color blue is combined and showed with the colors red and white, it no longer has the connotation of calm or cold, it changes to representative colors of a nation. The French flag also demonstrates this. When combined together each color (red, white, and blue) is symbolic of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Make predictions here on how you believe that colors could be used in the novel. Our group believes that the author will use colors to describe not only the settings, but also the people in the novel. We can only guess that like the meanings that we associate with these colors, the author will also use. We think he will use specific colors every time he describes certain characters in the book. The color could also be used to help the mood. In your divided groups, complete the graphic organizers assigned. Here is an example of what I expect to see on your pre-reading worksheet
Play close attention… To the significance of names in this novel To the significance of colors in this novel To the actions characters take over their actions Character’s actions that reveal more about themselves that what they actually say Character view’s of themselves that contrast with other’s views of them. Discussion: What else do you think is important to look for?
Main Characters Nick Carraway Jay Gatsby Daisy Buchanan Tom Buchanan Jordan Baker Myrtle Wilson
Vocabulary Words Ineffable: Incapable of being expressed; indescribable Page 10 Dilatory: Intended to delay. Page 14 Contingency: Something incidental to something else Page 15 Truculent: Expressing bitter opposition; scathing. Page 31 Fortuitously: Happening by accident or chance. Page 45 Redolent: Having or emitting fragrance; aromatic. Page 50
Themes Discuss with a classmate. You have 10 minutes and then we will discuss as a class: What does the “American Dream” mean? What is the “light at the end of the tunnel”? Is the American Dream attainable? Can money buy you happiness? Do names mean anything or are they fickle?
Journal Entry Take 10 minutes to get out your journal and write an entry that will be graded. Answer one of the following. Do you think that Gatsby’s end will be a tragic one? Why? Why does or does not Gatsby make a good hero?
Sources For the song