1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald “Either you think -- or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you.” Early American Literature

2. Fitzgerald Biography b. September 24, 1896 Died-December 21, 1940 Raised in St. Paul, Minnesota Intelligent child but did poorly in school Joined Army in 1917 Stationed in Alabama

3. His Love, Zelda Fell in Love with Zelda Sayre; She refused to marry him until he could give her of life of fun, leisure and wealth. Fitzgerald begins writing short stories for newspapers and magazines.

4. Life of a writer 1920 This Side of Paradise = overnight success and fame Fell into a wild, reckless life-style of parties and decadence Prohibition was in effect Dances such as the Charleston were popular Popular sayings included 23 Skidoo, Bee’s Knees

5. Scott and Zelda The world’s most famous couple from the “Roaring 20’s”

6. Flappers, cars, bootleggers

7. After the Crash Zelda suffered nervous breakdown and Fitzgerald alcoholism after the Great Depression hit in 1929 1934 Tender Is the Night and short stories 1937 Moved to Hollywood to write screenplays 1940 died of heart attack at age of 44 while working on The Love of the Last Tycoon

8. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Impact on Society Fitzgerald named the 1920’s “The Jazz Age” Wrote screenplays for Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer

9. THE JAZZ AGE or The Roaring Twenties Years after WWI and the Great Depression Post WWI in America was the richest society the world had ever seen Morals and values decline while stock market soared Rise of technology: automobile, radio, washing machines, movies, electricity, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners Theme of Age: Individualism, pleasure, enjoyment, wild, and extravagant living in the wake of the misery, chaos, and violence of the Great War Idolization of the very rich Unrestrained materialism, consumerism Moral emptiness Isolationism

10. Prohibition Eighteenth Amendment ratified on January 16, 1919 Prohibited the manufacturing, importing, exporting, transporting, or sale of alcohol Bootleggers made millionaires and sprang a new underground culture Jay Gatsby

11. The Great Gatsby Written between 1923-24 Original Title – Trimalchio in West Egg Published 1925 Jazz Age novel Setting Time = Summer 1922 Setting Place = Long Island and New York City Narrator = Nick Carraway Conflict: Gatsby has amassed a vast fortune in order to win the affections of the upper-class Daisy Buchanan, but his mysterious past stands in the way of his being accepted by her.

12. Great Gatsby Themes The decline of the American Dream Limits to the Ben Franklin’s “self-made man” American Dream The spirit of the 1920’s Fitzgerald's attempt to confront his conflicting feelings about the Jazz Age. Try to see through the glitter of the Jazz Age to the moral emptiness and hypocrisy beneath The role of the past in dreams of the future Old verses New Wealth Changing attitudes toward social institutions (ie Marriage) Affect of WWI on dreams and the future

13. Settings in The Great Gatsby East Egg and West Egg The Valley of Ashes- between the City and West Egg, where Wilson’s gas station is The City- New York City, where the characters escape to for work and play

14. East Egg and West Egg

15. Characters of The Great Gatsby Jay Gatsby- The self-made wealthy man who lives next door to Nick Carraway and loves Daisy Buchanan

16. Jay Gatsby’s crib – West Egg

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

18. Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s crib – East Egg

19. Characters of The Great Gatsby Nick Carraway- the narrator, Daisy’s cousin, Gatsby’s neighbor

20. Nick Calloway’s Crib – Rental on West Egg (Gatsby’s Neighbor)

21. The Plaza Hotel

22. Wilson’s crib

23. East and West Egg

24. Symbols in The Great Gatsby Green Light- at the end of Daisy’s dock and visible from Gatsby’s mansion.

25. Dr. T.J. Eckleberg

26. 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

27. 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