1. The Great Gatsby HO72 Drama and prose post-1900 (Component 02)
Lesson 6
LO: In this lesson you will:
Explore the chronological structure of the novel
Begin to track flashbacks and revelations
Analyse and comment on the way Fitzgerald creates mystery and suspense
Chapter 3/4

2. Narrative Structure
AO2
The events of one summer in 1921 are narrated in chronological order, from the perspective of Nick but several years later. There are 9 chapters and most of them feature a party. Nick also gradually reveals some of the backstory for Gatsby, the Buchanans and Jordan, as well as his own. 
Chart where these revelations/flashbacks occur in chapters 1-3. Working in small groups, discuss how this disruption of chronological time creates suspense. 
Complete this as an on-going independent task for each chapter to give you an overview of the structure of the novel.
Handout student resource 4

3. Chapter 4 AO1/2 Key words: ambiguous, eponymous
The structure of this chapter is in three parts and we learn much more about Gatsby:
Nick lists Gatsby’s party guests: emphasises the darkness beneath the wealthy, carefree and lavish lifestyle.
Gatsby takes Nick to lunch with Wolfshiem. The connection with Wolfshiem raises the suspicion that Gatsby may be a criminal.
Jordan’s description of Gatsby’s past romance with Daisy. This portrays another side of his personality and adds another layer of mystery.
Key words: ambiguous, eponymous
L6 gatsby is…
Task: How would you describe Jay Gatsby from all the information you have gathered so far?
Use the model to write your own paragraph

4. The Sheik of Araby
I'm The Sheik Of Araby Your love belongs to me At night when you're asleep, Into your tent I'll creep...
While stars are fading in the dawn Over the desert they'll be gone
His captured bride Close by his side Swift as the wind they will ride Proudly he scorns her smile or tear Soon he will conquer love by fear…
Tonight I'm dreaming of Araby, That's where my dreams seem to carry me
Soon you'll see within a caravan An Arab man Will take me over the desert…
The stars that shine above Will light our way to love You'll rule this land with me The Sheik Of Araby.
That's why I long to be Where all those happy faces Wait for me, Beside the fair oasis…
obsession, object of desire, suggest unwilling victim, recapture past, pretend marriage to tom didn’t happen, immoral, contrats real and dream
What is the relevance of this popular Jazz song?

5. Writing Task
AO1/2
Much of chapter 4 is concerned with the reconstruction of past events. Choose two of these events and rewrite them from the perspectives of different characters to show how they try to construct the events differently.
Why do you think these differences exist?
Are they solely concerned with memory or do the characters have different agendas?

6. Who/What do we learn more about?
Tuesday. Joe came barging into my room this morning at practically nine o’clock. Couldn’t have been more furious. Started to fight, but too dead. Know he said he wouldn’t be home to dinner. Absolutely cold all day; couldn’t move. Last night couldn’t have been more perfect. Ollie and I dined at Thirty-Eight East, absolutely poisonous food, and not one living soul that you’d be seen dead with, and “Run like a Rabbit”¹ was the world’s worst. Took Ollie up to the Barlows’ party and it couldn’t have been more attractive – couldn’t have been more people absolutely stinking. They had those Hungarians in green coats, and Stewie Hunter was leading them with a fork – everybody simply died. He had yards of green toilet paper hung around his neck like a lei²; he couldn’t have been in better form. Met a really new number³, very tall, too marvellous, and one of those people that you can really talk to them. I told him sometimes I get so nauseated I could yip4, and I felt I absolutely had to do something like write or paint. He said why didn’t I write or paint. Came home alone; Ollie passed out stiff. Called up the new number three times today to get him to come to dinner and go with me to the opening of “Never Say Good Morning”¹, but first he was out and then he was all tied up with his mother. Finally got Ollie Martin. Tried to read a book, but couldn’t sit still. Can’t decide whether to wear the red lace or the pink with the feathers. Feel too exhausted, but what can you do?
Dorothy Parker, From The Diary of a New York Lady (1933)