1. The Great Gatsby A sneak peek at the 1920s lifestyle

2. F. Scott Fitzgerald

3. The Great Gatsby (1925) The most famous work of Fitzgerald, the novel discusses the lifestyle of The Jazz Age. Fitzgerald and wife Zelda were epitome of the American dream. They lived beyond their means and were often in debt. novel critiques man’s obsession with money, power, knowledge and hope

4. The Characters Nick Carraway: Narrator, next door neighbour to Gatsby. Becomes disenchanted with the way wealthy socialites, like the Buchannans, lead their lives. Jay Gatsby: protagonist, follows the American dream from poverty to wealth. He is secretive with his past, and is in love with Daisy. Daisy Buchannan: represents women of an elite social class. Her privileged upbringing conditions her for a particular lifestyle, provided by her husband, Tom. Has a history with Gatsby. Tom Buchannan: Husband of Daisy. Wealthy, aggressive, racist. Leads a life of luxury and is proud of his affair with Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle Wilson: represents women of the working class. Through her affair with Tom, she enters into the elite social class.

5. 1920s music The Jazz Age Jazz became popular in the 20s in America and around the world Al Jolson famous for “talkie” The Jazz Singer (1927), and song Mammy. Louis Armstrong and the Hot 5, The Heebie Jeebies (1926) George Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue (1924) Most popular dance was the Charleston. Fashion reflected this dance – flapper dresses were shorter, exposing the knee during the dance.

6. 1920s Fashion

7. Women liberated themselves from restricting clothes and began to wear shorter skirts with a dropped waist and trousers for comfort. The “boyish figure” was desired and the bob was a popular form of hairstyle. Men abandoned formal wear and began to wear sports suits, which are still worn today.

8. Fun Facts of the Roaring Twenties Cars became mass produced. 15 million Model-T’s were sold by 1927. Money and Inflation: $100 from 1920s = $1000 today Speakeasies, illegal bars, were a result of the Prohibition Law (1919). Rise in popularity for the radio