The Great Gatsby by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

1. The Great Gatsbyby: F. Scott Fitzgerald …the roaring 20’s and the American Dream

2. The 20s: an age of transition World War I and After … • "The world must be made safe for democracy," Woodrow Wilson, the President had declared. "Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundation of political liberty." –a spirit of idealism within Americans entered the war in 1917.   • The Aftermath: 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.   • 1922 foreign policy of Isolationism • 1929 Stock Market Crash • 1932 New Deal era (3 R’s: relief, recovery, reform)

3. Roaring Twenties Economy booming America partied Organized crime Prohibition Act Decline of moral standards

4. OPTIMISM business, change and innovation, laissez faire- economy rapid growth of industry and mechanization: unlimited progress effecting an even wider distribution of the blessing of civilizations : electricity; automobile even skeptics believe in progress and in solving of problems: new" Golden Age" for America

5. PESSIMISM—the CRITICS they called the decade "decline and degradation" Americans are caught up in a "surge of materialism", people who had failed to grasp the meaning and significance of life. they feel disillusioned or disenchanted, they lost faith in life and in the possibility of social progress that caused their absolute lack of interest in politics. 

6. Social Atmosphere of Change relaxing of structures within the sphere of private and public morality relationship between the sexes change of the status of women

7. SPIRIT OF THE 20s urbanization and the move away from the land fascination with the dream of success development of the cinema as a medium of entertainment popularity of jazz increased mobility brought about by the mass produced automobile  

8. PROHIBITION the 18th Amendment (1919) prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol. although alcohol was illegal it was distributed through" bootleggers" bootlegging means the production and sale of liquor. alcohol was served in illegal night-clubs which were called "speakeasies" it was the time of famous gangsters like Al Capone and events like the St. Valentine's Day massacre happened. During this time the Mafia became important in American society. 

9. The changing role of women • The 19th Amendment(1920) gave women the right to vote. • during the Twenties 9 million women were employed and earned money on their own, many younger women used their money to enjoy themselves • women bobbed their hair • they were able to drink and smoke in public. For the first time female alcoholism is a major problem. • the liberated young women were called" flappers"   • In "The GreatGatsby" Jordan Baker is such a new type of woman. She is living alone and has equal relationships to men. She is self-confident in dealing with others. Tom comments on her new freedom as a woman. 

10. Flappersand the Speakeasy

11. FACTS ABOUT THE DECADE  • 106,521,537 people in the United States • 2,132,000 unemployed, Unemployment 5.2% • Life expectancy: Male 53.6, Female 54.6 • 343.000 in military (down from 1,172,601 in 1919) • Average annual earnings $1236; Teacher's salary $970 • Dow Jones High 100 Low 67 • Illiteracy rate reached a new low of 6% of the population. • Gangland crime included murder, swindles, racketeering • It took 13 days to reach California from New York There were 387,000 miles of paved road.

12. Who is F. Scott Fitzgerald? • Born in 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. • He attended Princeton University. • 1917 joined the army. • Met his wife Zelda. • Published The GreatGatsby at 23 in 1925. • Regarded as the speaker of the Jazz Age. • Drinking and wife’s schizophrenia • Died in 1940.

13. What is the American Dream? • It 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.”

14. SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL IMPROVEMENT Materialism achieved too quickly. Thus, lacking spiritual life/purpose. Gatsby is a character that represents this DREAM.

15. FAILURE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM Poverty Discrimination / Racism Exploitation Hypocrisy Corruption Suppression

16. How is this developed in the novel? • Through the 5 central characters • Through certain dominant images and symbols • Through diction (choice of words).

17. 5 Central Characters… • Nick Carraway- The novel’s narrator, Nick is a young man from Minnesota who, after being educated at Yale and fighting in World War I, goes to New York City to learn the bond business. His thoughts color the story. • Jay Gatsby-The title character and protagonist of the novel, Gatsby is a fabulously wealthy young man living in a Gothic mansion in West Egg. He is famous for the lavish parties he throws every Saturday night, but no one knows where he comes from, what he does, or how he made his fortune • Daisy Buchanan -Nick’s cousin, and the woman Gatsby loves. Married to Tom Buchanan.

18. 5 Central Characters (cont.)… • Tom Buchanan - Daisy’s immensely wealthy husband, once a member of Nick’s social club at Yale. Powerfully built and hailing from a socially solid old family, Tom is an arrogant, hypocritical bully. His social attitudes are laced with racism and sexism, and he never even considers trying to live up to the moral standard he demands from those around him. • Jordan Baker - Daisy’s friend, a woman with whom Nick becomes romantically involved during the course of the novel. A competitive golfer, Jordan represents one of the “new women” of the 1920s—cynical, boyish, and self-centered. Jordan is beautiful, but also dishonest: she cheated in order to win her first golf tournament and continually bends the truth.

19. Fitzgerald’s Images and Symbols… The Green Light The Valley of Ashes The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg

20. Fitzgerald’s Themes The Decline of the American Dream in the 1920s The Hollowness of the Upper Class

21. Fitzgerald’s Diction • Diction = word choice. • For example: • "grotesque gardens," • "Grotesque" has a negative connotation, whereas "garden" has a positive connotation.  Putting these words side by side, Fitzgerald provides the reader with an image of a horrific garden, which further supports an atmosphere of gloom and degredation. • "ashes ... form houses and chimneys," • "men...dimly...crumbling...“ • Here, his words provide a vivid image for readers of the gloomy landscape, as well as the degradation among men in the valley of ashes.  • Fitzgerald masterfully weaves together diction, imagery, and figurative language to create an atmosphere for his readers.

22. Pre- reading Questions… 1.Why are we still reading a book written in the 1920’s? What gives a book its longevity? 2.How was the 1920’s a reaction to WWI? 3.Some people think that having money leads to happiness. Do you agree? Why or why not? What are the advantages or disadvantages of being wealthy. 4.What is the "American Dream"? Where did it originate, and how has it changed over the centuries? 5.Have you ever wanted to relive a moment from your past, to redo it? Describe the situation. How and why would you change the past?

23. THE END!