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The Great Gatsby. A sneak peek at the 1920s lifestyle. F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby (1925). The most famous work of Fitzgerald, the novel discusses the lifestyle of The Jazz Age.
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The Great Gatsby A sneak peek at the 1920s lifestyle
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
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.
1920s musicThe 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 HeebieJeebies(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.
1920s Fashion 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.
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
Theme: The American Dream • The Pursuit of Happiness • Idea that anything can be achieved through hard work • The Roaring Twenties lifestyle contradicted this ideal. Many strived to be a member of the elite social class, who valued luxury and had a frivolous attitude.