F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

1. F. Scott Fitzgerald’sThe Great Gatsby

2. About the Author • Born-September 24, 1896 • Died-December 21, 1940 • Married Zelda Sayre • Had one daughter • Zelda was hospitalized for mental illness. • Famous works include: • The Great Gatsby • The Beautiful and the Damned • Tender is the Night • “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

3. Fitzgerald named the 1920s “The Jazz Age”. Wrote screenplays for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The Great Gatsby is said to be the most accurate description of the 1920s. Fitzgerald’s Impact on Society

4. World War I • Ended in 1918 • Many disillusioned because of the war • The generation that fought and survived has come to be called “the lost generation.” • Fitzgerald a lieutenant in army but was never deployed into battle • Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway both served in battle in the novel; Tom Buchanan did not.

5. The Jazz Age • Prohibition was in effect • Dances such as the Charleston were popular • Popular sayings included “23 Skidoo” and “Bee’s Knees” • A rude man was called a “mook.” • Economy was in a “Boom” • Illegal gambling • 1919 World Series was fixed by mobster Arnold Rothstein • In novel, Rothstein is portrayed as Meyer Wolfsheim

6. Flappers • Women who rebelled against the fashion and social norms of the early 1900s. • Married at a later age and drank and smoked in public • Known for their carefree lifestyles.

7. Flapper Fashion • Flappers dressed in shapeless dresses that came to the knee. • Dresses were made to look “boy-like”. • Women would try to make themselves look more man-like by cutting their hair in bobs.

8. West Egg- where Nick and Gatsby live represents new money East Egg- where Daisy lives the more fashionable area represents old money Combined Conflict b/w old and new Settings in The Great Gatsby

9. Manhattan, New York City • where the characters escape to for work and play • The Valley of Ashes • Queens, NY • between Manhattan and West Egg • where Wilson’s gas station is

10. Manhattan, 1922

11. The Valley of the Ashes &Wilson’s Garage

12. Symbols in The Great Gatsby • Green Light - at the end of Daisy’s dock and visible from Gatsby’s mansion. • Represents Gatsby's hopes and dreams about Daisy

13. The Valley of Ashes – • An area in Queens between West Egg and New York City • desolate area filled with industrial waste. • Represents the social and moral decay of society during the 1920s • Also shows the negative effects of greed

14. The Eyes of Dr. T. J. Ekleburg - A decaying billboard in the Valley of Ashes with eyes advertising an optometrist. • Represent God’s moral judgment on society.

15. Jay Gatsby represents an idealized image of one who has achieved the American Dream. However: Achieved through illegal methods Gatsby is not accepted in Daisy’s world. George Wilson Despite a boom on Wall Street, cannot get ahead Represents the exploited working class Example: Tom sleeps with his wife Myrtle, yet smiles in George’s face and pretends that he’ll sell George his car. The American Dream

16. New Money: Jay Gatsby Someone who has achieved the American Dream Not as respected in the 1920s Old Money Tom Buchanan Money from inherited family wealth Not earned through work Respected above all in the 1920s Old Money Versus New Money

17. “Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy.” ~~ Fitzgerald

18. " 'Can't repeat the past?' he cried incredulously. 'Why of course you can!' " ~~ Jay Gatsby

19. Major Themes • No matter hard some may work, the American Dream is not obtainable for some. • One’s perception may not equal the reality of a situation. • The establishment will retaliate against those who disturb or rebel against it. • Wealth does not make a person moral.