Understanding Fitzgerald's Work: Context & Influences

1. Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature Considering the main events and developments that took place during Fitzgerald’s life, how might this have affected his work and what he chose to write about? Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

2. C/W 19th September 2018 The Great Gatsby HO72 Drama and prose post-1900 (Component 02) Lesson 1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES: To gain an overview of the era in which the Great Gatsby is set Explore some of the events in history which affected Fitzgerald’s work

3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: To gain an overview of the era in which the Great Gatsby is set Explore some of the events in history which affected Fitzgerald’s work AO3 Read Nicholas Tredell’s historical context handout and annotate the images with key words. You have been given a selection of images. What do these images suggest about the age? The period

4. Published in 1925 Set in 1922 Setting

5. What is an epigraph? In literature, an epigraph is a phrase, quotation, or poem that is set at the beginning of a document or component. The epigraph may serve as a preface, as a summary, as a counter-example, or to link the work to a wider literary canon, either to invite comparison or to enlist a conventional context. Usually, authors will quote another famous author, philosopher, or someone like that in the epigraph. But not Fitzgerald. He quotes himself. The epigraph in Gatsby is fake. “Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her; If you can bounce high, bounce for her too, Till she cry “Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover, I must have you!” – Thomas ParkeD’Invilliers Thomas ParkeD’Invilliers is not a real person. He’s actually a character in Fitzgerald’s first novel, This Side of Paradise. What do you think is the relevance of a fake epigraph? Challenge

6. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: To gain an overview of the era in which the Great Gatsby is set Explore some of the events in history which affected Fitzgerald’s work Trimalchio in West Egg Gold-hatted Gatsby On the road to West Egg Under the Red, White and Blue The High-Bouncing Lover Among the Ash Heaps and Millionaires Below are some of the working titles for The Great Gatsby. Decide what the significance of each might be – which aspect of the story (narrative) does it focus on (foreground)? Did Fitzgerald choose the right title? Why did he choose The Great Gatsby? Alternative Titles

7. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: To gain an overview of the era in which the Great Gatsby is set Explore some of the events in history which affected Fitzgerald’s wor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSOgWVlAMsg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgcuBOVMGsg The Film Note down your brief impressions Wider research: the book has been made into a film 5 times. Research other films. Note differences in presentation.

8. Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature Considering the main events and developments that took place during Fitzgerald’s life, how might this have affected his work and what he chose to write about? Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

9. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: To gain an overview of the era in which the Great Gatsby is set Explore some of the events in history which affected Fitzgerald’s wor AO3 Below is a list of some of the names given to the period approximately between 1918-1939 and the generation who became adults in it: • Jazz age • Roaring 20s • World War 1 Generation • Pre-Depression Era • Lost Generation • Golden Twenties • Golden Age of Hollywood • Prohibition Era • Inter-War • La Génération du Feu Generation of Fire) • Bright Young Things • The Flapper Era The Period

10. Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature Considering the main events and developments that took place during Fitzgerald’s life, how might this have affected his work and what he chose to write about? Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

11. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: To gain an overview of the era in which the Great Gatsby is set Explore some of the events in history which affected Fitzgerald’s work On the different names, annotate with your ideas about what the era may have been like. Consider: Mood/tone Themes Impression of the people Impressions of the period. Annotate your ideas

12. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore how some of the events in history during the era in which the Great Gatsby is set are reflected in Fitzgerald’s work AO3 Using your research on Fitzgerald’s life and your knowledge of Chapter 1 or more so far: Essay: ‘Explore how aspects of the opening chapters of The Great Gatsby appear to have echoes in the events and concerns of Fitzgerald’s own experiences’ STARTER TASK:15mins - Write a response to the above.

13. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore how some of the events in history during the era in which the Great Gatsby is set are reflected in Fitzgerald’s work AO3 Essay: ‘Explore how aspects of the opening chapters of The Great Gatsby appear to have echoes in the events and concerns of Fitzgerald’s own experiences’ AS ENGLISH LITERATURE Assessment Objectives AO1 Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression. The Tempest 30% Rossetti 30% Gatsby 30% AO2 Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts. The Tempest 40% Rossetti 40% Gatsby 20% AO3 Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received. The Tempest 10% Rossetti 10% Gatsby 30% AO4 Explore connections across literary texts. Gatsby 20% AO5 Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations. The Tempest 20% Rossetti 20% SELF- ASSESS Which AOs is any essay based on Gatsby marked for? Have you responded to the AOs? Annotate what you’ve written according to the AOs along with keywords that summarise each skill or knowledge Were you analytical? How can you tell? How sophisticated and literary do you think your vocabulary choices and expressions are – on a scale of 1-5; 5 being the strongest.

14. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore how some of the events in history during the era in which the Great Gatsby is set are reflected in Fitzgerald’s work Task 2: Biography and Context Review your research on Fitzgerald’s life then complete the table below listing each event or aspect of his life in order of importance. Provide a justification for each event. In Pairs or group

15. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore how some of the events in history during the era in which the Great Gatsby is set are reflected in Fitzgerald’s work We will now take turns to read aloud from the opening; Note your initial impressions (especially in the context of biographical information already explored). Consider how you will represent the chapter in your Reading Journal. Highlight key quotations and annotate the text with ideas/questions and AOs The Novel

16. Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature Considering the main events and developments that took place during Fitzgerald’s life, how might this have affected his work and what he chose to write about? Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

17. Prep for next lesson - HOMEWORK Read chapter 1 of the novel. Using the first person narrative perspective. Write your impressions of today’s lesson. This is a pre-cursor to thinking about the advantages and shortcomings of Fitzgerald's use of the first person narrative in the novel. Check your learning

18. AO3 Each group will research (books and internet) the context of Fitzgerald’s life: Major literary works (with brief summaries) Prohibition The American Dream Hollywood The Jazz Age The Roaring Twenties Each group will give brief presentations to the rest of class (and lead discussions, not simply read from PPT!). Homework Each group will provide a handout with brief notes on their topic and upload their powerpoints to Frog.

19. LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore how some of the events in history during the era in which the Great Gatsby is set are reflected in Fitzgerald’s work AO3 In Groups Read the article which first appeared in Scribner Magazine in 1931 in which Fitzgerald reflects on the period with which he had become so closely associated. The Great Gatsby was published 6 years before the article at the height of the ‘Jazz Age’. Talk about the relationship between the novel and the article, for example: attitudes towards the period voice choices of language the relationship with the reader Echoes of the Jazz Age

20. Learning Objectives: • Discuss the conventional purposes of the opening of novels • Analyse the construction of the opening of The Great Gatsby • Evaluate issues of first person perspective The Great Gatsby TASK:With a partner, discuss and list the conventional purposes of the opening of any novel. • establish setting • establish context • introduce main characters • establish narrative perspective

21. Learning Objectives: • Discuss the conventional purposes of the opening of novels • Analyse the construction of the opening of The Great Gatsby • Evaluate issues of first person perspective and character presentations AO2 If we judge the opening of the Great Gatsby to be the passages wherein Nick describes himself, his family and his job, which of these conventional functions does the opening fulfil and how? Narrative perspective Codes of behaviour Contrasts between East and West Egg Gatsby’s character The introduction

22. AO2 Early in chapter 1, Nick gives the impression that he is tolerant and has strong family and moral values. Look again at the extract from pg 3-4 …’elations of men.’ What evidence can you find that there may be complex contradictions in Nick’s character? Who is Nick Carraway? Extra challenge: How might these contradictions affect Nick’s role as narrator of the story?

23. Learning Objectives: • Discuss the conventional purposes of the opening of novels • Analyse the construction of the opening of The Great Gatsby • Evaluate issues of first person perspective AO2 Independent work: • Read Nicolas Treddell on Narration. Make notes (using the headings below)on the ways in which Fitzgerald overcomes (or not) the limitations of first person narrative voice: • Recounting dialogue between characters • Direct quotation of another character’s sustained account • Paraphrasing another characters’ words • Piecing together fragments of a story into a continuous narrative in Nick’s voice • Speculation about what might have happened • Speculation about what a character may have felt e.g. ‘he must have felt…’ • Evocations of another character’s consciousness ‘he felt…’ Independent Task

24. Learning Objectives: • Discuss the conventional purposes of the opening of novels • Analyse the construction of the opening of The Great Gatsby • Evaluate issues of first person perspective and character presentations AO2 Fitzgerald chooses to tell the story in a self-conscious, first-person voice through the narrative of Nick Carraway. In pairs, brainstorm the possible advantages and disadvantages of the first person narrator. First person narrative perspective

25. 15th November 2018 Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature To what extent is Fitzgerald’s presentation of the key characters in the first two chapters stereotypical of the prejudices of the era? Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

26. AO2 For each of the characters: List the adverbs used about their actions from pages 7–14. What impression do you get of each character from the list attributed to them? Does the list support the more direct comments on the character? Is the use of adverbs in the narration attributed to the narrator in the same way that statements of opinion are? Should we interpret it that way? Introducing & Presenting Characters: Tom, Daisy and Jordan How can each of these sets of information be used in an essay? Tom is introduced as… Daisy is introduced as… Jordan is introduced as…

27. Learning Objectives: • Explore character portraits – how and why Fitzgerald presents them in this way AO2 How can each of these sets of information be used in an essay? Tom is introduced as… Daisy is introduced as… Jordan is introduced as… Self/PEER ASSESS Mark your own response according to the AOs by which the essay on this text is assessed. Annotate with AOs as well as words and phrases from its description. Swap with a buddy. Agree or disagree. Justify. Reviewof Independent learning task Www- Ebi-

28. 21st November 2018 Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature To what extent is Fitzgerald’s presentation of the key characters in the first two chapters stereotypical of the prejudices of the era? Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

29. Reviewof Independent learning task AO2 Over the half-term week, you carried out some wider reading from The Art Of Fiction by David Lodge. What did you learn Read and make notes for your folder on the following chapters: Chapter 1 Beginning Chapter 6 Point of View Chapter 34 The Unreliable Narrator Consider how each relates to the text you are studying. Add these notes to your reading journal.

30. Learning Objectives: • Explore character portraits – how and why Fitzgerald presents them in this way AO2 Look carefully again at the section from Nick’s entrance on pg 7: ‘The only completely stationary object …’ to Tom and Jordan’s exit: ‘… strolled back into the library …’ on pg 13. Work in groups of four to break this down into a number of smaller sections. To help decide on the smaller sections, focus on: tensions exits and entrances characterisation character relationships mood and atmosphere. Support each section with relevant direct quotes Group Work Introducing Tom, Daisy , Jordan and gatsby

31. Learning Objectives: • Explore character portraits – how and why Fitzgerald presents them in this way Tom: A rather hard mouth and supercilious manner Tom & Daisy: Two old friends who I scarcely knew at all. They spent a year in France for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully… Jordan: Her grey sun-strained eyes looked back at me with polite reciprocal curiosity out of a wan, charming, discontented face. Daisy: Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright, passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in her voice…a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay, exciting things hovering in the next hour. Direct Comments

32. CHALLENGE: To what extent is Fitzgerald’s presentation of the key characters in the first two chapters stereotypical of the prejudices of the era? AO3 Nick visits the Buchanans’ for lunch – everything appears civilised and carefree at first, but tensions and prejudices soon start to emerge. In pairs, find two examples of prejudice. Make a link to the context of the novel. What is Fitzgerald trying to highlight? The Dinner Party

33. 21st November 2018 Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature Explore what Fitzgerald might be saying about the nature of morality through the geography of the novel. Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

34. Objectives: • Explore the link between geography and morality in the novel • Analyse the dinner conversation for prejudices which reflect the context of the novel. • Begin to track the use of symbolism in the novel • CHAPTER TWO – Guided Reading • How does Nick meet Tom’s mistress? • How does Myrtle react to Tom’s arrival? • Describe George Wilson.  How does he react to Tom’s arrival? • How does Myrtle behave as the party progresses? • Describe the setting of the valley of ashes where George and Myrtle live.  What aspects of the setting imply that it is intended to have a symbolic meaning as well as a literal one? • How does Fitzgerald describe Myrtle Wilson?  Does her physical appearance reflect her character in any way? • Compare the setting of the party in this chapter with the setting of the party in Chapter One. • Why does Tom attach Myrtle at the end of the party?  How does this exemplify Fitzgerald’s description of Tom in Chapter One?

35. West Egg East Egg AO2 Conservative Aristocratic – inherited money Not as refined as it seems Fashionable Fake Polite/well mannered Appealing surface Unattractive realities New rich Extravagant displays of wealth Poor taste Lack of breeding Comparing the Eggs What are the key characteristics of the Eggs as portrayed by Fitzgerald? Similarities and/or differences? Can you explain the link between geography wand morality so far?

36. AO2 • Independent Task: • Make a section in your Reading Journal for the four distinct locations of the novel. Collect quotation to compare and contrast. • The Mid West • West Egg • East Egg • New York Fitzgerald uses the superficial similarities between the Eggs to emphasise how different they are. They may be ‘identical in contour’ but are dissimilar in ‘every particular except shape and size’. Each location has a different morality which encourages the reader to make comparisons. Timed Essay Task Write a 300 word essay to explore what Fitzgerald may be saying about the nature of morality through the geography of the novel: Geography & Morality

37. 28th November 2018 Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature Could there be a link between TS Elliot’s poem the The Wasteland and Fitzgerald's depiction of The Valley of the Ashes? How so? Why do you think Fitzgerald might have wanted to establish such a link? Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

38. The Great Gatsby LO: In this lesson you will: Analyse New York as a setting of the novel Explore the development of modernism and the modern novel Compare the Valley of the Ashes with T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland.

39. AO2/3 Collect key quotations which illustrate the themes. Discuss what Fitzgerald is saying about each. Make a link to context. As we read chapter 2, each group will focus on a particular theme of the chapter: Appearance and material possessions Unhappy marriage – Buchanans, Wilsons, McKees The poor treatment of the working classes- Wilson, Myrtle Alcohol as a negative influence New York, New York

40. AO4 ‘What shall we do to-morrow? What shall we ever do?’ T.S Eliot, The Wasteland ‘What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon?’ cried Daisy, ‘and the day after that, and for the next thirty years?’ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald admired the modernist poet T.S. Eliot. Eliot’s long poem ‘The Wasteland’ was published in 1922. It represents a sterile landscape, where everyone is isolated and unable to love, it voiced a common concern of the 1920s. Eliot’s idea may have inspired Fitzgerald’s idea of the desolate valley of the ashes. The Wasteland and The Valley of Ashes

41. 29th November 2018 Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature Could there be a link between TS Elliot’s poem the The Wasteland and Fitzgerald's depiction of The Valley of the Ashes? How so? Why do you think Fitzgerald might have wanted to establish such a link? • Success Means: • Fully structured essay • Use of literary terminology • Connectives to show comparison • Judicious range of direct textual references • Varied interpretations • Ideas linked logically • Sophisticated vocabulary and expressions overall • Evidence of wider reading • Contextual and thematic links made throughout Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

42. Learning Objective: To review essay structure and how to plan how to plan for it – DIT TASK • Explore explore what Fitzgerald may be saying about the nature of morality through the geography of the novel What is the basic structure of an essay response? What MUST you include in an introductory paragraph? • Introduce the text, author and genre/context • Brief summary of what the text is about (no more than a sentence or two). • Key theme/s • Writer's purpose • Set the focus of the essay – your thesis • All of the above can be done in 3-4 sentences. • Introduction • Main body (clearly linked paragraphs - 4 minimum) • Conclusion

43. 29th November 2018 Learning Objective: To understand how to structure an essay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrf2ij2hZiU&safe=active Explore explore what Fitzgerald may be saying about the nature of morality through the geography of the novel What is the basic structure of an essay? As you watch his video, listen and note down a response to the question. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1KbANXoWlo Which section does the speaker mention as one of the most important part of an essay and why?

44. AO3/4 • Look again at the description of The Valley of the Ashes on page 26. • Annotate the description trying to identify words and phrases that Fitzgerald uses to create a sense of atmosphere. • Using the Internet or your school library, find a copy of The Wasteland by TS Eliot, a poem written in 1922, the same year in which the novel is set. • Looking closely at The Wasteland, identify a passage that is concerned with landscape and annotate it trying to identify the ways that Eliot creates atmosphere. • ESSAY TASK: • Critics have suggested a link between the bleak landscape of TS Elliot’s The Wasteland and The Valley of the Ashes. Explore why Fitzgerald might have wanted to establish such a link. Homework

45. AO3/4 Compare the description of The Valley of the Ashes with the extract from Eliot’s The Wasteland. What similarities are there? What comment is each writer making about the world in which they live? Annotate each of the texts.

46. AO3/4 Over the next week, you will carry out wider reading from the three literary movements and compare their styles. Romantics: William Blake, selected poems; Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Realist: Mark Twain, ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’, Emily Dickenson Modernist: T.S Eliot, ‘The Wasteland’ Late Modernist: William Faulkner, ‘Lord of The Flies’ In your reading journal, write a summary of the differences you notice between the texts. Also: Read chapter 3 Homework – wider reading

47. 29th November 2018 Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature Could there be a link between TS Elliot’s poem the The Wasteland and Fitzgerald's depiction of The Valley of the Ashes? How so? Why do you think Fitzgerald might have wanted to establish such a link? • Success Means: • Fully structured essay • Use of literary terminology • Connectives to show comparison • Judicious range of direct textual references • Varied interpretations • Ideas linked logically • Sophisticated vocabulary and expressions overall • Evidence of wider reading • Contextual and thematic links made throughout Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

48. Objectives: • Analyse the language used to describe Gatsby’s party • Consider the techniques Fitzgerald uses to create Gatsby’s character • Explore the themes of illusion and isolation The Great Gatsby Home Learning (Independent Work) Review: Have you completed your essays? Hand them in. Have you done the research on: Romanticism, Realism and Modernism?

49. 5th December 2018 Stretch and Challenge for All AS Level English Literature How relevant are these concepts: Romanticism/ Realism/ Modernism to the novel? As we read, identify,annotate and make summative notes in your books on how these concepts are reflected in the novel. Challenge is the tool with which teachers stretch students

50. AO3/4 The Romantic Era was a late 18th- early 19th century artistic movement which focused on the celebration of the beauty of nature and favoured emotion over reason. Authors include poets such as Wordsworth, Blake and Edgar Alan Poe. Realismbecame popular from the mid 19th century and was all about the historical time frame and reference, and writing about events and situations that actually happened in real life. The best know authors at this time were Mark Twain and Emily Dickenson. Modernism coincides with the rapid technological change of the early 20th century, driven by demands of the war. Writers began to experiment with unconventional language and structures. Fitzgerald greatly admired modernist poet T.S Eliot.Fitzgerald took things further by merging poetic Romanticism with the spare style of the Modernist, incorporating advertising slogans and slang into his work. Modern vs realist