Introduction to The Great Gatsby

1. UNIT 2: Essential Questions1. How is Gatsby used to cast doubt on the ideal of The American Dream?2. Why is the novel an accurate depiction of its time period?3. Why are some aspects of this novel “timeless”?

2. Introduction to The Great Gatsby • Prezi - The Great Gatsby • Video: Soap, Sex, Cigarettes and Prohibition

3. Setting: THE EGGS

4. How are they related? NICK DAISY

5. QUICK READING QUIZ: Chapter 112 points – each worth 2 • Which character seems a bit racist? • Which character says girls are better off beautiful and stupid? • Which character is playing in a golf tournament the next day? • Who does Tom talk to on the phone? • What does Daisy hope will happen between Jordan and Nick? • Chapter 1 ends with Nick staring at someone with his “arms toward the dark water in a curious way.” Who is it?

6. Ch. 2: The Valley of Ashes

7. Ch. 2: The Eyes of TJ Eckleburg

8. Chapter 2 Quiz/ Embedding Practice Write a paragraph that accurately embeds all or a portion of the followingquote: “Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” shouted Mrs. Wilson. “I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai---” • Start with a topic sentence that describes Tom and Myrtle’s relationship. • Continue with context (Who is speaking? To whom? Where? When? Why? What happens next?) • Smoothly embed the quote. • Wrap up the paragraph by explaining significance. • What do they reveal about the characters involved? • How is Fitzgerald using this moment to make a statement?

9. Ch. 3: Party @ Gatsby’s

10. After Ch. 4: Ben Franklin’s The Way to Wealth • 13 Virtues • Temperance • Silence • Order • Resolution • Frugality • Industry • Sincerity • Justice • Moderation • Cleanliness • (Chastity) • Tranquility • Humility Write out your plan. Preparation is the key to success. Changing habits is difficult.

11. Self Improvement Project • Paragraph 1: Explain the two weaknesses you wanted to improve and your specific plan of attack. • Paragraph 2: Reflection: How did it go? Why? What does this tell you about yourself in relation to personal change? Do you have any insight about goal-setting/self-improvement in general? • Your chart tracking your adherence to 12/13 virtues.

12. Before Chapter 5: • Details in this chapter are very significant. • For instance, in the beginning, Fitzgerald illustrates Gatsby’s nervous anticipation of Daisy with the observations and comments of characters: • Nick notices the lights on in every room. • Gatsby’s need to cut Nick’s grass. • Gatsby sends flowers for Nick’s house.

13. Motifs: CLOCKS/TIME THE WEATHER THE GREEN LIGHT European references

14. Discussion: Chapter 5 • Record notes in your packet: p. 38

15. The weather • How does the weather change? • How do the changes correspond to the emotions of the characters and plot details?

16. Gatsby: A EuropeanAristocrat What kind of European references does Fitzgerald allude to? What can we infer about Gatsby based on this? Is it possible for Gatsby to be what he wants to be? Why or why not?

17. DAISY • What emotions does she experience? • How are her emotions different? • What does she get most excited about? • Why? • Why does Fitzgerald have her say she wants to push Gatsby around in a pink cloud?

18. Time • What meaningful references to time are made? • What does Fitzgerald want us to infer about Gatsby and Daisy’s potential relationship based on this motif?

19. The Green Light Annotate – Mark the words or phrases are meaningful based on the ideas we discussed last class. What significance to they have? There’s one more motif we need to discuss from Ch. 5… Chapter 1: “Fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow of my neighbor’s mansion and was standing with in his pockets… I didn’t call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone – he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and , far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward - and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been at the end of a dock.”

20. The Green Light Chapter 5: “After the house, we were to see the grounds and the swimming-pool , and the hydroplane and the mid-summer flowers – but outside Gatsby’s window it began to rain again, so we stood in a row looking at the corrugated surface of the sound. “ “’If it wasn’t for the mist we could see your home across the bay,” said Gatsby. “You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.” Daisy put her arm through his abruptly, but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said . Possible it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one .”

21. Romantic Idealism: • A naive, miscalculated dream of a perfect world without factoring in the flaws that reality would bring

22. Socrates and Plato • Greek Philosophers: big ideas about life, it’s meaning, what is real, • Socrates (469-399 B.C.)believed that through questions , one can truly learn, become enlightened (Socratic method) • Plato(424-328 B.C.) was is student; opened up school – The Academy; wrote in dialogues because discussion leads to enlightenment.

23. Plato’s Philosophy of THE CAVE

24. Notes: Chapter 6 p. 34

25. Type 2 Writing • How do Gatsby’s hopes and dreams reflect the idea of romantic idealism? How does it connect to either Plato’s Cave or The Matrix? What prediction do you have for how these ideas will play out in Gatsby’s future and his relationship with Daisy?

26. Chapter 6 Notes – p.34 continued • It’s been weeks since Gatsby and Daisy’s reunion. Nick is at Gatsby’s house and Tom stops by “perturbed at Daisy’s running around alone.” Randomly, Tom stops for a drink at Gatsby’s house with his rich snotty friends, with whom he has been out riding. Gatsby seems nervous and agitated, and tells Tom awkwardly that he knows Daisy. Gatsby invites Tom and the Sloanes to stay for dinner, but they refuse. To be polite, they invite Gatsby to dine with them, and he accepts, not realizing the insincerity of the invitation. He goes in to change, and they leave. Gatsby then walks out with his hat and overcoat. • Why do they think they are better than Gatsby? • Tom and Daisy attend a Gatsby party together. What are Tom’s thoughts about the party? • How does Daisy feel about the party? What in the text leads you to this conclusion? • Pay specific attention to the last two pages of the chapter. Go back to your type one about romantic idealism on p. 35. Add two ideas. Embed two quotes as support.

27. Type 2: Gatsby Essay Prewrite • What is Fitzgerald saying about the American Dream in The Great Gatsby? What characters and symbols does he use to make this statement, and HOW does he use them. Write as much as you can in 10 minutes. Answer all parts of this question. Use complete sentences. Skip lines.

28. Find keywords • Go through your paragraph(s) and underline all keywords – those that represent the main topics of your ideas.

29. Create your thesis Just a few ACTIVE VERBS: Portrays Depicts Represents Symbolizes Depicts Describes Reveals Interprets Shows Characterizes Embodies Exemplifies • Combine the important aspects of your paragraph(s) into ONE sentence. • Writing manual – thesis statements • Try starting with “Fitzgerald” + ACTIVE VERB • Your thesis will most likely be a long complex sentence.