The Great GatsbyMarch 2011

Do Now

Take Introduction and Chapter 1 quiz over The Great Gatsby

Objectives

• Understanding Chapter 1

• Introduction to major themes and symbols

Homework

• The Great Gatsby, Chapter 2, pages 22 - 38

The Great Gatsby

Characters overall – obsessed by class, privilege and social position

Nick Carroway

• Tolerant, reserves judgment

• Fought in World War I

• Lives in West Egg (part of Long Island)• Nouveau riche: those who have recently made money

and lack an established social position

• Impartial narrator, but no passive – Gatsby presents a challenge to the way in which Nick is accustomed to thinking about the world

The Great Gatsby

Tom Buchanan

• Nick’s classmate at Yale

• From a wealthy family

• Reading The Rise of the Colored Empire, a book about racism and white supremacy – which he believes

• Grotesque, lacking redeeming features: “big, hulking physical specimen”, Daisy – tension dominates Buchanan family scenes

Jordan Baker

• Friends with Daisy

• Professional golfer

The Great Gatsby

Daisy Buchanan

• Frail

• Laughs at every opportunity

• She and Jordan are dressed in white when Nick arrives, “white girl-hood” which stands in contrast to their actual decadence and corruption

Jordan Baker

• Friends with Daisy

• Professional golfer

The Great Gatsby

Gatsby

• First appearance – almost godlike

• Utterly alone, posture of mysterious worship

• Reaching towards a green light, which he cannot grasp – something Gatsby is hopelessly striving for

The Great Gatsby

Remember the types of conflict...

• Individual vs. society

• Individual vs. individual

• Individual vs. self

The Great Gatsby

Byronic Hero

• An idealized but flawed character

Tragic Hero

• Hero's misfortune is not brought about "by vice and depravity but by some error of judgment.” - Aristotle

The Great Gatsby

Themes to look for:

• Honesty

• Decay

• Gender Roles

• Violence

• Class

• Religion

• World War I

The Great Gatsby

Symbols to look for:

• The Eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg

• The Valley of Ashes

• Heat

• Automobiles

The Great Gatsby

Upcoming project

• Explore the historical period of the 1920s by creating posters that provide in-depth information on what is happening in the following artistic communities: music and jazz, theater, visual arts, photography, and dance.

• Research paper on the topic selected• 4 – 6 pages typed