4

3

5

67

8

“An author ought to write for the youth of his generation, the critics of the next and

the schoolmasters of ever afterward.” F. Scott Fitzgerald 1920

Roaring Twenties

"The world must be made safe for democracy[…] peace must be planted

upon the tested foundation of political liberty.” - Woodrow Wilson

Economy booming Women’s Movement, Flappers Rise in Organized Crime Prohibition Act Perceived Decline of Moral Standards

Changes in the 1920s

Growing urbanization signaled a move away from “the land”

fascination with the dream of success Cinema developed as a popular medium

of entertainment Rise of the “Jazz Age” Mass production of the automobile

allows for increased mobility

Books That Define the Time “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot: The ultimate indictment of

the modern world's loss of personal, moral, and spiritual values.

The New Negro by Alain Locke: A hopeful look at the negro in America

Strange Interlude by Eugene O'Neill: A look at 30 years in the life of a modern woman

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway: The lost generation of expatriates

Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis: A satirical look at small town life The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner: Details the

decay of the Old South Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston:

Black life in a Black community

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Born in 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended Princeton University. 1917 joined the army. Met his wife Zelda. Published The Great Gatsby at 23 in 1925. Regarded as the speaker of the Jazz Age. Drinking and wife’s schizophrenia Died in 1940.

WEST EGG

EAST EGG

The Great GatsbySocratic Seminar

Most static character?Most dynamic character?

Feelings towards Tom?Feelings towards Daisy?Feelings towards Nick and/or Jordan?

And, most importantly….How does Fitzgerald evoke these feelings?

Overarching Questions

RemindersOpen-Ended QuestionsCritical ThinkingJournalingCite the Source

What makes a person GREAT? Who are some great people?

What puts them in that category?

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just

remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the

advantages that you’ve had.”

Do you think his statement is genuine? Why?

What advantages does the narrator have?

What advantages do the other characters have?

What advantages do you have?

How are West and East Egg

alike? Different?

“Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it?” (16).

What is Daisy talking about? Why is Fitzgerald putting those words into her mouth?

What flaws do we see so far in the

characters? Where do these flaws originate?

Why would someone want her daughter to be a “beautiful

little fool”?

What emotions does the author attempt to evoke in the reader in the final

scene (Nick sees Gatsby)? What specific diction and

action evokes these feelings?

According to the narrator and

characters in Gatsby, how is success

defined?How does this

compare to your idea of success?

Is there a dark side to success

in America?