1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2. Setting--Long Island Located on the southern part of New York Suburb of New York City The Long Island "Gold Coast" is where many of the nation's rich and famous built homes. Gold Coast Homes Gold Coast Homes Prices

3. Setting: Long Island East Egg (based on Manhasset Neck, Long Island)—Represents “old money” West Egg (based on Great neck, Long Island)—Represents “new money” Manhasset and Great Neck

4. Great Neck and Manhasset

5. Themes The American Dream and its disintegration. The American dream was originally about:  Discovery  Individualism  The pursuit of happiness

6. The American Dream and its disintegration …with unprecedented prosperity and material excess it became tarnished and left:  Social decay  Greed  Empty pursuit of pleasure

7. Themes Money and the sociology of wealth Old money vs. new money

8. Old money vs. new money Old money— aristocratic, inherited wealth, tasteful, elegant, have social graces…but ultimately very shallow people!

9. Old money vs. new money New money— vulgar, self- made (rags to riches), showy, tacky…

10. Symbolism Valley of Ashes—between Long Island and NYC, a desolate wasteland used for dumping and burning trash—stands for a moral wasteland

11. Symbolism Green light—at the end of the Buchanan’s dock— represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams

12. Symbolism The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg—a pair of eyes on a billboard ad for an eye doctor…they overlook the Valley and may represent God looking at and judging American society