Lizzie Cole-Greenblatt “The Great Gatsby” Ayesha Ali Lizzie Cole-Greenblatt Heather Harris Rachel Levy Tayler Newman Max Williams

Plot

Nick Carraway moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to learn about the bond business. He rents a house in the West Egg district of Long Island, a wealthy area where the new rich live, a group who have just recently made their fortunes. Nick’s next-door neighbor is a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby, who lives in a gigantic Gothic mansion and throws huge parties every Saturday night.  Nick is unlike the other inhabitants of West Egg. He was educated at Yale and has social connections in East Egg, the area of Long Island home to the established upper class. Nick drives out to East Egg one evening for dinner with his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her husband, Tom. Daisy and Tom introduce Nick to Jordan Baker with whom Nick begins a romantic relationship. Nick also learns a bit about Daisy and Tom’s marriage. Jordan tells him that Tom has a lover, Myrtle Wilson. Not long after this revelation, Nick travels to New York City with Tom and Myrtle. At a party in the apartment that Tom keeps for the affair, Myrtle begins to taunt Tom about Daisy, and Tom responds by breaking her nose.

As the summer progresses, Nick finally receives an invitation to one of Gatsby’s legendary parties. He encounters Jordan Baker at the party, and they meet Gatsby himself, a surprisingly young man who has a slight English accent. Gatsby asks to speak to Jordan alone, and, through Jordan, Nick later learns more about his mysterious neighbor. Gatsby tells Jordan that he knew Daisy in 1917 and is deeply in love with her. He spends many nights staring at the green light at the end of her dock, across the bay from his mansion. Gatsby’s extravagant lifestyle and wild parties are simply an attempt to impress Daisy. Gatsby wants Nick to get them back together, but he is afraid that Daisy will refuse to see him if she knows that he still loves her. Nick invites Daisy to have tea at his house, without telling her that Gatsby will be there. After an initially awkward reunion, Gatsby’s and Daisy’s love is rekindled, and they begin an affair.

After a short time, Tom grows suspicious of Daisy’s relationship with Gatsby. At a luncheon at the Buchanan's house, Gatsby stares at Daisy with such love that Tom realizes Gatsby is in love with her. Though Tom is also involved in an affair, he is outraged by the thought that his wife could be cheating. He forces the group to drive into New York City, where he confronts Gatsby. Tom asserts that he and Daisy have a history that Gatsby could never understand, and he announces to his wife that Gatsby is a criminal. Daisy realizes that she has to be with Tom, and Tom sends her back to East Egg with Gatsby, just so he can show Gatsby isn’t a threat. When Nick, Jordan, and Tom drive through the valley of ashes, they discover that Gatsby’s car has struck and killed Myrtle, Tom’s lover. They rush back to Long Island, where Nick learns from Gatsby that Daisy was driving the car when it struck Myrtle, but Gatsby intends to take the blame. The next day, Tom tells Myrtle’s husband, George, that Gatsby was the driver of the car. George then finds Gatsby in the pool at his mansion and shoots him dead. He then shoots himself.

Nick stages a small funeral for Gatsby, ends his relationship with Jordan, and moves back to the Midwest to escape the disgust he feels around the wealthy people of the East Coast. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/summary.html

Characters

Characters Nick Carraway- Narrator of the novel Grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Yale University Daisy Buchanan’s cousin Goes to New York City to learn the bond of business Described as Honest, tolerant, and inclined to reserve judgment and serves as a confidant for those with troubling secrets

Characters Befriends Jay Gatsby after he moves to the West Egg of Long Island His thoughts and perceptions shape and form the story

Characters Jay Gatsby- Protagonist of the novel A very wealthy, young man living in mansion in West Egg No one knows where he comes from, what he does, or how he made his fortune. Born James Gatz on a farm in North Dakota Worked for a millionaire, which made him dedicate his life to the achievement of wealth

Characters Met and fell in love with Daisy Buchanan while training to be an officer in Louisville He made his fortune through criminal activity, because he was willing to do anything to gain the social position he thought necessary to win Daisy Nick views him as a deeply flawed man, whose optimism and power to transform his dreams into reality, make him “great”.

Characters Daisy Buchanan- Nick’s cousin and the woman Gatsby loves Contains a deep need to be loved In Louisville, she fell in love with Gatsby and promised to wait for him but fell in love with Tom Buchanan Daisy lives with Tom across from Gatsby in the fashionable East Egg district of Long Island

Characters She behaves superficially to mask her pain at her husband’s cheating She is very sarcastic, and somewhat believes in the worst of human motives

Characters Tom buchanan- Daisy’s extremely wealthy husband Used to be a member of Nick’s social club at Yale University Arrogant, hypocritical, and powerfully built Social attitudes includes somewhat racism and sexism

Characters When he begins to suspect that Daisy and Gatsby are having an affair, he becomes outraged and forces a confrontation Hypocritical- He also has an affair with Myrtle

Characters Myrtle Wilson- Tom Buchanan’s mistress Married to the lifeless, boring George Wilson Has lots of energy, wants more danger and thrill in her life, and desperately looks for a way out of her marriage

Characters George Wilson- Myrtle Wilson’s husband Boring, exhausted, and lifeless Owner of a run-down auto shop at the edge of the valley of ashes He loves and idolizes Myrtle upset about her affair with Tom George is comparable to Gatsby- both are dreamers and are ruined by their love for women who love Tom.

Characters Jordan Baker- Daisy’s good friend Woman who Nick becomes romantically involved with Professional golfer- cheated to win her first golf tournament Boyish, cynical, self-centered, beautiful, dishonest

Setting

Setting LOCATION: New York City Long Island-East Egg and West Egg TIME: 1920’s (1922)

East Egg The wealthier, more elite Egg Where Daisy and Tom Buchanon live “Old money" aristocracy) Shallow people that lack values and are completely consumed with themselves

West Egg “New Money” People that have worked hard for their money Where Nick and Gatsby live Wealth based on material possessions More moral then the East Egg, but still full of superficial classes and gaudy ways of showing money. West Egg is not viewed as highly socially as the East Egg is

Map of West Egg and East Egg

Valley of Ashes Where Myrtle and George Wilson live Connects the West Egg and New York City A Long stretch of desolate land made by the dumping of industrial ashes It represents the moral and social decay resulting from pursuing wealth It shows that the rich should not buy lots of things just for their own pleasure and to show off Also, the Valle of Ashes shows a contrast in between how the wealthy live and how the poor (like George Wilson) live.

Valley of Ashes

Valley of Ashes

Time Period Early 1920’s shortly after World War ! Time of Prohibition-the manufacturing, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages was outlawed Prohibition time period is significant because Gatsby got his money from bootlegging (illegal) Also, throughout the book the characters drink champagne This suggest that because of their wealth, they are not affected by these frivolous laws

Social Setting Wealthy, educated people with lots of leisure time The characters in this book seem to care a lot about how they are perceived socially

Themes

Society and High Class Great Gatsby is placed among wealthy, intellectual people. Not many are concerned about politics or spiritual matters but everybody cares about how they are seen socially. Those who come from other classes envy the glamorous lifestyle The two main sites, West Egg and East Egg are distinguished by class. East Egg represents old money, and West Egg represents new money. Fitzgerald portrays the newly rich as being vulgar, garish, pretentious, and missing social grace and taste.

Society and High Class Cont. The old rich, shown, possess grace, taste, and elegance. However, the old rich lack compassion. They are seen as careless, inconsiderable bullies who are used to money relieve their minds. They illustrate this, when instead of attending Gatsby’s funeral they move to a new house far away. But Gatsby, whose wealth has been achieved by criminal activity, has a sincere heart. One example of how he shows it, is when he waits outside Daisy’s window until 4 in the morning to make sure Tom doesn’t hurt her.

Love This book suggests that what may seem to be love may can be just a dream. Gatsby thinks he loves Daisy, when he loves a memory of her. He met Daisy in Louisville, and she was the first nice girl he had a relationship with. He loved what she represented to him, and how he was while around her. When Gatsby left to go oversees, Daisy tried to go to him but her family stopped her. Gatsby then went on with this memory and dedicated his life to get back to that time. Daisy, too, loves being adored. Love is also a source of conflict in the book. It causes men to fight and causes 3 deaths.

Visions of America America in Great Gatsby is presented by class: rich, poor, and in between. All these classes are put close together in the setting of the book. There is Wilson, who always works for money, the Buchanans who have a large amount of money, and Nick who is an upper middle class fellow able to afford many luxuries, but not everything he wants. There is also Gatsby. Even when he becomes rich and reaches the top, he is still looked down upon.

Visions of America cont. The American Dream appears to be corrupt in Gatsby. Where it used to be that you could, with hard work, make something of yourself. Easy money and relaxed social values have corrupted this dream. Gatsby can not change where he came from, and other rich people have superiority from old money.

Symbols

Symbols The Green Light at the end of the Daisy’s East Egg dock that Gatsby can faintly see from his West Egg lawn. The green light represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby associates it with Daisy. In Chapter 1 he reaches toward it in the darkness as a guiding light to lead him to his goal. Because Gatsby’s quest for Daisy is broadly associated with the American dream, the green light also symbolizes that more generalized ideal. In Chapter 9, Nick compares the green light to how America, rising out of the ocean, must have looked to early settlers of the new nation.

Symbols The Valley of Ashes between West Egg and New York City consists of a long stretch of desolate land created by the dumping of industrial ashes. It represents the moral and social decay that results from the pursuit of wealth. The rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure. The valley of ashes also symbolizes the plight of the poor, like George Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their vitality as a result.

Symbols The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are a pair of fading eyes painted on an old billboard over the valley of ashes. They may represent God staring down upon and judging American society. The eyes also come to represent the essential meaninglessness of the world and the arbitrariness of the mental process when people give objects meaning.

Symbols Geography Throughout the novel, places and settings show the various characteristics of the 1920s American society. East Egg represents the old aristocracy. West Egg the newly rich. The valley of ashes the moral and social decay of America. And New York City the immoral quest for money and pleasure.

Symbols Weather The weather in The Great Gatsby always matches the emotional and narrative tone of the story. Gatsby and Daisy’s reunion begins during pouring rain, making it awkward and melancholy. Their love reawakens just as the sun begins to come out. Gatsby’s confrontation with Tom occurs on the hottest day of the summer. Wilson kills Gatsby on the first day of autumn, as Gatsby floats in his pool despite a chill in the air.

About the Author

F. Scott Fitzgerald Born: September 24, 1896 Died: December 21, 1940

F. Scott Fitzgerald Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, to an upper middle class, Irish Catholic family Was named after his famous second cousin Francis Scott Key but was referred to as "Scott".

F. Scott Fitzgerald He attended Newman School, (a prep school in New Jersey)in 1911–1912. Then he entered Princeton University in 1913, being in the Class of 1917. There, he soon became friends with future critics and writers Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop, and wrote for the Princeton Triangle Club. Being a poor student at Princeton, Fitzgerald left to enlist in the US Army during World War 1; however, the war ended shortly after Fitzgerald enlisted.

F. Scott Fitzgerald While at a country club, Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre, the "golden girl", who soon became his wife. Their only child, Frances Scott “Scottie” Fitzgerald was born on October 26, 1921

F. Scott Fitzgerald Although Fitzgerald found movie work humiliating, he spent the second half of the 1930s in Hollywood, working on commercial short stories, and his fifth and final novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon Fitzgerald’s work and legend has inspired many writers ever since he was first published. Millions of copies of The Great Gatsby were sold, and the book is required in many different high schools and college classes.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Film scripts: Grit (Frank Tuttle, 1924); Three Comrades ( Frank Borgaze, 1938, based on Erich Maria Remarque's novel). - Fitzgerald worked also in several other film projects without credits, among them Gone With the Wind. THIS SIDE OF PARADISE, 1920 FLAPPERS AND PHILOSOPHERS, 1920 TALES OF THE JAZZ AGE, 1922 THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED, 1922 THE VEGETABLE, 1923 THE GREAT GATSBY, 1925 ALL THE SAD YOUNG MEN, 1926 TENDER IS THE NIGHT, 1934 TAPS AT REVEILLE, 1935 THE CRACK UP, 1945 THE LAST TYCOON, 1941 THE PORTABLE F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, 1949 THE STORIES OF F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, 1951

F. Scott Fitzgerald AFTERNOON OF AN AUTHOR, 1958 PAT HOBBY STORIES, 1962 - Pat Hobby LETTERS OF F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, 1964 (ed. D. Parker) THE APPRENTICE FICTION OF FRANCIS SCOTT FITZGERALD, 1965 THOUGHTBOOK OF FRANCIS SCOTT KEY FITZGERALD, 1965 F. SCOTT FITZGERALD'S LETTERS TO HIS DAUGHTER, 1965 (ed. A. Turnbull) BERNICE BOBS HER HAIR, 1968 DERA SCOTT/DEAR MAX, 1970 AS EVER, SCOTT FITZ, 1972 (ed. J. Atkinson, M. Bruccoli) BITS OF PARADISE, 1973 THE NOTEBOOKS OF F.SCOTT FITZGERALD, 1978 THE PRICE WAS HIGH: THE LAST UNCOLLECTED STORIES OF F.SCOTT FITZGERALD, 1979 THE CORRESPONDENCE OF F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, 1980 (ed. M. Bruccoli, M. Duggan) THE BASIL AND JOSEPHINE STORIES, 1985 F. SCOTT FITZGERALD: THE PRINCETON YEARS: SELECTED WRITINGS, 1914-1920, 1996 (ed. by Chip Deffaa) TRIMALCHION, 1999 DEAR SCOTT, DEAREST ZELDA, 2002

F. Scott Fitzgerald Before fully completing The Love of the Last Tycoon, Fitzgerald died. His manuscript included notes for the unwritten part of the novel's story. It was then edited by his friend, the literary critic, Edmund Wilson. Edmund published the book in 1941 as The Last Tycoon.

F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald died believing himself a failure. He seemed destined for literary obscurity. By 1960, he had achieved a secure place among America’s enduring writers. The Great Gatsby, is a work that examines the theme of aspiration in an American setting, and defines the classic American novel. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

Links

Links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYs0gZTq3q4&feature=related (scene where they meet) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwfyP5Z71VU&feature=related

THE END