1. The Great Gatsby
By F. Scott Fitzgerald

2. ANTICIPATION GUIDE
1.People who were once poor, but who strike it rich (for example, lottery winners) are generally happier for having done so. Agree or Disagree? Why?
2.America was once a place of strong morals, but in recent years, we have turned toward hedonism like no time before. Agree or Disagree? Why?
3.What are the characteristics of a “Great” person? Why?
4.The rich and famous generally have better lives than the average citizen. Agree or Disagree? Why?
5.Who is someone, currently, who you believe to be living the American Dream? What is their life like (or at least, what does it seem like?)

3. Author information on F. Scott Fitzgerald
Born September 24, in St. Paul, Minnesota
Parents were Irish immigrants
Famous relative was Francis Scott Key, who wrote “O say, can you see…” and that’s who he was named after!
Went by “Scott”

4. Biographical information on F. Scott Fitzgerald
Parents worked hard to make Scott’s life better
Only child
Successful in high school; admitted to Princeton University in 1913
Most of the students at Princeton came from wealthy Eastern families; this was how Scott started “rubbing elbows” with the rich

5. Biographical information on F. Scott Fitzgerald
1917: Scott dropped out of Princeton to join the Army and fight in WW1
The war ended shortly after he enlisted so he never fought
While at boot camp, he DID meet Zelda Sayre, the most popular girl in Alabama; her father was a Supreme Court judge

6. Biographical information on F. Scott Fitzgerald
Zelda liked Scott, but she planned to marry someone rich
This Side of Paradise published in 1920, highly successful
Zelda & Scott married in March, 1920
Remember: her family had money for generations; his money was made by his writing only!

7. Biographical information on F. Scott Fitzgerald
Only child, Frances Scott “Scotty” Fitzgerald born in 1921
The Great Gatsby published in 1925: “Fitzgerald’s masterpiece”
Time spent in Paris; emotional affair between Zelda and pilot
Friendship with Ernest Hemingway

8. Biographical information on F. Scott Fitzgerald
Wrote many stories for The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s Weekly, and Esquire magazines
Very irresponsible with money; made a lot, spent a lot on a rich man’s lavish lifestyle
Remained an alcoholic from college days until death
Zelda struck with schizophrenia in 1930

9. Biographical information on F. Scott Fitzgerald
Zelda hospitalized on and off the rest of her life; died in a mental hospital fire in the 1940s
Scott’s “breakdown” and giving Scotty to friends to raise
Moved to Hollywood, wrote screenplays of his books and had affair with gossip columnist Sheilah Graham
Heavy alcoholism and chain smoking ruined his health and liver
Two heart attacks in 1940
Died December 21, He was 44 years old.

10. The Great Gatsby
15 novels and a large number of stories were published by Fitzgerald during his life
The Great Gatsby was the most famous; among various titles considered were:
Among Ashheaps and Millionaires,
Gold-Hatted Gatsby,
The High-Bouncing Lover, and
On the Road to West Egg

11. The Great Gatsby Plot based on Fitzgerald’s relationship with Zelda.
The novel developed through layers of drafts and achieved its ultimate brilliance when Fitzgerald revised and rewrote it in the galley proofs.
“I want to write something NEW—something extraordinary and beautiful and simple + intricately patterned.”
(Quote from Fitzgerald)

12. 1920s in America
ISSUES:
PROHIBITION: the outlawing of alcohol lasted from to 1932.
WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE: Women finally got the vote in 1920; this caused a whole revolution in their behavior.
“THE JAZZ AGE”: new musical form brought to American culture by African-American influence.
AFTERMATH OF WORLD WAR 1: Suffering was over, so good times could begin.

13. Women’s role in the 1920s Vote: a huge move towards equal rights
Dress length
Smoking and drinking in public
Bobbed hair
Looser morals
Huge change from parents’ generation
The influence of automobiles on young people’s relationships
ZELDA/DAISY: the quintessential FLAPPER

14. The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby has often been called “the great American novel.”
However, the Twenties were not a ten-year binge during which everybody got rich and danced the Charleston in speakeasies while drinking bootleg hooch. Just like other cultural movements (think: “Hippies” from 1960s), most of American continued to behave in a “proper” way. Some young people changed cultural norms.

15. MAIN CHARACTERS in The Great Gatsby
JAY GATSBY: the richest man in America, he is handsome and mysterious. No one knows how he got so much money, and everyone wants to go to Gatsby’s wild parties.
DAISY BUCHANAN: the quintessential “flapper,” she is pretty, rich and spoiled. Gatsby is in love with her. She’s already married to Tom Buchanan. She has no conscience.

16. MAIN CHARACTERS in The Great Gatsby
TOM BUCHANAN: Daisy’s rich and shallow-minded husband. His whole identity is connected to his money and power. He cares only for himself. He cheats on Daisy.
MYRTLE WILSON: Tom’s “girlfriend” is poor, easily impressed by wealth, unhappily married to a poor mechanic.

17. MAIN CHARACTERS in The Great Gatsby
NICK CARRAWAY: He’s the narrator of the story and will tell, from a slight outsider’s view, what life is like for these rich and spoiled people. In the end, he judges their behavior.
GEORGE WILSON: the poor mechanic whose wife is cheating on him with Tom Buchanan. He is clueless about this, and plays the role of an innocent foolish sucker.

18. MAIN CHARACTERS in The Great Gatsby
JORDAN BAKER: an example of the “wild,” unmarried flapper, Jordan is cutting edge by being a female golf pro. Her friendship with Daisy helps information to be revealed in the story.
THOUSANDS OF PARTIERS: These nameless people enjoy the 1920s. They are free from the suffering of war, they like to drink and party, and feel now is a time to “BE HAPPY” at Gatsby’s parties!