general book overview Flashcards
describe the American dream
based on the assumption that each person no matter what his origins, could succeed in life on the sole basis of his or her own skill and effort.
when did the American dream rise?
arose in the colonial period and developed in the nineteenth century
what did the American dream embody
it embodied the ideal self made man
what is the great Gatsby about?
about what happened to the American dream in the 1920s.
give a generalization of the charecters
The characters are Midwesterners who have come east in pursuit of this new dream of money, success, fame, glamour and excitement.
what was the American dream in the 1920s like?
a period when the old values that gave substance to the dream had been corrupted by the vulgar pursuit of wealth.
what does Fitzgerald seem to be criticizing in the great Gatsby?
not the American dream itself, but the corruption of the the American dream.
what is Fitzgerald’s critique of the dream of success developed mainly throught?
the five central characters and through certain dominant images and symbols.
who is the author of the great gatsby?
F. Scott Fitzgerald
the gap between the poor and rich
describes this gap by comparing the differences between the western united states and the eastern united states, or could be described as the difference between the West egg and the east egg
what are the main themes in the book?
the decay of morals and values and the frustration of a ‘modern’ society, describes the decay of the American dream and the want for money and materialism.
what was the western united states seen as having
traditional western culture
what was the eastern united states seen as having
money obsessed values
west egg?
the ‘new’ money
east egg?
the ‘old’ money
at the time what was the 1920s like for the united states and many other countries?
a time of corruption and the degradation of moral values
After the world war one what was life like?
people were reveling in the materialism that came with the end of the war, new mass produced commodities such as motor cars and radios were filling peoples driveways and houses, money was more accessible (b4 the great depression)
what were cars becoming in the 1920s?
they were becoming a social symbol as we can see with Gatsby five cars, one of which he gives to nick and one of which kills myrtle Wilson later on.
what did Herbert hoover, the American president, say in 1925?
“we will root out poverty and put two cars in every garage”
what were the parties that Gatsby held every week a symbol of?
of the carelessness of the time
what would occur in these parties that Gatsby held?
Gatsby would hide in the house while the ‘guests’, most of which weren’t invited, would party, eat and drink until the early hours of the morning without even meeting Gatsby or knowing who he was.
how are Fitzgerald’s negative views of society portrayed
his negative views of society are portrayed through his deception of certain guests Gatsby’s parties.
what do the two women dressed identically in yellow at Gatsby party represent and how?
the values of the people of the 1920s, as the two women meet nick and Jordan at the party and are completely self involved and only concerned with what happens to them and the fun they have, not caring about the names of them two men they’re talking to so openly
what is another sign of the fall of the American dream in the great Gatsby?
the way Gatsby makes his money
how does Gatsby make his money?
he gets his fortune through the illegal sale of alcohol (bootlegging), and the sale of alcohol was prohibited in the united states in the 1920s.
where did Gatsby come from?
the western united states where there was ‘old money’
where did Gatsby meet dan Cody and what did he teach Gatsby?
met him in the western united states and taught him how to ‘bootleg’
as Gatsby became richer where did he move to?
the west egg in new York
describe gastby house
its a rather artificial place, and is furnished well with old looking ornaments and (probably) second hand antiques, the house also had a library
why was Gatsby house originally built and what is it a sign of?
to impress daisy with his so called wealth and this is a sign of a corrupt way of ‘winning’ love through money and wealth.
what are the books and antiques in Gatsby house purpose?
just his way to show of his wealth to others
how do we know that Gatsby doesn’t really care for materialism?
because his bedroom, the only room he ever uses, is empty compared to the rest of the house
when is the climax of the story?
when Gatsby tells tom that daisy never loved him
what is Gatsby love life a sign of?
declining morals and also a sign of further corruption of the American dream.
how is the fall of the American dream and corruption also evident?
in the position and treatment of children
how is daisy and toms daughter, pammy treated?
as an object to show off rather than a child to love
what is the great Gatsby a great portrayal of and what does it show us?
of the corruption of society and the fall of the American dream, it shows us the way people will fall into the hands of money, greed and power and get involved with illegal activities to get what they want
what is the book a perfect example of?
the fall of the American dream in the 1920s
