The Great Gatsby Flashcards
The American Dream
Dream of a land which life should be better & richer & fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.
Failure of American Dream
It’s all about money & status & only available to white case. It came out in the depression so only particular groups have access.
Myrtle & husband
Loss of success. Gatsby says he can have anything but can’t have Daisy. “Fraudulences” = myth of the American dream
Happiness
- Daisy likes attention, herself on the spotlight. She marred Tom for status.
- Gatsby’s happiness is setting his eyes upon Daisy.
- Tom love the attention with his affairs or having a sense of control in situations.
- Jordan finds pride in being an independent woman.
- Myrtle takes advantage of climbing the social ladder.
“Bright young things”
People who are so wealthy teh don’t have to work. Roaring 20s setting.
The class divide
West egg- Nouveau ridge & “the less fashionable or the 2”
East egg- “white palaces of fashionable east egg glittered along the water”
Valley of ashes - “fantastic farm were ashes grew like wheat”- a “wasteland”. Dr T.J. Eckleburg appearance v. reality -conflict
Flapper culture
Dawn of a new era of prosperity, urbanism & consumerism.
Zelda Fitzgerald
Most famous flapper of 1920s
White supremacy
Belief white people are superior to people of other backgrounds
Marxist literary critics
Believe that a work of literature is not a result of divine inspiration it arises out of the economic & ideological circumstances surrounding its creation.
Critic William Rose Bennett
“Young & reckless world”
Critic A.E. Dyson
“In one sense Gatsby is the apotheosis of his rootless society.. he really believes in himself & his allusions”.
Critic Tony Tanner
“The green light offers Gatsby a suitably inaccessible focus for his yearnings”.
Conspicuous consumption & Gatsby
- “can’t repeat the past! Why of course you can?”
- “(Gatsby) brought a huge house on Long Island”
What year was the great Gatsby published?
1925
What perspective is the novel told from?
It’s told in first person point of view, from the perspective of Nick Carraway.
What tense is it told in?
Primarily in the past tense, although Nick Carraway speaks directly to the reader in the present tense.
Context on the great Gatsby
Set in an era marked by tremendous change in the country’s culture and lifestyle. Referred to its nickname “the roaring 20s” also called the “jazz age” calling to mind adjectives such as ‘free spirited’ or ‘fast paced’ fitting with the decade & music genre that became popular at the time.
Stark changes occurred in America at multiple levels: women won the right to vote & played a larger role in the workforce, appliances were becoming common in the home, automobile ownership became widespread, people left rural areas for life in cities, the country’s urban population outnumbering its rural population for the first time.
All of these movements combined to create an American society characterised by more freedom, more free time, and more disposable income than in any previous generation. And while which progress was made, a stark chasm developed between society’s “haves” & “have nots”.
Author biography context
Fitzgerald was born 1896, in St.Paul, Minnesota. His father an unsuccessful businessman, the family lived off Fitzgerald’s mother’s sizeable inheritance. The family wasn’t quite rich enough to be welcomed into the highest class of the social elite. Fitzgerald attended Princeton, while Nick attended Yale. He joined the army & later moved to NYC. Zelda & Fitzgerald fell in love yet she refused to marry him until he became rich. He struggled with alcoholism & depression which lead to impact on his career & health and he died from heart attack on December 21, 1940.
Jay Gatsby
Embodiment of the American Dream at the novel’s opening. The Jay Gatsby of west egg is an invention of the young James Gatz, who wanted a different, sophisticated life for himself. Gatsby keeps his origins to himself & presents to the public only what he wants them to see. Gatsby doesn’t care what others think, his entire focus is building his wealth, power, and prestige, all in an attempt to make himself worthy to Daisy. Gatsby represents both the best & worst of the American dream; the dream is all just a “green light” in the distance (bright, intriguing & unattainable). He’s considered an elusive self-made millionaire.
Nick Carraway
The novels narrator, a bright, insightful young man. Despite being raised in the Midwest, Nick moved to NYC to work as a bonds tradesman. He is portrayed as honest, fair & can make friends easily & often serves as a mediator between friends & acquaintances. He can be considered an ‘unreliable narrator’ as he looks back on the past.
Daisy Buchanan
The superficial, self-absorbed, flighty, foolish woman Gatsby is in love with. Married to the wealthy, but arrogant Tom Buchanan, Daisy has an affair with Gatsby, her former lover. She represents the wealthy woman during this era, referred to as a flapper, and shows no emotion in her lifestyle. Her final act of running from the responsibility of the car accident, suggests that she is a risk taker & she can’t let it cost her status.
Tom Buchanan
Boisterous, unruly, arrogant brute. He is self-centred & controlling, showing a complete lack of respect for women, including his wife & mistress, this is shown through his affair with Myrtle. Throughout the novel, Tom manipulates situations & people to hide his indiscretions. Tom looks down on those without money & those with new money.
George Wilson
Owns & operates a garage & gas station in the valley of ashes. George is resolved to his position in life, a quality that spurs his wife, Myrtle’s contempt for him. In his dealings with the world he is responsible & fair even with those like Tom Buchanan. In the end, his heartbreak over Myrtle’s death leads him to murder & ultimately suicide, representing the tragic impact of greed & deceit.
Myrtle Wilson
Tom’s married mistress, lives in the valley of ashes with her husband, George Wilson. The valley of ashes is a financial & social wasteland, Myrtle wants to escape it for a better life. She believes herself desirable to wealthy men & dislikes her husband for being poor. She represents lower class striving for the wealth and lifestyle of the elite.
Jordan Baker
Daisys friend from girlhood & a wealthy professional golfer. Jordan as the new woman = She is affluent, socially & politically progressive, athletic & not financially dependent on a husband; carefree. She did become romantically involved with Nick, but their relationship deteriorates when he discovers her honesty.
The climax of the novel..
..when Gatsby and Tom battle over Daisy & Daisy ends up choosing Tom. Also when Daisy kills Myrtle accidentally & Gatsby takes the blame.
Chapter 1 summary
Nick reflects on his past, he rents a home by Gatsby, a wealthy & mysterious business man. Nick goes to Tom & Daisy’s home & sees Tom making a mysterious phone call to his ‘mistress’ in New York, he evidently has no attempt to hide this relationship. Nick goes home & watches Gatsby looking over the bay towards nothing.
Chapter 2 summary
Valley of ashes opening. Eyes of Dr T.J. Eckleburg (eyes of god). Tom stops by at valley of ashes introducing Nick to ‘his girl’ (Myrtle). Myrtle insists Tom get her a puppy & then she shows it off in her apartment, she throws a party seen as part of her hedonistic pursuits she complains of her life & Tom’s marriage to Daisy, Tom swiftly strikes myths, breaking her nose. Nick goes home when it ends.
Chapter 3 summary
Gatsby known for his weekly parties. Nick surprised to receive an invite to a party, he goes and finds it strange as it’s unclear whether anyone had actually met the host, Gatsby. Nick finds Gatsby (with help from Jordan), he is struck by Gatsby’s easy style & genuine interest in talking to his guests. Nick wonders if he’s in live with Jordan.
Chapter 4 summary
Nick continues to attend Gatsby’s parties, his friendship with Gatsby grows, Gatsby tells Nick about the past. Gatsby takes Nick to New York, introducing him to Wolfsheim, a business associate, Nick discovers him to have a questionable past in gambling & other illegal activities. Gatsby asks Nick to arrange a lunch with Daisy that he can unexpectedly arrive at & surprise her.
Chapter 5 summary
Gatsby offers his friendship & money to reconnect him & Daisy but Nick would’ve preferred to just have friendship not buy it. Nick calls Daisy the next day, asking her to tea & not to bring Tom. On the day, Gatsby sends over a gardener & orders a “greenhouse” of flowers to decorate the interior of Nicks home. Gatsby arrives early, nervous Daisy won’t come. Daisy arrives but Gatsby has gone, he knocks a few mins later & is soaking wet. Gatsby invites Nick & Daisy over to his house for a tour. Daisy becomes impressed but not by Gatsby but by his “beautiful shirts”.
Chapter 6 summary
Insight into Gatsby’s past as Nick tells the reporter about Gatsby’s ‘true’ past.
Chapter 7 summary
The relationships between Gatsby, Daisy & Tom reach breaking point. To protect Daisy, Gatsby becomes more reclusive, he even fires his servants so there’s no gossip about her coming & going. During the meal at the Buchanans, Gatsby & Daisy gaze lovingly at each other, Tom cannot deny they’re having an affair. Daisy abruptly suggests a trip to New York. It’s oppressively hot in the city, so they rent a hotel room & drink. As they relax, Tom tries to catch Gatsby in a lie yet Gatsby is cool & composed. Tom is determined, insisting he won’t let “mr nobody from nowhere make love to his wife”. Gatsby rises & tells Tom Daisy never loved him, Daisy agrees, then says she loved both of them. Nick finds Gatsby hiding outside the Buchanans home in case Daisy needs protection but they are inside calmly eating dinner. Gatsby admits Daisy had been driving when Myrtle died but that he’ll take full blame. Nick leaves, disgusted.
Chapter 8 summary
Nick visits Gatsby encouraging him to leave west egg so he is safer, but he refuses to leave Daisy. Nick feels heartbroken for Gatsby & upon boarding the train calls out Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch put together”. George Wilson, meanwhile convinces his wife’s death was murder jot accident & desires revenge, he learns from Tom it was Gatsby’s car that killed Myrtle. Believing Gatsby responsible he visits Gatsby house & shoots Gatsby in his pool. Then he turns the gun onto himself & dies. Nick worried leaves early & discovers the bodies.
Chapter 9 summary
The day of Gatsby’s death draws in gossip. Nick tries reaching out to Gatsby’s friends to arrange his funeral but finds out they have left. Only a few servants & his father turns up. His father talks fondly of his son. Nick finds out Tom told George that Gatsby killed Myrtle & Nick is outraged, but Tom insists Gatsby deserved to die. After saying goodbye once & for all to Jordan he prepares to move back to the Midwest. On his last night he visits Gatsby’s house & stares across the bay to the green light saying “so we beat on, boats against the current, born back ceaselessly into the past.”
