Themes:Idealism

Question 1

How does The Great Gatsby foreshadow the Wall Street Crash of 1929?

Answer 1

The novel, set in 1922 and published in 1925, depicts unrestrained hedonism and tragedy, foreshadowing the Wall Street Crash fueled by wild confidence in the Roaring Twenties.

Question 2

What does Gatsby’s “castle” built on a “fairy’s wing” symbolize?

Answer 2

Gatsby’s “castle” represents wealth, built on the fantasy of the American Dream, depicted metaphorically as laying foundations and immense wealth acquisitions.

Question 3

What connotations does the Valley of Ashes hold?

Answer 3

The Valley of Ashes symbolizes wasteful life and lack of value, with its inhabitants and ashes being waste products of the economic industrial boom of the Roaring Twenties.

Question 4

What phrase describes the atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties?

Answer 4

The phrase “young and rich and wild”(p50) captures the spirit of the Roaring Twenties, reflecting the confidence and exuberance of the era.