Great Gatsby Notes

What is disillusionment?

Feeling of disappointment resulting from a discovery that something is not as good as one believed

What is modernism?

Reject old-fashion ideas (heroism and moral certitude[clear right and wrong]). Break with the past!

What group of writers was F. Scott Fitzgerald part of?

“The Lost Generation”

What amendment started Prohibition?

18th amendment

What amendment gave women the right to vote?

19th amendment

Who were flappers?

Women who wore: less restrictive clothing, short hair, makeup, smoke/drank/danced

What is the American Dream?

Idea that: no matter who you are → you can build a better a life through ability or achievement

What college did F. Scott Fitzgerald go to?

Princeton University

What college did Jay Gatsby/James Gatz go to?

Oxford University

What book’s success allowed F. Scott Fitzgerald to get married to a wealthy socialite Zelda Sayre?

This Side of Paradise (1919)

When was the Great Gatsby published?

1925

What is the setting of the Great Gatsby?

New York, summer of 1922.

Why is west egg significant?

Where Nick and Jay Gatsby live. Represent “New Money”.

Why is east egg significant?

The “fashionable” area. Where Daisy and Tom live. Represents “Old money”.

What does the “city” represent?

Where characters work and play

What does the Valley of the Ashes represent?

Where the people live (terrible place), who makes the extravagant lifestyles of the elite happen.

Who is Daisy inspired by?

Ginevra king

Where did Tom and Nick go to college?

Yale

Who is Jordan Baker inspired by?

Edith cummings; a close friend of Ginerva King

How is Nick related to Daisy?

He is her second cousin once removed

Is Nick in the same social class as Tom/Daisy/Gatsby?

No