MOD - The Great Gatsby Module Overview

During the rest of this unit, we will study The Great Gatsby, a work on Modernist fiction considered by many to be the greatest American novel. Before we turn to the novel itself, please watch the Discovery Ed video linked below, to learn more about F. Scott Fitzgerald, a Modernist writer, expatriate, member of the Lost Generation, and author of The Great Gatsby. Though the novel is not autobiographical, Fitzgerald used many details from his own life to create his characters, settings, and events.

An Introduction to The Great Gatsby

We now turn to the novel itself, so make sure you are ready to listen carefully and take notes. Please view the following presentation, which will give you an overview of the novel, The Great Gatsby. Please be patient while the presentation loads - depending on your internet connection, it may take some time. Ensure that your speakers are turned up, and use the controls at the bottom of the presentation to pause if necessary.

The American Dream

The American Dream is an idea referred to frequently in the past and even today. It suggests that America provides a special opportunity for people of all backgrounds, experience, families, socioeconomic groups, races, religions, etc. to succeed based on hard work and skill and to lead happy, successful lives. The American Dream was a popular theme in literature during the 20th century, especially during the Modernism time period. The Great Gatsby focuses on the disintegration of the American Dream in a time of great wealth and prosperity for many Americans.

Consider your own American Dream. What are your goals for the future? What would you like to achieve? Do you think these goals and desires are different today than what people in the 1920s wanted for themselves?

The Roaring Twenties

 "The Roaring Twenties" is a phrase used to describe the decade of the 1920s, which is the decade in which The Great Gatsby is set. The phrase refers to the economic growth of this time that began in cities, including New York, but quickly spread after the end of World War I. New technologies such as the automobile, moving pictures, and radio changed the culture of America. At the same time, jazz and dancing rose in popularity. This progress led many to believe the world was headed in a positive and unstoppable direction. The mood for those who benefitted from this prosperity was fun and celebratory, leading many to bask in the good times without any worries or recognition that not everyone was prospering. The Roaring Twenties ended with the Stock Market Crash of late 1929 and the onset of the Great Depression.

Please view the Crash Course video on the Roaring Twenties.

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.