Download Study Guide for Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald
Setting: The story takes place during the 1920's, there are four major settings:
1.
2.
3.
4.
East egg – “fashionable” side of Long Island where the Buchanans and other “old money” people live
West Egg – “less fashionable” side of Long Island where Gatsby and Nick live
The valley of ashes – the desolate wasteland where the Wilsons live & where Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s sign is
New York City – symbol of what America has become in the 1920’s: a place where anything goes, where
money is made and bootleggers flourish, and where the World Series can be fixed by a man such as Meyer
Wolfsheim
Themes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Hope - represented by the light across the bay that Gatsby was fixated on. It was the embodiment of his
sole goal in life, which was a reunification with Daisy.
Success - Gatsby felt that the only way he would win Daisy was through his money.
Ignorance - The characters have little self-knowledge and even less knowledge of each other.
Judgment - Nick misinterprets the advice of his father and tries not to judge people.
Disillusionment - Gatsby dreams of getting back together with Daisy even though she is married and has a
daughter.
Morals - The morals of people with great wealth seem to be less than desirable, but many times are more
socially accepted than lower classes.
Lessons/Morals/Applications:
1.
2.
3.
Money cannot buy happiness.
You cannot relive the past.
If dreams are too fantastic, and reality cannot keep up with ideals they are usually not fulfilled.
Vocabulary:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Feign – V. make believe with the intent to deceive
Apathetic – Adj. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive.
Innuendo – N. An indirect or subtle, usually derogatory implication in expression; an insinuation.
Rajah – N. A prince, chief, or ruler in India or the East Indies
Perturb – V. trans. To disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious
Tumult – N. The din and commotion of a great crowd.
Vicarious – Adj. Felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another
Superfluous – Adj. Being beyond what is required or sufficient.
Subtle – Adj. So slight as to be difficult to detect or describe; elusive
Borne – V. a past participle of the verb bear (to carry in mind; harbor)
Unscrupulous—Adj. Devoid of scruples; oblivious to or contemptuous of what is right or honorable.
Pious—Adj. Having or exhibiting religious reverence; earnestly compliant in the observance of religion; devout.
Ingenuity—N. Inventive skill or imagination; cleverness.
Commence—V. To begin; start.
Ornery—Adj. Mean-spirited, disagreeable, and contrary in disposition; cantankerous.
Infernal—Adj. Of or relating to hell; Abominable; awful
Dismal—Adj. Causing gloom or depression; dreary.
Candid—Adj. Characterized by openness and sincerity of expression; unreservedly straightforward.
Haughty—Adj. Scornfully and condescendingly proud.
Vernacular—N. The standard native language of a country or locality.
Elements of Modernism:
• Disillusionment and loss of faith in the American Dream
• Rejection of traditional themes and subjects
• Rejection of sentimentallity and artificiality
• Emphasis on bold experimentation in style and form, reflecting the fragmentation of society
• Psychological focus on character, focused on the inner workings of the human mind.
• Revolt against the spritual debasement of the modern world.
• Rejection of the “ideal hero” who is infallible in favor of a hero who is flawed and disillusioned, but shows “grace
under pressure.” (The Anti-Hero)
Name a Modernism author other than F. Scott Fitzgerald:
o Langston Hughes
o Robert Frost
o John Steinbeck
o e.e. cummings
o etc.
Langston Hughes:
o Wrote Weary Blues
o Part of Harlem Renaissance
o Modernist writer
**Students are responsible for all plot elements of The Great Gatsby**
Semicolons & Colons
Using Semicolons
1. joining independent clauses
a. Ex: Stanley was thinking it was time to get a job; he wanted to work in retail.
b. Ex: The major gave an unclear order; consequently, the troops marched over the cliff.
2. between items in a series
a. Ex: When you think about how an orchestra is organized, notice the strings, the violin, the viola,
and the cello; the woodwinds, the clarinet and the oboe; and the horns, the trombone, the French
horn, and the trumpet.
b. Ex: I went to Paris, France; London, England; Oslo, Norway; and Berlin, Germany.
Using Colons
1. introducing a list
a. English grammar contains various parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, and
conjunctions.
2. introducing a quotation or formal statement
a. Ex: One instructor has this quotation from Woody Allen posted on his website: “Eighty percent of
success is showing up.”
b. Ex: Remember this: College graduates earn 72% more than high school graduates.
3. introducing a restatement or explanation
a. Ex: I love to eat certain foods: Grapes, chicken, and pizza are my favorites.
4. separating hours and minutes
a. Ex: I like to eat at 6:30 p.m.
5. separating chapter and verse for biblical passages
a. Ex: Listen to Samuel read Matthew 8:11-15.
6. introduce subtitle
a. Ex: My favorite book is Jane Austen: Charlotte to Elizabeth.
7. end salutation of business letter
a. Ex: Dear Mr. Smith: