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2. books and literature

Devin Kappie - AP Literature
MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEET
Title: The Great Gatsby
Biographical Information about the Author
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Born September 24, 1896 and died December 21, 1940. F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American Date of Publication: April 10, 1925
author, whose works are majorly surrounding the times of the Jazz Age and the roaring 20’s. Genre: Fictional Novel
He is widely known as one of the greatest th​
Historical Information about the period and place American writers of the 20​ century. He was of publication – what was happening in the world named after his ancestor Francis Scott Key, who wrote the famous composition "The Star the author lived in and how might that have Spangled Banner" . Although Fitzgerald was a influenced him?
smart child, he did badly in school and was During the time of publication, it was what was sent to a New Jersey boarding school where he known as the “roaring 20’s”. This was a time of maintained his poor academic record. partying, fun, and irresponsible behavior. Nevertheless, he went to Princeton in 1913 Economically, the era was on the rise as the focus where his academics and lack of motivation of society was on luxury and high class. Yet, in later lead him to enroll in the army for WWI. 1929 Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred and Fitzgerald fell in love with his “golden girl” ended the era of luxury. Then the Great Depression Zelda Fitzgerald and they ended up having a started, and brought years of gloom and turmoil. daughter Frances Scott Fitzgerald. F. Scott Here, the essence of the dream and lust for “ The Fitzgerald was known to be a heavy drinker, American Dream” is born.
which is what lead to his death in the end.
Characteristics of the Genre
Is a long narrative, normally in prose, which describes fictional characters and events, usually in the form of a sequential story. For example, in this novel, the story revolves around the tragic relationship of Gatsby and his “golden girl” Daisy.
Plot Summary
Midwest native Nick Carraway arrives in 1922 New York in search of the American dream. Nick, a would­be writer, moves in next­door to millionaire Jay Gatsby and across the bay from his cousin Daisy and her philandering husband, Tom. Jay Gatsby has never truly been seen to anyone in public, no one never knew who owned the giant mansion on the island, except Nick. After he meets Jay he is on a quest to help him win the heart of Jay Gatsby’s golden girl, and Nick’s cousin, Daisy. But what Nick does not know is of Gatsby’s past, and what will come from it. Through the struggle of finding out who Jay Gatsby truly is, and how his obsession with Daisy will effect his future, Nick is sucked into a long roller coaster of emotion, love, hate, and passion during the roaring 20’s and the era of “The American Dream”.
Describe the author’s style
An example that demonstrates that style
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s style is very detailed oriented. He loves to use elaborate words and winding sentences to illustrate his point to the reader. The use of metaphors, imagery, and flashbacks are also very prominent within the novel.
“If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away”(Page 14).
Memorable Quotes
Quotation
Significance
“He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock”(Page 21).
This quote is significant because it illustrates to the audience the first sign of the major symbol of the novel, the green light. Which in the end, signifies the lust Gatsby has for Daisy and the obsession he has for her love.
“I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby‘s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited”(Page 41).
The quote is significant because Nick explains the common situation of all who are at Gatsby’s parties, that they do not know who Gatsby is, but Nick proves to be different. He actually was invited to Gatsby’s party, unlike all the other people at the parties he has every weekend.
"Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known" (Page 64).
"There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams ­­ not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion" (Page 101).
"Can't repeat the past?" he cried incredulously. "Why of course you can" (Page 116).
This quote is significant because it is Nick describing how he feels that Gatsby is not honest and he is yet another follower of everyone who suspects something negative out of Gatsby.
This quote is significant because it illustrates that Daisy, who was deeply in love with Gatsby, has begun to see through his illusion that he is pure and honest, and that his love is simply an obsession of obtaining something that he has never truly owned, is just too much.
This quote is significant because it illustrates to the audience that Gatsby is still living in the past, or at least wants to. Gatsby believes he can recreate the past and then live it. This also signifies how he is obsessed with Daisy and will do anything to recreate the love they once had.
Characters
Name
Jay Gatsby
Role in the Story
Significance
Adjectives
The title character and protagonist of the novel, he is a fabulously wealthy young man living in a Gothic mansion in West Egg. He is famous for the lavish parties he throws every Saturday night, but no one knows where he comes from, what he does, or how he made his fortune.
Gatsby causes his own downfall in the end. His obsession with winning over Daisy, not only drives Daisy away, but causes him to be in a situation that leads to his murder. Gatsby goes to show, that you can have all the wealth in the world, but still not truly be happy and feel like you have The American Dream.
Loving, caring, passionate, hard working, and obsessive.
The Great Gatsby​
is told entirely through Nick’s eyes; his thoughts and perceptions shape and color the story. Nick Carraway
Daisy Buchanan
Tom Buchanan
Myrtle Wilson
Nick is a young man from Minnesota who, after being educated at Yale and fighting in World War I, goes to New York City to learn the bond business.
Known as the “Golden Girl” in Gatsby’s eyes, as well as the cousin of Nick Carraway. She is the living dream and obsession of Gatsby and wife of Tom Buchanan.
Daisy’s immensely wealthy husband, once a member of Nick’s social club at Yale. Powerfully built and hailing from a socially solid old family, Tom is an arrogant, hypocritical bully.
Tom’s lover, whose lifeless husband George owns a run­down garage in the valley of ashes. Myrtle herself possesses a fierce vitality and desperately looks for a way to improve her situation.
Being the narrator, the reader Shy, sensitive, gets out of the story as much is protective, and seen and told by him. He lives caring.
his life between the crazy lives of Gatsby and Daisy and all the clans that follow them around. He is often left to make difficult decisions that aren’t even about him. In the end, the life of luxury that he thought he was going to have, with knowing Jay Gatsby, ends up bringing him a life of regret and sorrow.
With Gatby’s obsession of her, she can push and shove him wherever she pleases in order to fit her life. She often struggles with her long lost love Gatsby, and her current love Tom, which leads to a tragic end to her love with Gatsby.
Beautiful, kind, needy, careless, young, wealthy.
By his strong demeanor, he dictates every aspect of not Mean, cruel, only Daisy’s life, but all those strong, selfish, around him. With Tom being wealthy.
deceiving and conniving, his attitudes and selfishness lead to Gatsby’s death.
She plays a role of the common poor who only wish to live a better life, but more often than not, end up in trouble and in bad situations.
Needy, spiteful, talkative, poor, strong­willed.
George B. Wilson
Jordan Baker
Meyer Wolfsheim
Consumed with anger and guilt after Myrtle affair with Tom, and her mysterious death, he is informed by Tom Myrtle’s husband, the Lazy, lifeless, that Gatsby is the cause, and lifeless, exhausted owner of a miserable.
he murders Gatsby at his run­down auto shop at the home. One of the only actions edge of the valley of ashes. George seems to be enthused to George loves and idealizes do in his life in the end.
Myrtle, and is devastated by her affair with Tom.
Being the best friend of Daisy, she is basically a follower of a socialite her whole life. Yet, she is quite a pretty well known socialite herself. Except, her Daisy’s friend, a woman career and what she boasts with whom Nick becomes about is based upon a lie and romantically involved with. cheating, and so is her life A competitive golfer, Jordan there after.
Cynical, boyish, represents one of the “new dis­honest, women” of the 1920s.
self­centered.
Throughout the novel appearing, and only Gatsby truly knows why he keeps appearing, Nick finds Wolfsheim very suspicious and Gatsby’s friend, a prominent feels that Wolfsheim has had something to do with the figure in organized crime. success of Gatsby and helped Before the events of the Deceiving, novel take place, Wolfsheim put Gatsby into trouble.
conniving, helped Gatsby to make his mistrusting.
fortune bootlegging illegal liquor.
Setting
The novel is written in past tense during the Summer of 1922. Along the island of Long Island and New York City. Specifically in two areas called, “ West Egg” and “East Egg”. These two areas signify the two different types of wealth in the area. One being all “new” money, and one being all “old” money.
Significance of opening scene
The opening scene, gives the readers an inside look of a typical working class man during the era of the roaring 20’s. Nick Carraway is a perfect example of a innocent, hard working man who just moved to a new, and mysterious place and has plenty to explore and learn about in his new home. Not only, learn about the area where he now, but also about himself.
Significance of ending/closing scene
1. The Green light
Nick is talking about Gatsby in the closing scene ­ constantly pushing against the current – looking back to the past to a Daisy who was never the person he thought she was. A major theme that becomes prevalent in the end, is that memory is faulty. We remember things the way we want them to. We go against the current that pushes us towards cold, hard reality instead choosing to return to happier times. That was Gatsby's fatal error. He was in love with a person who never really existed.
2. The color yellow, especially the color of Gatsby’s yellow car
The color yellow (of Gatsby’s car) signifies the wealth and lives of those who are in the upper class during the roaring 20’s.
Symbols
3. The Valley of Ashes
4. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg
The Valley of Ashes represents the moral and social decay that results from the uninhibited pursuit of wealth, as the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure. The Valley of Ashes also symbolizes the plight of the poor and the lower classes.
They may represent God staring down upon and judging American society as a moral wasteland. The eyes also come to represent the essential meaninglessness of the world and the arbitrariness of the mental process by which people invest objects with meaning.
Old AP Questions
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Possible Themes
1. The decline of “The American Dream” during the 1920’s.
2. The hollowness of the upper class.
3. The presence and memory of the past and the lust for the future.