THE JAZZ AGE: THE ROARING TWENTIES
A brief backdrop to Fitzgerald’s the GREAT GATSBY
A time-line for discussion
Radio came into America in 1916 as independent stations
in cities like Chicago and New York began broadcasting to small audiences. During WWI the United States government took
control of most radio stations for military use.
1917—The New Orleans Jazz Band recorded “Livery Stable
Blues”. It helped make jazz popular and
introduced the record player to American society. In a few years record players where like
television sets—everyone had to have one.
The first records were under 3 minutes in time length.
1918 Nov. 11 1918 END OF WWI. WWI brought disillusionment. It seemed to most that technology had failed
and brought massive graves. People renew
their vigor in leading alternative life styles—fast paced full of hedonism and
living for the day instead of the future.
Jan 16 1920 the 18th
Amendment brought on the Prohibition.
The Prohibition lasted 13 years and introduced into America speakeasies,
Organized Crime and bootlegging. It was
an era of fast money.
Thus began, as Fitzgerald said, “The most expensive orgy
in history.”
1920 also introduced the 1st commercial radio
station. By 1922 their were 670
commercial stations in the country.
Oct. 28 1929 The stock market crashed and the Jazz Age
came to a close.
THE GREAT GATSBY was published in 1925 and the
story takes place in the early 20s right after the close of WWI.
The novel is primarily about the failure of the American
Dream.
'Resume'
Razors pain you; Rivers are damp; Acids stain you; And drugs cause cramp; Guns aren't lawful; Nooses give; Gas smells awful; You might as well live. Dorothy Parker
Observation
If I don't drive around the park,
I'm pretty sure to make my mark.
If I'm in bed each night by ten,
I may get back my looks again,
If I abstain from fun and such,
I'll probably amount to much,
But I shall stay the way I am,
Because I do not give a damn.
I'm pretty sure to make my mark.
If I'm in bed each night by ten,
I may get back my looks again,
If I abstain from fun and such,
I'll probably amount to much,
But I shall stay the way I am,
Because I do not give a damn.
Dorothy Parker
SYMBOL: An image that represents a larger idea. Usually a symbol is tied in with one of the
themes of the noveL
Some
symbols so far
Valley
of Ashes—represents spiritual death. It
is tied in with the Death of the American Game (or the death of Gatsby’s
American Dream). With the failure of the
American Dream comes a spiritless wandering.
It also represents the spiritual wasteland that most people felt after
WWI. Technology, the great survivor of
society, had failed and had become the great destroyer.
The
Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg—represents the lost of religion. Ties in with the Valley of Ashes as it is a
spiritless ghost that looks over the wasteland.
It also represents the failure of technology. Because of WWI people feel the need to live for
the moment.
TIME—watch
out for the mention of time. Nick the
narrator is very conscious of time and the passing of time. Mark your book every time Nick mentions time,
or time passing, or sees a watch, a clock, etc.
People are living for the moment, everyone except Gatsby.
The
Green Light at the end of the dock—this represents Gatsby dream: Daisy, and how
close he has come to fulfilling it.
PLOT: THE GREAT GATSBY
Exposition: Nick moves to West Egg and is reacquainted with Tom
and Daisy and has dinner with them at East Egg.
He meets Jordan. Observes Gatsby as Gatsby reaches his hand out toward
the green light of Daisy’s house. Goes with Tom to meet Myrtle Wilson. In the process he also meets George Wilson at
his garage in the Valley of the Ashes.
Inciting Event: Nick is invited to Gatsby’s party. He attends.
THE GREAT GATSBY
Subplot: A subplot is a minor story within a larger
story. Usually it deals with
relationships between characters and it follows the same outline of a plot—it
has exposition, inciting event, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The better novels usually have the climax of
the more important subplots coincide with the climax of the central plot in a
novel. Example in The Great Gatsby
the climax in the subplots of Nick and Gatsby, Nick and Daisy will coincide
with the climax of the main plot.
Let’s
look at three subplots that are building:
MAIN
PLOT: Chap 1 and Chap 2 are the
exposition.
SUB-PLOT: Nick and Tom
Type
of Conflict: Person vs. Person
Exposition: Chapter 1.
Nick gets reacquainted with Tom who he went to college with. He says that despite Tom’s hulking figure he
thinks Tom respects him and wants Nick’s approval. Nick reserves judgment on Tom, though Tom is
present as a racist, sexist, and an arrogant man who believes everyone is
beneath him. We also learn he is having
an affair. We can guess that these
things about Tom will eventually have some toil on the friendship. In chapter 1 Nick is allied with Tom through
background.
Inciting
Event: Chapter 2. Tom drags Nick to see “his girl.” Nick is an unwilling witness. Nick meets Myrtle. This event sets up the
rest of the events between Tom and Nick.
Rising
Action: Tom and Nick go to Myrtle’s (Tom’s) apartment. Tom buys Myrtle a dog. We meet Myrtle’s sister, Catherine. A drunken party happens (it starts to become
apparently that Tom drinks a bit). Tom
breaks Myrtle’s nose in an argument about Daisy.
SUBPLOT: Nick and Jordan
Type
of Conflict: Person vs. Person
Conflict:
A brief love affair that goes sour
Protagonist:
Nick
Antagonist:
Jordan
Dynamic
character: Nick
Static
Character: Jordan?
Exposition:
Chapter 1. Nick meets Jordan at the
Buccanhans’ home in East Egg. He has a
brief conversation with her about Gatsby and the relationship between Daisy and
Tom. He remembers he has heard something
of her past.
Inciting
Event: Chapter 3. Meets Jordan at
Gatsby’s party. Jordan is with a date,
but she easily forgets about him to hang out with Nick. There is talk/rumors of Gatsby. Nick meets Gatsby and Gatsby ask Jordan to
hear his secret.
Raising
Action: A) Nick asks Jordan out.
B)
Nick remembers a rumor about Jordan cheating in a golf tournament, but doesn’t
care though he claims that Jordan is incurably dishonest, and that dishonesty
in a woman is something you never deeply blame
C)
Jordan says “It takes two to make an accident” and that she likes Nick because
he is careful, while she is not.
D)
Nick realizes he needs to official break it off with some girl, a tennis
player, back home.
E)
Jordan tells Nick about the back-story about Gatsby and Daisy, and Nick and
Daisy.
F)
Nick kisses Jordan but says unlike Gatsby he doesn’t have a Daisy to live for.
SUBPLOT: Nick and Gatsby
Type
of Conflict: Person vs. Society, Person vs. Self
Exposition: Chapter 1.
Nick sees Gatsby alone in his yard with his hand stretched out across
the water at the green light at the end of the dock of East Egg (He is reaching
for Daisy’s house).
Inciting
Event: Chapter 3. Nick accepts Gatsby’s
invitation to come to Gatsby’s party.
Raising
Action: Nick meets Gatsby and begins to
learn about Gatsby’s past.
