“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
The Great Gatsby: History, Background and Analysis
*Note: The following sites were compiled for high school students as a supplement to reading the novel The Great Gatsby. All sites are appropriate for these students.
The Roaring Twenties
The
Booming 1920’s – Dedicated to providing a simple, concise summary of the
decade known as the Jazz Age, this site will get you started on your quest to
learn more about the time period in which The Great Gatsby was written. Last visited:
The
Great Gatsby & 1920’s – Explore this well-maintained index page to
discover more about a variety of aspects of the 1920’s, including information
about the economy, politics, trends, fashion, and much more. Last visited:
http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/donmillsci/library/lessons/great_gatsby.htm
America’s
Economy in the 1920’s – This site provides a clear, informative overview of
the
Flappers in the
Roaring Twenties – Read more about the “new woman” of the 1920’s. You
may be surprised to discover the origin and meaning of the term
“flapper!” Last visited:
Flapper
Fashion – Read about and view fashion trends of the 1920’s. This site chronicles everything from dress
styles to hair styles and how they changed through the course of the
decade. Last visited:
Speakeasies,
Flappers, and Red Hot Jazz: Music of the
Prohibition – For all the music lovers out there, this site skillfully
explores the Jazz Age and its major players, including Duke Ellington and Hoagy Carmichael. It
also ties together bootlegging, flappers, and jazz music and explores the
connectedness of all three. Last visited:
The Politics
of Prohibition: The 1920s – Follow along with this easy-to-read site as it
chronicles the central conflicts around prohibition, as well as the many
unforeseen consequences. Last visited:
Al
Capone 1899-1947 – Here’s what you’ve been waiting for! Visit this
site to read more about the most well known gangster in history, and how he
influenced and was influenced by the culture of the 1920’s. Last visited:
St.
Valentine’s Day Massacre – While organized crime was escalating and
violence between competing mob groups was becoming common, a mysterious and
baffling mass murder occurred in
The Fitzgeralds
A
Fitzgerald Chronology – A great introduction to both Fitzgeralds, this site
provides a concise timeline of both lives, from each parent’s birth to the
death of Zelda
and F Scott’s child. Read through to
give yourself a basic overview of the lives of the Fitzgeralds. Last visited:
The Fitzgeralds
– This site provides an in-depth look at both F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and
offers extensive background on their lives, apart and together. Last visited:
F Scott
Fitzgerald (1896-1940) – Focused predominantly on F Scott, the advantage to
this site is that it also briefly summarizes his major works, allowing a more
advanced look at the influence his life experiences had on his writing. Last visited:
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/fsfitzg.htm
F Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald – PBS offers a side-by-side comparison of the lives of F Scott and Zelda. You will also find photographs and compelling, well-written narratives in both biographies. Last visited: 5/26/06.
http://www.pbs.org/kteh/amstorytellers/bios.html
Zelda Fitzgerald – Read more about the mysterious and beautiful Zelda Fitzgerald and her ultimate decline into insanity. This article provides insight into the life and mind of Zelda before, during, and after her marriage to F Scott. Last visited: 5/26/06. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelda_Fitzgerald
Zelda Fitzgerald Quotes – Many people don’t realize that Zelda was an artist in her own right, and had many interesting thoughts about the world around her. Read a few of her more famous quotes, and think about how her philosophy of life influenced or was influenced by her husband. Last visited: 5/26/06. http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/quotes/a/zelda_fitzg.htm
Character Analysis
The
Great Gatsby A Beginner’s Guide – This privately hosted site provides reliable
and interesting insight into each main character in the novel. Check it out to give yourself a basic overview
of the critical characters and their various foibles. Last visited:
The Character of James Gatsby – This site provides an interesting perspective on Gatsby’s character, including his many personas and what causes his deterioration. Also, the author explores why we as an audience like Gatsby, despite his shortcomings. Last visited: 5/26/06. http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Hall/1170/gatsby.html
Jay Gatsby – Another analysis of Jay Gatsby, this article provides more speculation about the motivation for his actions, as well as his weaknesses and faults. Last visited: 5/26/06. http://www.msu.edu/~larginka/gatsby.htm
Nick The Flawed Narrator – We are unused to relying on an unreliable narrator, and yet this essay proposes that we have to do just that to understand the plot of The Great Gatsby. Read on to find out what makes him unreliable and how we can still get the truth from his narrative. Last visited: 5/26/06. http://www.geocities.com/andrew_dilling/essaynick.htm
The
Great Gatsby – Byrant Mangum’s essay explores Nick’s
role as the narrator, along with the roles that setting and symbolism play in establishing
the theme. Last visited: