The Great Gatsby_Introduction Powerpoint Presentation
- 1. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald Instructor: Bibi Halima Bibi.halima@uow.edu.pk
- 3. Original Cover of the Novel
- 5. The Great Gatsby may be the most popular classic in modern American fiction. Since its publication in 1925, Fitzgerald's masterpiece has become a touchstone for generations of readers and writers, many of whom reread it every few years as a ritual of imaginative renewal. The story of Jay Gatsby's desperate quest to win back his first love reverberates with themes at once characteristically American and universally human, among them the importance of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past. Though The Great Gatsby runs to fewer than two hundred pages, there is no bigger read in American literature. What Is This Novel All About?
- 6. What Is This Novel All About? 1. The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. Although it was not a commercial success for Fitzgerald during his lifetime, this lyrical novel has become an acclaimed masterpiece read and taught throughout the world. Unfolding in nine concise chapters, The Great Gatsby concerns the wasteful lives of four wealthy characters It is a story about extravagance that takes place in the 1920s. However, in a world of money, there is an understanding that there is new money and old money, and the rivalry in richness is depicted. The world of Gatsby seems lavish, but it is no less human. As the characters are revealed, they often look inward; it is at these moments that the reader will reflect on his or her life
- 7. Setting of the Novel 1920s and New York City This is in-between World War I and World War II The story also takes place during Prohibition, which means that alcohol is illegal The world celebrates the rich, but the rivalry between the rich will be strong
- 8. Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties was a decade of economic growth and widespread prosperity, driven by recovery from wartime devastation and deferred spending, a boom in construction, and the rapid growth of consumer goods such as automobiles and electricity in North America and Europe and a few other developed countries such as Australia. The economy of the United States, which had successfully transitioned from a wartime Economy to a peacetime economy, boomed and provided loans for a European boom as well. Some sectors stagnated, especially farming and coal mining. The US became the richest country in the world per capita and since the late-19th century had been the largest in total GDP. Its industry was based on mass production, and its society acculturated into consumerism. European economies, by contrast, had a more difficult postwar readjustment and did not begin to flourish until about 1924.
- 9. In most texts, we have an omniscient narrator. The role of the this narrator is to chronicle the events of a story in an impartial way. He or she has full access to the events and dialogue occurring in the narrative, rendering his or her account the most complete and accurate. This all-knowing, all- seeing narrator type jumps from scene to scene, following characters throughout a story and assessing the progress of the narrative Point of View of the Novel The story is told through Nick Carraway’s eyes, but he is, at times, unreliable. While the events always unfold in natural and clear ways, he displays characteristics that are inherently deceitful or confusing.
- 10. Major Characters of the Novel
- 13. Nick Carraway Nick, a young Midwesterner educated at Yale, is the novel's narrator. When he moves to the West Egg area of Long Island, he joins the lavish social world of Tom, Jordan, Gatsby, and Daisy.
- 14. Jay Gatsby The handsome, mysterious Gatsby, who lives in a mansion next door to Nick's cottage, is known for his lavish parties. Nick, whom he trusts, gradually learns about Gatsby's past and his love for Daisy.
- 15. Daisy Buchanan Beautiful, charming, and spoiled, Daisy is the object of Gatsby's love. Her caprice and materialism lead her to marry Tom Buchanan.
- 16. Tom Buchanan From an enormously wealthy Chicago family, Tom is a former Yale football star who sees himself at the top of an exclusive social hierarchy. He is conceited, violent, racist, and unfaithful.
- 17. Jordan Baker Daisy's friend Jordan epitomizes the modern woman of the 1920s. A liberated, competitive golfer, she is firmly established in high society. She both attracts and repels Nick as a romantic interest.
- 18. George Wilson The owner of an auto garage at the edge of the valley of ashes, George finds his only happiness through his faithless wife, Myrtle.
- 19. Myrtle Wilson Myrtle dreams of belonging to a higher social class than George can offer. Vivacious and sensual, she hopes her adulterous affair will lead to a life of glamour.
- 21. Some people think having money leads to happiness. Do you agree? Why or why not? What are the advantages or disadvantages of being affluent?