AO3: The Great Gatsby Flashcards
What were Fitzgerald’s views on drinking and partying?
Fitzgerald’s own addiction to alcohol contributed to his premature death and dangers reflected in his novel
Arguably alcoholism and excessive lifestyle led to Zelda’s nervous breakdown
How can Gatsby’s past be linked to Europe?
James Gatz breaks away from his past and becomes Jay Gatsby, similar to the way American colonies break away from British Empire
When was the novel published?
1925
What group did Fitzgerald belong to?
- A rich group of American writers who were disillusioned with wealth + immigrated to Europe
- They believed society lacked idealism and vision
- They felt a sense of personal alienation and believed Americans were obsessed with materialism + outmoded moral values
- the lost generation
What did Stein coin Fitzgerald and other middle-upper-class American writers?
The Lost Generation
What did the 1920s economic boom result in?
- Manufacturing rose by 60%
- Gross national goods rose 5% a year caused by the destruction of European economies during WWI leaving US as the only major industrial nation + advances in technology
What amendment gave women the right to vote?
The 19th amendment
Why was the 1920s called the Roaring Twenties?
Due to rowdy jazz age parties and get-rich-quick financial schemes
What amendment started Prohibition?
The 18th amendment
What is a speakeasy?
Secret bars where illegal alcohol was sold to those in the know - mainly rich white people
Who is Wolfshiem based on?
Arnold Rothstein:
- Professional gambler charged with fixing the 1919 world series
- Later became involved in bootlegging
- Never charged with a crime in his lifetime
What was the idea of the New woman / Flapper?
“new breed” of women—known as the flapper—went against the gender proscriptions of the era, bobbing their hair, wearing short dresses, listening to jazz, and flouting social and sexual norms flaunted their disdain for “acceptable behavior”
What is the Puritan Work Ethic?
The idea that through hard work Protestants would be rewarded by God in heaven
When did the pilgrims first ravel to America?
The Mayflower was an English ship that transported the first English Puritans, known today as the Pilgrims, from Plymouth, England, to the New World in 1620 where they sought religious freedom in the Eden like America
Who criticised the materialistic ways of the noveu riche in the Gospel of Wealth (1899)?
Andrew Carneige 1889 stated that the wealthy have a responsibility to use their wealth for public good by utilizing their surplus means in a responsible way to help the poor. Particularly talking about the NR as their wealth caused major class divide not helped by materialistic ways.
What was Andrew Carneige statement about being rich?
he said “I should consider it a disgrace to die a rich man”
What did Andrew Carnegie do in the late 18 years of his life?
He became a leading philanthropist in the US and gave away $350 million to charities, foundations, and universities - almost 90% of his fortune!
What is another name for the newly rich?
Noveau riche
Who were the robber barons?
“Robber Barons” is a derogatory metaphor of social criticism originally applied to certain late 19th-century American businessmen who were accused of using unscrupulous methods to get rich or expand their wealth
What genre is the novel?
Considered both:
- Modernism
- Realism
What period did realism occur?
1880 - 1940 ALL OF UNSEEN IS REALISM
What is the content of realism? (5)
- Social realism + regional realism
- Common characters NOT idealised (immigrants + labourers)
- Class systems
- Society corrupted by materialism
- Moralism through observation
What is the style of realism?
- Objective narrator
- The dialogue has many voices
What is the effect of realism?
- Social realism aims to change social problems
- Civil war demands truer literature
