The Great Gatsby Background and Context

Question 1

When was Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald born?

Answer 1

September 24, 1896

Question 2

What significant event did Fitzgerald’s ancestor, Francis Scott Key, author?

Answer 2

The Star-Spangled Banner

Question 3

Where was Fitzgerald raised?

Answer 3

St. Paul, Minnesota

Question 4

What educational institution did Fitzgerald enroll in 1913?

Answer 4

Princeton

Question 5

What military rank did Fitzgerald achieve during World War I?

Answer 5

Second lieutenant

Question 6

Who did Fitzgerald fall in love with while stationed in Alabama?

Answer 6

Zelda Sayre

Question 7

What was the title of Fitzgerald’s first published novel?

Answer 7

This Side of Paradise

Question 8

In what year was The Great Gatsby published?

Answer 8

1925

Question 9

Which character in The Great Gatsby is similar to Fitzgerald?

Answer 9

Nick Carraway

Question 10

What lifestyle did Fitzgerald adopt after becoming famous?

Answer 10

Wild, reckless lifestyle of parties and decadence

Question 11

What major personal issues did Fitzgerald face during the Great Depression?

Answer 11

Nervous breakdown of Zelda and his alcoholism

Question 12

What was the title of Fitzgerald’s novel published in 1934?

Answer 12

Tender Is the Night

Question 13

What term did Fitzgerald coin to describe disillusioned young men after World War I?

Answer 13

The lost generation

Question 14

What economic period does The Great Gatsby represent?

Answer 14

The Jazz Age

Question 15

What amendment initiated Prohibition in the United States?

Answer 15

Eighteenth Amendment

Question 16

What social movement led to the introduction of Prohibition?

Answer 16

Temperance movement

Question 17

What illicit activity became rampant during Prohibition?

Answer 17

Bootlegging

Question 18

What does Nick Carraway represent in The Great Gatsby?

Answer 18

A critical observer of the Jazz Age

Question 19

What is the real name of Jay Gatsby?

Answer 19

James Gatz

Question 20

Fill in the blank: The character Daisy in The Great Gatsby is inspired by both _______ and Zelda.

Answer 20

Ginevra King

Question 21

True or False: Fitzgerald’s characters often depict the moral emptiness of the Jazz Age.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

What social class distinction is highlighted between West Egg and East Egg?

Answer 22

New money vs. old money

Question 23

What did Tom Buchanan’s wealth represent in The Great Gatsby?

Answer 23

Old money aristocracy

Question 24

How did Fitzgerald’s family background influence his views on wealth?

Answer 24

His father was poor, and his mother’s family financed his education

Question 25

What was a significant consequence of Prohibition on society?

Answer 25

Promotion of organized crime

Question 26

What was the economic condition of agriculture during the 1920s?

Answer 26

Decline due to mechanization and drought

Question 27

What nickname was given to the decade of the 1920s due to its excesses?

Answer 27

The Roaring Twenties

Question 28

Who is Meyer Wolfshiem modeled after in The Great Gatsby?

Answer 28

Arnold Rothstein

Question 29

What year did the World Series scandal occur?

Answer 29

1919

Question 30

Which baseball team was involved in the 1919 World Series scandal?

Answer 30

Chicago White Sox

Question 31

Who financed the conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series?

Answer 31

Arnold Rothstein

Question 32

What character in Fitzgerald's work is based on Arnold Rothstein?

Answer 32

Wolfshiem

Question 33

What crime was Arnold Rothstein known for besides fixing baseball games?

Answer 33

Dealing in stolen bonds

Question 34

What incident involving Young Parke is mentioned in Gatsby's mansion?

Answer 34

He was picked up when he handed the bonds over the counter

Question 35

Which organized crime group was prominent during the time of Gatsby?

Answer 35

The Mafia

Question 36

What rumor circulated among guests at Gatsby's party?

Answer 36

Gatsby once killed a man

Question 37

From which cities did Gatsby receive phone calls indicating organized crime connections?

Answer 37

Chicago and Philadelphia

Question 38

What does Tom Buchanan speculate about Gatsby's wealth?

Answer 38

He is a bootlegger

Question 39

How long did Gatsby claim it took him to earn the money for his house?

Answer 39

Just three years

Question 40

Fill in the blank: A New York gangster named _______ financed the scam to fix the World Series.

Answer 40

Arnold Rothstein

Question 41

True or False: Gatsby's wealth was obtained legally according to Tom Buchanan.

Answer 41

False