Great Gatsby Notes

Notes Introduction: Novel about: i) ii) iii) Fitzgerald

Great Gatsby

Social context Nick Carraway (Narrator: NC)

Novel was published in 1926. Set in New York Vibrant (full of life and energy), exciting and dynamic

Post WW1: • • • • Prohibition: ‘speaking easy’ bar  Alcohol was banned Organised crime. (Mafia) Great Celebration Prosperity (success or wealth) The Jazz Age Fashion  Flappers

Poem at the front  appropriate insight to the novel that’s what Gatsby does. Maybe a theme of love? ... Completely infatuation (the state of being completely carried away by unreasoned passion or love)  unhealthy-obsession. Explored as novel progress i) Impress ii) Excited by materialism iii) Wealth iv) Gold  tried to impress women by wealth v) Show all your skills (metaphorical language) Gatsby: Romantic, idealised (perfect) view of love.

Chapter 1: Nick Carraway: immediately introduced to the narrator

Notes -

Great Gatsby His observations: his thoughts: feelings and views on events.

The story is told in retrospect (looking back on events and reflecting) Nick Carraway: i) Straight away narrative (account of events)  older, wiser, more mature  experience ‘vulnerable’ ii) Voice  personal iii) Reflective (responsibility)  Memories, Articulate (The act or manner of producing a speech sound), Intelligent, Sensitive, Educated, Privileged, Good listener, Tolerant, Patient introspective (look at deep thought), doesn’t judge much, Too much diplomat, people confide (trust) in NC even when unlooked. iv) Humble  Humility  ‘snobbishly’ Gre v) Modest  self-deprecating at Social divisions West Egg (new money) new Parvenu: -social class -hierarchy (status) -social connections -fashionable - Nouveau: riche East Egg (old money) -old fashion -educated -wealthy

Trimalchio character created by the Roman Satirist (person who uses irony and sarcasm etc…) called Petronius Nero. 1. ‘Dinner with Trimalchio’  satirical piece on new money Epitome (representative) of Significant impact on NC the American Dream (These events and memories had a profound on NC. Gatsby Optimistic (hopeful) ‘Romantic’ idealised of view love ‘It was an extraordinary gift for hope a romantic readiness…’ o o Very self- conscious (concerned about his own action) narrator Novel very carefully crafted

Nick Carraway mixed feelings about Gatsby “something gorgeous” and then “unaffected scorn” showing ostentatious (intended to attract notice and impress others) of his own wealth flashy

Notes

Great Gatsby

NC highly critical but suggest Gatsby (victim ‘preyed’  hunted down) is “gorgeous” admiration respect NC = open and honest – His own background

Objective view for the reader and trust, connection between reader and narrator Summer ‘new start’ NC: old traditional respected family Descendants, history ‘New Haven’ Yale University Educated, old money, wealthy 1922

Post WW1, Boom,

i) Dog “ran away”  ran away  careless  ‘human’ NC

ii) New York: Young breath –giving air, metaphor (new city) iii) Midas: Gatsby -> wants wealth, deliberate illusion iv) Enjoy writing: reassuring as that he has the ability and skill to write v) Sound –water (geographical very same) vi) “Gatsby’s mansion”  metaphor for the man himself, all about show and external appearance vii) “A colossal (huge, big) affair” viii)“European imitation”  Normandy ix) “Tower”  beautiful …? Mocking x) Spanking new  lively fake impression of something old xi) Mansion itself is misleading xii) “ 40 acres” shows its massive

NC’s history with the Buchanans  had lived with them in Chicago Daisy Buchanan Tom Buchanan

Notes

Great Gatsby -2nd cousin -Lack of humanity and love -Contemporary at ‘New Haven’ -American Football athlete -physical strength -Peaked at 21 -Very wealth -Arrogance - Lack of humanity and love

Self- conscious construction Narrator Telling the story, writing the story Summer 1922: Smug =SelfNC: casts a critical eye on the lifestyle of the Buchanan’s satisfied Buchanan’s : Year in France Then to Chicago Irresponsible – so wealthy Reckless Immature Football – past glories faded. From the description of the house: • • wealthy luxurious ‘mansion’ Keep

Tom stood legs apart  shows arrogance NC aware of the Buchanan’s Story told in retrospect (past)

Supercilious (proud, snooty)  arrogant, haughty, superior air Brutal, Physical

Notes

Great Gatsby

NC as narrator – critical, suspicious of Tom ‘Hated his guts’ – arouses (raises) strong feelings He talks down to people Fractious: easily irritated, bad tempered  verge of arguing Tom B.  dominant personality

Seeks control Inside TB’s house – Elegant, tasteful, ‘Daisy influence’ Feminine qualities-: immediately established, comic affected pose, Fitzgerald mocking Daisy: charming, mesmerising voice/laugh

Female siren, beautiful but dangerous

Magnetic quality of her voice. Flirtatious, coquettish (A woman who makes teasing sexual or romantic overtures; a flirt). NC – stops and reflects Wealth? A trap

Pg14. “That’s a way she had...”  blunt, human characteristic fake. -Female mannerisms –social manners Pg14. “bright” – Green light at end of dark “Difficult to forget…” NC  likes Daisy voice  he thinks its special “Waits to flatter Daisy”

Tom B.: Dismissive about his wife, drinks too much Immediate attraction between Nick C. and Jordan Baker (Daisy’s long-time friend) First impression, start of affair

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Great Gatsby

Pg16. “Dominant. ..move someone like a checker”  straight away ‘Gatsby is famous…” -First time Daisy hears Gatsby’s name since ages. *Daisy aimless life … “What do people plan” Buchanan: no focus except own pleasure and amusement -segregated herself from normal people Presents dialogue: 1. Daisy winding him up 2. Tom B. racist views Pg18: Dramatic irony “The rise of…” TB- giving impressions that he’s clever, speaks if he is so defiant (challenge) Jordan Baker: loves gossip Tom B. phone call  Public; social and real embarrassment for Daisy NC (narrative point of view)  uncomfortable, humane (kindness), compassionate (suffer) Pg21: 1. ‘Turbulent emotion’ 2. Irony-wedding Pg22: 1. “She was less than an hour old…”  abandoned, lonely 2. “exploring” position of women in this society = objects, Tom B sexual desire 3. “Beautiful little fool”, world is cruel, so ignorance is bliss 4. “Not earned anything”  spoiled thought Narrator’s feelings: very open. Daisy and Tom are very self-satisfaction Shadows –Ghostly present Gatsby: • • Loner Dreamer

Notes • Miserable

Great Gatsby

Pg25. ‘Yearning for something…’  “Come out to…” Metapho

Interesting/memorable: mysterious, enigmatic (hard to understand), conclusion is the chapter Subtle (low key) writing, deliberately kept waiting Green Dramatic

Daisy: reaches out but can’t touch, his love for Daisy that is always out of reach Suspense: Questions not resolved Chapter 2

 The use of timeline  The narrators uses dialogue to tell an account of another person’s speech  Description of place i) Valley of Ashes

 Introduction of the Wilson family

Change, Tone, Mood The Valley of Ashes

Lightly unpleasant place

Notes

Great Gatsby

Earthly, blunt. The other end of the American Dream George Wilson -weak -depressed -vulnerable -struggling to make meets end -desperation Myrtle Wilson -has an affair with Tom B -sensuality

• •

Geography reflects mood/tone… Ironic

“fantastic”  Ugly, Grimy • • Trade and industry Negative connotations

Waste level Powerful image: higher power, looking judging Meets Tom B. mistress in grimy unpleasant way Thoughtl ess Tom B. Tactless Unsettling disquietly effect Power Flaunts

Arrogant

Pg27: Garish, Ugly Dialogue revealing the relation between Tom and George Affair between Tom and Myrtle: • • Clandestine affair (secret affair)  unpleasant Danger, Reckless

4th July:  clear narrative structure timeline, revealing helpful

Notes • • Height of summer

Great Gatsby

American independence day: Tom and Myrtle meeting each other…

Anecdote (amusing story) about dog: Narrator (NC) revealing  Showing us how spoilt Myrtle is  Myrtle gets gifts, possessions  Tom B. stingy- attitude to money, people, contemptuous (cold)  Dual/double life/existence Qualities of Narrator:  Time  Date  PLACE : 5th Avenue in New York NC: (Pg. 31)   Dialogue – uneasy Polite-urbane, civilised Famous Landmark, contributes to sense of

Myrtle change in personality “Tom Tattle, Simon called Peter”  not educated Mocking Disarming honesty_ NC- truthful individual

Pg. 32: Recollections Tom B.  lust, physical desire for Myrtle Ludicrous -observant, articulate Expansi ve Fake existence In apartment, prelease, acts in a grandiose

Notes Exploration of love lies

Great Gatsby

Tragedy, sadness, amusement Pg. 33: “Mincing shout” irony -Myrtle “most of these fellas will cheat Dialogue: revealing Shallow, materialistic Alters our perception as readers Collusion- between narrator and reader -symbiotic relationship  one helps other Agree with NC Sympathy for his views point Collude Pg34. • • • • Gentle mock ‘then moved his hand’ Myrtle loves to be centre of attention Humour Irony: She is a lower order herself  ‘These people

‘Flourished-swept’ movement exaggerated

Myrtle- like royalty Gatsby: famous for his past Lies

Hear about him- fantastic  rumour, gossip before we meet him Fitzgerald creates an air of mystery expectation and anticipation before we see him Top of Pg35: Nonsense!! Gatsby: potentially, threating, dangerous man Tom B.  insulting Myrtle: lower class Childish Irritable (easily annoyed)

Jealousy

Notes End of Pg35:  Building for climax

Great Gatsby

 Starts to break down -Tells story -Lie: dialogue  follows, bond between narrator’s truths, confined in us Forming a link, bond between narrator Pg36: Reckless with money “At least you didn’t marry him”  she needed to marry him Myrtle re-inventing her past and history  Tragic category

Echo of Gatsby and Daisy Echo

Pg37: Drinks

Shallow, Her attitude toward her first love doesn’t overnide. -answer question  social content Sense of moral superiority

NC:

-excuse for not going: suggest he is uncomfortable, desire to escape, unease, disquiet from narrator -torn, sees himself as eyewitness  conscious narrative force Bottom of Pg37: “I was within and without…” Magnetic attraction of darker, seedier aspects of style  NC admits this Narrative of events starts to unravel: Myrtle’s memory 1st meeting with Tim  Recollect/relayed

Notes

Great Gatsby

Example of ironic in retrospect: “You can live forever…” idea of being spontaneous (something that doesn’t need to be answered) Live life to the fullest Myrtle is taking a risk because  Sadness  Emptiness Tom B is in control, sexual predator “Artificial laughter” gets dialogue (conversation between 2 or more people) then a comment on its juxtaposition (an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.) Narrative: Time9:00 approx.) Narrative timeline –give you a certain security Time Narrative breakdown so as a result the structure starts to break down to disintegrate (break into parts) Drunken (inebriated) o o o o o Pg38: “People disappeared”  reflects disorder, chaos “You can’t live forever, you can’t live forever…”  spontaneous, living future life; ironic retrospect -Myrtle points of view Emptiness she feels Revealing about Carraway Fastidious (Very concerned about matters of cleanliness) Meticulous (extreme care) Attention to detail NC is self- contained, tidy, neat

Sexual Predator = Tom Dialogue from my life

Notes

Great Gatsby

amusing comments; ‘artificial laughter “All this things she got to buy makes her happy ‘wreath’ something to do with her hair Narrative structure: o Structure:    Pg39: “Sometime towards…”  vague recollection Skilful  suggest he has done it before -shocking brutal simplicity of prose revealing Conception of Buchanan  confirmed influence of alcohol of the night Narrative breakdown Drunken; inebriation (sober) Structure starts to disintegrate (Break up into parts) Description of timeline and timeframe

Violent, blood -Highly descriptive -sequence of picture and sound (vignette) Fractured conversation between NC and McKee

End of Chapter 2: Vague, disjointed memories Reflected by prose, language, punctuation used (…) ellipses  Passage of time  Forgotten events Pennsylvania station: 4am (taken 12 hours) Chapter 3

Notes

Great Gatsby

Sensual language: ‘Musical from …’, ‘girls like moths’ Moth’s  attracted -Young women vulnerable = ‘Girls’ -Active environment –“neighbour” 1. Number 15 crates exact = length he goes to organise… so detailed  hectic -Rolls Royce, omnibus Hectic events: “blue event”  (social lights illuminate the area) Close observation ‘Summer night’ looks like Christmas Extravagant (costing too much money), lavish affairs, indulgent, decadent NC:  Observer  Sceptical, disapproving voice But tasteless

*Exploration of the American Dream  Enormous- ‘corps…’  ‘Several hundred...’

Trickster

Character Enchanted, magical, spell performance  fake  illusion -> Act: Gatsby performer Trimalchio: Descriptive: ‘Tastes food’ “Too young to know”  heavy mixture of alcohol and food, generosity “7 o’clock”  realism ~deliberate switch into present tense ~immediate present ~actually being there ~excitement of the party Magical wonderful event – “bar in full swing” numbers of people “cars we park…” Very subtle, clever narrator Human interactions => amusing, sensitive, intelligent, narrative voice

Notes

Great Gatsby

‘False’, ‘superficial’, ‘Shallow’  meetings between women Prodigality = excessive, huge amount wasteful = movement, laughter, fun, excitement “Gypsies” Structure: Initially it could be any of Gatsby’s parties ~ typical Then goes in a specific right, NC first encounter with Gatsby  ‘The rules behaviour associated with an amusement park…’ – chaotic, wild, excitement ‘I’ first person => actual recollection memory Irony – little party = intelligent narrator =amusing Easy money = money seems to come easy attracts English men Gatsby > play with the reader about Gatsby sense of mystery Oxymoron  contemptuous (unworthy) interest ‘Premature moon’ magical “cocktail” “Mr Mumble -> load nigh, or just they don’t know each other Gatsby= make everyone happy, ‘buying’ popularity Rumour that he may be a German Spy Narrator relies the conversation Elusive Gatsby – his party but can’t find it, adds to misery…. Slightly Drun Comic Astonishment –Genuine, library; real book

Pg44-47 “Absolutely red” Illuminating – everything is fake “Owl eyes” – humour, comedy Narrative Device –Time- Description of place, atmosphere people -setting

Notes

Great Gatsby

Contrived (officiously planned) artificial =tasteless, ridiculous, not a high cultured affair Unveils Gatsby Nick’s perception – Gatsby a rare, unusual individual “smile”, memorable NC: Gatsby in a retrospective His opinions

His opinion

Gatsby “smile”

Fake? Natural ? Illusion

Makes people feel, centre of world -reality is absurd 1920’s:  Chicago – connections with organised crime Adds to the mystery “Oxford man” -> nonsense 1922/23: “Flappers” Dance reminded

“The Jazz Age” -> new music age; scandal  celebrated music age us about place, time cultural and musical movement ‘Flirtatious group’ -> playfulness ‘Sexual’ – not Gatsby  for Daisy Doesn’t drink, needs to keep the mask in place Pg48:

“Receiving the orchestra for …”  tells us that the party is full of activities “A pair of stage twins…” tasteless, stupid “The moon had risen higher, and floating …”  setting; description of the place First impression of Gatsby: charming, “he said politely…” Reader doesn’t know that its Gatsby

Notes Pg49:

Great Gatsby

“I’m not a very good host”  Gatsby isn’t interested about the party but trying to create attention for Daisy

Pg52: NC’s tone  comical, mocking, satirical Influence from alcohol Just joking, not being a nasty narrator Sentimental False sentiment  Bottom of Pg52: Theme: unfaithful (infidelity)

Pg53: Disharmony (lack of agreement) Disorde r

Disintegrate (Break up into parts, Weaken or break apart)

Chaos
Realis Vignette means small pieces/ small vision… Comical (amusing)

Masquerading mean pretending to be another person

false

Gatsby
Business man Public + private

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Great Gatsby

“Philadelphia…” hints that Gatsby is involved in crime In retrospect, NC knows that Gatsby is in touch with ‘underground crime’ Middle Pg54: Funny yet Pg56: Departing from party and there’s a car accident Poor Judgement Excessive behaviour yet amusing and comical

‘Drunk, inebriated people’ Influenced by alcohol, bizarre behaviour

Chaos

Party = Boisterous (noisy and mischievous) party

Bottom of Pg56: “Complete isolation”  sudden emptiness, sadness about Gatsby Places that Nick goes to throughout Chapter 1 – 3: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 At the Buchanan’s “Several week” New York Apartment = Myrtle There are personal affair Gatsby’s Party happening

“Reading over what I have …” NC Deliberately crafted highly self – conscious narrator

As a narrator it is helpful to the reader; NC deliberately reminds us that he is written his account (series of memories)  ‘Bond’ between NC and the reader, “empathetic bond” Pg57: ‘Human’  some insight of NC’s lifestyle  Romance? Pg58: Growing affection for NC to Jordan Baker

Notes

Great Gatsby

Jordan Baker like Gatsby also hides her true self

End of Chapter 3: Nick Carraway being modest; “I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known”

Hints that the world is full of liars. Pg60: First 3 beginning sentence: Metaphorical beginning “He’s a bootlegger…” Gatsby is being criticised by the guest at his party 3rd paragraph: Emphasises his link with Gatsby his version is truth  Written memoir events have happened. Therefore, a self-conscious writing process  Reflecting on the past; “...is an old time...”  Self-conscious, deliberate writing technique; “…give you a better impression…”  “Doctor Webster…”  realism that he’s died

Drowne People were real?

Anecdote

Edgar Beaver: realism

Actors; producers; exciting Bottom of Pg61: Deliberate long sentence: “…and…and…” Believable; retelling Gatsby’s past Pg62:

Notes “At nine…”  time and date

Great Gatsby

Gatsby and Nick relationship “I’d seen it…”  humorous speech from Nick

Realism

Motif American

Affluence (A plentiful supply of material goods; wealth)

CAR

Power, speech wealth

Status

Link with danger and reckless behaviour

Jordan’s driving?

Pg63: “proprietor of an elaborate…” dull talk, disappointment Gatsby =a man of action = bigger vision and dream NC= conversationalist “…caramel...”  mocking Pg64: “I’m the son of some wealth…”  old money “…little sinister about him…” N.C not believing Gatsby, Gatsby is lying to NC to hide his background Recreation = reader response => amusing and sad Pg65: war “hero” … “promoted to major” => fascination, efforts, desire for wealth, attention Pg66: “…his broken heart…”  sympathetic, sympathy towards Gatsby

Notes Pg67: Money+ power=American Dream

Great Gatsby

Pg74: October 1917

Early romance between Daisy Fay / Jay Gatsby

“Louisville Jordan’s narration

Narrative variety and diversity

Jordan narrates the

“Narrative perspective”  another character memoires and viewpoint Pg75: Marriage Pg91: Suicide Divorce Sense of realism

intere

Remind it’s the past

Narrativ

Retrospe ct
List of people Gatsby, loved? Popular? Ironic