The Great Gatsby [English Lang+Lit A Level] Cheat Sheet by churger

While F. Scott Fitzge­rald's novel is primarily known for its explor­ation of themes and the corruption of wealth, it also employs satire to critique and expose the flaws and excesses of the society it portrays. Satire is used in "The Great Gatsby­" through various techniques and elements of the narrative, including:
- The portrayal of characters
Fitzgerald uses satire to satirize the characters in the novel partic­ularly those from the wealthy upper class. Characters such as Tom and Daisy, Jordan, and even Gatsby himself are depicted as shallow, morally bankrupt, and lacking genuine substance. Through their actions, dialogue, and attitudes, Fitzgerald exposes the hypocrisy, materi­alism, and empty lives of the social elite. For instance, Tom's racist and sexist views, as well as his affairs, serve as satirical commentary on the privileged class and their entitl­ement.
- The depiction of events and parties
The extrav­agant parties and events depicted in the novel serve as satirical symbols, critiquing the excesses and superf­ici­ality of the Jazz Age society. Gatsby's opulent parties, with their excessive displays of wealth, decadence, and drunken revelry, serve as a satirical portrayal of the shallow pursuits and empty hedonism of the rich. These events are devoid of genuine connection or meaning, merely serving as superf­icial spectacles for the pleasu­re-­seeking societies.
- Irony and contrast
Throughout the narrative, Fitzgerald employs irony and contrast to satirize the stark disconnect between appear­ances and reality in the charac­ters' lives. For example, the stark contrast between the extrav­agant parties at Gatsby's mansion and the underlying loneliness and longing of the characters highlights the emptiness and futility of their pursuits. The irony of Gatsby's obsession with wealth and status to win Daisy's love, only to realise that such external trappings cannot bring true happiness, satirizes the illusion of the American Dream and the superf­icial values of the society.
- Social critique
Satire is also used as a form of social critique in TGG, targeting the larger societal issues of the time. Fitzgerald exposes the moral decay, hypocrisy, and corruption within the upper echelons of society, highli­ghting the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The charac­ters' self-c­ent­ere­dness, lack of empathy, and pursuit of personal desires at the expense of others serve as satirical commentary on the moral bankruptcy of the era.

Bildun­gsroman (Comin­g-o­f-Age Novel):
TGG contains elements of a bildun­gsroman as the narrator, Nick Carraway, undergoes personal growth and self-d­isc­overy throughout the story. Nick's experi­ences with the wealthy elite and his relati­onship with Gatsby contribute to his moral develo­pment and disill­usi­onment with the American Dream.

Tragedy:
The novel exhibits elements of tragedy as it explores the downfall of Jay Gatsby and the overall sense of loss and despair. Gatsby's pursuit of Daisy, his inability to fully integrate into the upper class, and his tragic end reflect the tragic aspects of the narrative.

Romance:
Romantic elements are present in the novel, partic­ularly in Gatsby's idealized love for Daisy. The intense passion and longing between Gatsby and Daisy, as well as the dramatic conflicts that arise from their relati­onship, contribute to the romantic aspects of the story.

Social Satire:
"The Great Gatsby­" incorp­orates elements of social satire, employing irony, wit, and humour to critique the excesses, shallo­wness, and moral corruption of the wealthy upper class. Fitzgerald satirizes the values, behavi­ours, and social hierarchy of 1920s America, exposing the dark underbelly of the Jazz Age.

Modernist Litera­ture:
The novel is often associated with the modernist literary movement of the early 20th century. It experi­ments with narrative structure, employs subjective storyt­elling, and explores themes of disill­usi­onment, fragme­nta­tion, and the decline of tradit­ional values—all of which are charac­ter­istic of modernist litera­ture.

Realism:
"The Great Gatsby­" exhibits elements of realism, depicting social realities and exploring the comple­xities of human behavior. The portrayal of charac­ters, settings, and events in a believable and recogn­izable manner contri­butes to the realistic aspects of the novel.

Historical Fiction:
While not strictly a historical novel, "The Great Gatsby­" captures the spirit and cultural context of the 1920s, known as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age. The novel provides a glimpse into the social, economic, and cultural climate of the time, incorp­orating historical elements into the narrative.

The Roaring Twenties:
The 1920s marked a period of signif­icant cultural and social change in America. It was a time of economic prospe­rity, urbani­zation, and a burgeoning consumer culture. The novel reflects the excesses, decadence, and materi­alism of the era, with characters like Jay Gatsby amassing immense wealth and throwing extrav­agant parties.

Prohib­ition and Organized Crime:
The Prohib­ition era, in effect from 1920 to 1933, banned the produc­tion, sale, and distri­bution of alcoholic beverages. However, this led to the rise of speake­asies (illegal bars) and the flouri­shing of organized crime. In the novel, Gatsby's involv­ement in bootle­gging and the criminal underworld represents the shadowy side of the 1920s.

The Lost Genera­tion:
The Lost Generation refers to a group of writers, including Fitzgerald himself, who came of age during World War I and were disill­usioned by the war's devast­ation. The novel explores the disill­usi­onment and moral bankruptcy of the post-war genera­tion, as well as their search for meaning and purpose.

The Jazz Age and Cultural Shifts:
The Jazz Age was charac­terized by the rise of jazz music, dance crazes like the Charle­ston, and a general spirit of liberation and hedonism. The novel portrays the vibrant nightlife, energetic parties, and changing social mores of the time. It also critiques the emptiness and superf­ici­ality that often accomp­anied these cultural shifts.

The American Dream:
TGG examines the concept of the American Dream and its corruption during the 1920s. The pursuit of wealth, social status, and material success becomes the dominant aspira­tion, with characters like Gatsby driven by the desire to reinvent themselves and achieve social mobility.

Social Strati­fic­ation and Inequa­lity:
The novel portrays the stark divide between the wealthy elite and the working class, highli­ghting the vast dispar­ities in wealth and privilege. The characters in "The Great Gatsby­" exist within a world of opulence, while the Valley of Ashes symbolizes the bleak reality and social inequality experi­enced by those outside of the upper class.

VofA - Valley of Ashes
TGG - The Great Gatsby

Some character names might be abbrev­iated;

G - Gatsby
D - Daisy
T - Tom
N - Nick
J - Jordan
M - Myrtle
W - (George) Wilson

Ideas will be separated by ; - it's not an addition to the previous sentence, but rather it's own standalone statement- cheato­graphy limits how good things can be formatted so this way is essent­ially the only way to separate ideas without making everything super long (which it already will be for this topic).

At the time of its public­ation, The Great Gatsby wasn't considered one of Fitzge­rald's best works

The original title was going to be "­Tri­malchio in the West Egg". Trimalchio is a figure long ago used by Fitzgerald for satire, it means "­thrice king" or "­gre­atest king"- Trimalchio was the richest man in Rome in 1st-ce­ntury AD Roman fiction, in the stories wrote about him, he threw parties and practiced his own funeral

The Great Gatsby questions the values of post-war modern American society

it's a story of loss and gain; Nick's judgements give us layers- vulner­ability through his father and his past- he sets himself up as a morally correct character- no critic­isms, but this leads to contra­dic­tions

The 'golden youth' is questioned by Fitzgerald as being superf­icial - should be rare but it's just illusion. It's for the privil­eged, chosen ones of society (Tom & Daisy)

Only noble thing that Gatsby does in the entire story is take blame for Myrtle's death

Nick's unsure of where he is, what other characters are thinki­ng/­doing, especially when he's not there- there are essent­ially no certai­nties in the story other than Nick's own actions

the 'waste' in the novel is reflected from TS Elliot's 'The Wastel­and', which depicts crumbling fragments of a landscape, there are no full pictures and is just full of things falling apart (allus­ion).

A trope that is familiar through all literature is the corruption of heat in terms of a journey from the countr­yside to the city; Nick embodies our desire to join in, but we know we likely won't reach the upper-­class lifestyle

Fitz's use of rumour­/gossip flaunts uncert­ainty and places enigma and trustw­ort­hiness around Gatsby- but all rumours are contra­dic­tions to one another. Furthe­rmore, the Europe­an-­based rumours ("I heard we was a German spy") represents Gatsby as an outsider to the "New Americ­a"

Gatsby is a role model for America- the emblem of America is Gatsby's backgr­ound- coming from nothing and working your way up

the VofA unders­cores Gatsby's death, since it's chapter 2, we forget the negative aspects of the VofA by the time Myrtle's death happens- this shows the trajectory of the play, as George from the VofA kills Gatsby.

The epitome of American capitalism is self-i­nterest and becomes the dominating feature in the novel.

Capitalism is revealed to be corrupt and hollow but it is still desirable because of the money

An example of a contra­diction in this chapter is Nick wanting to find Gatsby but nobody knows his wherea­bouts. When he meets Gatsby, he is taken away (losing and gaining, giving and taking)

Fitzge­rald, after each use of positive musical imagery, includes danger- such as the car crash after the party

Because Fitzgerald has got Nick to act arrogant enough that we question it, it makes the novel seem like almost a satire. It's mocking a society that presents itself as authentic

Fitzgerald has written books celebr­ating the jazz age but is critic­ising it heavily in The Great Gatsby and pointing out its flaws- this made the novel unpopular during its time because society didn't like to be criticised (it was still somewhat popular, but nothing compared to what it is now).

Fitzgerald might've chosen 1922 for some the setting as the Wasteland was published that year, and Tom and Daisy's backstory. There's a contrast here between the past and the present.

Wolfsheim represents New York corrup­tion- he will do anything to turn a trade- he's capita­list, corrupt and gaudy.

The entire novel builds up to Jordan asking Nick if Gatsby can come over to see Daisy.

Gatsby's visit to Nick's house is described as "­stu­nning, shocki­ng" - the balance of power has shifted. Nick doesn't realise to what extent he's being used- Gatsby's whole aim for 5 years has been to get Daisy back.

"­We've met before­" was spoken by Gatsby to both Nick and Daisy in respective chapters, this is the meshing of the present and past, clearly losing track of it.

Capitalist mindsets are very obvious tropes in this novel - "It took me just three years to earn the money to buy it" (measuring time with money), "I thought you earned your money", "I did, old sport, automa­tic­all­y."

The end of the fifth chapter promises a truth about Gatsby to come.

"­Not­ori­ety­" is, in this novel, the negative side of a positive.

Nick wants us to believe that he's in control (plea to be accepted as an honest trader and narrator)

Fitzgerald knows we are beginning to get fed up with Nick's retelling through the novel, which is why chapter 6 is kept short- this is where things start to fall apart.

The tragedy is foresh­adowed early; G's dream of winning Daisy back is something we realise early on that won't work out. It can be argued that the tragedy isn't sudden at all.

The novel has mastered the art of miscom­mun­ica­tion.

This novel acts as a chronicle of death foretold.

In chapter 7, unlike seen in other chapters and novels, we aren't given a descri­ption of Gatsby's eyes. This is done purpos­efully by Fitzgerald (believe it or not) to show that there's nothing behind Gatsby's eyes; he's not giving anything away.

Myrtle ends up a tragic victim of adultery, lies and deceit, and a hopeless dream.

Nick's raison de etre is to worship Gatsby as an idol.

The novel's heart of darkness is the nothin­gness- what happens next? Gatsby goes from a godlike figure to nothing.

Fitz uses cacoph­onous noise ("fog horn was groaning incess­antly) to foreworn for future events.

People often forget to discuss Wilson's death. All deaths happen off-stage like in Greek tragedies. When Nick gets to Gatsby's house and sees him lying on the mattress, we only just see the red- sound first, and then vision. It can be said that the deaths happen off-stage, like in Greek tragedies, because it would've been blasph­emous to see it directly (all Greek Gods had deaths off-stage for this reason, this is perhaps symbolic of Gatsby's status to Nick).

The line "the holocaust was comple­te" in chapter 9 means that Gatsby brought his fate upon himself. It needs to be noted that the word 'holoc­aust' didn't have the same meaning it does now at the time of it being written (this was written about a decade or two before the second world war).

The novel is not a tragedy about the jazz age; it's a criticism, but the actual tragedy is of epic conseq­uences and wrongl­y-p­laced self belief.

Fitzgerald goes into journa­lis­tic­all­y-real police invest­igation details.

Nick is in control of the whole funeral and lives to tell the tale, comparing him to Horatio, at the end of Hamlet.

One of the most fundam­ental social charac­ter­istics that permeates literature from Shakes­peare onwards is the question of respon­sib­ility - there is no respon­sib­ility from the careless society described in this novel.

The novel takes on a different tone in chapter 9 (even at such a late stage) because Nick doesn't want to hear any version of the story than his own (his viewpoint is all suppos­itory, "­per­hap­s", contra­dictory of him saying he won't occupy other's minds).

The typical Nick Carraway strategy throughout the novel is used again at the end when he's scrubbing an obscene word written in chalk outside of Gatsby's house - you can't see it fully, but he's telling you its there (giving and taking away).
"­Ine­sse­ntial houses­", "it eluded us then, but that's no matter."

This novel is an elegy ("a serious reflec­tio­n"). It's a text based on the society at the time, making it elegiac .

The novel's references to, and repres­ent­ations of, figures of different ethnic­ities;
Tom's explicit explan­ation of the "­thr­eat­" to the Nordic races

Nick's class - his family's history and standing, the importance of his family name;
Tom and Daisy as incarn­ations of "old money";
Gatsby as nouvea­u-r­iche;
Catherine (and Jordan?) as "­new­", indepe­ndent, self-c­reated women;
Michaelis as an immigrant; Myrtle (possibly in contrast to Daisy);
Wilson as a failed entrep­reneur

The portrayal and questi­oning of different ideas of mascul­inity and femininity through the shifting roles and relati­onships of Daisy, Jordan, Myrtle, Gatsby, Nick, Tom and Wilson;
The relati­onship between gender and class

Women -
Wanted for their beauty. Daisy is happy her daughter is a girl, and states being a "­foo­l" is the best thing for her. Tom hunts out beautiful women whilst at Gatsby's party.
Treated as a trophy or an achiev­ement- Daisy is Gatsby's "­dre­am", after all. He wants her to confirm herself that he's "­won­" against Tom in getting her love.

This was written at a time of first-wave feminism.

The valley of ashes;
Eyes, seeing and looking;
Automo­biles;
Teleph­ones;
Movies;
Advert­ising;
New techno­logies;
East and West;
Sun and water;
Light;
Journey;
Clothes;
Weather (espec­ially heat);
Colours (for example, white, green, silver and gold);
Trees and leaves;
Windows;
Rose;
"He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightened leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is" A rose has been a symbol of beauty for centuries, and has been used to describe Daisy many times in the novel. Nick states that they are not inherently beautiful, but rather people only view them as such because they choose to. Daisy is grotesque in the same way- Gatsby has made her beautiful in his head, she is the object of his dreams, but in reality she is an adle, bored and rich young woman with no moral strength or loyalties.
Holocaust;
This text was written before WWII and so without the contex­t/power it holds today. At the time of its public­ation, holocaust meant catast­rophe, or altern­atively a sacrifice for God. "And the holocaust was comple­te", spoken by Nick in chapter 8, could be comparing Gatsby to something worthy as a sacrifice to God. Similarly, this sacrifice was given by Wilson, who saw the eyes of TJ Eckleburg watch over him, mistaking his eyes for God's own eyes, as Nick narrates. It also indicates destru­ction of Gatsby's life/d­rea­m/love for Daisy, as well as Wilson's.

The vivid evocation of a range of settings (often with metaph­orical signif­icance) and allusions to other settings - urban (New York streets, restau­rants, hotels and offices);
East and West Egg;
Mid-West and the East;
The rail and railroad;
Brooklyn Bridge;
The valley of ashes;
(poverty, death, destru­ction of nature)
Natural landscapes (the sea);
Gatsby's house/­gar­den­/li­bra­ry/­swi­mming pool;
Nick's house;
Tom and Daisy's house;
Myrtle's New York apartment;
The Plaza Hotel;
Wilson's garage

The constr­uction of Nick's character through his narrative voice; the constr­uction of other key characters (Gatsby, Daisy, Jordan, Tom, Wilson, Wolfsheim) through telling "­sel­ect­ive­" details and dialogue;
Contra­sting groups of characters (for example, rich women vs workin­g-class women, male vs female, cynics­/re­alists vs optimi­sts).

Gatsby
By becoming Jay Gatsby (from James Gatz), he is almost rechri­stening himself. It symbolises his desire to forget his lower class identity and recast himself as the wealthy man he envisions. Daisy is the reason he invented Jay Gatsby, as for her, wealth and luxury comes effort­lessly. He believes that after all this time, Daisy remains the same girl who loved him in Louisv­ille- this demons­trates his naivety, as we learn quickly that Daisy will never spare her own class/­bac­kground and security with Tom for Gatsby. Not to mention that she has a daughter with Tom, which Gatsby has chosen to ignore.
When Gatsby is with the riders, he is courteous and offers them refres­hments- they accept without gratitude and leave without him. Gatsby thinks they cared, but he doesn't realise that he wasn't suppose to accept their invita­tion- he's trying hard to fit in. For all of his wealth, he will remain the working class and never be good enough for those born into the upper-­class.
Gatsby's pursuit of the American dream became a pursuit of wealth- his dream of becoming a great man were corrupted.

Daisy
When she is appalled by the vulgar behaviour of the drunken guests in chapter 6, does this really come as a surprise to the reader? She is of old money in East Egg, so the parties and drunken guests that spawn from West Egg's new money is a vastly different display of wealth than what she's used to.
When Daisy visits Gatsby's mansion, it is not Gatsby she cries over, but rather his material posses­sions ("It makes me sad because I've never seen [...] such beautiful shirts before­")

Tom
Tom's concern with Gatsby is used to move the narrative along, eventually coming to the climax of the play (the confro­ntation with Gatsby).

The creation of a "­Rom­antic Modern­ist­" style which combines lyrical ("Ke­ats­ian­") motifs and rhythms with imagery and rhythms of drawn from the contem­porary world, such as automo­biles and movies; range of prose styles from the lyrical to slang, from educated speech to advert­ising copy

The retros­pective first-­person narrative;
Is this reliable? The first-­person retros­pective narrative may affect the reliab­ility of inform­ation as biases get involved. Nick sways between being reliable as so to make sure he doesn't lie to the reader, but can be caught in contra­dic­tions and his own biases about Gatsby that make make his story unreliable - Nick never allows another person's interp­ret­ation of the story to be told that could potent­ially harm Gatsby's legacy (as seen in chapter 9, where he scrubs away the obscene word without stating what it said).

The modifying of the first-­person narrative to include other people's stories;
Nick often structures stories he's not there for (e.g. deaths) using assump­tions but not lies- he tries to occupy other charac­ter's headspaces in order to fill narrative gaps.

The narrator entering the consci­ousness of other charac­ters;
Nick narrates directly from Gatsby's point of view when Gatsby informs Nick about his past with Daisy and Dan Cody.

Frame narrative, with Nick setting himself up as author of Gatsby's story;
Although Gatsby is the main character, the story is written from Nick's perspe­ctive.

The episodic structure;
The scrambling of chrono­logy;
Use of flashback;
The staggered release of inform­ation;
Fragme­ntary, sporadic and non-ch­ron­olo­gical when giving inform­ation.
The use of opposi­tions;
Gaps and contra­dic­tions to create myster­y/e­nigma;
Repetition of events, accounts of events, imagery and lexical clusters
First-­person narrative discourse;
Complex, range of tones - limited voice (e.g. romantic, imaginary, sceptical)
Tones contribute to the movement between identi­fic­ation + detachment epitomised in Nick's descri­ption of himself.

Intrad­iegetic narrator
Nick is an intrad­iegetic narrator- he tells the story from within its world and remains on the narrative level of the charac­ters. Nick is presented as an outsid­er/­obs­erver without being directly involved in any conflict (a good scene to look at, for example, is chapter 7 with the trip to NY. The conflict is between the Daisy, Tom and Gatsby, with Jordan and Nick simply just being witnesses to it).

Overt narrator
Nick is also an overt narrator, drawing attention to his presence in the text from the first chapter.

Narration shifts between 3rd and 1st person narrative- sometimes hetero­die­getic (3rd) and sometimes homodi­egetic (1st).

Aspira­tions and the American dream;
The power of money;
Appearance and reality;
Artifi­cia­lity;
Dreamers vs realists;
Class;
Status and wealth;
Identity;
Perception (sight and insight);
Nostalgia and the past;
Love and desire;
The nature of the good life;

On July 30th 1922, The Times released an article called "­Advise to the new rich". It could be used in your exams as it applies very well to The Great Gatsby.

Here's the article:

In an account of a gambling Hell or Heaven which is to be started at Bulduri, a bathing resort near Riga, we are told that the enterprise hopes to be supported by the New Rich of Soviet Russia, who appear to be like our own New Rich in that they do not know how to spend their money. That is one of the oldest themes of comedy, and it will never grow stale. It persists because everyone grudges them their money and enjoys their failure to enjoy it. Nothing in ancient literature seems more modern than Trimal­chio's feast, with its wearisome display of cost for cost's sake. It is a perfect example of that "­con­spi­cuous waste" which an American half-e­con­omist, half-s­ati­rist, says is the chief function of riches. According to his theory most of those who have riches do not know what to do with them except prove they have them, and this they do by wasting them conspi­cuously in different ways, of which gambling is perhaps the most conspi­cuous and the most wasteful. One joke against the new rich is that they wish to conceal the fact that their riches are new. They will ride horses of which they have imperfect control in the hope that they may be taken for country gentlemen, as for gambling, it is the stalest of all forms of conspi­cuous waste, and the one which, to a man of business, must be least enjoyable. No, the modern Trimal­chio, if he is to get any fun out of his money, should have the courage of his achiev­ements. He should insist upon the fact that is newly rich, and make an art of advert­ising it. He should proceed about the country in a gilded motor-car with two men blowing blasts on trombones, instead of a dull hooter in the front. He should scatter largesse as he whirls through a town, like the Kaiser in Morocco. Conspi­cuous waste and the pride of riches are no fun at all if you are half ashamed of the fact that you are proud. Still less are they any fun, if you are afraid of Bolshevism and try to pretend that you really lost money by the war. The morality of a life of pleasure in sincerity, its refusing to persuade yourself that you enjoy what you do not enjoy. If the profiteer would practice that, he would either learn to enjoy himself at last, or hang himself. In any case he would be more dignified than what he imitates the pleasure of others.

Here's a list of the actual questions that were asked in previous papers. You can get a good idea of what you'll be asked on he exam.

2017 a.
In what ways does the writer of your text use narrative voice? You should range across the text to explore how narrative voice is used, the function it plays in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2017 b.
How does the writer of your text use form and structure? You should range across the text to explore how form and structure shape the narrative, the function this plays in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2018 a.
How the writer of your text use moments of crisis? You should range across the text to explore how moments of crisis are used, the function they play in the novel as a whole, the broader generic context.

2018 b.
How does the writer of your text use minor charac­ters? You should range across the text to explore how minor characters are used, the role they play in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2019 a.
In what ways does the writer of your text use time? You should range across the text to explore how time is manipu­lated, the role it plays in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2019 b.
How does the writer of your text use contrasts? You should range across the text to explore how contrasts are created, the role they play in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2020 a.
A writer often chooses to leave out part of a story in constr­ucting the plot. How does the writer of your text shape narrative in this way? You should range across the text to explore where gaps in the narrative appear, the function they play in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2020 b.
In what ways does the writer of your text use place? You should range across the text to explore how use of place contri­butes to the structure of the narrative, the function it plays in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2021 a.
How does the writer of your text make use of any one important character in shaping the narrative? You should range across the text to explore how your chosen character is used to shape the narrative, the function they play in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2021 b.
In what ways does the writer of your text make lexical choices? You should range across the text to explore how lexical choices contribute to narrative effect, the function that different registers play in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2022 a.
In what ways does the opening of the novel sets the narrative in motion? You should range across the text to explore how lexical choices contribute to narrative effect, the function that different registers play in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2022 b.
In what ways does the writer of your text use symbols and motifs? You should range across the text to explore how lexical choices contribute to narrative effect, the function that different registers play in the novel as a whole, and the broader generic context.

2023 a.
In what ways does the writer of your text offer resolution to the narrative?
yes, this was as awful to answer as it sounds

2023 b.
In what ways does the writer of your text use charac­ter­isation in the narrative?

These are predic­tions and not actual definitive questions that'll appear on future papers.
This won't be updated after Summer 2023.

How does the writer of your text use figurative language?

How does the writer of your text use signif­icant moments?

How does the writer of your text use themes?

How does the writer of your text use satire?

How does the writer of your text use literary techni­ques?

How does the writer of your text use cultural and historical context?

How does the writer of your text use charac­ter­isa­tion?

How does the writer of your text use chrono­logy?

How does the writer of your text use style?

How does the writer of your text use genre conven­tions?

How does the writer of your text use social­/hi­sto­rical context?

Isabel Paterson (1925)
“…a man from nowhere, without roots or backgr­ound, absolutely self-made in the image of an obscure and undefined ideal” “You could not exactly call him an imposter; he was himself an artist of sorts trying to remould himself.” “…an incurable romant­icist… his mistake was to accept life at its face value.”

William Rose Benet (1924)
“Fitzg­erald surveys the Babylonian captivity of his era unblended by the bright lights. He gives you the bright lights in full measure, the affluence, the waste… the ugly passion, the spiritual meagre­ness, the empty shell of luxury, the old irony of ‘fair-­weather friends’.”

Susan Resneek (1985)
“The dilemma that Nick, Daisy and Gatsby face is, of course, a human one as well as an American one: whether to embrace the dreams of youth and keep alive the hopes bred in innocence or to face the reality that such dreams are inevitably elusive and illusory because they are part of the past”
“[Daisy] delibe­rately chooses to embrace certain illusions and play certain roles as a way of creating for herself a sense of meaning and purpose and as a way of coping with “the pressure of the world outside””

Fredrick Jameson (unknown)
“…in the commodity age need as a purely material and physical impulse has given way to a structure of artificial stimuli, artificial longings, such that it is no longer possible to separate the true from the false, the primary from the luxury­-sa­tis­fac­tion, in them”

Family Guy (2016)
"Has way too many coinci­dences for classic American litera­tur­e"

TGG does not follow a linear chrono­logical structure. Instead, the narrative unfolds through a combin­ation of present events and retros­pective reflec­tions, allowing the reader to piece together the story from various timefr­ames. The novel spans a period of about two years, from the spring of 1922 to the summer of 1924. Here is a breakdown of the major chrono­logical events in the novel:

Spring 1922:
The novel opens with Nick Carraway, the narrator, recounting his move to West Egg, Long Island, in the spring of 1922.
Nick introduces the reader to his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and his lavish parties.
Nick attends one of Gatsby's parties and encounters Jordan Baker, a profes­sional golfer, whom he begins a romantic relati­onship with.
Flashbacks and Revela­tions:
Through Nick's intera­ctions with Gatsby and other charac­ters, the reader gradually learns about Gatsby's past and his pursuit of the American Dream.
Gatsby reveals his love for Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin, and his desire to reunite with her.

Summer 1922:
Gatsby arranges a meeting between Daisy and himself at Nick's cottage, leading to their rekindled romance.
Tom Buchanan, Daisy's husband, becomes suspicious of the affair between Gatsby and Daisy.
The characters spend time in New York City, where tensions escalate between Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy.

September 1922:
The climactic confro­ntation occurs at the Plaza Hotel, where Gatsby demands that Daisy confess her love for him and leave Tom.
Daisy is unable to make a definitive choice between Gatsby and Tom, leading to disill­usi­onment and despair.

Fall 1922:
The narrative shifts to the aftermath of the events at the Plaza Hotel.
Nick's disill­usi­onment with the wealthy elite grows as he witnesses the moral bankruptcy and superf­ici­ality of their lives.

Summer 1923:
The story returns to the present, one year after the events of the previous summer.
Gatsby's extrav­agant parties continue, but his connection with Daisy deteri­orates.

Summer 1924:
The novel's climax occurs in the summer of 1924.
Gatsby is murdered by George Wilson, who mistakenly believes Gatsby to be respon­sible for his wife's death.
The novel ends with disill­usi­onment and the realiz­ation of the emptiness of the American Dream.