SlideShare une entreprise Scribd logo
1  sur  21
Télécharger pour lire hors ligne
Aspects of Narrative

The Great Gatsby
Aspects of Narrative
•
•
•
•
•
•

Time and Sequence
Characters and Characterisation
Points of View
Voices in texts
Scenes and Places
Destination

Look out for this
flagging up Aspects
of Narratives

All of these aspects work together to form a complete
narrative: separating them can help you understand how the
narrative works but when it comes to the exam you will be
expected to draw on your knowledge of all the aspects, and
decide which ones are most relevant in writing about your
chosen text.
Aspects of Time
 There are two broad aspects of time within any novel or are going to start
We writing.
1. The time covered by events in the story.

with the time that
surrounds the story

Writing about how the author manages the time within the story is AO2.
2. The broader time which surrounds the story – the time period in which it is set.
Writing about the author manages this aspect of time is AO4.
For example:
Fitzgerald wrote a kind of love story in The Great Gatesby and the time covered
by events in the novel are from when Daisy and Jay meet to Jay’s death. But
Fitzgerald also set The Great Gatesby in the 1920’s and so other aspects of time
are involved – he incorporates aspects of life in the 1920’s.
How the author manages time WITHIN the story is AO2, which looks at aspects
of form, structure and language, in this case with a special focus on structure.
Meanwhile, how the author manages time that SURROUNDS the story is covered
by AO4, which looks at context.
Context
Naming the period
Listed below are some of the names given to the period between 1918
and 1939 and the generation who became adults during it.
Annotate the names with your ideas about what this period might
have been like e.g. mood/tone, themes, impressions of the people or
of the period.
Jazz Age
Roaring 20s
World War 1 Generation
Pre-depression Era
Lost Generation
Golden Twenties
Golden Age of Hollywood
Prohibition Era
Inter-war
La Generation de Feu (Generation of Fire)
Bright Young Things
The Flapper Era

After the gruelling
experiences of WW1,
the anti-hero was
often portrayed as a
powerless figure,
caught-up in social
processes that were
rigidly mechanical
with no room to
prove personal worth.
This was called the
Lost Generation,
characterising an age
which seemed to
have no sense of
historical purpose.
Context
The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, in the
middle of a decade of hero-worship in America.
Newspapers, reaching a larger readership than
ever before, were extravagant in celebrating a
feat such as Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight
across the Atlantic in 1927, while the careers of
screen idols ranging from the romantic Rudolph
Valentino to the comic Charlie Chaplin filled the
pages of magazines eagerly purchased by
Americans hungry for glamorous images.
Context
Fitzgerald is renowned as the chronicler of the
Jazz Age. He evokes in his stories not the
pessimism and sense of powerlessness but the
pleasure-seeking spirit of the decade following
WW1. His stories were written primarily to
entertain, and a few of them suggest that there
is a Lost Generation concealed behind the veil of
hedonism.
Is The Great Gatsby suggestive of
a concealed Lost Generation?
Context

As he began to write it, Fitzgerald sent a letter to
Maxwell Perkins, his editor, saying that he wanted
his book to be extraordinary. He was aiming for
beauty and simplicity, but at the same time he
knew the book would be intricately patterned.
It is its intricacy that makes for richness and invites
a range of interpretations. On the most
straightforward level it can be read as a love story,
the tale of a man’s obsessive desire for the woman
he has lost and the tragic consequences of that
desire. On another level it is a social satire,
mocking the follies of contemporary social life, the
shallowness, hypocrisy and greed that Fitzgerald
recognised in America in the years following WW1.
Alternative Readings
American literary critic Lionel Trilling argued in 1945 that
Jay Gatsby stands for America itself. It can be read as a
mediation on the fate of American ideal in the modern
world, a contemplation both of the vision that sustained
early European settlements of the New World and the
sacrifice of that vision to materialistic values in the course
of the nation’s rapid growth.
The novel raises the question of what makes a successful
nation. Does the success of some in acquiring wealth
necessarily disadvantage many others and so create a
divided and failed society? Does material prosperity
necessarily lead to loss of valuable ideas such as honesty,
loyalty and fairness?
Historical Context
Key Points

Connections with the novel

World War 1
Immigration and
migration
Prohibition
The position of
Women
The consumer
Society

Look back at the text to select 10 short quotations relating to these contextual areas.
Make sure that all of the contextual areas are given relative quotation.
Context
What have we learnt?
Consider too:
•The historical, cultural and literary context of the novel in an age
when, as Fitzgerald himself put it, ‘America was going on the
greatest, gaudiest spree in history.’
•The context of reading, particularly in light of the 21st-century
knowledge about The Great Depression and World War 2.
What kind of book is The Great Gatsby?
The Great Gatsby is first and foremost a book
about a man writing a book. The relationship of
Nick to Gatsby established in this basic fact
frames the presentation of all the other
relationships between characters in the story.
Exploring the Narrative of The Great
Gatsby
Learning Objective:
How does Fitzgerald tell the story in Chapter 1 of the Great
Gatsby?
This is what you are asked to do for Section A Question 1 of
the exam. It assessed AO2 – form, structure and language.

Learning Outcome:
To explore Fitzgerald’s use of:
Section A Question 2
• Time and Sequence
is where you get
your AO4 Context in
• Characters and Characterisation
(with AO1 and 3)
• Points of View
• Voices in texts
• Scenes and Places
• Destination
Section A Question 2 is assessed on AO1, 3 and 4.
Section B is assessed for AO1, 2 and 3 (no 4) and focus is
on the Aspects of Narrative.
Introducing Nick
‘The choice of the point(s) of view from which the story is told ...
fundamentally affects the ways readers will respond emotionally and
morally to the fictional characters and their actions.’
David Lodge: The Art of Fiction, 1994

In The Great Gatsby Fizgerald chooses to use a firstperson narrator. However, this narrator, Nick Carraway,
does not set out to tell his own story but that of Jay
Gatsby ‘the man who gives his name to this book’ (The
Great Gatsby, p8). Nick’s voice is not the same as the
author’s voice and Nick’s viewpoint is not the same as
Gatsby’s perspective – Nick has survived Gatsby and is
able to tell the story of his life, and death, after it has
all ended.
• What are the possible advantages and disadvantages of
the first-person narrator?
Other Voices
What are some of the ways in which
Fitzgerald overcomes the limitations of
the first-person narration?
Some of the ways Fitzgerald modifies the first-person voice in order to include stories
and events of which Nick has no first-hand experience are:
• Recounting dialogue between characters
• Direct quotation of another character’s sustained account
• Paraphrasing another character’s words
• Piecing together fragments of a story into a continuous narrative in Nick’s voice
• Speculation about what might have happened
• Speculation about what a character might have felt (for example, “he must have
felt…”)
• Evocations of another character’s consciousness (for example, “he felt”)
Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – the summer of 1922
In Chapter 1 Nick begins his narration of the events of the
summer of 1922. We are made aware that this is a
retrospective narrative and that there is a gap between the
events and Nick’s retelling of them of one to two years
(1923 to 1924): ‘When I came back from the East last
autumn’ (Chapter 1, p8). We are reminded again of this at
several points along the way. Gatsby’s death happens
before the beginning of the novel. This gives Gatsby’s
death a predetermined quality – it is inescapable. All of the
characters’ fates are already decided.
• What does this approach reveal about the way in which
Fitzgerald chooses to tell the story of Jay Gatsby (and his
narrator Nick Carraway). What do you notice? How do you
think this might impact on your response to the events and
the characters?
Remember AO1 is being able to use technical
terms when discussing a novel or poem.
Geography and Morality are linked
Fitzgerald uses the superficial similarities between the Eggs
to emphasise how different they really are – they’re
‘identical in contour’ but dissimilar ‘in every particular
except the shape and size’.
He also gives each location a different morality, which
encourages the reader to make comparisons between
them.
• Looking at Chapter 1, what does The Midwest represent?
Ensure you include evidence.
The Midwest is...

•Old fashioned and represents family values – the Carraways are a
‘prominent, well-to-do’ ‘clan’ and Nick’s father runs the same hardware
business that his Great Uncle set up.
•Possibly dishonest under the surface – the ‘founder’ of Nick’s family avoided
the Civil War by sending a ‘substitute’ and they all pretend that they’re
‘descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch’.
Geography and Morality are linked
•What does East Egg represent? What does West Egg
represent? Remember to provide evidence from the
text.
East Egg is...

•Conservative and aristocratic but not as refined as it appears. E.g. Tom is
‘aggressive’ and ‘hulking’, where typically the upper classes should be polite
and well-mannered.
•Fashionable but fake. Its appealing surface hides unattractive realities – the
Buchanans’ marriage isn’t as happy as it seems, and Daisy’s looks and wealth
mask a bored, cynical and empty interior.

West Egg is...

•Home to the new rich who’ve made their own fortunes rather than
inheriting money – most of the residents don’t have aristocratic breeding or
wealthy family connections (but Nick’s an exception).
•Characterised by extravagant displays of wealth that are poor in taste, e.g.
Gatsby’s mansion.
The Language
• Look at the list of words all taken from the first chapter of the
novel. Cluster them in any way that seems interesting to you.
One of the things you may have noticed through doing this is
while some of the words seem very modern (to do with new
technologies, transport, the city, finance and so on) others seem
to belong to a much more ‘Romantic’ world. ‘Romanticism’
refers to a movement which emerged at the end of the 18th and
beginning of the 19th century. Nicolas Trendell describes
Romanticism as:
A cultural and artistic movement which valued imagination over
intellect, feeling over reason, subjectivity over objectivity
conformity, extremism over moderation, ambiguity over clarity,
and the quest for transcendence over the respect for limits.
•Divide the words into ‘Romantic’ and ‘Modern’
The Language
• In pairs, look at the extract you’ve been given. Circle the ‘Romantic’ words
and phrases in one colour and those which seem to you more modern in a
second colour. Discuss anything you notice about the ways in which
language associated with the Romantic and modern is used.
• Join up with another pair who looked at the other extract and share your
discoveries. What is the effect of the way Fitzgerald uses Romantic and
modern language?

Watch the Romantic/modern discussion by Nicolas Trendell.
• Write a paragraph of notes entitled: Fitzgelald’s Romantic Modernism.
You may wish to include:
– The use of Romantic and modern rhythms
– The suggestion that Fitzgerald may either be using Romantic language to
expose ‘the debasement of the modern era’ or using modern imagery to
‘renovate Romantic language’
– How this juxtaposition of the Romantic and modern relates to the story of Jay
Gatsby
– The relationship between Fitzgerald’s style (the language choices he makes
and the rhythm of his prose) and the themes of the novel
Independent Study
SECTION A PRACTICE QUESTIONS:
• How is the story told in Chapter One of The Great
Remember you are being marked on
Gatsby?
AO2 only on this question
AND
• Even though Nick claims he’s not judgemental, his
presentation of the other characters encourages
the reader to make their own judgements about
them.’ To what extent do you agree with this
statement? Refer to the text in your answer.
AO1: being able to write about narrative analytically
AO2: being able to deconstruct the text, to look at technical authorial methods
AO3: being able to lay bare the possibilities of interpretation
AO4: understanding that evidence for your readings is in the relationship between
what is in the text itself and what you yourself bring to it. Context is included in
the question you just have to look for it. Remember context can be: cultural,
modern, autobiographical, historical and its reception too.

Remember you are being marked on
AO1, 3 and 4 on this question
Chapter 1
• Look at the extracts you’ve been given. Circle the ‘Romantic’ words and
phrases in one colour and those which seem to you more modern in a
second colour. Note (label/bullet point is fine) anything you notice about
the ways in which language associated with the Romantic and modern is
used.
• What is the effect of the way Fitzgerald uses Romantic and modern
language?
CHAPTER 1:
• Write a one sentence summary
• Choose a single quotation to sum up the chapter
• What can you say about chapter one and each of the aspects of narrative?
–
–
–
–
–
–

Time and Sequence
Characters and Characterisation
Points of View
Voices in texts
Scenes and Places
Destination
Reread chapter 2 and 3 ready for Tuesday’s lesson.

Contenu connexe

Tendances

To kill a mockingbird introduction
To kill a mockingbird  introduction To kill a mockingbird  introduction
To kill a mockingbird introduction Ty171
 
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 2
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 2"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 2
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 2Lina Ell
 
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6 and 7
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6 and 7The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6 and 7
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6 and 7Suzie Allen
 
Of mice-and-men-powerpoint
Of mice-and-men-powerpointOf mice-and-men-powerpoint
Of mice-and-men-powerpointsparkly
 
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 3
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 3"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 3
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 3Lina Ell
 
The Great Gatsby
The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsbymtanchev
 
Pride & Prejudice by Nish
Pride & Prejudice by NishPride & Prejudice by Nish
Pride & Prejudice by Nishnishiraa24
 
The great gatsby pri
The great gatsby   priThe great gatsby   pri
The great gatsby primaireadybaby
 
Of Mice and Men revision: Slim
Of Mice and Men revision:  SlimOf Mice and Men revision:  Slim
Of Mice and Men revision: SlimEmma Sinclair
 
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 7
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 7"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 7
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 7Lina Ell
 
The Great Gatsby Chapter 2
The Great Gatsby Chapter  2The Great Gatsby Chapter  2
The Great Gatsby Chapter 2CoolTeacher
 
Of Mice And Men Powerpoint
Of Mice And Men PowerpointOf Mice And Men Powerpoint
Of Mice And Men PowerpointBarbara McQueen
 
The Great Gatsby Chapter 9
The Great Gatsby Chapter  9The Great Gatsby Chapter  9
The Great Gatsby Chapter 9CoolTeacher
 
Tkam part one review
Tkam part one reviewTkam part one review
Tkam part one reviewjamarch
 
The Great Gatsby Notes
The Great Gatsby NotesThe Great Gatsby Notes
The Great Gatsby Notesaradcliffe19
 
Student collaborative notes on the novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
Student collaborative notes on the novel The Great Gatsby by FitzgeraldStudent collaborative notes on the novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
Student collaborative notes on the novel The Great Gatsby by FitzgeraldDebs Aske-Harris
 
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 4
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 4"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 4
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 4Lina Ell
 

Tendances (20)

To kill a mockingbird introduction
To kill a mockingbird  introduction To kill a mockingbird  introduction
To kill a mockingbird introduction
 
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 2
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 2"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 2
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 2
 
The Great Gatsby Analysis
The Great Gatsby AnalysisThe Great Gatsby Analysis
The Great Gatsby Analysis
 
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6 and 7
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6 and 7The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6 and 7
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6 and 7
 
The Great Gatsby: Historical Context
The Great Gatsby: Historical ContextThe Great Gatsby: Historical Context
The Great Gatsby: Historical Context
 
Of mice-and-men-powerpoint
Of mice-and-men-powerpointOf mice-and-men-powerpoint
Of mice-and-men-powerpoint
 
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 3
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 3"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 3
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 3
 
The great gatsby
The great gatsbyThe great gatsby
The great gatsby
 
The Great Gatsby
The Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
 
Pride & Prejudice by Nish
Pride & Prejudice by NishPride & Prejudice by Nish
Pride & Prejudice by Nish
 
The great gatsby pri
The great gatsby   priThe great gatsby   pri
The great gatsby pri
 
Of Mice and Men revision: Slim
Of Mice and Men revision:  SlimOf Mice and Men revision:  Slim
Of Mice and Men revision: Slim
 
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 7
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 7"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 7
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 7
 
The Great Gatsby Chapter 2
The Great Gatsby Chapter  2The Great Gatsby Chapter  2
The Great Gatsby Chapter 2
 
Of Mice And Men Powerpoint
Of Mice And Men PowerpointOf Mice And Men Powerpoint
Of Mice And Men Powerpoint
 
The Great Gatsby Chapter 9
The Great Gatsby Chapter  9The Great Gatsby Chapter  9
The Great Gatsby Chapter 9
 
Tkam part one review
Tkam part one reviewTkam part one review
Tkam part one review
 
The Great Gatsby Notes
The Great Gatsby NotesThe Great Gatsby Notes
The Great Gatsby Notes
 
Student collaborative notes on the novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
Student collaborative notes on the novel The Great Gatsby by FitzgeraldStudent collaborative notes on the novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
Student collaborative notes on the novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
 
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 4
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 4"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 4
"The Great Gatsby" Chapter 4
 

Similaire à The Great Gatsby - Chapter 1

The Great Gatsby chapter 1 summative points - Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby chapter 1 summative points - FitzgeraldThe Great Gatsby chapter 1 summative points - Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby chapter 1 summative points - FitzgeraldDebs Aske-Harris
 
The Great Gatsby- Group Presentation
The Great Gatsby- Group PresentationThe Great Gatsby- Group Presentation
The Great Gatsby- Group PresentationHetalPathak10
 
The_Great_Gatsby_Introductory_Presentation.pptx
The_Great_Gatsby_Introductory_Presentation.pptxThe_Great_Gatsby_Introductory_Presentation.pptx
The_Great_Gatsby_Introductory_Presentation.pptxBhumiGohil1
 
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 4 and 5
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 4 and 5The Great Gatsby - Chapters 4 and 5
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 4 and 5Suzie Allen
 
Lord Of The Flies Fear Essay
Lord Of The Flies Fear EssayLord Of The Flies Fear Essay
Lord Of The Flies Fear EssayBrandi Jackson
 
Personalized Handwriting Worksheet Learn To Write
Personalized Handwriting Worksheet Learn To WritePersonalized Handwriting Worksheet Learn To Write
Personalized Handwriting Worksheet Learn To WriteTeisha Hicks
 
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8 and 9
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8 and 9The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8 and 9
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8 and 9Suzie Allen
 
Jfk Inaugural Address Essay
Jfk Inaugural Address EssayJfk Inaugural Address Essay
Jfk Inaugural Address EssayKylie Hall
 
This Side Of Paradise And The Great Gatsby Essay
This Side Of Paradise And The Great Gatsby EssayThis Side Of Paradise And The Great Gatsby Essay
This Side Of Paradise And The Great Gatsby EssayShelly Martinez
 
The american dream
The american dreamThe american dream
The american dreamkguymon
 

Similaire à The Great Gatsby - Chapter 1 (20)

The Great Gatsby chapter 1 summative points - Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby chapter 1 summative points - FitzgeraldThe Great Gatsby chapter 1 summative points - Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby chapter 1 summative points - Fitzgerald
 
The Great Gatsby.pptx
The Great Gatsby.pptxThe Great Gatsby.pptx
The Great Gatsby.pptx
 
The Great Gatsby- Group Presentation
The Great Gatsby- Group PresentationThe Great Gatsby- Group Presentation
The Great Gatsby- Group Presentation
 
Essay On Great Gatsby Answers
Essay On Great Gatsby AnswersEssay On Great Gatsby Answers
Essay On Great Gatsby Answers
 
The Great Gatsby Social Commentary Essay
The Great Gatsby Social Commentary EssayThe Great Gatsby Social Commentary Essay
The Great Gatsby Social Commentary Essay
 
Essay Questions On The Great Gatsby
Essay Questions On The Great GatsbyEssay Questions On The Great Gatsby
Essay Questions On The Great Gatsby
 
The Great Gatsby Critical Essay
The Great Gatsby Critical EssayThe Great Gatsby Critical Essay
The Great Gatsby Critical Essay
 
Fahrenheit 451 Social Commentary Essay
Fahrenheit 451 Social Commentary EssayFahrenheit 451 Social Commentary Essay
Fahrenheit 451 Social Commentary Essay
 
Book Report Great Gatsby
Book Report Great GatsbyBook Report Great Gatsby
Book Report Great Gatsby
 
New Essays On The Great Gatsby
New Essays On The Great GatsbyNew Essays On The Great Gatsby
New Essays On The Great Gatsby
 
The_Great_Gatsby_Introductory_Presentation.pptx
The_Great_Gatsby_Introductory_Presentation.pptxThe_Great_Gatsby_Introductory_Presentation.pptx
The_Great_Gatsby_Introductory_Presentation.pptx
 
Darah Gatsby
Darah GatsbyDarah Gatsby
Darah Gatsby
 
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 4 and 5
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 4 and 5The Great Gatsby - Chapters 4 and 5
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 4 and 5
 
Lord Of The Flies Fear Essay
Lord Of The Flies Fear EssayLord Of The Flies Fear Essay
Lord Of The Flies Fear Essay
 
Personalized Handwriting Worksheet Learn To Write
Personalized Handwriting Worksheet Learn To WritePersonalized Handwriting Worksheet Learn To Write
Personalized Handwriting Worksheet Learn To Write
 
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8 and 9
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8 and 9The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8 and 9
The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8 and 9
 
Jfk Inaugural Address Essay
Jfk Inaugural Address EssayJfk Inaugural Address Essay
Jfk Inaugural Address Essay
 
The Increase In ADHD Diagnosis
The Increase In ADHD DiagnosisThe Increase In ADHD Diagnosis
The Increase In ADHD Diagnosis
 
This Side Of Paradise And The Great Gatsby Essay
This Side Of Paradise And The Great Gatsby EssayThis Side Of Paradise And The Great Gatsby Essay
This Side Of Paradise And The Great Gatsby Essay
 
The american dream
The american dreamThe american dream
The american dream
 

Plus de Suzie Allen

Analysing for the exam
Analysing for the examAnalysing for the exam
Analysing for the examSuzie Allen
 
The Great Gatsby - context
The Great Gatsby - contextThe Great Gatsby - context
The Great Gatsby - contextSuzie Allen
 
The course of love... MSND
The course of love... MSNDThe course of love... MSND
The course of love... MSNDSuzie Allen
 
Question 2b: Language
Question 2b: LanguageQuestion 2b: Language
Question 2b: LanguageSuzie Allen
 
Question 2A: Presentaitonal Features
Question 2A: Presentaitonal Features Question 2A: Presentaitonal Features
Question 2A: Presentaitonal Features Suzie Allen
 
Purpose, Audience, Form and Tone
Purpose, Audience, Form and TonePurpose, Audience, Form and Tone
Purpose, Audience, Form and ToneSuzie Allen
 
Robin Goodfellow - The Trickster
Robin Goodfellow - The TricksterRobin Goodfellow - The Trickster
Robin Goodfellow - The TricksterSuzie Allen
 

Plus de Suzie Allen (13)

Analysing for the exam
Analysing for the examAnalysing for the exam
Analysing for the exam
 
The Great Gatsby - context
The Great Gatsby - contextThe Great Gatsby - context
The Great Gatsby - context
 
The course of love... MSND
The course of love... MSNDThe course of love... MSND
The course of love... MSND
 
Question 2b: Language
Question 2b: LanguageQuestion 2b: Language
Question 2b: Language
 
Question 2A: Presentaitonal Features
Question 2A: Presentaitonal Features Question 2A: Presentaitonal Features
Question 2A: Presentaitonal Features
 
Purpose, Audience, Form and Tone
Purpose, Audience, Form and TonePurpose, Audience, Form and Tone
Purpose, Audience, Form and Tone
 
What is comedy
What is comedyWhat is comedy
What is comedy
 
The fool
The foolThe fool
The fool
 
The craftsmen
The craftsmenThe craftsmen
The craftsmen
 
Beginning msnd
Beginning msndBeginning msnd
Beginning msnd
 
What is Comedy?
What is Comedy?What is Comedy?
What is Comedy?
 
Beginning msnd
Beginning msnd Beginning msnd
Beginning msnd
 
Robin Goodfellow - The Trickster
Robin Goodfellow - The TricksterRobin Goodfellow - The Trickster
Robin Goodfellow - The Trickster
 

The Great Gatsby - Chapter 1

  • 2. Aspects of Narrative • • • • • • Time and Sequence Characters and Characterisation Points of View Voices in texts Scenes and Places Destination Look out for this flagging up Aspects of Narratives All of these aspects work together to form a complete narrative: separating them can help you understand how the narrative works but when it comes to the exam you will be expected to draw on your knowledge of all the aspects, and decide which ones are most relevant in writing about your chosen text.
  • 3. Aspects of Time  There are two broad aspects of time within any novel or are going to start We writing. 1. The time covered by events in the story. with the time that surrounds the story Writing about how the author manages the time within the story is AO2. 2. The broader time which surrounds the story – the time period in which it is set. Writing about the author manages this aspect of time is AO4. For example: Fitzgerald wrote a kind of love story in The Great Gatesby and the time covered by events in the novel are from when Daisy and Jay meet to Jay’s death. But Fitzgerald also set The Great Gatesby in the 1920’s and so other aspects of time are involved – he incorporates aspects of life in the 1920’s. How the author manages time WITHIN the story is AO2, which looks at aspects of form, structure and language, in this case with a special focus on structure. Meanwhile, how the author manages time that SURROUNDS the story is covered by AO4, which looks at context.
  • 4. Context Naming the period Listed below are some of the names given to the period between 1918 and 1939 and the generation who became adults during it. Annotate the names with your ideas about what this period might have been like e.g. mood/tone, themes, impressions of the people or of the period. Jazz Age Roaring 20s World War 1 Generation Pre-depression Era Lost Generation Golden Twenties Golden Age of Hollywood Prohibition Era Inter-war La Generation de Feu (Generation of Fire) Bright Young Things The Flapper Era After the gruelling experiences of WW1, the anti-hero was often portrayed as a powerless figure, caught-up in social processes that were rigidly mechanical with no room to prove personal worth. This was called the Lost Generation, characterising an age which seemed to have no sense of historical purpose.
  • 5. Context The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, in the middle of a decade of hero-worship in America. Newspapers, reaching a larger readership than ever before, were extravagant in celebrating a feat such as Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927, while the careers of screen idols ranging from the romantic Rudolph Valentino to the comic Charlie Chaplin filled the pages of magazines eagerly purchased by Americans hungry for glamorous images.
  • 6. Context Fitzgerald is renowned as the chronicler of the Jazz Age. He evokes in his stories not the pessimism and sense of powerlessness but the pleasure-seeking spirit of the decade following WW1. His stories were written primarily to entertain, and a few of them suggest that there is a Lost Generation concealed behind the veil of hedonism. Is The Great Gatsby suggestive of a concealed Lost Generation?
  • 7. Context As he began to write it, Fitzgerald sent a letter to Maxwell Perkins, his editor, saying that he wanted his book to be extraordinary. He was aiming for beauty and simplicity, but at the same time he knew the book would be intricately patterned. It is its intricacy that makes for richness and invites a range of interpretations. On the most straightforward level it can be read as a love story, the tale of a man’s obsessive desire for the woman he has lost and the tragic consequences of that desire. On another level it is a social satire, mocking the follies of contemporary social life, the shallowness, hypocrisy and greed that Fitzgerald recognised in America in the years following WW1.
  • 8. Alternative Readings American literary critic Lionel Trilling argued in 1945 that Jay Gatsby stands for America itself. It can be read as a mediation on the fate of American ideal in the modern world, a contemplation both of the vision that sustained early European settlements of the New World and the sacrifice of that vision to materialistic values in the course of the nation’s rapid growth. The novel raises the question of what makes a successful nation. Does the success of some in acquiring wealth necessarily disadvantage many others and so create a divided and failed society? Does material prosperity necessarily lead to loss of valuable ideas such as honesty, loyalty and fairness?
  • 9. Historical Context Key Points Connections with the novel World War 1 Immigration and migration Prohibition The position of Women The consumer Society Look back at the text to select 10 short quotations relating to these contextual areas. Make sure that all of the contextual areas are given relative quotation.
  • 10. Context What have we learnt? Consider too: •The historical, cultural and literary context of the novel in an age when, as Fitzgerald himself put it, ‘America was going on the greatest, gaudiest spree in history.’ •The context of reading, particularly in light of the 21st-century knowledge about The Great Depression and World War 2.
  • 11. What kind of book is The Great Gatsby? The Great Gatsby is first and foremost a book about a man writing a book. The relationship of Nick to Gatsby established in this basic fact frames the presentation of all the other relationships between characters in the story.
  • 12. Exploring the Narrative of The Great Gatsby Learning Objective: How does Fitzgerald tell the story in Chapter 1 of the Great Gatsby? This is what you are asked to do for Section A Question 1 of the exam. It assessed AO2 – form, structure and language. Learning Outcome: To explore Fitzgerald’s use of: Section A Question 2 • Time and Sequence is where you get your AO4 Context in • Characters and Characterisation (with AO1 and 3) • Points of View • Voices in texts • Scenes and Places • Destination Section A Question 2 is assessed on AO1, 3 and 4. Section B is assessed for AO1, 2 and 3 (no 4) and focus is on the Aspects of Narrative.
  • 13. Introducing Nick ‘The choice of the point(s) of view from which the story is told ... fundamentally affects the ways readers will respond emotionally and morally to the fictional characters and their actions.’ David Lodge: The Art of Fiction, 1994 In The Great Gatsby Fizgerald chooses to use a firstperson narrator. However, this narrator, Nick Carraway, does not set out to tell his own story but that of Jay Gatsby ‘the man who gives his name to this book’ (The Great Gatsby, p8). Nick’s voice is not the same as the author’s voice and Nick’s viewpoint is not the same as Gatsby’s perspective – Nick has survived Gatsby and is able to tell the story of his life, and death, after it has all ended. • What are the possible advantages and disadvantages of the first-person narrator?
  • 14. Other Voices What are some of the ways in which Fitzgerald overcomes the limitations of the first-person narration? Some of the ways Fitzgerald modifies the first-person voice in order to include stories and events of which Nick has no first-hand experience are: • Recounting dialogue between characters • Direct quotation of another character’s sustained account • Paraphrasing another character’s words • Piecing together fragments of a story into a continuous narrative in Nick’s voice • Speculation about what might have happened • Speculation about what a character might have felt (for example, “he must have felt…”) • Evocations of another character’s consciousness (for example, “he felt”)
  • 15. Chapter 1 Chapter 1 – the summer of 1922 In Chapter 1 Nick begins his narration of the events of the summer of 1922. We are made aware that this is a retrospective narrative and that there is a gap between the events and Nick’s retelling of them of one to two years (1923 to 1924): ‘When I came back from the East last autumn’ (Chapter 1, p8). We are reminded again of this at several points along the way. Gatsby’s death happens before the beginning of the novel. This gives Gatsby’s death a predetermined quality – it is inescapable. All of the characters’ fates are already decided. • What does this approach reveal about the way in which Fitzgerald chooses to tell the story of Jay Gatsby (and his narrator Nick Carraway). What do you notice? How do you think this might impact on your response to the events and the characters? Remember AO1 is being able to use technical terms when discussing a novel or poem.
  • 16. Geography and Morality are linked Fitzgerald uses the superficial similarities between the Eggs to emphasise how different they really are – they’re ‘identical in contour’ but dissimilar ‘in every particular except the shape and size’. He also gives each location a different morality, which encourages the reader to make comparisons between them. • Looking at Chapter 1, what does The Midwest represent? Ensure you include evidence. The Midwest is... •Old fashioned and represents family values – the Carraways are a ‘prominent, well-to-do’ ‘clan’ and Nick’s father runs the same hardware business that his Great Uncle set up. •Possibly dishonest under the surface – the ‘founder’ of Nick’s family avoided the Civil War by sending a ‘substitute’ and they all pretend that they’re ‘descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch’.
  • 17. Geography and Morality are linked •What does East Egg represent? What does West Egg represent? Remember to provide evidence from the text. East Egg is... •Conservative and aristocratic but not as refined as it appears. E.g. Tom is ‘aggressive’ and ‘hulking’, where typically the upper classes should be polite and well-mannered. •Fashionable but fake. Its appealing surface hides unattractive realities – the Buchanans’ marriage isn’t as happy as it seems, and Daisy’s looks and wealth mask a bored, cynical and empty interior. West Egg is... •Home to the new rich who’ve made their own fortunes rather than inheriting money – most of the residents don’t have aristocratic breeding or wealthy family connections (but Nick’s an exception). •Characterised by extravagant displays of wealth that are poor in taste, e.g. Gatsby’s mansion.
  • 18. The Language • Look at the list of words all taken from the first chapter of the novel. Cluster them in any way that seems interesting to you. One of the things you may have noticed through doing this is while some of the words seem very modern (to do with new technologies, transport, the city, finance and so on) others seem to belong to a much more ‘Romantic’ world. ‘Romanticism’ refers to a movement which emerged at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. Nicolas Trendell describes Romanticism as: A cultural and artistic movement which valued imagination over intellect, feeling over reason, subjectivity over objectivity conformity, extremism over moderation, ambiguity over clarity, and the quest for transcendence over the respect for limits. •Divide the words into ‘Romantic’ and ‘Modern’
  • 19. The Language • In pairs, look at the extract you’ve been given. Circle the ‘Romantic’ words and phrases in one colour and those which seem to you more modern in a second colour. Discuss anything you notice about the ways in which language associated with the Romantic and modern is used. • Join up with another pair who looked at the other extract and share your discoveries. What is the effect of the way Fitzgerald uses Romantic and modern language? Watch the Romantic/modern discussion by Nicolas Trendell. • Write a paragraph of notes entitled: Fitzgelald’s Romantic Modernism. You may wish to include: – The use of Romantic and modern rhythms – The suggestion that Fitzgerald may either be using Romantic language to expose ‘the debasement of the modern era’ or using modern imagery to ‘renovate Romantic language’ – How this juxtaposition of the Romantic and modern relates to the story of Jay Gatsby – The relationship between Fitzgerald’s style (the language choices he makes and the rhythm of his prose) and the themes of the novel
  • 20. Independent Study SECTION A PRACTICE QUESTIONS: • How is the story told in Chapter One of The Great Remember you are being marked on Gatsby? AO2 only on this question AND • Even though Nick claims he’s not judgemental, his presentation of the other characters encourages the reader to make their own judgements about them.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement? Refer to the text in your answer. AO1: being able to write about narrative analytically AO2: being able to deconstruct the text, to look at technical authorial methods AO3: being able to lay bare the possibilities of interpretation AO4: understanding that evidence for your readings is in the relationship between what is in the text itself and what you yourself bring to it. Context is included in the question you just have to look for it. Remember context can be: cultural, modern, autobiographical, historical and its reception too. Remember you are being marked on AO1, 3 and 4 on this question
  • 21. Chapter 1 • Look at the extracts you’ve been given. Circle the ‘Romantic’ words and phrases in one colour and those which seem to you more modern in a second colour. Note (label/bullet point is fine) anything you notice about the ways in which language associated with the Romantic and modern is used. • What is the effect of the way Fitzgerald uses Romantic and modern language? CHAPTER 1: • Write a one sentence summary • Choose a single quotation to sum up the chapter • What can you say about chapter one and each of the aspects of narrative? – – – – – – Time and Sequence Characters and Characterisation Points of View Voices in texts Scenes and Places Destination Reread chapter 2 and 3 ready for Tuesday’s lesson.

Notes de l'éditeur

  1. Watch NicolasTrendell on Historical Context
  2. Read through and make notes on Chapter 1
  3. Watch – Narration on dvd
  4. Watch dvd – Romantc/modern