Kelso High School English Department The Great Gatsby
Kelso High School English Department
The Great Gatsby
Learning Intentions: Chapter Three To develop our understanding of : l KEY INCIDENT – WHY CHAPTER IS IMPORTANT l STRUCTURE within the novel l CHARACTERISATION – GATSBY, NICK l SYMBOLISM – CARS, OWL EYES l THEMES – MORAL DECAY / FAILURE OF AMERICAN DREAM
Success Criteria l l l l By the end of this series of lessons on Chapter Three, you will understand be able to explain: The importance of this chapter Fitzgerald’s use of STRUCTURE within this chapter Fitzgerald’s development of CHARACTERISATION within this chapter The use of SYMBOLISM within this chapter Fitzgerald’s development of THEME within this chapter Updated Quotation sheets for each aspect of the text
Skills
Chapter Three: Key Incident. Essay tie-in: Key Incident
Why Chapter important? l l Reader introduced to lavish, extravagant world of Gatsby – conveyed by description of his party Chapter Three helps to illustrate main themes of lavish excess of the 1920 s, the corruption of the American Dream, the isolation of Gatsby and the shallowness of the American Upper Classes.
Why Chapter important? Foreshadowing Example 1: Owl Eyes mutters to himself that if “one brick was removed the whole library was liable to collapse” - makes the point that if one part of Gatsby’s outward image were to falter, the entire illusion would shatter. THIS FORESHADOWS HOW GATSBY’S LIFE WILL FALL APART.
Why Chapter important? Foreshadowing Example 2: l. Owl Eyes is involved in a car crash as he leaves the party. l. He is mistakenly thought to be the driver – “You don’t understand… I wasn’t driving”. This foreshadows Gatsby’s involvement in Myrtle’s death.
Structure - Delayed Introduction of Gatsby l l In the first two chapters of the novel the reader has : i) seen Gatsby from a distance ii) heard other characters talk about him iii) heard Nick’s thoughts on him Yet, we have not met him
Structure – Delayed Introduction of Gatsby l l Chapter Three is devoted to an introduction of Gatsby and the lavish showy world he inhabits Yet, Gatsby’s introduction is further delayed “Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all”
l Why has Fitzgerald structured the opening chapters in this way?
Characterisation: Gatsby
Structure/Style – Repetition of Conjecture about Gatsby. Essay tie-in: Key Incident / Isolation l l “Somebody told me……. ” “Somebody told me they thought he killed a man once” “It’s more that he was a German spy during the war” The repetition of the conjecture about Gatsby further adds to his mystery
Style - Mystery created around the character of Gatsby. Essay tie-in: Isolation / Key Incident l When we do eventually meet him: “I’m Gatsby”, he said suddenly. “What!” I exclaimed. “Oh, I beg your pardon. ” l Yet our first proper meeting with him further adds to the mystery. The low profile he maintains is out of place with his lavish expenditure
Style – Mysterious like atmosphere created around Gatsby. Essay tie-in: Key Incident / Isolation l l Repetition of “Old sport” further adds to the mystery of Gatsby as it makes him sound more English Jordan’s words create further mystery – “I’ve just heard the most amazing thing, ” she whispered…. ”it was simply amazing”, she repeated abstractedly”
Style - Dreamlike quality of proceedings. Essay tie-in: Key Incident l l the fact that throughout this chapter description is used to create a dreamlike atmosphere: “In his garden men and girls came and went like moths” “A tray of cocktails floated at us through the twilight” Again an air of illusion is successfully created
Characterisation - Gatsby l Does this perhaps suggest that there is something illusionary about Gatsby himself?
Characterisation – Gatsby l l l Not only is an air of mystery created around Gatsby – “believe” / “impression”/ “convey” He is also portrayed as being almost like royalty – “signed Jay Gatsby in a majestic hand” He is portrayed as doing everything to excess
l Explain the way in which the following quotes suggest excess: “the orchestra had arrived, no thin five piece affair but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and …”
l “the cars from New York are parked five deep in the drive” l “At least once a fortnight a corp of caterers” l “Enough coloured lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden”
l The repetition of the business calls early in the morning perhaps suggests underworld business connections l Discussion Why is this idea reinforced by the calls coming from Chicago?
Characterisation: Nick. Essay tiein: Narrative Technique
l l l Explain why the following quotes make us question Nick’s reliability: “I had taken two finger bowls of champagne, and the scene had changed before my eyes into something significant, elemental and profound” “It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life”
Read the following: “ I even had a short affair with a girl who lived in Jersey City…but her brother began throwing mean looks in my direction” l Why? l Nick is supposed to be honest and reliable. Is this a warning? Does he only tell us what he wants us to know? l
l l l Yet, if he is so honest, why is he attracted to Jordan - “ I felt a sort of tender curiosity…for a moment I thought I loved her” He acknowledges that she is dishonest “a suggestion that she moved her ball from a bad lie” Yet, “It made no difference to me. Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply”
Consider the final sentence of the chapter : “ Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” Discussion In what ways is this sentence given significance? l
Symbolism - Cars. Essay tie in: l “His Rolls Royce became an omnibus” l Cars represent the wealth of America, but Gatsby is not happy with a Ford motor car – most Americans who could afford a car had one. Remember the connotations of a Rolls Royce – great wealth and social privilege
Symbolism l l - Cars “Gatsby’s car completes his image as a successful self-made man. It is a “rich cream colour, bright with nickel” – the combination of rich colours links his car to precious metals.
Symbolism – Owl Eyes l “Absolutely real – have pages and everything…. they are absolutely real…It fooled me” l Owl Eyes is surprised to discover that the books are real and not just empty covers and cases.
Does Owl Eyes surprised reaction that Gatsby’s books are real suggest that he might think that Gatsby himself is also a fake? Does this suggest that the people of West Egg and East Egg are ornate covers too? Does their outward show of opulence cover up their inner corruption and moral decay?
Theme - Isolation. Essay tie-in: Key Incident / Isolation l Fitzgerald clearly creates an air of isolation around Gatsby – “standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another” “Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all”
Theme - Isolation. Essay tie-in: Key Incident / Isolation l l At the end of the party, when the ‘laughter and sound’ has died away, Gatsby is shown in ‘complete isolation’ with his “hand up in a formal gesture of farewell. This echoes the end of Chapter One where Gatsby “stretched out his arms towards the dark water”, reaching out for Daisy.
l Think back to previous chapters… In what other ways has Gatsby’s isolation been conveyed?
Theme – Moral Decay. Essay tie-in: Moral Decay / Failure of American Dream / Key Incident l The behaviour of the American Upper classes suggests that their wealth covers up their vulgar behaviour: “ They conducted themselves according to the rules of behaviour associated with an amusement park”
Theme – Moral Decay. Essay tie-in: Moral Decay / Failure of American Dream / Key Incident / Shallowness l l “Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands” Lavish appearances cover less positive realities
Success Criteria l l l l By the end of this series of lessons on Chapter Three, you will understand be able to explain: The importance of this chapter Fitzgerald’s use of STRUCTURE within this chapter Fitzgerald’s development of CHARACTERISATION within this chapter The use of SYMBOLISM within this chapter Fitzgerald’s development of THEME within this chapter Updated Quotation sheets for each aspect of the text
Well-done!!!!
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