THE GREAT GATSBY Unit 4 Perception vs Reality

THE GREAT GATSBY

Unit 4: Perception vs. Reality • What prevents us from seeing the world objectively and realistically? • What are the consequences of letting our perceptions control our reality? • How does the author’s perception shape the reader’s perception?

1. Why do you think this poem follows a rhyme scheme? How would it be different if it were free verse; would that change the meaning at all? 2. Why is the poem so short? Why is that worth noting? 3. Based on the wording of this poem, whose fault is it that Richard Cory’s life ended in tragedy? 4. Were the people too judgmental or was he actually not “human” enough?

WELCOME TO THE ROARING TWENTIES

Based on the artifacts and the conversations at your party tables, answer these questions: • Why were the 1920’s “roaring”? • What ONE word would you use to describe the vibe of this time period? (you cannot use roaring )

Who: CHARACTERS ! • Nick Carraway: Narrator of the novel. A young man from the Midwest (Minnesota) who moves to New York to work in the bond business after having been educated at Yale and having served in World War I. He is tolerant, openminded, and a good listener. In his own words, he is “inclined to reserve all judgments”! • Jay Gatsby: Title character and protagonist of the novel. Also from the Midwest, he moved to Long Island after attaining great wealth and began to throw lavish parties every Saturday with the hopes of attracting Daisy Buchanan. • Daisy Buchanan: Nick’s cousin. Dated Gatsby as a young woman in Louisville, KY before the war. Married to Tom Buchanan. When (1922) and Where: New York City and on Long Island, in two areas known as "West Egg" and "East Egg"—in real life, Great Neck and Port Washington peninsulas on Long Island.

1. “I waited, and sure enough, in a moment she looked at me with an absolute smirk on her lovely face, as if she had asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secret society to which she and Tom belonged. ” pg. 17 2. “Sometimes she and Miss Baker talked at once, unobtrusively and with a bantering inconsequence that was never quite chatter, that was as cool as their white dresses and their impersonal eyes in the absence of all desire. ” pg. 12 3. “There was something pathetic in his concentration, as if his complacency, more acute than of old, was not enough to him any more. ” pg. 13 4. “…Something was making him [Tom] nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart. ” pg. 21

Chapters 2, 3, and 4 REVIEW • Summarize the main events (bulleted list is fine) • Write down 3 character observations…what did you observe (traits, behavior) about the main characters? • Find one significant quote and explain why • Write one discussion question based on your chapter

Warm-up: Re-read the second paragraph on page 2 and then answer these questions: 1. What does he mean when he says “I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart” ? 2. How does this passage affect your understanding of the book so far? What does it make you think, suspect, or predict? 3. Based on this passage, how does Nick feel about Gatsby?

• When you and your group have found a page number within your assigned chapter, raise your hand let me know so I can eliminate that page. Find quotes that reflect the PERCEPTION • Someone with NEAT handwriting, write of Jay Gatsby the quote in LARGE font in your quote and/or Daisy. bubble. • Be ready to explain what your quote means and whether or not you feel it is true.

1. Chunking: After EACH paragraph, write a summary in your own words in the margins. 2. Define words you do not know. Re-read sentences with the definitions you’ve acquired for the unknown words. 3. Make connections to other portions of the novel. 4. Write down new insight about the character(s). Make inferences. 5. Locate any symbols, conflicts, allusions, themes, or other significant literary devices. 6. Create questions; what does it make you wonder? 7. Write down any significant thought you have while reading this portion of the text.

1. How does Gatsby’s past affect his dreams and his pursuit of Daisy? 2. In what way has his past made him into the man he is today?

Imagery Setting Conflict Character Disillusion Compliance American Dream