The Great Gatsby PreReading WebQuest

Directions
You are the researcher and the teacher! You will individually work to collect the
background information necessary to understanding the whole picture as it concerns F.
Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Individually, you are to follow the directions for the
topic assigned and answer the questions that follow on your own paper. Make sure you
label each section on your paper. You will have TWO days in class, on computers, to
complete this assignment. This will be taken for a grade. MAKE SURE YOU USE
YOUR TIME WISELY!

Conclusion 
After your research you will have a whole understanding of the political and social
backdrop that The Great Gatsby is set against. Having this understanding will allow you
to better process, visualize, and comprehend the setting, characterization, and plot
of The Great Gatsby.

Who is F. Scott Fitzgerald?

 
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/fitzgerald_f_homepage.html
http://www.biography.com/people/f-scott-fitzgerald-9296261
http://www.history.com/topics/f-scott-fitzgerald
 
1. In what year was Fitzgerald born, and in what year did he die? From what did he die?
2. What is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s full name? Who is he named after?
3. What were the dominant influences on Fitzgerald?
4. Where did Fitzgerald begin to write? What was the title of his first published story?
5. What did he do with his life when it became obvious he wouldn’t graduate from
college?
6. What habit did Fitzgerald have? What did people think of his work as a result of this
habit?
7. When and where did Fitzgerald write The Great Gatsby? When was it published
(month and year)?
8. How much money did Fitzgerald earn in the 1920s for his writings? Was this good or
bad money for the time?
9. What are the titles of two of Fitzgerald’s works that were made into films?
10. Who was Fitzgerald married to? What was his marriage like?

The Roaring Twenties or The Jazz Age

 
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1564.html
http://www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/jazz-age.html
http://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties
 
1. Besides the Jazz Age, what were two other names the 1920s were called?
2. The Roaring Twenties followed the end of what war?
3. Besides Fitzgerald, who are five other distinguished writers of the time?
4. What genre of music became popular during this time? Who are four famous
musicians of this genre?
5. Americans began to enjoy economical growth and fortune during the 1920s, what is
this growth attributed to?
6. Name three inventions of the 1920s.
7. Name three fads of the 1920s.
8. What were the lifestyles of young men and women like during the 1920s? What was
their behavior a reaction to?
9. How is the Jazz Age portrayed in The Great Gatsby?
10. Describe the fashion of the 1920s.

Prohibition
                     
http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/04109/301333-42.stm
http://prohibition.osu.edu/
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/p/prohibition.htm
http://www.1920-30.com/prohibition/
 
1. Define Prohibition. During what years did Prohibition occur?
2. Why did the United States have a prohibition movement? Under what Amendment
was Prohibition enacted?
3. Did prohibition work?
4. What was a speakeasy? How did you gain entry into one?
5. When did Prohibition end? What are “one-man clubs”? Why were they called this?
6. In what innovative ways did people illegally transport liquor?
7. What are some ways people obtained liquor during Prohibition?
8. Why were many average Americans considered criminals during the 1920s?
9. Why did Prohibition fail?

Flappers/Flapper Parties
 
http://www.havemann.com/flappers_dictionary.html
http://www.thedandy.org/home/flappers-and-the-roaring-20-s
http://www.ushistory.org/us/46d.asp
 
1. What is a flapper? Describe what one is like.
2. How did a flapper dress and wear her hair? What were these things symbolic of?
Who was considered the most significant designer of the flapper style?
3. What was the reputation of a flapper?
4. What activities took place at flapper parties? Name two popular dances of the time?
5. Why did the flapper era come to an end?
Long Island, New York – Answer the following questions about Long Island, the
setting of The Great Gatsby, using this link - Long Island, New York as your
reference:

1. What are the real names of the fictional areas known as "East Egg" and "West
Egg" in New York?
2. Which of the two areas is wealthier during this time period?