The Great Gatsby

Outline
Some details about the book
Inspiration of the book
Some words about the author
Characters
Metaphors & Motifs
Representations & Contrasts
The film adaptation
Book vs. The movie
 Some details about the book
The book is written by
American author F. Scott
Fitzgerald in 1925 in the so
called ‘’Jazz age”
It was his third novel
Explores themes of decadence,
idealism, resistance to change,
social upheaval and excess.
Inspiration of the book
While attending Princeton, Fitzgerald met Ginevra
King. They had a romantic relationship which lasted
for 2 years.
Ginevra came from a higher classed family than Scott.
That is why Scott’s father told him once ‘’Poor boys
shouldn’t think of marrying rich girls.”
In conclusion Ginevra might be an inspiration for Scott
to create Daisy’s character in The Great Gatsby and
also for some other characters in different stories.
Some words about the author
F. Scott Fitzgerald was mainly a short story writer and
an essayist.
However, he also wrote some novels such as the
Tender is the night (1934), This side of the paradise
(1920) and of course The Great Gatsby (1925)
Born in an upper-middle-class family, went to
Princeton, he was dropped out, joined the army, he
married Zelda Fitzgerald, he died of a heart attack at
the age of 44.
Major Characters
Nick Carraway – graduated from Yale University, later
he became a WWI veteran and he was a new comer to
West Egg. He serves as a first person narrator and he
also an omniscient. He is Gatsby’s next door neighbor.
Jay Gatsby – a young, mysterious millionaire with
some shady business connections (bootlegger). During
WWI, he was a military officer stationed in Louisville,
Kentucky where he met Daisy Buchanan whom he
instantly fell in love with. After the end of the war he
also said to be studied at Trinity College, Oxford in
England.
Major Characters
Daisy Buchanan – an attractive, young debutante who
was also a ‘’flapper”. Nick’s second cousin. She had a
romantic relationship with Jay but she later married
Tom. Her choice between Tom and Jay is one of the
main conflicts in the novel.
Tom Buchanan – a millionaire who lives in East Egg.
He is Daisy’s husband. He was a man of muscular
build with a ‘’husky tenor” voice and an arrogant
demeanor. He was also a football star at Yale
University.
Major Characters
Jordan Baker – an amateur golfer, Daisy’s best friend
with a sarcastic streak and an aloof attitude. She is also
Nick’s girlfriend for most of the novel.
George B. Wilson – a mechanic who is disliked by
both his wife and Tom. He kills Jay at the end of the
novel, wrongly believing that he drove over his wife,
then he commits suicide.
Major Characters
Myrtle Wilson – George’s wife and Tom’s mistress.
She was desperate to find refuge from her
disappointing marriage. She is accidentally killed by
Gatsby’s car (driven by Daisy).
Meyer Wolfsheim – Jay’s Jewish friend and mentor.
He supported Jay’s studies at Oxford. Appears only
twice in the novel.
 Metaphors & Motifs
Fitzgerald began to use symbols e.g. colors:
Green light\color for representing nature, hope, regeneration
Gatsby wears a pink suit – the color of poor boys
Daisy wears white – purity, innocence
Gatsby’s house as a symbol, also contrast between emptiness
<> fizzle during parties
There is a Wasteland between East & West Egg.
Representations & Contrasts
Tom represents old money -> He has taste. His house
tells us about harmony, elegance and it is also
symmetrical.
Gatsby represents new money -> excesses, grandiose,
waste of money on parties and appearance
Gatsby is a self-made man. He is childish-> I want
Daisy back!
He wants to erase the past and start over.
Egoistic, I don’t care attitude <> Ben Frenklin’s
‘’What can I do for my country” - attitude
Failures
Gatsby fails to fulfill his life and get the woman he
wanted. He also incapable to move on and accept his
present.
Ben Franklin’s idea of ‘’What can I do for my country
and for my fellow citizens” – has also failed with this
‘’lost, hedonistic generation”
Failure of the ‘’American dream”
The film adaptation
The Great Gatsby is a 2013 Australian-
American romantic drama film based on F. Scott
Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name. The film was
co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobie Maguire, Carey
Mulligan, Isla Fisher and many others!
The film was highly polarizing among critics; it received
alternating praise and criticism for its acting performances,
soundtrack, visual style, and direction. Audiences
responded more positively and Fitzgerald's granddaughter
praised the film, stating "Scott would have been proud.
Book vs. The Movie
In the book version Nick and Jordan Baker are together
however, in the movie the directors cut their romance
out for the sake of time.
 Instead of offering a voice ringing like money, she
offers a weak will and a damsel-in-distress persona.
When Gatsby is verbally attacked by Tom in New York,
much of the dialogue is the same but when Gatsby
begins to lose control, begins to realize that Daisy is
present in the room but may be out of his grasp, his
"face that could kill a man" morphs into a childish freak
out where Gatsby even screams, "Shut up."
Resources
Rawden, J. (2013). The Great Gatsby: 9 Big
Differences Between The Book And Movie. Retrieved
7 October 2020, from
https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Great-Gatsby-9-
Big-Differences-Between-Book-Movie-37479.html
Fitzgerald, F., Lee, M., McGowan, P., & Buehler,
J. The great Gatsby.
"Arizona Theatre Company: The Great
Gatsby". Arizonatheatre.org. Archived from the
original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved  10.07,2020.
Thank you for your attention!