„The Great

Gatsby”
references in
popular
culture
Alicja Harazim
 Gossip Girl
• The show tells a story about wealthy New Yorkers
living on the Upper East side and West side. An
anonymous blogger called „Gossip Girl” follows their
life, reveals their secrets and scandals. We can see a
big contrast between Manhattan and Brooklyn (in
many different ways such as the lifestyle, social
circles, schools, everyday activities). It is similar to
the contrast between the East Egg, West Egg and the
Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby.

• In the episode 7 of season 3 the characters attend a

Great Gatsby/20s themed party

• In the last episode of the series where the identity of

Gossip Girl is revealed, one of the character living in
Brooklyn who never enterted the society and was just
and observer says: “The Upper East Side was like
something from Fitzgerald or Thackeray – teenagers
acting like adults, adults acting like teenagers,
guarding secrets, spreading gossip all with the
trappings of truly opulent wealth.”
„The Catcher in the rye”
J.D Salinger
• The book tells a story about a 16 years’ old
boy called Holden and his sole adventure
in New York.
• In the chapter 18 Holden expresses his
thoughts on The Great Gatsby. „I was
crazy about The Great Gatsby. Old Gatsby.
Old sport. That killed me.”
• Gatsby like Holden is a complicated
character, and his life is full of secrets and
he wants to achieve impossible dreams.
Holden who is a sensitive observer of
human behaviour, probably sees some
similarities between his own situation and
Gatsby's fate.
„Summer Days” Bob Dylan
• The song by Bob Dylan is a song about his
past love and some romantic relationships.
The lyrics shows a mix of desire, flirtation,
and ups and downs of a romance.
• The lines "She says, ‘You can’t repeat the
past’, I say, ‘You can’t?’ / ‘What do you
mean, You can’t, of course, you can!” are a
close paraphrase of the conversation
between Nick and Gatsby where Nick
reminds Gatsby that he cannot re-create
the past but Gatsby protests that he can.
• “I wouldn’t ask too much of her,” I
ventured. “You can’t repeat the past.”
“Can’t repeat the past?” he cried
incredulously. “Why of course you can!”
Pretty Little Liars
• The show tells a story about a group
of highschoolers haunted by a
mysterious person, "A," as they face
threats following the disappearance of
their friend Alison DiLaurentis.
• During English class the teacher called
Mr. Fitz (short for Fitzgerald) asks
them to read Great Gatsby.
• In the second season we can see a
billboard with eyeglasses that are
similar to those of the T.J. Eckleburg
on the billboard in the Great Gatsby
Thank you for
your attention!