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Pre-Reading Guide

The Great Gatsby · Before you read

The Great Gatsby — Pre-Reading Guide

Read this before you start the book

📖 What Is This Book?

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, widely considered the “Great American Novel.” Set in the summer of 1922 on Long Island, it follows the mysterious and fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his obsessive pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a woman he loved in his youth. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, a newcomer to the wealthy enclaves of West Egg and East Egg, who witnesses the collision of “new money,” “old money,” and the tragic decay of the American Dream.

Basic Facts:

  • Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
  • Published: 1925
  • Length: ~180 pages (a relatively short read, 3-4 hours)
  • Genre: Modernist Literature, Social Satire, Tragedy
  • Setting: Long Island and New York City (1922)
  • Status: Regularly cited as one of the greatest works of American literature.

🏆 Why Is This Book Important?

Literary Significance

  1. The Chronicler of the Jazz Age

    • Fitzgerald coined the term “The Jazz Age” and this novel is its definitive portrait.
    • It captures the energy, music, and excess of the 1920s while simultaneously critiquing its hollowness.

  2. Narrative Perspective (The Distanced Observer)

    • Nick Carraway is one of literature’s most famous narrators.
    • His status as both an “insider” and “outsider” allows him to observe the wealthy with a combination of fascination and disgust.

  3. Lyrical and Symbolic Prose

    • Fitzgerald’s writing is incredibly poetic and dense with symbolism.
    • Objects like the “Green Light” and “The Valley of Ashes” have become synonymous with American literary analysis.

  4. Critique of the American Dream

    • Perhaps the most profound analysis of the American Dream ever written.
    • It questions whether someone can truly “invent” themselves and if hard work and wealth can ever truly buy happiness or social acceptance.

Historical Context

  • The Roaring Twenties: A period of unprecedented economic growth, social change (prohibition, women’s suffrage), and cultural explosion after World War I.
  • Prohibition (1920-1933): The legal ban on alcohol led to the rise of “bootlegging” and organized crime—the likely source of Gatsby’s mysterious fortune.
  • Class Tension: The divide between “Old Money” (inherited wealth) and “New Money” (self-made wealth) was at its peak.

🎯 What to Think About As You Read

Key Questions to Keep in Mind

  1. Can you repeat the past?
    • Gatsby famously believes he can. Consider: Is his optimism heroic or delusional?
  2. Is Nick a reliable narrator?
    • He claims to be “the only honest person” he knows. Pay attention to his biases and what he chooses to tell us.
  3. What defines “Class”?
    • Is it how much money you have, or how you got it? Notice how Tom and Daisy treat Gatsby despite his wealth.
  4. Is Gatsby “Great”?
    • Why does Nick give him this title? Is it ironic, or does he truly admire Gatsby’s “extraordinary gift for hope”?

Literary Elements to Notice

  1. Symbolism (The “Big Three”)
    • The Green Light: What does it represent for Gatsby? What does it represent for America?
    • The Valley of Ashes: How does it contrast with the mansions of East/West Egg?
    • The Eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg: Who is watching, and what do they see?
  2. Color Imagery
    • Watch for the recurring use of Green, Gold, White, and Yellow. Each carries heavy symbolic weight.
  3. The Contrast of Eggs
    • East Egg: Tradition, status, “Old Money,” and calculated cruelty.
    • West Egg: Flashiness, “New Money,” and Gatsby’s theatre of excess.

📜 Historical Snapshot (Read in the Margins)

  • Prohibition money: Bootlegging funds the parties and blurs “legitimate” wealth.
  • Post-WWI restlessness: Veterans (Nick, Gatsby) feel unmoored and chase meaning.
  • Bond boom: 1922 finance culture rewards image and confidence over substance.
  • Organized crime: Real power hides behind respectable fronts (Wolfsheim as signal).

🔎 Close Reading Passages (Mark These)

Use these as anchor moments for rereading and notes.

  1. Chapter 1 (ending): Gatsby reaching toward the green light.
  2. Chapter 5: The shirt scene and Daisy’s reaction.
  3. Chapter 6: “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!”
  4. Chapter 7: The Plaza Hotel confrontation.
  5. Chapter 9 (final paragraph): The “boats against the current” closing.

📚 A Note on Structure

The novel is tightly structured into nine chapters:

  1. The Introduction: Nick dines with the Buchanans (East Egg).
  2. The Valley of Ashes: Introduction to Tom’s mistress, Myrtle.
  3. The Party: Nick’s first Gatsby party; the mystery begins.
  4. The Mystery Unfolds: Gatsby’s background and his connection to Daisy.
  5. The Reunion: The highly anticipated meeting of Gatsby and Daisy.
  6. The Origin Story: The truth about “James Gatz.”
  7. The Crisis: The heat, the confrontation at the Plaza, and the accident.
  8. The Aftermath: Gatsby’s final hours and his real history.
  9. The Resolution: The funeral and Nick’s departure.

🎓 About Fitzgerald’s Style

Lyrical Realism

Fitzgerald’s prose is often described as lush and musical. He uses sensory details (the “yellow cocktail music,” the “blue gardens”) to create an atmosphere that feels both real and dreamlike.

Social Satire

While the book is a tragedy, Fitzgerald is also a biting satirist. He mocks the superficial behavior of the party-goers and the elitist arrogance of the Buchanans.

💡 Reading Tips

  1. Savor the Sentences: Fitzgerald is a “writer’s writer.” Don’t rush; some of the most beautiful lines are tucked into descriptions of weather or drinks.
  2. Watch the Tensions: Look for the moments where characters from different classes collide. The friction is where the meaning lies.
  3. Remember the War: Nick and Gatsby are both veterans of World War I. Their restlessness is partly a result of being “unsettled” by the war.

🎯 Your Reading Goals

  • Identify how Fitzgerald uses the setting to mirror the internal states of the characters.
  • Analyze the relationship between Gatsby and the concept of the “American Dream.”
  • Evaluate Nick Carraway’s moral judgment of those around him.

📝 Before You Start

Take a moment to consider:

  • What does the “American Dream” mean to you today?
  • Can a person truly start over and leave their past behind?
  • Is it possible to be “innocently” wealthy in a world of corruption?

Ready to read?
Turn to Chapter 1 and meet Nick Carraway. Use the “Chapter-by-Chapter Notes” to track the growing heat and tension of the summer of ‘22.

Pre-Reading Guide created: 2025-12-25
For Great Literature 101 - Book 3 of 10