The Great Gatsby

About the story

Nick Carraway moves to Long Island in the summer of 1922, next door to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby, whose parties are the talk of New York. Gatsby has one dream: to win back Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin, the woman he loved years ago. Recommended for ages 14+; the story includes an affair and a fatal accident.

Before reading

• What was the "Roaring Twenties"? What do you picture when you hear the phrase?
• Can you ever really go back to the past?

Discussion questions

1. Why does Gatsby throw such huge parties?
2. Nick tells the story. Is he a reliable narrator? Why or why not?
3. What does the green light across the bay mean to Gatsby?
4. How is "old money" (Tom and Daisy) different from "new money" (Gatsby)?
5. How do the pictures use color and light to show glamour — and emptiness?
6. Is Gatsby "great"? What does the title mean?

Words to know

• Jazz Age — the 1920s in America, named for its music.
• Prohibition — the period when making and selling alcohol was illegal in the US.
• Nouveau riche — people who have recently become wealthy.
• Narrator — the character who tells the story.
• Symbol — an object that stands for an idea.

Activities

• Track a symbol. Follow the green light (or the eyes on the billboard) through the book. What does it mean each time?
• Then and now. Compare a 1920s party in the book with a celebrity party today.