Great Gatsby Outline

The title, The Great Gatsby, is significant as it is reflective of the major pattern in the novel of illusions vs. reality. Gatsby, from an outsider perspective, looks as though he has everything together. He has an excessive amount of wealth, can afford to throw parties every weekend for hundreds of visitors, and appears to be the complete picture of a wealthy, upper-class man living in Long Island. However, under the surface, Gatsby’s life is not so “great.” His life is lacking Daisy, the one thing that he needs, but cannot have. Thus, the title appears to be ironic. However, this title can also signify Nick’s attitude towards Gatsby. Nick doesn’t necessarily approve of Gatsby’s fixation on Daisy and his obsession with repeating the …show more content…
Historical: The Great Gatsby takes place in the 1920s, which was often called the “Jazz Age.” This era was characterized by Americans truly living out the “American Dream”, making and spending money with little concern. Thus, in this period, widespread corruption arose, as the new wealthy people began asserting their authority due to their newfound richness. This historical context is evident as characters in The Great Gatsby spend lavishly on parties and do things carelessly without thinking of potential harmful outcomes.

2. Biographical: F. Scott Fitzgerald was a writer in “The Lost Generation.” Writers in this generation were all veterans of World War I. The horrors of the war had shifted these writers’ perspectives on the way the world works. This shadowed view of the world is evident in Fitzgerald’s writing in The Great Gatsby as he constantly draws attention to the moral corruption and lack of spirituality that exists in the world.

3. Literary/Philosophical Time Period: The literary/philosophical time period of The Great Gatsby is modernism. Modernism was centralized on questioning the societal, religious, and political norms, including the American Dream. Writing style and subjects were often experimented with, as well. In addition, modernism also favored the inner self, as they saw a gradual estrangement of the individual with the rise of capitalism, industrialization and

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Outline For The Great Gatsby