The Great Gatsby: chaper 1

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Goals for today 

Written 'oral' response results 

The expectations and example answers on Monday 25th March

Reconstructing sentences and improving informal vocabulary 

Chapter 1 The Great Gatsby

Zoë, Damien, Anna, Megan

Emilia

Aamu

Andrea

Deeshitha 

Lena

Kate

Mia

Rikard

Alastrina

Kim

Elsje

Erik

Cleo

Neysa

Sham

Coen

Ella

Robin 

Hugo 

Re-write the second sentence 

This is further illustrates by Atwood by the use of repetition of the word 'usual' in lines 1 through 5. The narrator is telling herself it was normal, not believing the prior statement made, attempting to gain some autonomy. 

Make two sentences from this one sentence. 

Re-write the second sentence 

This is further illustrated through Atwood's use of repetition of the word 'usual' in lines 1 through 5. The narrator persuades herself that a restrictive and controlling patriarchy must be considered as "usual"; however, she does not appear to believe this statement. This internal resistance allows the narrator to feel that she has gained some autonomy. 

Re-write this long sentence 

This mini-soliloquy explains more about Nora's feelings and realisation, giving the audience some foreshadowing as to what might happen within minutes, and through these techniques, Ibsen also showcased how Nora's revelation is impactful in the Victorian society she is in, where women are supposed to be meek and follow men's orders otherwise known as a patriarchal society. 

Make three sentences from this one comma spliced sentence. Each sentence contains one idea and is linked to the other through linking words or phrases. 

Re-write this long sentence 

Nora holds a short monologue expressing her feelings and revealing to the audience her realisations. Through this technique, Ibsen foreshadows her final revelation that leads to her leaving her husband and children. For a patriarchal, Victorian audience this is shocking  as the expectation is that she should  be meek and follow the wishes of her husband. 

Make three sentences from this one comma spliced sentence. Each sentence contains one idea and is linked to the other through linking words or phrases. 

by the use of 

sends ... into a spiral 

figures out 

hit an all time low 

the goal in the end 

extract talks about 

roles enforced by rule books 

made into 

open up about 

killed her desire 

looking at 

took a turn 

true colours 

looms over

stipulations of law 

developed 

through 

showed authenticity 

the main objective is 

confuses 

was deeply affected by 

considering 

understands 

the extract highlights 

become/became

precipitated honesty 

eradicated her yearning for 

influences 

link the informal term on the left to a more formal alternative on the right. Write both terms down in your exercise book or Teams class notebook. 

What is the importance of this to your reading of chapter 1?

What is the importance of this to your reading of chapter 1? 

Write your answer in your exercise book. At least two sentences. 

Epigraph 

An epigraph is a literary device in the form of a poem, quotation, or sentence – usually placed at the beginning of a document or a simple piece – having a few sentences, but which belongs to another writer. An epigraph can serve different purposes, such as it can be used as a summary, introduction, example, or an association with some famous literary work, so as to draw a comparison, or to generate a specific context for the piece.

Source: https://literarydevices.net/epigraph/

What does this epigraph suggest? 

What is the narrative point of view?

What is the narrative point-of-view for this novel? 

Who is our narrator? 

What does Nick himself say about his characteristics? (quotes)  

What is Nick's character really like? How do you know?  (quote) 

Which qualities give Nick the potential to be a successful and effective narrator?

Characterisation Nick 

Nick is initially portrayed as the perfect narrator - "inclined to reserve all judgement" pg 7 

He describes himself as tolerant, quiet and a good listener. Others tell him their secrets, so he can narrate to the reader a more complete narrative. "I was privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men", "Most of the confidences", "intimate revelations" pg 7 

Which qualities give Nick the potential to be an unsuccessful and unreliable narrator?

Nick Characterisation 

Consider these quotes: 

 " frequently I have feigned sleep, preoccupation, or a hostile levity". pg 7 

"Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn." pg 8 

"then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life," pg 8 

" after boasting this way of my tolerance, I come to the admission that it has a limit." pg 7 

Nick our narrator 

There are clear hints that he can be intolerant and judgemental – he admits that he “feigned sleep” when people confided in him, he views Gatsby’s life with “unaffected scorn” and he’s “disgusted” by Tom and Daisy’s marriage. ​

These comments make the reader less trusting of his narration because they suggest he is dishonest.

Nick sometimes misreads situations which also makes his narration untrustworthy. He thinks Daisy has ‘everything’ she wants so he sees in her eyes the “absence of all desire” pg 17 – but we later find out that she has had “a very bad time”. ​pg 21

Act 1

Human Experience concepts Literature  

The Great Gatsby 

Human Experience Concepts: 

Belonging    Dreams    Authenticity    Insecurities 

Narrative technique 

Keep a very careful eye on the use of these narrative techniques. 

First-person 

Third-person 

Reported speech 

Direct speech 

Omniscient/limited omniscient

Goals for today 

Homework check and suggested answers 

Importance and introduction of setting 

Character introduction and impact 

Characterisation of Daisy 

Rate the word 1 to 4

1. I do not know the word, and I have never seen it before. 

2. I've heard or seen the word before, but I'm not sure what it means. 

3. I know the word and can recognise and understand it while reading, but I probably wouldn't feel comfortable using it in writing or speech. 

4. I know the word well and can use it correctly in writing or speech. 

Abstain 

Word of the day

Abstain (v) - to stop oneself from doing something, to refrain. To hold off from

Write three antonyms for abstain 

A growing number of people are attempting a "Dry January" during which they abstain from alcohol to see if it improves their health. 

continue, accept, embrace, encourage, use, want, meet, face 

I lived at West Egg, the--well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them. My house was at the very tip of the egg, only fifty yards from the Sound, and squeezed between two huge places that rented for twelve or fifteen thousand a season. The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard--it was a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. It was Gatsby's mansion. Or rather, as I didn't know Mr. Gatsby it was a mansion inhabited by a gentleman of that name. My own house was an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore, and it had been overlooked, so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor's lawn, and the consoling proximity of millionaires--all for eighty dollars a month. 

Make a table for the underlined words.

	Explanation of the word in the given context	Effect that it creates in the given context
Superficial
Sinister
Colossal
Eye-sore
Lawn
consoling
Proximity

	Explanation of the word in the given context	Effect that it creates in the given context
Superficial	Not complete, involving only the most obvious things and surface inferences.	The implication is that there is an underlying complexity that we do not yet know about.
Sinister	Making you feel that something bad or evil might happen.	The implication is that the underlying complexity might be disastrous for some characters.
Colossal	Extremely large	The connotation is to colossus - a very large statue or person of great size, influence or ability infers that the person who lives in the house is also extremely influential.

	Explanation of the word in the given context	Effect that it creates in the given context
eye-sore	A building or area that looks ugly in comparison to the surrounding buildings or area.	The repetition of eye-sore places further emphasis on the comparison between the status of Nick and that of Gatsby.
Lawn	An area of grass that is cut.	The implication is that Nick is only of the status to partially view Gatsby's lawn and not actually step on it.
consoling	Making or intending to make someone feel better when they are sad or disappointed.	Nick should feel better about himself merely by being close to the nouveau riche.
proximity	The fact of being near something.	Nick should also feel better about his status by living close to the rich and powerful.

And so it happened that on a warm windy evening I drove over to East Egg to see two old friends whom I scarcely knew at all. Their house was even more elaborate than I expected, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay. The lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile, jumping over sun-dials and brick walks and burning gardens--finally when it reached the house drifting up the side in bright vines as though from the momentum of its run. The front was broken by a line of French windows, glowing now with reflected gold, and wide open to the warm windy afternoon, and Tom Buchanan in riding clothes was standing with his legs apart on the front porch. pg 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	Explanation of the word in the given context	Effect that it creates in the given context
Scarcely
elaborate
Sun-dials
vines
momentum
French windows

Complete this table in your Teams portfolio

	Explanation of the word in the given context	Effect that it creates in the given context
Scarcely	almost not at all	Emphasises Nick's position as an outsider to the the Buchanan. However, is not entirely correct as he knew Tom at Yale and Daisy is his cousin.
elaborate	containing a lot of careful detail or many detailed parts:	The detail and excessive decoration in Tom's mansion reflect his status and display of wealth.
Sun-dials	a device used outside, especially in the past, that consists of a thin piece of metal attached to a flat surface printed with numbers. It shows the time by the metal making a shadow on the surface as the sun moves across the sky.	The sun is captured to tell the time in Tom's garden. This shows that he is an important person to which attention is paid. Additionally the link to established wealth is shown through the link to the past and antiques.
vines	any type of plant that climbs or grows along the ground and has twisting stems	The vines reflect the establishment of the mansion, hereby linking Tom's mansion to established wealth.
momentum	the quality that keeps an event developing or making progress after it has started	Connotes the idea that this event will be the force that starts the plot. Inciting incident. Adds to the personification.
French windows	a pair of glass doors, usually opening from the back of a house into its garden	The french windows reflect the "gold" and connote with the wealth and importance of the Buchanans (Apollo)

In files in Teams: The Great Gatsby 

Complete the assignment for Tom's mansion 

Complete the assignment for Gatsby's mansion 

Read the introduction of your character

1. which character is being introduced? 

2. What physical aspects of the character are stated?  Annotate these passages and write a mini analysis - 2 sentences. 

3. How does your character speak? Describe the tone of their voice in a mini analysis - 2 sentences.  Annotate passages that show the 'voice' of the character. 

4. Annotate descriptive language, figurative language, imagery, metaphors and similes that are used in the introduction of your character. 

5. What values and beliefs are shown of this character? What does this character believe in? Write down your ideas in at least two sentences. 

Connotations
to the word daisy

Daisy characterisation 

Look at the  description of Jordan and Daisy when they are first introduced,  “ they were both in white, and their dresses were rippling and fluttering as if they had just been blown back in after a short flight around the house." pg 13 

"as cool as their white dresses" pg 17 

What are the
connotations of "white"

Daisy characterisation 

It is ironic, given her name, that Daisy’s life is conducted in an entirely manufactured environment remote from the natural world​

Daisy: look at these quotes 

"Do they miss me?’ she cried ecstatically" pg 15 ​

“Then she added irrelevantly: ‘You ought to see the baby.'" Pg 15 ​"All right,’ said Daisy. ‘What’ll we plan?’ She turned to me helplessly: ‘What do people plan?’" pg 17 ​

"impersonal eyes in the absence of all desire." pg 17 

Is Daisy a pleasant person? Why or why not? Write your ideas. 

A bad marriage or her own doing? 

 “I know you didn’t mean to, but you did do it”​ pg 17

“That’s what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great big hulking physical specimen of a -’​ pg 17 

 “Tom’s got some woman in New York….She might have the decency not to telephone him at dinnertime. Don’t you think?" pg 20 

“Well, I’ve had a very bad time, Nick, and I’m pretty cynical about everything”​ pg 21 

Is Daisy in a bad marriage or did she contribute to her situation? Write your answer. 

Defeatism 

 "'All right,' I said, 'I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.'”​ pg 22 

Daisy therefore clearly believes that society doesn’t value intelligence in women.​

This comment hints that although she ignores Tom’s affair,  and she is upset by it, she believes she would be happier if she were a fool and didn’t realise he was cheating.​

Daisy's problems 

Write a list of the problems that Daisy faces. 

Weather and seasons 

Pathetic fallacy 

Seasons and dates

Time of day 

"'In two weeks it'll be the longest day in the year'" pg 17 

"a few days before the Fourth of July" pg 29 

Tom characterisation 

​

 “Now he was a sturdy straw-haired man of thirty, with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner. Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face and gave him the appearance of always leaning aggressively forward…..It was a body capable of enormous leverage – a cruel body”​

“….added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed. There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even towards people he liked – and there were men at New Haven who hated his guts” pg 12​

Our initial impression of Tom is not positive.​

Read the following extract and make two columns of negative and positive adjectives and adverbs used to describe Tom. Look up words that you do not know. 

1. The Roaring Twenties 

2. The American Dream 

3. Class (old money, new money, no money, established wealth, nouveau riche, poor, upper class, middle class & working (lower)  class

4. Past and future

5. Appearance versus reality