Exploring the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Exploring the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will understand the concept of the American Dream and be able to recognize its aspects in literary works.

Introduce the learning objective to the students and explain what they will achieve by the end of the lesson.

What do you already know about the concept of the American Dream?

Introduction

• “The Great American Novel”

• F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Modernism

• Historical Context

Provide a brief overview of 'The Great Gatsby' and its relevance to the American Dream.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
  
• Named after his second cousin three times removed, Francis Scott Key, who wrote the U.S. national anthem.
• Best known for his novel "The Great Gatsby" (1925).
• Part of the "Lost Generation" of American writers and expatriates in Europe during the 1920s.
  
• Married Zelda Sayre, a Southern belle who inspired many of his female characters.

Highlight key events and societal factors that contributed to the popularity of the American Dream during the 1920s.

What is the American Dream?

The American Dream refers to the belief that anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve success, happiness, and prosperity through hard work and determination.

Engage students in a discussion about their understanding of the American Dream and encourage them to share their thoughts.

Historical Context

The emergence of the American Dream during the Roaring Twenties, a period of economic growth and social change in the United States.

Highlight key events and societal factors that contributed to the popularity of the American Dream during the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby's Characters

• Nick Carraway: 
  
• Jay Gatsby
  
• Daisy Buchanan
  
• Tom Buchanan
  
• Jordan Baker
  

Explore the desires and motivations of characters like Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.