The Great Gatsby: Establishing the Historical Context with Primary Sources

This post is by Rebecca Newland, the 2013-2015 Library of Congress Teacher in Residence.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is one of the most often taught in American literature classes. However, the further we move away chronologically from 1922,  a time of economic boom following the devastation of World War I, the less students know about this significant time between the Great War and the War to end all Wars. Explore the historical context of the novel with primary sources from the Library of Congress.

Both Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway served in the United States military during the Great War. Direct students to the recruitment poster. Use the Primary Source Analysis tool and questions selected from the Analyzing Photographs and Prints Teacher’s Guide to facilitate an analysis.

Ask:

• What view of war is expressed by the poster?
• What details were meant to persuade men to join the Marines?
• Which of these persuasive elements might have appealed to Nick and Gatsby?

Continue the conversation with the photograph of soldiers in the trenches, again asking students to consider what view of war is expressed, what the purpose was for creating the photo, and what elements of the scene in the photo might have appealed to Nick and Gatsby.

For deeper engagement, consider:

• In what ways are the two images similar? In what ways are they different?
• What is significant about the similarities and differences?
• Ask students to write a caption expressing the message they believe is sent by each image.
• What do the items illustrate about appearance vs. reality? In what ways does Fitzgerald express the motif of appearance vs. reality?

Supplement discussion of battlefield conditions with this article from 1917 about doctors studying shell shock.

Ask students:

• How does information about the experiences of World War I soldiers foster an understanding of Gatsby and Nick as well as others with whom they associate?
• In what ways might Gatsby and Nick’s military service have influenced their experiences and decisions?

Gatsby’s parties also are prominent in the novel. Fitzgerald’s detailed descriptions indicate that despite Prohibition, alcohol flows freely. Rumors abound that Gatsby may have made his money in the illegal alcohol business.

Offer the song “Personal Liberty: We Can’t Work if We Don’t Get Beer.” Support students in an analysis using questions selected from the Analyzing Sheet Music and Song Sheets Teacher’s Guide. Lead a deeper discussion by asking:

• What issues does the song address in addition to the law against alcohol?
• In what ways does Prohibition or the characters’ failure to follow the law affect the course of the novel?
• Do you think Fitzgerald was for or against Prohibition? Cite evidence from the novel to support your hypothesis.

If time allows, engage students with additional primary sources related to World War I from the collections of the Library of Congress using this Guide to World War I materials.

What other elements of The Great Gatsby‘s context could you explore with primary sources?