Jennifer Johnson
November 25, 2006
Engl. 112B W 4-6:45
The
American Dream implies having a successful and satisfying life through
financial security and material comfort (�american dream�). The Great Gatsby has a strong focus on goals
and dreams. Dreams can become
obsessions that cause us to turn on people, betray them, or overlook them. Goals can make us so single-minded that
we forget about others and the values that were important to us. Thus dreams or goals can corrupt and
change us for the worse. On the
other hand, dreams or goals can be inspirations that push us forward and help
us hang on. They can give us that
extra bit of perseverance we need to keep at a task or the comfort we need when
our life seems too chaotic to ever accomplish anything (Mitchell 143).
I
suggest a curriculum built on the canonical literature The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and
young adult literature exploring dreams and goals in America. The aim of the curriculum is to present
young adult books that can help students better understand the parallel between
the American Dream in the 1920�s and the American Dream today. I chose this novel because it was one
of my favorite novels in the canon that I read in high school. I loved the descriptive writings of
Fitzgerald such as his use of colors and similes and metaphors. The book is also fast paced and easy to
follow.
I
chose The Great Gatsby by F. Scott
Fitzgerald as my centerpiece canonical work because of Fitzgerald�s great portrayal
of the American Dream. In his
novel, Fitzgerald portrays Jay Gatsby as having achieved the American
Dream: �I suppose he�d had the
name ready for a long time, even then.
His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people�his imagination
had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island,
sprang from his Platonic conception of himself�So he invented just the sort of
Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this
conception he was faithful to the end�
(Fitzgerald 104). Jay
Gatsby portrays himself as achieving the American dream so that he can impress
Daisy.
Fitzgerald�s
novel ends with the denial of the American Dream because of the notion of �winning
at all costs� (Herz 38). Fitzgerald�s The Great Gatsby can be complemented to young
adult novels such as Robin McKinley�s Hero and
the Crown, Judy Blume�s Tiger Eyes, Bruce Brooks� The Moves Make the Man, Cynthia Voigt�s Izzy
Willy-Nilly,
Madeleine L�Engle�s A Ring of Endless Light, and Katherine Paterson�s Jacob Have I
Loved
(Mitchell 144). All six of these
young adult novels portray dreams or goals.
Before reading and discussing the novel The Great Gatsby with the students,
the following
activities as pre-reading.
1. Play the song �The
American Dream� from the musical Miss Saigon, or make a handout of the
lyrics (�the american dream�).
Have students listen to the lyrics and then write an entry in their
journal on whether or not they can relate to the songs portrayal of the
American dream.
�The American Dream�
from Miss Saigon
Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr.
& Alain Boublil
What�s that I smell in the air?
The American Dream
Sweet as a new millionaire
The American Dream
Pre-packed ready to wear
The American Dream
Fat like a chocolate �clair
as you suck out the cream
Luck-by the tail
How can you fail?
And best of all, it�s for sale
The American Dream
Greasy chinks make life so sleazy
In the states I�ll build a club that�s
four starred
Men like me there have things easy
They have a lawyer and a body-guard
to the johns there
I�ll sell blondes there
That they can charge on a card
What�s that I smell in the air?
The American Dream
Sweet as a suite in Bel-Air
The American Dream
Girls can buy t*ts by the pair
The American Dream
Bald people think they�ll grow hair
The American Dream
Call girls are lining the square
The American Dream
Bums there have money to spare
The American Dream
Cars that have bars take you there
The American Dream
On stage each night: Fred Astaire
The American Dream
Schlitz down the drain!
Pop the champagne!
It�s time we all entertain
My American Dream!
Bus boys can buy the hotel
The American Dream
Wall Street is ready to sell
The American Dream
Come make a life from thin air
The American Dream
Come and get more than your share
The American Dream
There I will be crowned Miss Chinatown
All yours for ten percent down
The American Dream
2. Give a lecture on
the biography and other works by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
3. During the course of the novel, have a readers� theater of some chosen scenes. Good scenes include: (�the great gatsby�)
The dinner party
Gatsby and Daisy�s meeting before Gatsby went off to war
The meeting between Gatsby and Daisy at Gatsby�s mansion
The hotel scene
4. Have students
start a journal and write their own dreams and goals. Also in the journal, have
students keep a running commentary of character development as well as vocabulary
terms (�the great gatsby: unit syllabus). Terms can include:
feigned
levity
colossal
supercilious
fractiousness
wan
languidly
infinitesimal
complacency
extemporizing
ether
prodigality
vacuous
florid
corpulent
obstetrical
implored
vinous
asunder
jaunty
punctilious
somnambulatory
molars
benediction
reproach
laudable
meretricious
elude
receded
ceaselessly
Quizzes will be given on vocabulary (�vocabulary classic texts
vocabulary�)
Have students read, either individually or in small groups, the
following young adult novels. Each
of the following novels involves a character realizing their own goals and/or
dreams. The aim of using these
young adult texts is to have students realize the goals and dreams of others.
The books will first be presented as a Book Pass Activity; providing copies of
the books and having students spend a couple of minutes with a book before
passing it on to the next person (Donelson, 201). By doing this, students can make a more informed decision
about what book they would like to read. Reading the young adult novels can be done either
inside or outside of class. Some
projects that can be done after reading the young adult novels include:
1. Give a
presentation or write an essay on the protagonists dream or goal. What are some
of the obstacles? Does the
protagonist have to give up
anything to achieve their goal? (Mitchell 146). Does the protagonist achieve their
goal?
2. After reading The
Great Gatsby and one of the young adult novels, have students write an essay
comparing the portrayal of the American dream from both novels.
3. After reading The
Great Gatsby
and one of the young adult novels, thereby gathering different views on the
American Dream, have students write a short essay, make a video, or give some
other presentation on what the American Dream means to them.
4. Write poetry that
expresses the dreams or goals of the protagonist.
5. Also, any other
project ideas that the student can think of. Young Adult Literature Selections Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley: �Aerin struggles in her efforts to
realize her own heritage. She
seeks to show her country that her mother�s bloodline was not the inferior one that
they perceived it to be. Aerin�s
goal is to prove herself to her country and confront gender limitations by
slaying dragons herself� (Mitchell 144).
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume:
�Davey�s major goal is to get over her father�s death, her own guilt
about his death and to regain some measure of family security after her
mother�s emotional breakdown
(Mitchell 144).
The Moves Make the Man by Bruce Brooks:
�Jerome wants to be good in basketball and have a secure and
economically sound family life. He
dreams that racism will one day disappear, and people will respond to him as a
person independent of the color of his skin� (Mitchell 144).
Izzy Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt: �Izzy loses a leg in a car accident, and her
dream is to be accepted by others her age and not be considered a freak because
of her injury� (Mitchell 144).
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L�Engle: �Vicky has several dreams
and goals: She desires more
quality time with her grandfather before he dies, wants to be appreciated for her own qualities,
would like to figure out how to know if
a relationship is a good one, and intends to learn more from the
dolphins (Mitchell 144).
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson:
�Louise dreams of a life not dominated by the needs of her twin
sister. She decides to get off the
island she was raised on and wants to be appreciated for who she is� (Mitchell
144).
At the end of the unit, students should have a better insight into the many different aspects and opinions of the American Dream. As a closing project, have the students create a Literary Newspaper. Divide students into pairs and have them locate primary source documents from the following areas: news, sports, advertisements, lifestyle, entertainment, editorials, obituaries, and business. The articles the students choose should emulate the lifestyle in the 1920�s or detail The Great Gatsby (�creating a literary newspaper�). Have students turn in a separate works cited page.
After reading the novel, play �The American Dream� song
again. Have students reread what
they wrote in their journal after listening to the song the first time. Now, have the students compare the two
versions of the American dream, those from the song and those from the novel.
After reading the novel, have a �Roaring �20�s� party.
Before attending the party, have students research the fashion of the
1920�s and dress appropriately.
Have students bring food for the party. Also, play songs and emulate the dances of the period.
After reading the novel, have students create a �Yearbook Snapshot.� Students will choose four characters
from the novel and imagine what they were like in high school. Having the students keep in mind what
the character is like, have them compile a yearbook of characters (including providing a picture of what
they think the character looks like), they should compile as much information
as possible, including: nickname; activities, clubs, or sports they are
involved in; a quotation from the character; their favorites such as food or
colors; and plans after high school.
Feel free to have students come up with more categories to include in
their yearbook. Also have the
students create a cover page for their yearbook (Mitchell 157-158).
Works Cited
�american dream.� Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 25 Nov.
2006.
Reference.com _http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/American_Dream_
(http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/American_Dream)
�creating a literary newspaper.� The Learning Page. Library of
Congress
2002.
25 Nov. 2006. _http://memory.loc/gov/learn/lessons/01/mayhem/part3.html_
(http://memory.loc/gov/learn/lessons/01/mayhem/part3.html)
Donelson, Kenneth and Alleen Pace Nilsen. Literature for
Today�s Young
Adults. Cont. Dr. Mary Warner.
Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2006.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1925.
Herz, Sarah and Donald R. Gallo. From Hinton to Hamlet Building
Bridges between
Young
Adult Literature and the Classics. Westport, CT:
Greenwood Press, 1996.
38-41.
�vocabulary classic texts vocabulary.� Vocabulary University 2006.
25
Nov.
2006. _http://www.vocabulary.com/VUgreatG.html_
(http://www.vocabulary.com/VUgreatG.html)
Mitchell, Diana. �Exploring the American Dream: The Great Gatsby
and Six Young
Adult Novels.� Adolescent Literature as a Complement to the
Classics Vol.
1. Ed. Joan F. Kaywell. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc., 1993.
143-161.
�the american dream� Medley of Poems/Songs on American Dream. 25
Nov. 2006.
_http://www.teachnlearn.org/pmedley.html_
(http://www.teachnlearn.org/pmedley.html)
�the great gatsby.� Discoveryschool.com. Discovery Education 2006. 25 Nov. 2006.
_http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-greatgatsby/index
.html_
(http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-greatgatsby/index.html)
�the great gatsby: unit syllabus� 25 Nov. 2006.
_http://www.arbizu/org%7Evalerie/Teachers/Gatsby/GatsbySyllabus.htm_
(http://www.arbizu/org~valerie/Teachers/Gatsby/GatsbySyllabus.htm)