Gatsby and the American Dream
Learning Objective
I can analyze how characters in The Great Gatsby embody or challenge the American Dream.
Key Concepts
Critics have negatively viewed Daisy, focusing on her power over Gatsby, which diminishes the novel's complexity by polarizing Gatsby as good and Daisy as bad.
Fitzgerald uses floral and light motifs to highlight the differences between men and women, revealing the condemned conception of women in the 1920s through Daisy's name, femininity, flowers, and light.
Daisy's longing to be a 'beautiful little fool' shows her complicity in conforming to social standards of American femininity in the 1920s, yet she asserts her opinion by labeling Tom as hulking.
Practice Questions
This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.
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1. According to the video, how are women typically portrayed in 'The Great Gatsby' in relation to the male characters and the American Dream?
2. The video mentions critics' views of Daisy Buchanan. What are some of the negative qualities attributed to her by critics like Marius Bewley, Robert Orstein, and Alfred Kahzin?
3. How does Nick Carraway's perspective as the narrator influence the reader's perception of Daisy, according to the video?
...and 9 more questions
Educational Video
In Defence of Daisy in The Great Gatsby
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