Curated Video
Materialism and the American Dream in The Great Gatsby
The green light and the looming eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleberg are two of the most iconic images in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, "The Great Gatsby." The green light is a multifaceted symbol representing Gatsby's love for Daisy, the elusive...
Curated Video
Reception and Legacy of The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, "The Great Gatsby" captured the optimism of the 1920s and foreshadowed the personal and societal doom that would follow with the market crash and the author's decline. Despite the novel's initial failure,...
Curated Video
Time, Geography, and Morality in The Great Gatsby
Jay Gatsby's quest to reclaim his past relationship with Daisy Buchanan is an ever-present theme in The Great Gatsby. The many mentions of time throughout the novel emphasize Gatsby's desire to reset the clock on their relationship....
Curated Video
Use of Poetry and Color Themes in The Great Gatsby
"The Great Gatsby," is a short novel that is rich in language, F. Scott Fitzgerald aimed to create a work that not only captured the essence of the Jazz Age but also transcended it through poetic beauty and intricate patterns. Drawing...
Curated Video
The Great Gatsby: Characters, Plot, and Setting
"The Great Gatsby" is narrated by Nick Carraway, and observer to the story of Jay Gatsby, an enigmatic millionaire chasing the American Dream in the hopes of reclaiming his lost love, Daisy Buchanan, despite the societal divide and her...
Curated Video
Who Was F. Scott Fitzgerald?
F. Scott Fitzgerald, born in 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota, emerged from modest beginnings to become a defining literary figure of the 20th century. Despite facing financial struggles and societal prejudice due to his Irish-American...
Curated Video
Introduction to F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is, at it's core, a novel about the American Dream. It takes place during the 1920s, a period that epitomized America's pursuit of freedom and prosperity but also revealed the fragility of that dream. This video...
Schooling Online
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby - Context
Ever heard of the phrase ‘life imitates art’? Well, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s case, it was ‘art imitates life’! If you think The Great Gatsby is a wild tale, wait until you hear about Fitzgerald’s ride from rags to riches and back again!...
Schooling Online
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby - Chapters 8-9 Summary
It’s the day after an ugly scene in which tempers flared and someone lost their life. Things seem to be unravelling and a grieving man seeks revenge, but Gatsby clings to hope. Then Nick gets a hunch: something’s not right. By the end of...
Schooling Online
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby - Chapters 6-7 Summary
While Gatsby’s preoccupied with his lady-love, Nick tells us more about Gatsby’s past. Then, Gatsby’s lover and her husband show up at one of Gatsby’s lavish parties! The husband becomes curious about Gatsby’s sudden wealth and vows to...
Schooling Online
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby - Plot Summary
The Roaring 1920’s was an era marked by fabulous wealth, mesmerising glamour and wild parties. In the summer of 1922, Nick Carraway had just moved to America’s East Coast to be part of it all. But he soon discovers that not all is what...
Crash Course
Was Gatsby Great? The Great Gatsby Part 2
Is Gatsby great? In the second of two videos devoted to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the narrator presents his argument for why Jay Gatsby should indeed be considered great. By backing his stance with evidence from the text,...
PBS
American Masters: The American Dream in the Grapes of Wrath
For many farmers displaced by the Great Depression and the droughts of the 1930s, California represented the American Dream: a place to find work, to establish a new life, and to provide for their families. The reality they found, as...
PBS
The Valley of Ashes — The Great Gatsby
The Valley of Ashes, the billboard advertising Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, and Wilson's garage are haunting symbols that F. Scott Fitzgerald uses to bring into focus the dark side of the American Dream. A resource from the PBS American Masters...
PBS
American Masters Gatsby Chases the American Dream
What's so great about Gatsby? A teaching guide asks readers to consider whether Gatsby's quest represents the embodiment of the American Dream or a reflection of the American nightmare, a green light, or a valley of ashes.
PBS
American Masters Meet F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Gatsby
Introduce readers to the great Jay Gatsby with a short video from the American Masters series. Narrators analyze how Fitzgerald's choice of narrator and point of view create the dreamlike qualities and near-mythic status of Jay Gatsby.
PBS
Demonstrations of 2006
A brief video examines a demonstration that crossed the nation. After a congressman pushed to criminalize undocumented immigrants, Latino Americans banded together to fight for immigration reform.
The School of Life
Political Theory - John Rawls
Pretty much everyone has heard the phrase life is unfair. A theory by John Rawls, a famous political theorist, as to why this occurs in government and society presents itself. Pupils watch his theory through primary resource...