According to the video, how are women typically portrayed in 'The Great Gatsby' in relation to the male characters and the American Dream?

Women are often depicted as sexual objects or as caveats to men's success, ironic because they must be self-reliant while appearing dependent.

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?

Critics describe Daisy as having 'vicious emptiness,' 'monstrous moral indifference,' and being 'vulgar and inhuman.'

How does Nick Carraway's perspective as the narrator influence the reader's perception of Daisy, according to the video?

Nick's perspective guides the reader, often obscuring the nuances of Daisy's character and potentially missing her subtle misgivings and feelings.

According to the video, what does Gatsby's idealization of Daisy reveal about his pursuit of the American Dream?

Gatsby's idealization of Daisy shows that he is more interested in the illusion of her as a trophy or symbol of success than in her as an individual.

The video discusses the symbolism of flowers and light in relation to the female characters. How do these motifs contribute to the understanding of women's roles in the novel?

Flowers are associated with femininity and light with religion, creating a dichotomy where women's power is both harnessed and suppressed by patriarchal structures.

Gatsby And The American Dream Lesson Plan for Grade 11th Grade

Lesson Preview

Learning Objective

I can analyze how characters in The Great Gatsby embody or challenge the American Dream.

1
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.
2
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.
3
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.

Gatsby and the American Dream

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Learning Objective

Warm-Up Video

Key Concepts

Practice Questions

Exit Ticket

Related Lessons

Commas in a Series

Gatsby's Symbols and Themes

Similes, Metaphors, and Personification

Related Lessons

Commas in a Series

Gatsby's Symbols and Themes

Similes, Metaphors, and Personification

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