08. The American Dream in times of Recession
Text 2 (book p. 72-73)
Gatsby is back
Answer the questions in your WB (p.30-31). Click here if you want to read the entire article.
D. Going further
Complete text 2. with the following words:
2. The revival of interest for Gatsby’s story can be explained by some …………………….. between the present time and the period …………………….. in the novel, in terms of rise and ……………………... . Unprecedented prosperity and material excess are present in both periods, ending in ………. ......…...,
unemployment and ruin. The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on America in the …………………….., slowly …………………………………….. the American dream through easy …………………….., …………………….. activities and decayed morals, leading to the Great Depression of the …………………….. . In the early 21st century, the great promises of home …………………….. (which is a status symbol separating the middle classes from the poor, and thus a powerful component of the American dream) have been ruined by economic disasters, especially concerning the property …………………….. .
Complete text 3. with the following words:
3. Like Gatsby, many people in the 1920s believed in the …………………….. ……………….. : they thought they could make …………………….. (even through …………………….. activities) that would …………………….. them into higher …………………….. of the American society. Though he flaunted his …………………….. and spent it for the benefit of his …………………….., Gatsby was always considered a …………………….. …………………….. and never managed to belong to the …………………….. society. In this regard, his life can be considered a …………………….., symbolized by the fact that nobody came to his …………………….. . The lesson taught by Gatsby is that if you are not a …………………….., if you were not born in the upper classes, you will never belong to the American …………………….. .
Defining the American dream
Activity: WB p.29
Here are some articles and videos you might find interesting:
What is today's American Dream?
(You'll also find a video on Searching for the American Dream)
The New American Dream: It's Not What You Think
The hidden literary themes of the 'American Dream'
'A dream that never comes true'
(You'll also find a video on Toru Saito - one of thousands of Japanese Americans held in internment camps during World War II)
Detroit: From American dream to American nightmare
(You'll also find a video on Erma and Gordon MacDonald: "If they take my pension away, then we'll be in bad shape")