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Radio National: Pink suits and circus wagons in 'The Great Gatsby'

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Radio National: Pink suits and circus wagons in 'The Great Gatsby'

SUBJECTS:  English

YEARS:  9–10


Part of the success of F Scott Fitzgerald's novel 'The Great Gatsby' is the intriguing title character, Jay Gatsby.

In this audio clip, explore the effect that Fitzgerald's skilfully-constructed character has on those who read the novel. Find out what makes this character so intriguing.

If you like this clip, listen to the full ABC RN documentary by clicking 'Download Audio' on this webpage.


Things to think about

  1. 1.In order for a novel to be successful, the main character needs to engage the reader in some way. Think of a novel you have enjoyed and create a mind map of all the reasons why you found the main character interesting.
  2. 2.Why is the character of Gatsby referred to as 'quite a paradox'? What has made it difficult to portray him in films? Jane Gleeson-White tells us that the character of Gatsby is mediated through the narrator Nick Carraway. How does this further distance the reader from Gatsby? The speakers give different suggestions as to what motivates Gatsby. Identify each of these motivations.
  3. 3.Why do you think F Scott Fitzgerald has constructed Gatsby as such a mysterious character? What do the speakers' responses suggest about the effects of his characterisation on audiences? Professor Kirk Curnutt says that Gatsby is a 'projection' of the reader's fantasies: that we might imagine our own faces on this character. Why might an author want readers to do this?
  4. 4.Read 'The Great Gatsby' yourself. What is your response to the character of Jay Gatsby? Does he seem mysterious to you? What do you think motivates him? Is it his love for Daisy, his desire for higher class or something else entirely? Imagine you are a caller into this radio program; record what you would say about the character of Gatsby.


Acknowledgements

Produced by RN Books and Arts Daily.


Date of broadcast: 31 May 2013

Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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