A central theme of The Great Gatsby is the American Dream. The text is regarded as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s commentary, both as an observation and a warning, of the American Dream in the 1920s.

 

After studying The Great Gatsby, students would be forgiven for thinking that the American Dream will only lead to disappointment and disillusionment. But is this really true? 

 

Students must investigate various modern personal accounts of the American Dream and come to their own view about how it is regarded and described today. 

 

They must defend their contention in a written response and a class debate

 

Key tasks

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• Thematic exploration. Students will explore the theme of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby. They examine the portrayal of the ideal and how it is interwoven into the fabric of the text

 

• The American Dream today. Students will explore the state of the American Dream in the modern world. They will consider different interpretations of whether it is alive or dead, in reach or illusory, and what is sustaining or challenging it 

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