10, :30am Third

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1 EDUCATION GUIDE Tuesday, February 10, :30am and 12:30pm Tickets: $6.50 per person Recommended for Grades 9 throughh 12 ABT Student Matinee seriess sponsored by Alberta Bair Theater for the Performing Arts 2801 Third Avenue North Billings, Montana

2 I. THE NOVEL M. Westwood, who provides a literary analysis of the symbolism, imagery and figurative language in the Fitzgerald novel, has a broad academic skill set, and sums up the metaphorical imagery quite succinctly in the following critique: Fitzgerald's artistic triumph, The Great Gatsby, exhibits a literary beauty that sets it apart as the author makes great use of symbolism, imagery, and figurative language. SYMBOLISM 1. The green light on the end of Daisy's pier represents Jay Gatsby's American dreams of "winning the girl" and achieving monetary success. It also symbolizes Daisy's being far away and unreachable, perhaps, even illusionary. 2. The disembodied eyes of Doctor T. J. Ecklesberg on the billboard that stands in the corrupt Valley of Ashes symbolize the blindness to their corruption that those of the Jazz Age have, as well as brooding presence over the slum area where George Wilson declares "God sees everything" after his wife Myrtle dies. 3. The colors yellow and white have great significance. Daisy, whose car is white when Jay meets her, who dresses in white, and whose name suggests a white flower suggests innocence, naiveté, and purity. However, the center of the daisy flower is yellow, the color of corruption and greed. Like the flower, Daisy appears innocent, but at her core is corruption and love of money. (Nick describes her voice as sounding like money.) 4. Flowers Besides Daisy, Myrtle Wilson also has a flower name. 5. The Valley of Ashes Like the "Wasteland" of T. S. Eliot suggests corruption, loneliness and despair, and gloom. IMAGERY The mythological imagery of Gatsby's car that has fenders like wings possesses a rich cream color, "bright with nickel," is described as Nick states that it is terraced with a labyrinth of windshields that mirrored a dozen suns. Sitting down behind many layers of glass in a sort of green leather conservatory, we started to town The human molars that Myron Wolfscheim carries as cuff links bespeaks much of his cruel character. And, there is much color imagery: (There are) sidewalks of "white with moonlight"; Gatsby gulps down "the incomparable mile of wonder"; the producer at the party who has "a blue nose'; Daisy's "gold pencil"; the guests at Gatsby's parties who are "the same many colored, may keyed; the greyness of the Valley of Ashes, "a grey florid man with a hard empty face," Dan Cody. Daisy weeps with the joy of materialism and buries her face in the many colored shirts that Gatsby brings out for her perusal when she visits his house. Light and dark (chiaroscuro) imagery is also employed in the novel.

3 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Perhaps the greatest beauty in Fitzgerald's novel is his use of figurative language, the execution of which is an absolute triumph. The novel abounds in simile, metaphor, euphemism, and other figurative devices. Critic Charles Thomas Samuels states that The Great Gatsby has "the precision and splendor of a lyric poem" and is a novel that has made language "celebrate itself." 1. Simile In Chapter Two, Fitzgerald writes, "I gathered later that he was a photographer and had made the dim enlargement of Mrs. Wilson's mother which hovered like an ectoplasm on the wall." 2. Metaphor West Egg and East Egg are metaphors for the sections of New York which are part of the novel's setting. The West, Midwest represents decency and basic principles of honesty, while the East represents moral decay, materialism, and deceit. 3. Euphemisms Gatsby speaks of his "advantages" as a young man meaning his introduction to Dan Cody. A "businessman" is Meyer Wolfscheim and "yatching" is used in reference to rumrunning. Wolfscheim asks Nick if he is looking for a "business gonnegtion" [business connection] referring to entry into bootlegging. Jordan Baker refers to Mrytle Wilson as "some woman" rather than Tom's mistress. When Gatsby relates his "involvement" with the struggle of the Montenegro populace, he says he sympathized with the "brave struggles" which were, in reality, a deadly battle. Of course, Nick uses euphemisms often saying that he is "casually sorry" for Jordan Baker who is "incurably dishonest." Critic Charles Thomas Samuels praises The Great Gatsby as having "the precision and splendor of a lyric poem" while possessing a distinctive language that "celebrates itself." II. THE STAGE DRAMALeading ladies 2010 Adapted for the stage by SIMON LEVY Article by Greg Johnson, Artistic Director of the Montana Repertory Theater I think I can safely say I love The Great Gatsby. The power of the narrative; the accurate, haunting, and heartfelt snapshot of the Roaring Twenties; and the sheer beauty of the prose still take my breath away. I ve discovered and rediscovered this masterpiece over the years with new perspective, joy, and appreciation. I first read The Great Gatsby in one thrilling afternoon on the Jersey shore during high school, and I have long dreamed of bringing the novel to the stage. Only recently has this become possible, with the publication of Simon Levy s masterful adaptation. Although there are several movie versions of varying artistic merit, the stage offers a new, exciting, and fertile ground for the story. On the stage we can feel the energy of Jay Gatsby, the sensual allure of Daisy Buchanan, and the Everyman complexity of Nick Carraway. As Montana Rep continues telling great American stories, we approach The Great Gatsby with all the honor and care such an outstanding work of art deserves. We re pleased to reintroduce and reinvigorate this classic, bringing the beauty and poetry of this masterpiece living and breathing on stage to a new generation of theatergoers. Montana Rep, an Equity company based at the University of Montana in Missoula, has been touring for over 45 years. In recent years the company has toured its productions of A Streetcar Named Desire; Steel Magnolias; The Trip to Bountiful; Lost in Yonkers; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; To Kill a Mockingbird; Leading Ladies; Bus Stop; Doubt, a parable; and Biloxi Blues, presenting more than 500 performances in 200 communities from California to New York.

4 III. CLASSROOM ACTIVITY READING for SUBTEXT For this activity, split the class into groups of three. Each group will present their own version of the CHAPTER 5 The Rain and the Clock scene. The students can take turns playing Nick/Narrator (who will also serve as the director for the scene.) Specific attention should be paid to subtext. How does the narrator s description of the scene and the characters affect the mood? There are only a few lines, but how many clues are present for the lines to be effectively and convincingly interpreted and read by the actors? How many colors of emotions can each character exhibit? How many ways can this scene be played with varying subtexts but in keeping with the author s intention? There was a light, dignified knocking at the front door. I went out and opened it. Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes. Nick: (dumbfounded) What are you doing? With his hands still in his coat pockets he stalked by me into the hall, turned sharply as if he were on a wire and disappeared into the living room. It wasn't a bit funny For half a minute there wasn't a sound. Then from the living room I heard a sort of choking murmur and part of a laugh followed by Daisy's voice on a clear artificial note. Daisy: "I certainly am awfully glad to see you again." Gatsby: I (haltingly) I m certainly glad to see you as well. A pause; it endured horribly. I had nothing to do in the hall so I went into the room. Gatsby, his right hand still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect nonchalance. His left hand rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock, and from this position his distraught eyes stared down at Daisy who was sitting, clearly self consciously, but in a graceful fashion, on the edge of a chair. As I began to pour the tea, Gatsby s eyes glanced momentarily at me and his lips parted with an abortive attempt at a laugh. He had forgotten about his grip on the mantle clock. Gatsby: (Mutters) "We've met before." Gatsby absentmindedly released his hand from the clock and it dropped from the mantel. He caught it, but not before breaking the base. Confounded by Daisy s beauty and presence, he attempted to piece the clock back together. Gatsby: I will repair this immediately. Fumbling with the clock, he finally relented and turned to them. Then he sat down, rigidly, his elbow on the arm of the sofa and his chin in his hand. Gatsby: (regaining his decorum) "I'm sorry about the clock." My own face had now assumed a deep tropical burn. I couldn't muster up a single commonplace out of the thousand in my head. Nick: "It's an old clock." Daisy: Lovely clock though. Really lovely Daisy: (She continues, off her guard.) "We haven't met for many years." Gatsby: "Five years next November."

5 The Great Gatsby STUDENT EVALUATION FORM NAME: TEACHER: SCHOOL: CLASS: 1. Can you name a recent period in American History (or World History) where materialism, greed and wastefulness precipitated a period of economic recession? Can you list at least three or four reasons that economic excess often results in economic collapse? (Use the back of this page if necessary.) 2. List specific examples of literary devices within the context of the novel, The Great Gatsby. (Again, use the back of this page if you need more space.) A. Simile B. Metaphor C. Euphemisms 3. Would you consider Jay Gatsby an antihero, an archetype, or a victim of social circumstances? Or is he a mixture of the aforementioned qualities? Explain. (Use as much space as you need.) 4. Given the love triangle between Gatsby, Daisy and Tom, how is the novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald able to clearly foreshadow Gatsby s demise. Please provide key storyline details and examples.

6 The Great Gatsby TEACHER EVALUATION FORM NAME: POSITION: SCHOOL: SUBJECT AREA: 1. Did this program enhance your teaching effectiveness? Y N (If it did not, please state the reason, and list or describe which specific component or components could have been improved..) 2. Would you like to see this program return to the Alberta Bair Theater? Y N If the answer is no pleasee elaborate and/or give examples of past, current or future programs that would serve you and your students better. 3. Are you or were you able to integrate the study guidee informationn into your curriculum and/or unit planning? Please elaborate. 4. In further consideration of question number three, what could we have done to enable a more effective curriculum connection for you and your students? Please return this evaluation and your student evaluations to: Dr. William Mouat Director of the ABT Departmentt of Educationn and Community Outreach PO Box 1556 Billings, Montana 59103