Teaching Challenges
Below are potential challenges associated with this text that need to be addressed, in order for students to get the most out of their reading experience of this novel.
Challenge #1 It may be necessary for teachers to have "recap" class sessions in order to breakdown some of the events that occur in the novel. For instance, the fact that Daisy's husband is having an affair. One must consider that Gatsby composed this novel in the 1920s. During this time period, extramarital affairs were not discussed in public. Rather, infidelity was a private issue that was handled by a couple. It is with this mindset that Fitzgerald writes about Tom's affair. Fitzgerald does so in a way that can often cause younger readers to question if the affair was actually going on, since Daisy always seems to act oblivious to it. It is for this reason that it is imperative for educators to discuss such events and explain to students that the way in which certain events are depicted is due to the time period in which the author is from or is writing about. Another aspect of the novel that is worthy of a class discussion are the many parties that Gatsby held at his home, yet rarely participated in. This reoccurring aspect of the novel may confuse younger readers as on the surface, it seems to make no sense. Teachers should be prepared to explain that the purpose of many novels written in the 1920s was to teach a lesson or represent an underlying theme within the novel. For instance, educators could point out that Gatsby's elaborate parties, but infrequent attendance referenced the idea that "money cannot buy happiness." These dramatic parties could also be associated with themes, such as greed, vanity, or appearance vs. reality. It is essential that educators try to let students discover these themes on their own, and only act as guides, so that students learn how to dissect a text from a literary standpoint. |
Challenge #2
It may be necessary for teachers to explain the difference between "new money" and "old money."
One of the main themes associated with this text is money. However, younger readers may be confused as to what is "new money" vs. "old money." As of the twenty first century, there are no longer such distinctions of wealth. Rather, students should become aware of the fact that "new money" and "old money" dealt more with when/how someone acquired their wealth. For instance, today many people are born into middle or lower class families, yet by the time they are an adult they can be classified as upper middle class or wealthy. This was not so common during the time period of the novel, which is the 1920s. During the 1920s, many families had been wealthy for generations, due to prospering family businesses. These type of people were classified as old money. In contrast there were some, during that time period, like Jay Gatsby, who managed to surpass the class status they were born in and become wealthy. These type of people were labelled as new money because they did not derive from generational wealth and because, in some cases, they obtained their money by working hard or through illegal activity.
People classified as old money were considered of a higher class than those who were labelled as new money because of the fact that people of old money had been wealthy for some time, versus new money people had only recently become wealthy. Students should also be aware of some of the obvious signs of old money vs. new money. The biggest difference between the two that could be observed by a reader is that those of old money were far less flashy with their money, in comparison to those of new money. Jay Gatsby is a prime example of new money. Readers should be able to identify this and explain that one can tell that Gatsby is of new money due to the many flashy and fancy parties he threw to showcase his wealth. In short, it is imperative that educators not only inform students of this information, but also allow students to discover examples of old money vs. new money in the novel or in life today, so that it is clear that students truly understand the differences between the two.
It may be necessary for teachers to explain the difference between "new money" and "old money."
One of the main themes associated with this text is money. However, younger readers may be confused as to what is "new money" vs. "old money." As of the twenty first century, there are no longer such distinctions of wealth. Rather, students should become aware of the fact that "new money" and "old money" dealt more with when/how someone acquired their wealth. For instance, today many people are born into middle or lower class families, yet by the time they are an adult they can be classified as upper middle class or wealthy. This was not so common during the time period of the novel, which is the 1920s. During the 1920s, many families had been wealthy for generations, due to prospering family businesses. These type of people were classified as old money. In contrast there were some, during that time period, like Jay Gatsby, who managed to surpass the class status they were born in and become wealthy. These type of people were labelled as new money because they did not derive from generational wealth and because, in some cases, they obtained their money by working hard or through illegal activity.
People classified as old money were considered of a higher class than those who were labelled as new money because of the fact that people of old money had been wealthy for some time, versus new money people had only recently become wealthy. Students should also be aware of some of the obvious signs of old money vs. new money. The biggest difference between the two that could be observed by a reader is that those of old money were far less flashy with their money, in comparison to those of new money. Jay Gatsby is a prime example of new money. Readers should be able to identify this and explain that one can tell that Gatsby is of new money due to the many flashy and fancy parties he threw to showcase his wealth. In short, it is imperative that educators not only inform students of this information, but also allow students to discover examples of old money vs. new money in the novel or in life today, so that it is clear that students truly understand the differences between the two.