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Title: The Great Gatsby

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Summary: The story follows Nick Carraway, a young man from the Midwest, as he navigates the glamorous yet morally ambiguous world of 1920s New York. Through his interactions with Jay Gatsby, a wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Nick discovers the dark side of the American Dream and the emptiness of wealth without purpose or love.

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Clear Thematic Topic / Essential Question

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Clear Thematic Topic / Essential Question

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Thematic Topic: "The American Dream: Illusion or Reality?"

Essential Question: "How does the pursuit of the American Dream impact identity and morality?"

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Terms: The American Dream, Wealth, Disillusionment, Social Class, Materialism, Isolation, Depression, Identity, Class Division, Perception vs. Reality.

Rationale: These terms will help students understand how outward appearances can mask internal struggles, illustrating how societal pressures around wealth and success often lead to inner conflict and despair.

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Title: “Richard Cory”

Author: Edwin Arlington Robinson

Summary: This poem describes a wealthy, admired man named Richard Cory, who, despite appearing to have a perfect life, suffers from profound inner loneliness and ultimately takes his own life. Robinson’s poem critiques the superficial assumptions people make about wealth and happiness, challenging the notion that material success equates to fulfillment.

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Contextual Reaserch Topics and Interdisciplinary Areas

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Contextual Reaserch Topics and Interdisciplinary Areas

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Topics: The American Dream and its evolution, Mental health and success, The Jazz Age and post-WWII economic expectations, Capitalism’s effect on personal identity.

Interdisciplinary Areas: History (1920s and 1940s-50s American society), Psychology (mental health and the effects of societal expectations), Sociology (social class and identity), Art (representations of isolation and success in art).

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Movie Clip(s): The Great Gatsby (2013 film) – Depictions of Gatsby’s parties and his confrontation with Tom, highlighting his pursuit of status.

Music: “Money (That’s What I Want)” https://youtu.be/96XJl7mxDtc?si=oIVMvCVHhqsaccWV by Barrett Strong, expressing materialistic values, and “Ain’t Misbehavin" https://youtu.be/pZ8fWP6a3Q4?si=Hyoz7hfKvqx3nF0H by Fats Waller, representing Jazz Age excess.

Speech: A TED Talk for exploring the topic of the unattainability of the American Dream is Courtney Martin’s "The New American Dream." In this talk, Martin addresses how the traditional American Dream—often equated with financial success and upward mobility—has become increasingly out of reach for many. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPf0LjZAS14

Art: Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, symbolizing urban isolation despite proximity, aligning with themes of loneliness in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman. https://www.artic.edu/artworks/111628/nighthawks

Informational Text: This article highlights the way materialism often fills emotional and social gaps with consumer goods, influencing how people view their self-worth and identity based on possessions rather than personal traits or values. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/consumerism-isnt-a-sellout-if-capitalism-works-for-all/

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Nighthawks

Date:

1942

Artist:

Edward Hopper
American, 1882-1967

Related

Related

About this artwork

About Nighthawks Edward Hopper recollected, "unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city." In an all-night diner, three customers sit at the counter opposite a server, each appear to be lost in thought and disengaged from one another. The composition is tightly organized and spare in details: there is no entrance to the establishment, no debris on the streets. Through harmonious geometric forms and the glow of the diner's electric lighting, Hopper created a serene, beautiful, yet enigmatic scene. Although inspired by a restaurant Hopper had seen on Greenwich Avenue in New York, the painting is not a realistic transcription of an actual place. As viewers, we are left to wonder about the figures, their relationships, and this imagined world.

Status

On View, Gallery 262

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Edward Hopper

Title

Nighthawks

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

1942

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

signed l.r. "Edward Hopper"

Dimensions

84.1 × 152.4 cm (33 1/8 × 60 in.)

Credit Line

Friends of American Art Collection

Reference Number

1942.51

Extended information about this artwork

Gail Levin, "Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, Surrealism, and the War," Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 22, 2 (1996), 180-95, fig. 1.

The Art Institute of Chicago: Twentieth-Century Painting and Sculpture, selected by James N. Wood and Teri J. Edelstein (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1996), 85, ill.

Judith A. Barter et al., American Modernism at the Art Institute of Chicago, From World War I to 1955 (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2009), no. 133.

Nina Baym et al., eds., The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 8th edition (W. W. Norton & Company, 2012), ill.

Arthur Shimamura, Experiencing Art: In the Brain of the Beholder (Oxford University Press, 2013), 237 (ill.).

Derek Matravers, Introducing Philosophy of Art: In Eight Case Studies (Routledge, 2013), ill.

Duane Preble Emeritus et al., Prebles' Artforms, 11th edition (Pearson, 2013), 428, ill.

Robert Burleigh, Edward Hopper Paints His World (Henry Holt and Co., 2014), ill.

Steven Mintz, The Prime of Life: A History of Modern Adulthood (Belknap Press, 2015), ill.

Ramsay H. Slugg, Handbook of Practical Planning for Art Collectors and Their Advisors (ABA Book Publishing, 2015), ill.

Judith A. Barter, ed. America After the Fall: Painting in the 1930s, exh. cat. (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2016), fig. 3, 178.

Paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago, Highlights of the Collection (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2017), 135.

Judith A. Barter, "Prolog: Eine neue Welt der Kunst" and Susanne Scharf, "Bilder von Amerika: Edward Hoppers Äesthetisierung des Alltäglichen," in Es war einmal in Amerika - 300 Jahre US-amerikanische Kunst [Once Upon a Time in America: Three Centuries of American Art], eds. Barbara Schaefer and Anita Hachmann (Cologne: Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud/Wienand Verlag, 2018), 25, fig. 12 (ill.); 219, fig. 1 (ill.).

Charles Passy, "Edward Hopper's 'Nighthawks' Gets 21st Century Makeover," The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 5, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/edward-hoppers-nighthawks-gets-21st-century-makeover-11607184000.

"The Defining Artworks of 2020," ARTnews, Dec. 9, 2020, https://www.artnews.com/list/art-news/artists/most-important-artworks-2020-1234578712/edward-hopper-nighthawks-1942, ill.

Hall W. Rockefeller, "A Rehang of Hopper's Iconic 'Nighthawks' Changes the Game," Hyperallergic, Mar. 23, 2022, https://hyperallergic.com/718667/a-rehang-of-edward-hopper-iconic-nighthawks-changes-the-game (ill.).

Art Institute of Chicago, The Fifty-third Annual Exhibition of American Paintings and Sculpture, Oct. 29-Dec. 10, 1942, cat. 132.

Indianapolis, 1943.

Art Institute of Chicago, The Fifty-fourth Annual Exhibition of American Paintings and Sculpture, Oct. 28-Dec. 12, 1943, cat. 15.

New York City, Whitney Museum of American Art, Edward Hopper: Retrospective Exhibition, Feb. 11-Mar. 26, 1950, cat. 61, pl. 28; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Apr. 13-May 14, 1950; Detroit Institute of Arts, June 4-July 2, 1950.

New York City, Wildenstein, Loan Exhibition of Seventy Twentieth Century American Paintings, Feb. 21-Mar. 22, 1952, cat. 54.

Venice, Esposiazione Biennale Internazionale d'Arte, June 14-Oct. 19, 1952, cat. 26.

Art Institute of Chicago, Two Centuries of American Art, 1750-1950, Oct. 1, 1959-Jan. 10, 1960, no cat. [downloadable checklist available].

Lake Forest College, Illinois.

New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Edward Hopper, Sept. 29-Nov. 29, 1964, cat. 43; Art Institute of Chicago, Dec. 18-Jan. 31, 1965.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, Fifty Years of Modern Art, June 14-July 31, 1966, cat. 81.

New York City, Whitney Museum of American Art, Edward Hopper: The Art and the Artist, Sept. 23, 1980-Jan. 18, 1981, cat. 386; London, Hayward Gallery, Feb. 11-Mar. 29, 1981 (separate catalogue, cat. 96), Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Apr. 22-June 17, 1981; Düsseldorf, Städtische Kunsthalle, July 10-Sept. 6, 1981; Art Institute of Chicago, Oct. 3-Nov. 29, 1981; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Dec16, 1981-Feb. 14, 1982.

Essen, Germany, Museum Folkwang, Edward Hopper und die Fotografie: die Warheit des Sichtbaren (Edward Hopper and Photography: The Truth of the Real), June 28-Sept. 27, 1992, p. 63, ill.

London, Tate Modern, Edward Hopper, May 27-Sept. 5, 2004; Cologne, Museum Ludwig, Oct. 9, 2004-Jan. 9, 2005.

New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Oct. 3-Dec. 31, 2006.

Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Edward Hopper, May 6-Aug. 19, 2007; Washington, DC, National Gallery of Art, Sept. 16, 2007-Jan. 21, 2008; Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 16-May 11, 2008.

Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Edward Hopper, June 12-Sept. 16, 2012; Paris, Galeries nationales d'exposition du Grand Palais, Oct. 5, 2012-Jan. 28, 2013 (Paris only).

New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Edward Hopper Drawings, May 23-Oct. 6, 2013; Dallas Museum of Art, Nov. 17, 2013-Feb. 16, 2014; Minneapolis, Walker Art Center, Mar. 15-June 22, 2014 (New York only).

Art Institute of Chicago, Art and Appetite: American Painting, Culture, and Cuisine, Nov. 10, 2013-Jan. 27, 2014, cat. 28; Fort Worth, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Feb. 22-May 18, 2014.

Shanghai Museum, Pathways to Modernism: American Art, 1865-1945, Sept. 28, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019, cat. 71.

Edward Hopper (1882-1967), 1942; consigned to Frank Rehn Galleries, 1942; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1942.

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Nighthawks | The Art Institute of Chicago

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Nick on Gatsby’s illusion of the American Dream:

“He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night”

Connection: This quote reveals Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of an unattainable dream, symbolizing the false promises of the American Dream and the futility of trying to recapture an idealized past.

Daisy on her limited hopes for her daughter:

“I hope she'll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool”

Connection: Daisy’s comment reflects the limitations society places on individuals, especially women, suggesting that ignorance might be preferable to the inevitable disappointment of realizing the harsh reality behind the American Dream.

Nick’s reflection on the unattainability of dreams:

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”

Connection: This closing line symbolizes the relentless, yet ultimately hopeless, pursuit of dreams that are forever out of reach, much like Gatsby’s quest for wealth and love. It critiques the cyclical nature of the American Dream, where individuals are encouraged to keep striving despite its unfulfilling nature.

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Willy on his faith in likability as a path to success:

“The man who creates personal interest is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want”

Connection: Willy’s belief in popularity as the key to success reflects his misunderstanding of the American Dream, as he clings to superficial values that ultimately fail to bring him real achievement or happiness.

Willy’s identity crisis:

“I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!”

Connection: This moment underscores Willy’s desperation to assert his worth in a society that measures value by success and wealth. His need for validation reflects the toxic influence of the American Dream on individual identity, where self-worth becomes entangled with societal approval.

Biff’s realization about the illusions of success:

“I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time to sit and smoke...Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be?”

Connection: Biff’s epiphany about his own dreams versus societal expectations highlights the conflict between personal contentment and the relentless push to achieve material success. It challenges the American Dream’s emphasis on status and wealth, promoting a more grounded sense of fulfillment.

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Title: Death of a Salesman

Author: Arthur Miller

Summary: This play centers on Willy Loman, an aging salesman struggling with his failures and the harsh realities of his life. As Willy clings to his dream of success and respectability, he becomes increasingly disillusioned, and his inability to achieve the American Dream leads to devastating consequences.

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The selected texts—The Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman, and Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem “Richard Cory”—all examine the American Dream and its influence on identity and self-worth, highlighting the disparity between external appearances of success and internal realities of disillusionment. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby's pursuit of wealth and status to win back Daisy reflects a futile chase of an idealized dream that is ultimately hollow and unattainable. Similarly, Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman sacrifices his happiness and integrity to chase an image of success defined by societal values of material wealth and popularity. Both Gatsby and Willy are ultimately destroyed by their refusal to see beyond the facade of the American Dream, becoming tragic figures who embody its emotional toll. Robinson’s “Richard Cory” complements these themes by depicting a man who is admired by society for his wealth and sophistication, yet ends his life in despair, suggesting that public admiration and financial success can mask inner turmoil. Together, these works reveal how the American Dream, while promising fulfillment, often perpetuates unattainable ideals that erode personal identity, leaving individuals isolated and disillusioned. This text set encourages students to critically examine the psychological costs of striving for societal success and to consider how true fulfillment might require redefining one’s values beyond the narrow confines of the American Dream.