Applied Practice in the Great Gatsby

Applied Practice in

The Great Gatsby PSAT/ /NMSQT*/SAT*

By F. Scott Fitzgerald RESOURCE GUIDE

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Questions 21-30 are based on the following critical of these reckless, independent young passage. 50 women. The writer and critic Dorothy Parker wrote a scathing “Hate Song” about flappers, and Although critics generally were not a Harvard psychologist of the time claimed that enthusiastic about the effectiveness of the 1974 flappers presented “a hopeless problem for film version of The Great Gatsby, no one could educators” because they had “the lowest degree dispute that the movie captures the atmosphere 55 of intelligence.” 5 of the Roaring Twenties. In fact, the film won The era of the flapper came to an abrupt end two Academy Awards, one for its music and one in America following the Wall Street Crash and for costume design. The riotous scenes of the ensuing Great Depression. The extravagant Gatsby’s elaborate parties give viewers a lifestyle of the flapper was no longer supportable glimpse into life in the era, and on center stage is 60 among the “Make Do and Mend” campaigns 10 that new woman of the twenties, the “flapper.” intended to discourage overconsumption during The flapper emerged after World War I. those troubled economic times. Although During the war, young men found themselves far flappers disappeared practically overnight, their from the safety of America, facing death in the influence upon American society would be felt trenches. Many of the young men, believing they 65 for decades, and generations, to come. The 15 would never return home, sought out flapper ushered in an era of freedom of choice extreme life experiences. Meanwhile, the young for women. Women were no longer relegated to women back home had patriotically entered the subservient roles, and they had options beyond work force. When the war ended, neither the homemaking. These young women whom many men nor the women were able to settle back 70 considered to be frivolous, or even immoral, 20 down into normal American life as if nothing made a significant contribution to the evolution had changed, and they rebelled against the older of women’s rights. generation, who, in their view, sent a generation overseas to die and then unreasonably insisted that those who returned go back to business as 25 usual. Young women were no longer content to wait until a suitable prospect for marriage approached them, especially since so many men of their generation had perished in the war. They wanted to get out on their own and enjoy life. 30 The term “flapper” was used in Great Britain to describe awkward young girls who were not yet women. In America, the term was adapted to apply to the young women who behaved in a manner many considered shocking. 35 The most obvious feature of flappers was their appearance. In order to look more boyish, flappers tightly wound cloth around their chests to flatten them. The flapper wore lighter, shorter, less restrictive clothing that allowed her to move 40 freely and enjoy the dances of the Jazz Age such as the Charleston and the Shimmy. The flapper’s skirt fell just below the knees, and when she walked, her knees could be glimpsed, a serious Life magazine cover by Frank Xavier departure from the modesty of women who wore Leyendecker, 2 February, 1922 45 long, nearly floor-length skirts. While illustrators and writers in the U.S., such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, popularized the flapper look and lifestyle, others were more

©2017 by Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 21. The main purpose of the passage is to 24. As used in line 4, “captures” most nearly means A) describe a significant social phenomenon. A) seizes.

B) consider the difficulties of post-war B) influences. readjustment. C) represents. C) examine ways societies evolve over time. D) controls.

D) argue that nonconformity should be rewarded, not rejected. 25. The main purpose of the second paragraph (lines 11-29) is to

22. The author implies that the flappers A) emphasize the unfair demands placed primarily considered the expectation that upon young women. they focus on marriage to be B) provide support for the idea that war is A) unrealistic. detrimental to a free society.

B) patronizing. C) develop a counterargument to the claim that flappers were frivolous. C) outrageous. D) present a sociological context for the D) distasteful. emergence of the flapper.

23. Which choice provides the best evidence for 26. As used in line 44, “departure” most nearly the answer to the previous question? means

A) Lines 25-27 (“Young . . . them”) A) withdrawal.

B) Lines 27-28 (“especially . . . war”) B) shift.

C) Lines 36-38 (“In order . . . them”) C) retreat.

D) Lines 65-67 (“The flapper . . . women”) D) exit.

©2017 by Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 27. The fourth paragraph (lines 46-55) is 29. Which choice provides the best evidence for primarily concerned with establishing a the answer to the previous question? contrast between A) Lines 9-10 (“and . . . twenties”) A) illustrators and writers. B) Lines 25-27 (“Young . . . them”) B) artists and academics. C) Lines 46-48 (“While . . . lifestyle”) C) reckless flappers and unintelligent flappers. D) Lines 65-67 (“The flapper . . . women”)

D) a celebration of flappers and a condemnation of them. 30. The image from the cover of Life magazine focuses on the flapper’s ability to

28. The author’s attitude toward flappers could A) shock her elders. best be characterized as B) disguise herself. A) indifferent. C) transform herself. B) admiring. D) surprise her contemporaries. C) adulatory.

D) ambivalent.

21. (A) describe a significant social phenomenon. This passage is describing the 1920s phenomenon of the “flapper.” The ideas in the other choices are touched on briefly, but overall the passage describes the rise of the flapper.

22. (A) unrealistic. The flappers were not “content” to sit around waiting for a suitable marriage prospect, particularly since the numbers of eligible men had been diminished by the war.

23. (B) Lines 29-30 (“especially . . . war”). These lines explain that a significant number of young men had “perished in the war.” Therefore, it would be unrealistic for a young woman to put her life on hold in hopes that an eligible bachelor was on the horizon.

24. (C) represents. In this context, the word “captures” is being used in the artistic sense. A painter might capture the personality of his or her subject perfectly. That is, the artist faithfully represents that personality. Here, the claim is that the 1974 film faithfully represents the era it depicts.

25. (D) present a sociological context for the emergence of the flapper. This paragraph describes the post-war restlessness felt by both returning soldiers and the young women who “had patriotically entered the work force” during the war. The young women knew marriage prospects were few, and after working hard, they were ready “to get out on their own and enjoy life.” This resulted in their abandoning conventional ways of behaving, thinking, and dressing.

26. (B) shift. In context, the word “departure” refers to a change, or shift, in the way young women dressed. This is a more precise word to describe a change in fashion than “withdrawal,” “retreat,” or “exit.”

27. (D) a celebration of flappers and a condemnation of them. The contrast is between those who celebrated and “popularized” the flapper “look and lifestyle,” and those who condemned the flappers with “a scathing ‘Hate Song’” or a claim that they were “‘a hopeless problem’” because they lacked intelligence.

28. (B) admiring. While the author is generally presenting an objective account, her attitude is apparent in the last paragraph when she credits flappers with “usher[ing] in an era of freedom of choice for women” and making “a significant contribution to the evolution of women’s rights.” The author’s admiration is not extreme, obsequious, or adulatory.

29. (D) Lines 69-70 (“The flapper . . . women”). In these lines, the author makes clear that she admires the contributions flappers made to society.

©2017 by Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 30. (C) transform herself. The butterfly is a common symbol for transformation or metamorphosis. The cover image shows a young woman who has presumably emerged from a cocoon to become something completely different.

B) who examined the books in Gatsby’s library, is the C) that is the person who only partygoer who attends Gatsby’s funeral. This D) that is the person that man understood that Gatsby was performing for his guests, and he appreciated Gatsby’s efforts 31. A) NO CHANGE enough to pay his respects. 31 The characters’ desire B) The characters

for fulfilling lives became tangled up with the belief C) The character’s

D) The character that money, along with position and power, 32 bring

happiness. 33

32. A) NO CHANGE

B) brings

C) had brought

D) brought

33. In this paragraph, the best placement for the

phrase “throughout the novel,” would be:

A) at the beginning of the paragraph (beginning

the phrase with a capital letter).

B) after the word efforts.

C) at the beginning of the last sentence (beginning the phrase with a capital letter).

D) after the word happiness.

30. (B) who. The phrase “is the person that” is unnecessarily wordy.

31. (A) NO CHANGE. Correct as is.

32. (B) brings. The subject of the clause is the singular “money.” The phrase “along with position and power” is a parenthetical phrase. For subject/verb agreement, the verb must be singular: “brings.”

33. (C) at the beginning of the last sentence (beginning the phrase with a capital letter). This phrase would be appropriate before the last sentence because the sentence reiterates that almost all the characters in this novel confuse money and the appearance of money with true happiness. This pattern occurs “throughout the novel.” Choice A would place unjustified emphasis on “Owl Eyes.” Choices B and D awkwardly suggest that the characters are aware that they are in a novel.