Introduction
Picture this: The year is 1943. World War II is taking place. Jay Gatsby, who was once the talk of the town with all of his extravagant parties and lavish lifestyle, is now getting a taste of reality. His "business" falls through and he is forced to get a real job. Upon getting a real job, he realizes he is not getting anywhere close to the amount of money he used to, he can no longer be foolish with his spending. With the love of his life, Daisy, by his side, and a baby on the way, Gatsby is worried he won't be able to provide for them. So, he decides to take matters into his own hands....
And that's where you come in, "old sport."
Task
After reading "The Great Gatsby" you should be well educated on the lifestyle of people in the 1920's. But, now it is time to think ahead. Your task is to refer back to the introduction page to get familiar with the story line. Then, put yourself in Gatsby's position and write (or type) out a plan for how you are going to provide yourself and your family on the budget you have.
** Keep in mind, you are in the year 1943. Meaning, the war is still in action and there is a ration on certain foods and other items!!
Process
To begin, you must first educate yourself on how much the average worker in the 1940's gets paid and also how much living in the 1940's costs, in general. So, use these websites below to help you out.
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1940s.html
Now of course you can not live in the west egg anymore considering you are balling on a budget! So pack your bags and select a new place to live in New York:
- Bronx
- Brooklyn
- Manhattan
- Queens
- Staten Island
Next, with the information above in mind, you must now find a big enough house for you, your wife, Daisy, and your child using that price range from the step up above. Use the website provided.
After that, you must also buy clothing and items for your new baby. Congrats!! I have included a link of examples for children's clothing in the 1940's so you can get a general idea of what children and toddlers wore during that time period.
Choose 3-5 outfits for your baby to wear using the site below.
http://vintagedancer.com/1940s/1940s-childrens-clothing/
Now that you've provided for your baby, it is time to provide for yourself. Find out if you want to take the bus, train, or splurge and lease your own car. (If you choose to lease your own car, I am challenging you to calculate the cost from now to back then!)
bus schedule: http://www.mta.info/schedules
information on how to lease a car: http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/street-smarts/how-to-lease-car-7-simple-steps-article-1.2739985
After you have completed that step, make a grocery list. Be sure the grocery list you are making would be able to feed the whole family.
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/40sfood.html
Lastly, write (or type) out a brief summary of how you plan to provide for you and your family!
https://www.google.com/docs/about/
Other helpful sites:
http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/food-rationing-in-wartime-america
https://westegg.com/inflation/
Evaluation
Conclusion
By the end of this Webquest, you should be able to get a better understanding of how the richest of the rich lived in the 1920's but also, how they had to cope and learn to survive AFTER the roaring 20's ended. If you did not learn anything from this webquest then "I'm afraid I've been a bad host" But, You will have 1 week to complete this assignment. Good luck!!