Both The Great Gatsby (1925) and Black Thunder (1935) tell stories set in the United States at different times in its history. Each novel’s main characters move in a world full of references and allusions to larger stories about history, society, and humanity—both in the United States and, on occasion, around the world. The Great Gatsby is set in 1922, close to the time when it was written, but alludes generally to various narratives about the history of modern America. Black Thunder, as a historical novel, reflects both on narratives current at the time of writing (the 1930s, during the Great Depression) and also on those circulating in various communities when the action occurs (the year 1800, just before Thomas Jefferson was elected President).
Directions: Identify one social or cultural narrative that is invoked significantly in at least 1 of these 2 novels. Research its history and interpretation in recent scholarly writing.
Explain its relation to the main story in both novels—or, if it is absent or nearly absent from 1 novel, then explain this gap in terms of its social and historical causes, its narrative significance, or both.
