Fiche à imprimer : Gatsby and the Jazz Age : les Années folles (1re)

Anglais	Français
the Jazz Age / the Roaring Twenties	l'ère du jazz / les Années folles
Prohibition (1920-1933)	la Prohibition
the American Dream	le rêve américain
lavish parties	des fêtes somptueuses
Gatsby would throw a party every weekend.	Gatsby donnait une fête chaque week-end.
wealth hides emptiness	la richesse cache le vide

Dans The Great Gatsby (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald dépeint l'Amérique des années 1920 : jazz, robes courtes des flappers, alcool clandestin malgré la Prohibition, fortunes rapides. Le mystérieux Jay Gatsby organise des fêtes immenses dans l'espoir de reconquérir Daisy, son amour de jeunesse. Le roman interroge le rêve américain : peut-on se réinventer grâce à l'argent ? Pour les habitudes passées : used to + verbe ou would + verbe (actions répétées).

Mise en situation : le cours de littérature

Teacher : What was life like for rich Americans in the 1920s?

Comment était la vie des Américains riches dans les années 1920 ?

Chloe : They used to go to huge parties with jazz bands, even though alcohol was illegal during Prohibition.

Ils allaient à d'immenses fêtes avec des orchestres de jazz, même si l'alcool était illégal pendant la Prohibition.

Teacher : And in the novel, why does Gatsby throw those parties?

Et dans le roman, pourquoi Gatsby organise-t-il ces fêtes ?

Adam : He hopes Daisy will come one day. He would stand alone and watch the green light across the bay.

Il espère que Daisy viendra un jour. Il restait seul à regarder la lumière verte de l'autre côté de la baie.

Chloe : His whole fortune is built on a dream of the past. That's what makes him tragic.

Toute sa fortune repose sur un rêve du passé. C'est ce qui le rend tragique.

Teacher : So is the novel a celebration of the American Dream or a criticism of it?

Alors le roman est-il une célébration du rêve américain ou une critique ?

À retenir

the Jazz Age, Prohibition, a bootlegger, a flapper, wealth, a mansion, the American Dream, an illusion.
used to + verbe / would + verbe (habitudes passées) ; even though ; What was life like?

Exercice 1 : Les Années folles : exercice 1 (QCM)

The Great Gatsby a été publié en...
1. 1925
2. 1955
3. 1895
Son auteur :
1. Charles Dickens
2. F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Mark Twain
La Prohibition interdisait...
1. le jazz
2. l'alcool
3. les voitures
« des fêtes somptueuses »
1. lovely partys
2. lavish parties
3. lavish parts
« Il donnait une fête chaque week-end. » (habitude)
1. He would throw a party every weekend.
2. He will throw a party every weekend.
3. He would threw a party every weekend.
« un contrebandier d'alcool »
1. a legbooter
2. a bootmaker
3. a bootlegger
« une demeure, un manoir »
1. a mention
2. a mansion
3. a mansard
Gatsby regarde une lumière...
1. rouge
2. verte
3. bleue
« la richesse »
1. wealth
2. health
3. welfare
« même si »
1. even though
2. even so that
3. even through

Exercice 2 : Les Années folles : exercice 2 (à compléter)

They .......................... to go to huge parties.
He .......................... stand alone and watch the green light.
Alcohol was illegal during .......................... .
He hopes Daisy .......................... come one day.
His fortune is built on a .......................... of the past.
What was life .......................... in the 1920s?
the American ..........................
the Roaring ..........................
.......................... though alcohol was illegal, they drank.
That's what makes him .......................... .

Exercice 3 : Les Années folles : mise en situation

Comment était la vie dans les années 1920 ?
1. What life was like in the 1920s?
2. How was life like in the 1920s?
3. What was life like in the 1920s?
Ils allaient à d'immenses fêtes.
1. They used to go to huge parties.
2. They use to go to huge parties.
3. They used to going to huge parties.
Même si l'alcool était illégal.
1. even though alcohol was illegal
2. even alcohol was illegal though of
3. even through alcohol was illegal
Pourquoi organise-t-il ces fêtes ?
1. Why does Gatsby throw those parties?
2. Why Gatsby throws those parties?
3. Why does Gatsby throws those parties?
Il espère que Daisy viendra.
1. He hopes Daisy will come one day.
2. He hope Daisy will come one day.
3. He hopes Daisy comes will one day.
Il restait seul à regarder la lumière (habitude).
1. He would stood alone and watched the green light.
2. He will stand alone and watch the green light.
3. He would stand alone and watch the green light.
Sa fortune repose sur un rêve.
1. His hole fortune is built on a dream of the past.
2. His whole fortune is built on a dream of the past.
3. His whole fortune is build on a dream of the past.
C'est ce qui le rend tragique.
1. That's which makes him tragic.
2. That's what make him tragic.
3. That's what makes him tragic.
Célébration ou critique ?
1. Is the novel a celebration or a criticism of the American Dream?
2. Is the novel a celebration or a critic of the American Dream?
3. The novel is a celebration or a criticism?
Tu penses que c'est une critique.
1. I think it's a critic of the American Dream.
2. I'm thinking it's a criticism of American Dream of.
3. I think it's a criticism of the American Dream.

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. a) 1925 · 2. b) F. Scott Fitzgerald · 3. b) l'alcool · 4. b) lavish parties · 5. a) He would throw a party every weekend. · 6. c) a bootlegger · 7. b) a mansion · 8. b) verte · 9. a) wealth · 10. a) even though

Exercice 2

1. used · 2. would · 3. Prohibition · 4. will · 5. dream · 6. like · 7. Dream · 8. Twenties · 9. Even · 10. tragic

Exercice 3

1. c) What was life like in the 1920s? · 2. a) They used to go to huge parties. · 3. a) even though alcohol was illegal · 4. a) Why does Gatsby throw those parties? · 5. a) He hopes Daisy will come one day. · 6. c) He would stand alone and watch the green light. · 7. b) His whole fortune is built on a dream of the past. · 8. c) That's what makes him tragic. · 9. a) Is the novel a celebration or a criticism of the American Dream? · 10. c) I think it's a criticism of the American Dream.